Senior stunned, thrilled with gift of garden

By Jeff O'Brien

Friday, Oct. 31, 2008 | midnight

Janice Milton watched from her driveway as more than a dozen landscapers were hard at work transforming her front yard into a brand new garden.

"I usually don't like a lot of attention, but this is wonderful," she said.

Milton, 90, has been living in her West Valley home since 1998. On Oct. 10, she was declared one of two winners in Operation Green, a statewide community outreach program coordinated by the Nevada State Contractors Board and the Nevada Landscape Association.

From Aug. 1 to Aug. 29, both organizations accepted applications from people seeking to have their yards renovated free of charge. The program was limited to the first 100 applications received from Northern Nevada and the first 100 from Southern Nevada.

Households were chosen based on income and special circumstances, and Milton was selected as the Southern Nevada winner while Sandra Ammerman of Sparks was named the winner in Northern Nevada.

Milton lives off a minimal income from Social Security checks, which factored into the decision to select her as one of the winners, said Ranya Botros, spokeswoman for the Nevada State Contractors Board.

Scott Walker, president of the Nevada Landscape Association and Las Vegas-based Walker Landscape, oversaw the renovation effort at Milton's home on Oct. 21.

"She had a front yard full of dead Bermuda grass, and her water irrigation system had leaks and was inefficient," Walker said. "We're installing a water smart, xeriscaped state-of-the-art irrigation system."

After the dead grass was torn out, a burgundy-colored rock called Desert Mahogany was laid over the entire front yard. Low-maintenance flowers and plants were installed and a new Purple Robe Locust tree was planted in the middle of the yard, along with a new Flowering Plum tree nearby.

New drip valves and irrigation lines were also installed beneath the yard.

"This is for water efficiency and ease of care," Walker said. "This will be a yard that needs almost zero maintenance."

The work would have cost about $5,000.

Milton was anxious to show the final result to her family and friends and described herself as an avid gardener who loves to "spade, dig and plant."

"I'm so thrilled because my yard has been neglected for so long," Milton said. "I can't spend a lot of time looking after it anymore."

Through Operation Green, the Contractors Board and landscape association aims to give back to the community, Botros said.

"We're trying to give back to families with special circumstances," she said. "Not only will this conserve water, but Janice will save money, as well."

Jeff O’Brien can be reached at 990-8957 or [email protected].