Every week for 32 years, Greg Fong followed the same ritual.

"I religiously and meticulously mowed my front lawn," said the retired Union Pacific engineer. "Every week."

Fong and his wife, Sharon, also spent uncounted hours watering their Carmichael front yard by hand. Who knows how much water washed away, flowing down their sloped lawn into the street?

But not any more. The Fongs' yard was transformed to a model of water conservation after the couple won a $40,000 renovation in the Regional Water Authority's Ultimate Water Smart Garden Makeover Contest.

Officials expect the Fongs will save 50 to 60 percent from their previous water use. That's a lot. A typical 2,000-square-foot front yard such as theirs uses 1,200 gallons or more a week. Their savings could easily top 30,000 gallons a year.

"In California, everybody complains about water," said Tom Goring, executive director of the Water Forum, a consortium of water-related entities. "This is something people can do about it."

The Citrus Heights-based RWA started the contest as a way to demonstrate how people can save water in their own yards. This makeover combines many simple concepts. The Fongs' home was chosen at random from among hundreds of entries in the contest.

"We're having a very dry year," said John Woodling, RWA executive director. "People want to cut back their water use. But when people think 'water-saving landscape,' they think rocks and desert. It's difficult to visualize what it's going to look like when you're shopping for plants at Home Depot. This shows a water-saving landscape can be beautiful."

Everything is state of the art. Meters measure moisture in the ground and air as well as evaporation to make sure plants get just what they need. Not a precious drop goes to waste. Emitters drop water to individual shrubs without runoff. Deep soakers put water down to tree roots where it's most needed.

Permeable pavers – about 350 square feet in all – allow water to percolate into the ground and recirculate to plants.

Where thirsty lawn once sprawled, drought-tolerant perennials now are putting down roots, protected by 3 inches of black bark mulch. Ornamental grasses fringe the edges along new walkways.

The components for the makeover were donated by about two dozen partners in the project. Most of the $40,000 price tag represents volunteered labor. The actual cost for a homeowner who would like to emulate this water-saving transformation would be much less if they did some or all of the work themselves.

The makeover process took two weeks, but it was intense, with several workers on site simultaneously.

The Fongs' original yard was designed for relatively low maintenance: Lawn, brick planters with a few azaleas, and two trees.

"I wanted it simple," Greg said.

As much as possible, material from the Fongs' yard was recycled. The old planters supplied material for the porch. Broken concrete became part of a garden path and a retaining wall around new garden beds. With the addition of organic materials, dug-up dirt was mounded to create raised beds.

Designer Cheryl Buckwalter worked closely with the Fongs to create a front yard they could enjoy. The azaleas were moved to the backyard, and Buckwalter preserved the two trees from the original landscape: A 30-year-old crape myrtle and an impressive coastal redwood next to the driveway. She added a Marina strawberry tree (Arbutus 'Marina') that will become a third focal point as it grows. A dwarf olive and star magnolia will develop into attention getters, too.

"I'm particularly proud of this landscape," Buckwalter said. "We're able to save a lot of water, but this will be beautiful for years to come."

A large redwood arbor now adds interest next to the front windows. Creative lighting sparkles at night, making the yard pretty and inviting at any time.

Sharon wanted flowers year-round. She loves the variety of her new garden and looks forward to seeing it develop through the seasons.

Of the 30-plus varieties of perennials and shrubs used in the new landscape, almost every one blooms. Among the drought-tolerant shrubs are three sages (Jerusalem, Cleveland and Mexican), tree mallow, dwarf pomegranate, rockrose, bush anemone and bottle brush. Wallflower, lantana and bush morning glory contribute more color. Spanish lavender adds scent, too.

A faux water feature uses recycled blue and green glass that "flows" from the base of a glazed pot. Blue ice catmint and licorice plant run over the pot's edges and whirl around a leather-leaf sedge that spurts up like a central fountain.

"In the early morning light, it really looks wet," Sharon Fong said. "It looks like a real fountain."

A small accent patch of "lawn" around recycled "stones" is actually the latest incarnation of artificial turf. It looks and feels like lush grass, but it never needs a drink. What water hits it flows through into the recycling system.

The Fongs adore their new yard. Greg admits he won't miss mowing.

"I don't know what I'll do with all that time," he said. "But I'll find something. I know I'll really enjoy it."

Call The Bee's Debbie Arrington, (916) 321-1075.