Friendly gardens use less

BALBOA ISLAND — When Bob McCaffrey built his 1930s-era home at Grand Canal and South Bayfront, he wanted to make sure he had a garden to match.

He hired a garden designer, who planted a garden that not only reflected the time period, but that was also quite practical.

McCaffrey plans to enter the California Friendly Gardening Contest, sponsored by Roger’s Gardens, Surfrider Foundation, Orange County Coastkeeper, as well as a number of water districts, including the Irvine Ranch Water District, which provides water to Newport Beach.

The contest was created “to encourage appropriate gardening, meaning gardening that uses less resources, particularly water, and also protects the resources that are around us,” Roger’s Gardens Manager Ron Vanderhoff said. “In other words, it’s a garden that doesn’t pollute into a watershed, doesn’t create water problems and doesn’t create a lot of green waste.”

McCaffrey’s garden is full of yellow- and crimson-colored flowers, including kangaroo paw, an interesting plant that is green and red with splashes of yellow when the bud, which interestingly enough resembles the paw of a kangaroo, opens.

African daisies and sage also spring up in the garden, adding a dose of purple, and lamb’s ear delicately balances the color with a soft green.

Beside the aesthetic, McCaffrey loves his garden because it’s easy to maintain. It’s on a sprinkler system that goes on for about 15 minutes at a time — just enough to keep the flowers happy.

His garden produces little “green waste,” which are clippings from gardens that can pollute the watershed.

“This has been a fun thing because it takes minimal care,” McCaffrey said. “It’s nice because I like to garden.”

McCaffrey couldn’t imagine having to toil over his garden daily and thinks if he did he might grow tired of it.

Roger’s and the water districts are looking for first and foremost a beautiful front yard garden, said Vanderhoff, who writes a weekly column on gardening for the Pilot. But the garden has to use minimal water with no runoff and also employ natural or organic products to get rid of critters.

“Snails and weeds are the enemy,” McCaffrey said as he picked a small weed near a sage bush in his garden.

Anyone who has a front yard garden that meets the criteria is eligible to enter online. Three photos need to be submitted. You can also go on Roger’s Gardens’ website, www.rogersgardens.com, to vote for your favorite garden.

At the end of the month, the votes will be tallied and gardening experts will visit the top 10 sites to determine the winner.

One gardener in each category will win $500 and a certificate for best aesthetics, best use of plants, best water efficiency and the best do-it-yourself garden. The grand-prize winner will receive $2,500, a WeatherTrak sprinkler system controller, and a garden plaque.

“One of our main goals is trying to demonstrate that a water efficient garden is just as attractive as any other garden, in fact maybe more,” Vanderhoff said. “It’s got to be well-designed and beautiful and colorful.”

To enter or for more information visit www.rogersgardens.com.