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Castle Rock residents could win a $9,000 yard makeover in video competition

By March 31, 2023 | updated 3 years ago

ColoradoScape front yard
A home uses ColoradoScape landscaping in the front yard with low-water-use native vegetation.
Courtesy of Town of Castle Rock

“If your front yard sucks — water, that is — enter to win a free ColoradoScape front yard makeover worth $9,000,” a Town of Castle Rock news release teased. 

Town officials are encouraging residents to make their lawns more “water-wise” by entering a video contest about water conservation, according to the release.

Most turf lawns are Kentucky bluegrass, which is not native to the area. Since Castle Rock is a high-altitude, semi-arid environment, the community uses about 1.3 billion gallons of water on non-native, grass-dense yards each summer, according to the release.

ColoradoScape uses native vegetation, like columbine, penstemon and pine, to landscape yards to use less water and blend in with the native landscape.

“This landscaping utilizes a combination of materials that provide a variety of colors, textures, sizes, shapes and seasonal interest,” according to the release. 

People who replace turf lawns with a low-water option see between 16% and 28% water savings on average, according to the release. Residents can win a front yard makeover by creating an “entertaining 30 to 60-second video about conserving water in the landscape and why your lawn sucks.”

The videos can be submitted at CRconserve.com/Contest between Saturday and April 30. Five finalists will be chosen and the community will vote for its favorite video on Castle Rock’s Facebook page, according to the release. The winner will be notified in May with installation set for the summer. 

Other finalists will get a complimentary “Garden In A Box water-wise garden kit.”

All entries must come from Castle Rock Water residential customers at least 18 or older. 

Low-water lawns have been in the news lately, with Colorado’s ongoing drought conditions. 

Legislators this week advanced a bill removing barriers for some residents to save water on lawn watering.

Around 60% of Coloradans live under a homeowner association (HOA). If passed into law, Senate Bill 178 would allow those homeowners to swap their grass lawns for landscaping that needs less water to maintain, forcing HOAs to accept the alternative landscaping.

Kyla Pearce

Reporter

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