La Junta Xeriscape Garden Final Report

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e - - LA JUNTA XERISCAPE GARDEN PROJECT SUMMARY The City of La Junta constructed a xeriscape garden as the keystone to a new park development. The purpose of the garden was to help accomplish the following goals: 1) To increase customer awareness of water conservation; 2) encourage public and private use of drought enduring plant life and dry landscapes; 3) extend the useful life of the City water system; and, 4) collect data for evaluation of future programs. The current garden covers 48,750 square feet and plants are grouped according to function, plant characteristics, and irrigation methods and zones. A pedestrian trail encompasses the garden and is designed to tie in with future park development. Plant areas include a wildflower meadow, a high density windbreak, a grassland meadow, medium and low water chaparral planting areas, and an arbor garden with fruit trees, shrubs and vines. The park contains over 50 species of plants. Water savings in the park were substantial in the first year. Compared to other parks in La Junta of similar size, the xeriscape garden used about 39% less water. The xeriscape garden was compared with three other parks. The total square footage of these parks was 203,701 and the total water use in these parks was 2.6 million gallons. This yeilds an average of 14.5 gallons per square foot. The xeriscape garden used 428,000 gallons and used only 8.8 gallons per square foot. Since this was a planting year, we anticipate greater savings in the future as the plants and grasses become established, deepen their root zones and accumulate the soil amendments and mulches. The xeriscape garden played a major role in the public activities of the Water Department in 1995 with several news articles in the local paper covering activities in the garden. In fact, the paper's headline summary of Department's annual accomplishments read, 'Saving Water Main Goal of Department'. During the year the xeriscape garden was the sight of two grand events - a community planting at the park and an Arbor Day celebration. Over 100 people showed up for the first event to help plant the windbreak area and wildflower meadow. Nearly all those people stayed on for the scheduled three hour planting with some coming back after lunch to complete the drip irrigation system. On Arbor Day about 90 people came to a formal opening of the garden with some donating trees to put in the garden. We have learned much about xerlscape through this project. The Parks Department has begun more extensive use of drip irrigation. The Wastewater Treatment Plant is using the experiences of this project to begin a xeriscape