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Gardens with Style Tour & Expo
Experience climate-friendly gardens with STYLE in-person!
In celebration of National Arbor Day
Saturday, April 29, 2023
8:30 am - 10:30 am Garden and Design Expo
11:00 am - 1 pm Self-guided Driving Tour
- Chat with plant experts and take home some sweet garden giveaways!
- Learn about sustainable landscape design with Urban Ecology Studio
- Tour the SMWD WaterWorks Garden styles: Mediterranean, Cal Native, Southwest, Meadow, and Home Orchard
- Celebrate National Arbor Day by attending a Tree Health workshop w/ a certified Arborist
- Get a map and head out on a self-guided home garden tour!
Talks at the EXPO:
WaterWorks Gardens with Style Tour
Join us for an easy and inspiring walk through the 5 dedicated garden styles (California Native, Southwest, Mediterranean, Meadow, and Home Orchard) and their focal trees in our 1/2 acre demonstration garden at the SMWD Headquarters. The tour guide will highlight how SMWD has incorporates climate-friendly focal trees into our garden!
Bio: Amelia Herndon-Steen will host this talk. She is a Senior Water Efficiency Specialist and Landscape Architect and was the lead designer in charge of re-designing the SMWD Water Works Garden in 2019.
Join Urban Ecology Studio for a scheduled talk:
Description: Learn about creating ecological landscapes for homes and outdoor spaces. Urban Ecology Studio will share their natural approach to landscape design and tips to creating beautiful and inviting spaces that also retaining water, improve soil health and invaluable habitat for butterflies, birds, and other wildlife.
Bio: Urban Ecology Studio, a full-service design/build firm, practices ecologically thoughtful landscape design. Understanding and believing in the healing powers of nature, we use modern design and regenerative practices to create flourishing landscape environments. We strive to bring enjoyment and functionality for our clients while also creating thriving ecosystems. (CSLB #1089476)
Join a certified Arborist (TBD) for a scheduled talk:
Description: TBD
Bio: TBD
Raffle Prizes and Driving Tour Send off!
Don't miss out on the Water Efficiency Giveaways and Raffle Prizes!
- Hose Nozzles
- Tree Watering Bags
- Buckets
- Kneeling Pads
Staff will also be available to assist with driving tour suggestions and map questions before you head out on the driving tour!
*Nominate a landscape for our 2024 Tour!
Do you have a landscape in mind that should be featured in our future garden tours?
EMAIL YOUR NOMINATION to efficiency@smwd.com
2022 Gardens with Style Tour
2019 Landscapes Tour
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Joyous and whimsical sums it up. This do-it-yourself paradise is a great example of how beautiful low water and low maintenance can truly be. Starting off as a small experiment in planting interesting succulents in a front yard planter, this homeowner has graduated to enlivening the entire space. This garden includes a dry creek bed, playful animal art, striking succulents, colorful perennials, and more. Stop by to learn more about what this homeowner did to transform their grass and clay into a welcoming landscape.
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Patience is everything when you start your succulent garden from a centerpiece at a wedding! This homeowner had a designer plan the overall circulation and planting of their front yard. Come and take a stroll on the meandering flagstone pathway that leads to the reflective dry creek bed. Notice how the decomposed granite groundcover is becoming less and less apparent as the picturesque Agaves, Sages, and Blue Chalk Sticks command the undivided attention that they rightfully deserve.
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Picture perfect! Experience the timelessness of this hacienda style garden. Designed with both symmetry and flow, colorful succulents, flowers, and foliage lead your way through an exquisite wooden entry gate and into a stunning courtyard. Notice the artificial turf in the joints of the paving and the Spanish style fountain that masks the sounds of the outside world. From start to finish, this front yard is 100% enjoyable.
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Experience this elaborate mosaic of succulents planted much like an intricate Tibetan sand painting. The colors, textures, and varieties are limitless. This garden highlights the hundreds of types of succulents available to homeowners looking for low water use, low maintenance, and beautiful options for their own yards. One can truly appreciate the 6 years of constant attention and vision that the homeowner has dedicated to this site. Absolutely mesmerizing!
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Drought tolerant, easy to maintain, lush, and colorful all describe this dry southwestern style garden. The landscape designer incorporated a satisfying variety of rock mulches and plant textures, illuminating how vibrant the desert motif in the landscape can be. From the commanding Prickly Pear cactus, amazing Yucca trees, and the lacey Palo Verde tree, there is no lack of excitement happening in this front yard.
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Wonderful things can happen when you remove a front lawn. This homeowner began their journey to enliven their front yard with bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Along with a friendly buzzing native garden, they have ended up with a fulfilling sense of place. The naturally flowing entrance to their home is a permeable paver path that leads to a hummingbird bench. This family loves to sit and enjoy the garden while watching their kids at play.
