Montecito Residents Win WaterWise Garden Recognition 

Water-efficient residential gardens are beautiful, and earlier this month, Montecito residents John and Teri Keating were awarded the grand prize winner for their native garden. The 2022 WaterWise Garden Recognition Contest launched this spring to recognize beautiful, water-efficient residential gardens throughout Santa Barbara County. The Santa Barbara County Water Agency and participating local water providers encouraged residents to apply for the contest and enter into the running for an agency award and the countywide grand prize. A winner from each participating water provider’s service area received an engraved sandstone sign to display in their gardens. This year’s participating water providers were the Montecito Water District, Carpinteria Valley Water District, Vandenberg Village Community Services District, and the cities of Solvang and Santa Barbara. 

On January 9, 2018, the Keatings’ property exploded into flames when the debris flow rushing down San Ysidro Creek ruptured a 22-inch, 1,000-PSI main transmission gas line that ignited the pilot light in their garage. It has taken over four years since the explosion to rebuild their home and redo the landscaping. The Keatings wanted to recreate a similar ambiance to their original water-wise landscaping while accommodating the new 80,000-pound boulder that landed on their property from the explosion. They also wanted to plant California natives, specifically California Bay trees, as their perimeter hedging in memory of their 40-foot-tall California Bay tree that was stripped away during the debris flow. 

The Keatings love the peacefulness and serenity of walking through their creekside garden. They enjoy the beautiful blooms and fragrance of flowers, including ceanothus, manzanita, Cleveland sage, and monkeyflower, and the bounty of their edible fruit trees. Their garden features supplemental irrigation and leak detector sensors. They installed two graywater systems, which divert laundry and shower water to irrigate their landscape. They prevent water leaks by using flow sensors that measure water use and automatically shut off irrigation when leaks are detected. They also have a master valve that keeps the irrigation pipes and faucets shut off unless the programmed controller turns on the irrigation. John receives notifications of leaks and can control the irrigation system from his phone. 

Other finalists for each participating water agency’s service area were Susan Clarke and Rand Clark of Santa Barbara, Anthony Lombardi of Carpinteria, Kurt and Joy Jonas of Solvang, and Marron and Camille Smith of Vandenberg Village. The winning gardens encompassed stunning displays of water-wise and native plants, high-efficiency irrigation, and graywater systems. 

Photos of each awarded garden can be seen at WaterWiseSB.org/GardenContest. These home gardens demonstrate that water-wise, sustainable landscapes can be lush and colorful, provide habitat for wildlife, and are low maintenance. Many winners replaced their original lawns and now enjoy the added benefit of a lower water bill.