This is the 5.4 acre seaside corporate retreat center for a major corporation. In 1989 we were called in as consultants to develop a plan for reducing water use on the property. Because of the drought, the water district was threatening to shut off the water to any property that exceeded their water allocation. The property owner in this case was facing an imminent problem if a water conservation plan wasn't in place in a hurry.

Within 2 weeks we produced a proposal to remove 70,000 square feet of lawn and another acre or so of high water use plantings, and replace them with drought tolerant plants, a drip irrigation system and mulch. The CEO of the company loved flowers, so we included a wide variety of flowering shrubs, perennials and ground covers. Working long hours with a crew of 25 people, we completed the work ahead of schedule in around six weeks. The end result was a beautiful, colorful landscape that reduced water use to one third of what it had been, and resulted in the company receiving a water conservation award from the water district instead of a termination of service!

We continued to manage the project for 10 years until a change in ownership of the property. During that time we instituted a large-scale on-site composting operation that reduced greenwaste production by 95 percent and fertilizer purchases by half. We also completely eliminated the use of pesticides and other garden chemicals, importing beneficial insects to combat the occasional pest problem and managing diseases by improving growing conditions. The result was a model sustainable landscape that won several awards including first place in the Xeriscape category of the Statewide Trophy Awards of the California Landscape Contractors Association.

Plantings include McMinn manzanita, blue hibiscus, Bougainvillea 'Rosenka', Ceanothus, western redbud, lion's tail, oleander, pink Melaleuca, New Zealand flax, India hawthorn, giant bird-of-paradise, Westringia, yarrow, Myers asparagus, dwarf coyote brush, California bush anemone, Kaffir lily, fortnight lily, Echeveria, pride of Madeira, seaside daisy, St. Catherine's lace, Euryops daisy, Island alum root, shinyleaf jasmine, French lavender, Mexican evening primrose, red fountain grass, Penstemon 'Midnight', Matilija poppy, Mexican bush sage and others.

This project has been featured in Sunset Magazine (October, 1990), Landscape Architecture magazine (January 1992), Montecito Magazine (Spring, 1991) and others. It has also been profiled in the book Water-Wise Gardening by Thomas Christopher. The garden has been toured by many groups from botanical gardens, colleges and universities and others.