Who knew Xeriscape gardens could be so lush, while using so little water. Harry Yee's garden in Niu valley has won Xeriscaping awards.

"It's really an air plant so it really doesn't take that much water. i water about once a week. versus what i had before it was like everyday," said Hee.

Less maintenance too. For example, he says, by switching from Mando to Japanese grass..

"And I don't have to mow it. I don't have to weed it after it has filled in with grass and i'm happy with it," said Hee. He adds it's also less strain on the pocketbook,."Oh, i'll say at least fifty dollars or more every other month."

"Well xeriscaping actually is key because the majority of our water use for an average single family home is outdoors," said Su Shin, from the Board of Water Supply.

The Board of Water Supply's Halawa Xeriscape garden celebrates 20 years of its open house and plant sale this Saturday...and with Steve's Gardening Service and others will give away a $20,000 Xeriscape makeover for a front yard...

"With the cost going up of water and all the other utilities, we are definitely seeing more people become water conscious," said Steve Dewald, from Steve's Gardening Service. "So, it's just more a choice of picking unthirsty plants and really being smart with the irrigation systems."

Get your hands wet with the Friends of Halawa Xeriscape Garden which tends to the plants here or go to the Board of Water Supply website for its O'ahu planting guide to see what unthirsty plants thrive in your area...and Dewald says don't over water, it wastes and sends chemicals into the ocean.

"When different individual homeowners do small things like xeriscape it can make a really tremendous impact. It all adds up to making sure that our water supply is sustainable for the entire island of oahu," said Shin.