WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program
Using water efficiently is a way of life and an important responsibility that comes along with the benefits of living in a beautiful Mediterranean climate like the one we enjoy in San Diego County.
The WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program is a free educational program designed to give you the skills and knowledge to turn your water-thirsty lawn into a beautiful and sustainable landscape that saves water and will thrive in our region.
Choose from our three-hour workshops, videos on demand and the new Designer At Your Door program. For questions, email landscapemakeover@sdcwa.org.
Three-Hour Landscape Workshops
These workshops are funded in part by the County of San Diego Watershed Protection Program. If you live in unincorporated San Diego County, you may be eligible for additional incentives through the Waterscape Rebate Program.
Virtual Workshop Schedule
Plan Ahead: Understanding Soil and Site Assessments
Saturday, Sept 23
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Virtual
Water & Irrigation: Utilizing a Precious Resource
Saturday, Oct 14
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Virtual
Plan Ahead: Understanding Soil and Site Assessments
Wednesday, Oct 18
5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Virtual
Installation & Maintenance: Protecting Your Investment
Saturday, Oct 21
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Virtual
Water & Irrigation: Utilizing a Precious Resource
Wednesday, Nov 8
5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Virtual
Installation & Maintenance: Protecting Your Investment
Wednesday, Nov 15
5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Virtual
In-Person Workshop Schedule
Installation & Maintenance: Protecting Your Investment
Wednesday, Sept 27
5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Vallecitos Water District
201 Vallecitos De Oro
San Marcos, CA 92069
30 person capacity
Plants: Inspiring Choices for our Region
Saturday, Nov 4
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Vista Irrigation District
1391 Engineer St, Vista, CA 92081
75 person capacity
Water & Irrigation: Utilizing a Precious Resource
Monday, Nov 6
5 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Encinitas Community and Senior Center
1140 Oakcrest Park Drive Encinitas, CA 92024
Workshop Descriptions
Plan Ahead
Plan Ahead: Understanding Soil and Site Assessments
This workshop will introduce you to the steps needed to turn water-thirsty turf into a beautiful and sustainable landscape that is. Our landscape expert will show you the steps required to rethink, redesign and renovate your landscape with a focus on site assessments, base sheet development and understanding the important role of healthy soil in a successful landscape.
Design
Design: Shape Your Space
Ensuring your new landscape is well-integrated into your personal lifestyle is the goal of this session. Our landscape expert will show you how to plan for the functionality of your new space and provide tips to achieve a design style that fits your personal style.
Plants
Plants: Inspiring Choices for Our Region
This session illustrates how a low-water-use landscape can be an upgrade, not a compromise. Our landscape expert will teach you about plants and why some are more water efficient than others. You’ll be introduced to attractive, WaterSmart plant palettes and learn how to research and choose plants that fit your design theme.
Water & Irrigation
Water & Irrigation: Utilizing A Precious Resource
This session will give you strategies to use our limited water sources wisely, including integrating stormwater capture elements into your landscape and conserving water through simple irrigation system retrofits. Our landscape expert’s goal is to help you create a sustainable landscape that loves San Diego as much you.
Installation & Maintenance
Installation & Maintenance: Protecting Your Investment
After planning your new garden space, it’s time to learn how to protect your investment. Our landscape expert will give you strategies for success when removing your turf, installing your new landscape and maintaining it. You’ll learn how to minimize your water use and maximize your enjoyment of an outdoor space that suits your lifestyle.
Designer At Your Door
Transform Your Yard into a Beautiful Water-Saving Landscape
The WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program team is excited to announce the new Designer at Your Door water conservation service. This service represents an additional opportunity for one-on-one support from industry professionals. Homeowners must meet certain criteria to qualify for this services.
In response to climate changes and the changing needs of regional residents, the Designer at Your Door service incorporates our living curriculum model and complements our special topic workshop classes available both virtually and online. Our on-demand landscape makeover videos round out the core components of this educational program.
Since 2014, the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program has helped the region’s homeowners replace 1.5 million square feet of turf with sustainable landscaping, saving more than 51 million gallons of water per year! San Diego offers the ideal climate for indoor-outdoor living. Our team is committed to helping you design a garden to live in and one that loves San Diego as much as you do.
It’s FREE and it’s EASY so apply today!
Step 1. Apply for the Designer At Your Door service.
Step 2. After receiving approval, enroll in the five core special topic workshops.
Step 3. Report your workshop attendance to WaterSmart team by emailing landscapemakeover@sdcwa.org.
Step 4. The WaterSmart team will verify your attendance and contact you to schedule one-on-one technical support!
To qualify for the Designer At Your Door service you must:
- Be a homeowner in San Diego County and a customer of a local water agency
- Have an in-ground, operational irrigation system
- Be willing to convert an existing turf area to a sustainable landscape
- Take at least 5 of our three-hour workshops
How can I learn more about WaterSmart landscapes?
Attend a Three-Hour Virtual Workshop
Find a workshop in your area and get a sneak preview of the series content. These three-hour workshops are free and held countywide. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, all workshops are currently being held online.
Watch Our Videos On Demand
This series of videos will take you step-by-step through the process of creating your very own beautiful, water-efficient landscape.
Think About Your Landscape
How do you use your space? Do you have kids and pets? Do you like entertaining? Or just want less maintenance?
Landscape Makeover Videos
This series of videos mirrors the content of the workshops and four-class series and will take you step-by-step through the process of creating your very own beautiful, water-efficient landscape. From measuring your property to getting to know your soil to picking the right plants for the right place, these entertaining and informative videos will guide you along the path to a WaterSmart landscape.