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Pro-tip: You can still have the aesthetic of a lawn and achieve major water savings – simply use the lawn alternative and drought tolerant groundcover, Kurapia, like this homeowner! Wait! There’s more….this tranquil landscape features a symbolic rock stream flowing from an inverted decorated pot. A Meyer Lemon tree not only provides year round fragrance, but wonderful lemons and zest. Heighten your senses as you stroll by the lavender and rosemary and other blooming plants.
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Color, color, color! This homeowner removed their front yard grass in 2014 and never looked back. Year-round interest makes this English inspired garden a wonderland for pollinators and children alike. Using Spanish Lavender to create a semi-formal hedge instead of English Boxwood, the variety of low water and native plants is inspiring. Don’t forget to check out the patch of artificial turf by the front door, if you are considering this option.
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This homeowner–a Landscape Architect–decided that the weedy front lawn that they inherited was not what they had in mind for a welcoming outdoor space. They use Cassias along with a split-rail fence to create the feeling of privacy for a unique seating area. White Sage and California Lilac provide aromatherapy and happy pollinators. This landscape sets the stage for sunny breakfasts with a mountain view and warm neighborly evenings in the moonlight.
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Spotlight! This RSM resident is highlighted in the SAMLARC Fall 2018 Edition of Mediterranean Home. Spectacular case study for the perfect balance between water-wise and Mediterranean planting palette. The permeable paving seating area lends itself to enjoyable evenings on the patio. While the Olive trees transport you to a villa in Italy, the Bird of Paradise hark back to our stunning California sunsets. This front yard landscape demonstrates a delightful, practical balance between garden and hardscape.
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A call to the wild. A picture perfect California native plant garden reawakened by this winter’s abundant rainfall. This landscape is planted with mostly western native plants, with a few drought-tolerant imports, all nestled within a riparian setting. Sages, mallows, coyote mints, wooly blue curls, fuchsias, blue-eyed grasses, and poppies only scratch the surface of this naturalized garden. You won’t find much supplemental irrigation in this yard, only a deeper sense of connection to nature.
2018 Landscapes Tour
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Come see this CA native garden in all its wild and natural beauty! Wander down this landscape’s decomposed granite pathway to take in the sweet smell of the sages and enjoy the shade of the Palo Verde tree. Doesn’t that tree make a real statement? This garden offers a big bonus – once established, the homeowners have to put in only the occasional effort to maintain it!
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Step into this serene, fragrant meadow and admire all the vibrant shades of green! These homeowners transformed their front yard from a traditional lawn into a thriving native haven. Now, butterflies and hummingbirds visit this garden frequently. The homeowners’ favorite part of their garden is the swale. When it rains, they love to watch the swale in action, pooling and collecting rainwater to be used for the garden.
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This homeowner upgraded from their old lawn that was filled with bald spots, different grasses, and weeds. Now, this lush front yard is absolutely bursting with color and texture – don’t forget to take in all the scents, too! Take some time to notice the different features that are incorporated in this landscape, like the rain chain and winding swale. This garden is both beautiful and functional – designed to keep rainwater on-site!
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Interested in a nature walk? Follow this home’s winding decomposed granite pathway from the front yard and into the backyard. While on the way, you may just run into some local wildlife – butterflies, hummingbirds, and lizards. This homeowner completed a full-scale landscape transformation, converting their boring lawn into a colorful and dynamic garden that saves water!
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After getting discouraged with trying to revive a dying lawn to no avail, this homeowner was finally motivated to relandscape their front yard. Wouldn’t you say that this garden is like a real, living painting? With a color palette of orange, yellow, gray, and dark green, this is a succulent dream! Just like an interesting piece of artwork, notice the application of repetition and the use of varying textures.
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This is a garden with a unique personality and aesthetic! This homeowner designed and constructed their front yard themselves to reduce their outdoor water usage. Notice the use of river rock, lava rock, and boulders as accents and as groundcover throughout the garden. Showcasing a mixture of succulents and cacti, this front yard offers pleasing pops of color.
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Pro-tip: You can still have the aesthetic of a lawn and achieve major water savings – simply use the lawn alternative and drought tolerant groundcover dymondia ‘silver carpet,’ like this homeowner! Notice the harmony and balance demonstrated in this garden with the diverse textures, colors, and shapes of these Mediterranean-inspired plants. Don’t forget to check out the backyard…you don’t want to miss out on the stunning view!
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Are you a lover of cacti, the desert, and a Southwest theme? Then you can’t miss this front yard. This bold garden is an absolute treat – just look at that saguaro cactus! These homeowners are real pioneers in low water use landscaping. Established in 1993, this garden was on the very cutting edge of water conservation. This front yard is a staple in their neighborhood, packing quite a visual punch!
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Don’t miss out on this special opportunity to chat with a professional landscape architect! This homeowner put their skills to the test and designed and installed their front yard themselves. This garden is rich in texture, color, and shape, teeming with different types of drought tolerant plants. This yard proves that a healthy and vibrant garden does not need to come at a high cost of water use or lots of maintenance.
