Images courtesy of Long Beach Water.

The Long Beach Water Department’s Fifth Annual Lawn-to-Garden Tour will showcase—for free—30 newly-transformed California-friendly gardens, created under its Turf Replacement Program, to the public this Saturday.

Through a self-guided tour, the homeowners who have joined the drought-preventing, water-saving, environmentally-considerate movement of saying sayonara to their water-guzzling lawns will be readily available from 10:00AM to 2:00PM, to answer any and all questions for the 1,750 people and counting who have registered to participate.

“Being able to speak with a homeowner who has undertaken a Lawn to Garden transformation is a tremendous help for those interested in removing their lawn and replacing it with drought tolerant landscapes,” said Matthew Lyons, director of Planning and Conservation. “The homeowners can explain the process, discuss best practices of the turf removal and plant installation steps, share lessons learned and provide money saving tips to the tour participants. Neighbors-helping-neighbors builds on the wonderful sense of community spirit we have here in Long Beach.”

Long Beach residents who agree to replace their front lawn with drought-tolerant and California native plants receive $2.50 per square foot, for up to a thousand square feet. More than 2,600 Long Beach lawns have undergone the transformation, creating over two million square feet of habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife, and conserving approximately 150 million gallons of water, according to the release.

“The residents who have participated in the Lawn to Garden program (now in its 6th year) exemplify how we can have both beautiful, water-wise and California-friendly landscapes,” said Lyons. “The tour is a great opportunity to celebrate this anniversary and the accomplishments of homeowners and community who are committed to the Long Beach movement towards continued, long-term water use efficiency and sustainability.”

And don’t forget to take a “Succulent Selfie” by snapping a shot with your favorite drought tolerant plant. Enter the photo contest by sharing it on social media using #L2GTour. Can’t make the tour? Check out Long Beach’s top garden transformations here.  

To receive a detailed map of directions to each of the 30 homes, register by visiting the event page here, and clicking on Find Tickets.