Otis Xeriscape Garden Final Report

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~ _~~INNf)l?1i~R? ,~_, '.' Cate~ory: Under 2,000 ~ 1D ( First Place: Otis Community Xeriscape Garden Early in 1992, members of the Otis Action Team became aware that the empty lots where the Otis standpipe is located had been an eyesore for many years. They were also aware of the need for more education about conseIVing water on yards and gardens and mak- ing use of the natural beauty of na- tive plants and sluubs, Several members of the group de- cided to address these needs by cre- ating a xeriscape garden on the lots, They felt the project would beautify Otis and set an example for conserv- ing water while still having a colorful and attractive yard. The Otis Action Team was instru- mental in getting the project started by donating $600, 1his money was used to create a basic de- sign for the garden by a design profes- sional. The team toured many facilities to gain useful ideas for the garden. Next, a grant appli- cation was made with the Colorado Water ConselVation Board. Wanda Purdy, Sue Stackhouse, and Dena Herskind-Pal- ser worked together to complete it A grant for $3,000 was received, to be paid out over a three-year period, 22 this will be placed on a permanent base, sUlTOl1llded by wildflowers, A composter will be built to make use of natural materials to enhance and enrich the garden, There are also plans for picnic ta- bles on pennanent bases and trees for shade on the south portion of the land. Solar-powered lights will be placed aloog the paths, As the plants and flowers multiply, other locations 8l0og the highway will be planted with perennials as weD, The community of Otis feels the xerisi:ape garden plays an important part in the education of people be- cause of increasing concern for water consezvation practices, The garden is a fXlIIIlple of how this can be done while still having a colorful and attractive site, There are many folks from the Otis community who have given of their time and talents, and do- nated the use of their machineIY and vehi- cles in order to create this beautiful garden. It is their effort, time, service, and supplies that have been instru- mental in this project Our thanks go to all these folks, not only from the town of Otis, but from all those who have enjoyed the garden. The first installment of the grant was used to prepare the soil, contour the land, and layout the basic design of the garden, Rocks were hauled and placed, and a dIy stream bed, meandering through the area, was created. A handicap-accessible ce- ment walk was constructed, and a bridge placed over the stream bed. A large quantity of native plants were ordered, and volunteer labor from many community members got them into their new home. The remainder of the grant funds will be used to complete the garden. There are plans to construct a sign and to develop brochures describing the plants and how to care for them. An old wagon has been donated, and Colorado cities and towns continue to develop ways to serve their communities better, and 12 cities and towns that have created particularly useful programs are winners of this year's CML Innovative Program Awards. Boulder, Castle Rock, and Otis were presented with first-place awards during the recent CML annual confer- ence. Another nine cities and towns received honorable mention for their programs. The 12 winning programs were selected from 38 entries submitted by 32 municipalities. All of the entries will be featured in the League's upcoming book, 1995 Innovative Municipal Programs, which will be published at the end of the summer. ,udges for this year's awards were two former League presidents, Mike Salardino of Pueblo and Jim Taylor of Littleton, along with Fred Brown, political editor of the Denver Post. Colorado Municipalities/]uly-August 1995