2004 Water Smart Landscape Challenge(James City County) May 12, 2004 - Let’s be Water Smart is pleased to announce the winner and recipient of its Water Smart Landscape Challenge: Carter and Michele LeBlanc-Piche` of Neal’s Grant. The LeBlanc-Piche`’s answered the following contest question of "How have you applied Water Smart principles in your home or garden? by describing innovative water conservation techniques such as placing an herb garden at the downspout of a rain gutter, attaching a PVC pipe to the air conditioning unit as a means to water their gardens, using hardwood mulch around trees, and maintaining their grass at a height of two to three inches to eliminate the need for constant watering in order to conserve water while producing a beautiful home landscape. "We have always been environmentally conscious and have utilized Water Smart principles when making our landscaping decisions and in choosing our plants, trees and shrubs," described Michele LeBlanc-Piche`. Unfortunately, the damaging effects of Hurricane Isabel in September of 2003 completely destroyed their water smart landscaping efforts. On Saturday, April 24, 2004, the LeBlanc-Piche`’s received a free Water Smart landscape consisting of water conservation practices such as native, drought tolerant plants, drip irrigation along with a weather satellite tracking system and back-up rain sensor, straw mulch, mulched nugget paths, and proper turf management techniques from the area’s premiere design, landscape, nursery, and irrigation companies that are partners in the Water Smart program. Accent pieces included a flagstone walkway, an entrance arbor, bird and squirrel houses/feeders, pathway lighting, and a Water Smart garden flag.
Participating Water Smart partners were: Basnight Land & Lawn; Belden Landscapes; Cooke’s Gardens; Crafter’s Market in the Outlet Mall; Heart’s Ease Landscape & Garden Design; Henderson, Inc.; Precipitation Unlimited, Inc.; Smith Turf & Irrigation; ServiceMASTER LawnCare of Williamsburg; Turf Care; Turf Love; Virginia Cooperative Extension & JCC/W Master Gardeners Association; Vista Lighting; Waltrip Recycling; and Wild Birds Unlimited. The companies who have joined as “partners” recognize the benefits to using Water Smart principles when establishing landscapes. The fifteen local companies and their participating personnel are being recognized by the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Stewardship Virginia Program with certificates of appreciation signed by Governor Mark R. Warner and W. Tayloe Murphy, Jr., Secretary of Natural Resources, for their efforts in conserving and enhancing Virginia’s lands and waters and ensuring the health of our environment for present and future generations. "Not only did the LeBlanc-Piche`’s receive a great new landscape makeover, the television program produced will also serve as an educational tool demonstrating how to create a beautiful Water Smart landscape," stated Beth Davis, JCSA Environmental Education Coordinator. Watch the landscape makeover on James City County Channel 48 during the weeks of June 3 to 8; June 10-15; July 1 to July 6; August 5 to August 10; and September 2 to September 7. Check the message board which scrolls between programming for specific broadcast times. The landscape makeover also appears on Cox Cable Channel 74. Cox Cable Channel 74 broadcast dates and times are listed below:
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