Master Gardeners Award Landscaping that Conserves Water

Today, the Concho Valley Master Gardeners honored the Wilson family with the July Water Smart Landscape of the Month Award. The accolade is given to yards in San Angelo that balance beauty with water conservation.

The Master Gardeners will choose a winner every month from April to September. Winners receive a sign in their yard and a $50 gift card.

“We want to give people ideas and inspiration that you can have a beautiful yard and still save water at the same time,” said Allison Watkins, county extension agent for horticulture.

The local division of the Master Gardeners is a volunteer group that is a part of a statewide organization. The Master Gardeners were founded as a resource for the Texas A&M AgriLife extension service to, as Watkins put it, “expand our educational availability to the community.”

“The Master Gardeners are educators, and they just want to spread the word about horticulture, gardening, landscaping and conservation,” Watkins said.

Except for one winner of the contest last year, this is the first time the contest has been held. According to Watkins, the Master Gardeners tried to begin a competition last year, “but we didn’t get the word out [well] enough.” However, she also said the contest is “really starting to take off” this year.

Those who wish to compete for the award can nominate themselves or someone else. Watkins claimed that the Master Gardeners “look for different principles of water conservation.” These principles include rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation, and selection of drought-resistant plants. Furthermore, she said the yard “can be any style of landscape as long as there are water conserving principles used in it.”

Anyone in the city limits is eligible for the Water Smart Landscape of the Month Award except for Master Gardeners. To receive a nomination form, or for more information about the award, visit the Concho Valley Master Gardeners' website or call the office at 659-6528.