Two homes. Two very different parts of San Diego County. And two totally different takes on what it means to have a drought-tolerant landscape. But these homeowners both were winners of their respective water districts’ WaterSmart Landscape Contest in 2020.

Tracy Stephenson took the prize in the California American Water contest with her front yard’s beach theme, while Susie and Todd Brant redid their front yard with a succulent landscape that won them the WaterSmart Landscape Contest in the city of Escondido.

I had the pleasure of talking to these home gardeners and learning the stories behind their winning landscapes for the first of my series on these contests for the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home & Garden section (so stay tuned for the next duo of winners!).