Wednesday, June 09, 2010

News from the home front

We woke up today to a very exciting email regarding our entry in Tucson's xeriscape contest, sponsored by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. From the award ceremony script:

OUR NEXT AWARD IS A SPECIAL JUDGES AWARD FOR PUBLIC INTERPRETATION OF A XERISCAPE

EVERY YEAR THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FINE LANDSCAPE ENTRIES THAT INCORPORATE THE PRINCIPLES OF XERISCAPING, BOTH HOMEOWNERS AND PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE SHOWN BY EXAMPLE HOW TO EFFICIENTLY MAINTAIN A LANDSCAPE AND LIVE IN HARMONY WITH OUR DESERT ENVIRONMENT.

THIS YEAR OUR JUDGES VISITED AND EVALUATED 10 RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPES IN THE TUCSON METROPOLITAN AREA. THE LAST ONE THEY SAW COMPELLED THEM TO RECOMMEND A JUDGES AWARD FOR PUBLIC INTERPRETATION OF A XERISCAPE.

THE OWNERS OF THIS PROPERTY LIVE IN THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN ARMORY PARK NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY HAVE DEVELOPED THEIR YARD INTO A BEAUTIFUL AND INTERESTING SPACE THAT CHANGES WITH THE SEASONS, CREATES HABITAT FOR BIRDS AND INSECTS, AND EDUCATES INTERESTED PASSERS-BY ABOUT HOW THEY CAN DO THE SAME IN THEIR OWN YARDS.

THE BOTANICAL DIVERSITY THAT THEY HAVE NURTURED HAS RESULTED IN MANY QUESTIONS FROM THEIR NEIGHBORS, AS WELL AS PASSING STRANGERS. THE OWNERS DECIDED SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO ATTACH A SIGN-BOARD TO THEIR FRONT WROUGHT-IRON FENCE AND PROVIDE SEASONALLY UPDATED EXPLANATIONS OF WHAT IS OCCURRING IN THEIR OWN PERSONAL WILDLAND HABITAT.

THEY HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND TAKING IT UP A NOTCH TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND INTEREST IN XERISCAPE PRINCIPLES, INVENTING INNOVATIVE WATER HARVESTING TECHNIQUES, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF ENCOURAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD-WIDE HABITAT. THEIR DEDICATION TO THE CONTINUING EDUCATION OF OTHERS ON THE NEED FOR, AND BEAUTY OF XERISCAPING TRULY IMPRESSED OUR JUDGES.

THE WINNERS OF THE JUDGES AWARD FOR PUBLIC INTERPRETATION OF A XERISCAPE ARE ANDY WEDEL AND ADAM USSISHKIN.

ANDY AND ADAM WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND TODAY, BUT GIVE THEM A HAND FOR GETTING THE XERISCAPE MESSAGE OUT TO THE PUBLIC.

1 Comments:

Blogger Doug Taron said...

I didn't even know that you have a blog. Congrats on the award. Having seen your yard, I can't say that I'm surprised.

5:03 AM  

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