Visitors can also enter to win a free home landscape re-design sponsored by local water agencies.  Landscape designer Chris Wotruba provides the lucky winner with a home consultation, a professionally rendered design, and plant recommendations for a new water smart landscape that can then be taken to a landscape construction professional for installation.  Tickets can be purchased before or during the event, and entrants do not need to be present to win.

A series of short lectures includes special guest, Diana Lindsay at 1pm, parabotanist for the San Diego Natural History Museum, and author, presenting Indian Use of Local Desert Plants, with a demonstration of how Native Americans used local plants to thrive in their desert communities.

For children, Ms. Smarty Plants, the Garden’s educational mascot, will return with her energetic “Plantastic” show to inspire children of all ages to conserve water and care for planet earth.  The fun for kids continues throughout the day with face painting and a children’s activity booth sponsored by local water agencies.

The Water Smart Gardening Festival helps San Diegans take advantage of the fall planning season by providing the plant materials and the expert advice people need to get their drought tolerant landscapes in the ground and well established for a colorful show in the spring.  And, the few scattered showers that happen now and in the winter, help reduce the time and money homeowners spend watering.  The event program includes: 

Lectures (30-45 minutes long, in Garden classroom):

10:00AM             The Protea Species:  Exotic Options for Drought Tolerant Gardens            
                              Walter Parkola, Owner of Blossom Valley Protea                

10:45AM             Green Roofs and Living Walls
                              Jim Mumford, Good Earth Plant Co./Green Scaped Buildings          

11:30AM             Fire Safe Landscaping
                              Tom Jesch, Designed II…/Dalylily Hill Nursery

12:15PM             Saving Water with Mulch
                              Sharon May, Agri Service, Inc.

1:00PM              Indian Use of Local Desert Plants

Presented by Diana Lindsay, Parabotanist for the Natural History Museum, and author, with a demonstration of how Native Americans used local plants to thrive in their desert communities.

 2:30 PM              How to Start a Water Conserving Garden
                              Connie Beck, Landscape Designer

The Water Smart Gardening Festival is sponsored in part by SDG&E, American Water, Miramar Wholesale Nursery, Mountain States Wholesale Nursery, American Society of Landscape Architects and Agri Service, Inc.,   A complete event program can be viewed at www.thegarden.org.

The Water Conservation Garden was named a Top 10 Destination Garden in the April 2009 edition of Sunset Magazine.  The Garden is a not-for-profit 501 c 3 organization.
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Directions to the Garden:  The Water Conservation Garden is located at 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive West in El Cajon, where Jamacha Rd. (not Jamacha Blvd.) and Hwy 94 meet.  From Hwy 15 or Hwy 805, merge onto Hwy 94 East to Cuyamaca College Drive West.  From Hwy 8 take the 2nd St. off ramp in El Cajon, which turns into Jamacha Rd and then turn onto Cuyamaca College Drive West.  Information about the garden, including detailed directions and a map, can be found at www.thegarden.org.