SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
TMWA rewards water-efficient landscape planning
As residents plan for making their lawns and landscapes more water-efficient, Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) and the Reno News & Review announce the recently revised guidelines for the 2011 Water-Efficient Landscape Awards. This year the awards will recognize customers who plan to install or retrofit their landscapes (or a portion of them) with water-efficient tools and techniques. Proposals are due Friday, Aug. 5.
Entrants are asked to submit a proposal for their landscape project that addresses the seven xeriscape principles, on which TMWA’s Water-Efficient Landscape Guide is based:
1) Proper planning and design for water conservation, beauty and functionality
2) Soil improvement
3) Use turf sensibly with proper irrigation and practical shapes or sizes, considering other alternatives to turf
4) Water-efficiency through proper irrigation methods
5) Selection of appropriate plants and grouping of plants into zones with similar water needs
6) Use of mulch to reduce evaporation
7) Maintenance
“These principles are intended to help our customers see they can have a landscape that is both beautiful and water-efficient,” Lora Rose Richards, TMWA Conservation & Community Outreach Administrator, said. “We are excited to help homeowners get started with their landscape makeover projects with the Landscape Awards.”
Gift certificates to local garden shops, landscapers and nurseries will be awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners to assist with implementing landscape plans. Also, for the first time this year, a prize will be awarded for the “best edible garden project.” Gift certificates are generous donations from sponsors: All Seasons Lawn and Landscaping, Dayton Valley Turf, Dry Creek Garden Company, Garden Shop Nursery, Moana Nursery, Reno Lawn & Landscape, Truckee Meadows Community Forestry Coalition and Western Turf & Hardscapes.
TMWA, with Truckee Meadows Community Forestry Coalition and the River School Farm, offer the following tools to help customers prepare their proposals:
- Landscape Awards Tour & Tree Care Workshop – Saturday, June 25
The tour will feature three of last year’s winning landscapes and participants will learn how the winners transformed their yards, all while saving water. The tour will begin at the new Hug High Garden at Hug High School at 8:30 a.m. RSVP by emailing [email protected] or calling (775) 834-8005. - Xeriscape Workshops with the River Farm School – Saturdays, July 9 and 16
Learn about the seven xeriscape principles and work through your proposal. Attend one of the following free workshops at the River School Farm (7777 White Fir St. in Reno) to prepare your plan and proposal. Call 775-834-8005 to RSVP.- Saturday, July 9 at 9 a.m. OR
- Saturday, July 16 at 1 p.m.
- TMWA Landscape Guide
At www.tmwalandscapeguide.com, do-it-yourselfers can walk through the seven xeriscape principles, including landscape design templates and a comprehensive plant search. - Truckee Meadows Community Forestry Coalition
Visit www.communityforestry.org for tips on planting, watering and caring for trees in the Truckee Meadows, including a list of recommended trees.
The deadline to enter the Water-Efficient Landscape Awards is Friday, Aug. 5, 2011. For more information, complete contest rules and to enter online, visit www.tmwalandscapeguide.com or call (775) 829-2810.
Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) is a not-for-profit water utility, overseen by elected officials from Reno, Sparks and Washoe County. TMWA employs a highly skilled team who ensure the treatment, delivery and availability of high-quality drinking water around the clock for more than 330,000 residents of the Truckee Meadows.
