Montecito residents win countywide contest recognizing water-efficient gardens

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – John and Teri Keating's Montecito property burst into flames on the catastrophic night of the Montecito debris flow in 2018 when debris rushing down San Ysidro Creek ruptured a 22-inch main transmission gas line, igniting a pilot light in their garage.

After four years of rebuilding and redoing the landscaping of their once-destroyed home, the Keatings were announced the winners of the countywide 2022 WaterWise Garden Recognition Contest for their water-efficient garden filled with beautiful native plants.

The Santa Barbara County Water Agency, along with other local water providers, encouraged residents to enter into the running for an agency award and the countywide grand prize. Out of participants from Montecito, Vandenberg Village, Solvang, Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria, the Keatings won the grand prize.

"The Keatings wanted to recreate a similar ambiance to their original water-wise landscaping while accommodating the new 80,000-pound boulder that landed on their property from the explosion," said Kalani Durham, Santa Barbara County Public Works official.

The Keatings planted California native plants – specifically California Bay trees – as the perimeter hedging in memory of a 40-foot tall California Bay tree that was washed away during the debris flow.

"The Keatings love the peacefulness and serenity of walking through their creekside garden," Durham said. "They enjoy the beautiful blooms and fragrance of flowers, including Ceanothus, Manzanita, Cleveland Sage, and Monkeyflower, and the bounty of their edible fruit trees."

Their garden also features supplemental irrigation and leak detector sensors and two greywater systems that divert laundry and shower water to irrigate their landscape, according to county officials. The couple prevents water leaks by using flow sensors that measure water use and automatically shut off irrigation when leaks are detected.

Other finalists in the contest include Susan Clarke and Rand Clard of Santa Barbara, Anthony Lombardi of Carpinteria, Kurt and Joy Jonas of Solvang, and Marron and Camille Smith of Vandenberg Village.