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Looking for a sustainable, long-term solution, this homeowner transformed their front yard from patches of turf and dirt to a holistic ecosystem. The swale captures rainwater and keeps runoff and harmful pollutants from our waterways, while the CA native plants provide colorful aesthetics and year-round habitat. This homeowner’s favorite aspect of their yard is the smell of the new, blooming flowers – it’s a great reminder in the morning to stop and enjoy the day!
2017 Landscapes Tour
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As a Certified Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Foundation, this spectacular landscape is bursting with life. Low-growing CA native plants are an important food source and habitat for pollinators and make wildlife watching easy from any view point! The bird bath provides a vital source of water, while the grasses create a meadow-like atmosphere.
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Interested in using water efficiently and offering habitat value, this homeowner transformed the front yard from turf to a native haven. A permeable pathway was also installed to provide a designated entryway and better functionality. Packed with CA native plants and a swale, this landscape proves just how much you can do with a small space!
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This front yard reminds us that our landscapes are so much more than just open spaces - they can be fun and creative too! Take some time to admire all of the whimsy this landscape has to offer. Keep an eye out for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies which will no doubt be attracted to all of the colorful flowers!
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Looking for a sustainable, long-term solution, this homeowner used the SMWD Landscape Kit Rebate to transform this front yard from patches of turf and dirt to a holistic ecosystem. The swale captures rain water and keeps runoff and harmful pollutants from our waterways, while the CA native plants provide colorful aesthetics and year-round habitat.
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Do you share your front yard with a neighbor? Here is a great example of how to blend your landscapes together while keeping your own personal touches intact! This homeowner added a decomposed granite walkway to make the landscape accessible and interactive, and added a permeable patio for a welcoming entry and seating area.
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This homeowner’s passion for sustainability brought this landscape to life! Permeability throughout builds healthy, living soil and allows water to soak into the landscape. These two important dynamics create the foundation for a thriving landscape such as this - even during the hottest days of summer. Be sure to check out the rain chain too!
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Only 7 months old, this landscape is already flourishing with color. The downspout from the roof is directed straight into the swale, allowing for maximum rain water capture and minimal runoff. The great diversity of CA natives will provide a habitat for local wildlife year-round. A bench gives the homeowners the opportunity to stop and enjoy this beauty!
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Looking to establish a sense of place in their landscape, these homeowners chose to use CA native plants to replace their once water-thirsty lawn. This well-established landscape features medium to large sized CA natives that are frequented by swallowtail butterflies, bumble bees, and hummingbirds. In full bloom, this landscape is stunning!
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A once turf-dominated landscape with a dark, narrow entryway, this landscape is now an airy and pleasant space to unwind and enjoy the outdoors. CA native plants contribute to this relaxed and natural atmosphere, along with the calming sounds of the water fountain. Be sure to ask the homeowner about the visitors that frequent this fountain!
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Enthusiastic about the watershed approach and ready to get rid of the turf, these homeowners found the SMWD Landscape Kit Rebate to be a perfect solution. This landscape is still quite young at only 6 months old, but the rain water captured by the swale this past winter will help this landscape get established in no time!
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This dynamic and colorful landscape features a variety of low water use and CA native plants. The rain chain slows water flowing from the roof and directs it through the swale system where it can infiltrate into the soil. Bright yellow Sundrops (Calylophus berlandieri) line the walkway for a cheerful entrance.
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Lacking a proper entryway and with expansive areas of turf throughout their property, these homeowners were ready for a change. This landscape has permeable walkways with flagstone and decomposed granite, rain barrels, and CA native plants. The silvery-gray mounds of Catalina Silverlace (Eriophyllum ‘Canyon Silver’) add color and interest all year!
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Low maintenance and an updated look were the priorities for this homeowner’s landscape. To achieve this, modern block stepping stones with Silver Carpet groundcover were chosen as the pathway. The plants require little water and maintenance, yet pop with color. Different heights of plants add interest to this small front yard area year-round.
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Interested in a quick nature walk? Wander down this landscape’s decomposed granite path to take in the sweet smell of the sages and brilliantly colored CA natives. Our native Dudleyas are the fun, succulent accents brightening up the shade of the Palo Verde tree. Organic, fine-grained mulch keeps this landscape at its healthiest!
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Ready to give their Japanese style landscape a modern twist, these residents used large, straight walking planks to contrast with the curving walkways and round stones. The varying colors of gravel and different types of edging add tons of interest. Giant Flax provide height to an otherwise low-growing landscape – not to mention a dramatic flare!
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Reata Park & Event Center is a shining example of our state’s beautiful, native landscape. One of the largest and most extensive CA native plant gardens in the state, Reata Park was designed by CA native plant specialist and Tree of Life Nursery owner, Mike Evans. The park is divided into multiple demonstration gardens complete with plant ID signs, and is literally bursting with color. Join Goin’ Native Therapeutic Gardens for a free interpretive walk of the site and other great seminars and activities.