FBA announces winners of 2013 Outstanding Landscape awards

FALLBROOK – The Fallbrook Beautification Alliance (FBA) has announced the winners of the sixth annual Fallbrook Outstanding Landscape awards. The FBA received approximately 30 nominations this year across the five award categories.

The winner of this year’s Residential Award was the Harris family home at 2739 Melaleuca Lane. The home’s 2 ½ acres was a blank canvas when the family moved to Fallbrook in 2007. The owners’ design skills are on display with a yard that pops with color including a profusion of purple buddleia, and lavender lining the driveway. Palms and succulents help give the home a Southern California feel. The property includes a vegetable garden and fruit tree orchard with more than 15 varieties of fruit trees.

The gated community of Lake Ridge Estates has won the Landscape Award for Multi-family Living. The seven-acre project surrounding the entrance gate at Olive Hill and Burma roads has been transformed into a native habitat to help preserve and enhance the wetlands there. This collaboration between the Natural Resource Conservation Service headed by biologist Shea O’Keefe and the homeowners spearheaded by Diana Schmidt has resulted in an outstanding example of a beautiful native landscape. Clouds of purple ceanothus, Cleveland sage, and native grasses decorate the entire area.

The Fallbrook Land Conservancy (FLC) took top honors in the Non-profit Landscape category. The historic Palomares House and property on South Stage Coach Lane, restored and maintained by the FLC, offers both native and Mediterranean plantings, with a huge Palo Verde tree and western redbud enhancing a casual split rail fence. The property is a certified wildlife habitat birds and butterflies often enjoying the plants. The FLC, which is headed by executive director and preserve manager Mike Peters, is run mostly by volunteers.

Estrella’s Restaurant & Cantina on East Mission Road, a popular family-owned operation, was given the Commercial Landscape Award. Occupying the eastern end of a 19th century western-style commercial building, the exterior of the restaurant is decorated with colorful hanging baskets of pink, white, and red petunias. Because of his wife’s love of sunflowers, owner Romero Estrella painted the hand-carved benches outside the restaurant with large sunflowers. Along the boardwalk veranda, stone flower boxes with begonias also offer a bright and cheery view.

The Davis home, at 3723 Oakview Court, has received the Water-wise Landscape Award. The owner has worked hard to create a manageable and water-wise garden of natives and Mediterranean plants. The display includes cedar, birch, and strawberry guava trees, as well as grevillea, rockrose, and Cleveland sage, all chosen for their drought-resistant nature. All of the design and work are by the owner. The property is a certified wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation and is listed by the Pesticide Action Network as pesticide-free and safe.

The Outstanding Landscape Award program recognizes the efforts of individuals and organizations that contribute to Fallbrook community pride through excellence in landscape renovation, property beautification, preservation, new construction, and ongoing maintenance.

Each winner received a framed certificate, street signage acknowledging their award, and a ticket to the FBA 4th of July celebration at Grand Tradition. “The FBA would like to thank the community for getting behind this program,” said award chairperson Janice Phoenix. “Each year we have more nominations that the prior year as word of the program spreads. We hope that people get a chance to go out and see the winning landscapes and perhaps get inspired to beautify their own landscape.”

The award-winning sites may also be viewed at http://www.fallbrookbeautification.org

The Fallbrook Beautification Alliance is a non-profit volunteer organization working with community partners to enhance Fallbrook’s visual appeal. Founded in 2004, the organization is funded through donations and the 4th of July annual fundraiser and fireworks display held at the Grand Tradition.