Cash for Grass

The Westside

Tucked behind a tall eugenia hedge, this postage stamp of a garden had been dominated by a thirsty lawn that the client had no interest in continuing to maintain.

So she applied for a $1,000 rebate from the city of Santa Barbara's Smart Landscape Rebate Program and we got to work. We ripped out the sod and replaced it with colorful, water-conserving shrubs, perennials and ground covers in a soft palette of purple, pink, light green and gray. We installed drip irrigation, then mulched the paths and planting beds with crunchy California gold gravel.

Our client reduced her water bill and maintenance, received the full $1,000 rebate and was featured in an episode of Santa Barbara City TV's "Inside Santa Barbara." In return, she was rewarded with a beautiful, fragrant and water-conserving garden that's a perfect match with the cottage style of her home.