By Anne Schiller, Guest Author
Look around and you may be surprised how water-conscious homeowners are using creative ways to reduce their outdoor water consumption and lower their monthly water bills.
You can see six unique and diverse water-saving winner landscapes that are doing just that during the annual WaterSaver Landscape Tour Saturday, October 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Three of the yards are within walking distance of each other in the Deerfield community off Blanco Road between Bitters and N. Loop 1604.
Homeowners Steve and Laurie Metcalf at 1730 Eagle Point drew their inspiration from the cottages they saw in Carmel, CA. When they bought their house in 2001, they completely renovated the entire landscape, using the existing front yard white picket fence as inspiration.
A large lawn was reduced by 50 percent with the addition of brick pathways, patio seating areas and colorful beds of drought-tolerant perennials.
Up the street and around the corner at 1814 Eagle Meadow, Joe Scheitle’s small front yard is a shady haven. Stroll to the backyard and you’ll find a deck and courtyard filled with a garden of favorite specimen plants that include palms, plumeria and ferns. Evergreen wisteria and a Lenoir grape vine drape a shady walk-through arbor. Original art and architectural features add more personality.
The last yard in Deerfield is at 1730 Doe Crest, where homeowner Rick Tolley eventually gave up on his muddy front lawn that struggled under large oak trees. His answer was to install artificial turf, combined with natural plantings of Asiatic jasmine and a large shade-bed filled with ferns and gingers and other shade-tolerant perennials.
The other three landscapes on this year’s tour illustrate the same kind of creativity. You’ll find them at 9103 Rushing in Colonies North, 613 El Portal in Hollywood Park and 1139 Lockhill Selma in Castle Hills.
Details and information about participating landscapes will be available at the Neighborhood Landscape Fair at the Deerfield Community Center, 15606 Deer Crest, as well as at each stop along the tour.
Anne Schiller is the Volunteer and Event Coordinator for Gardening Volunteers of South Texas
