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| In the Beginning: The 1970s
The origin of Colorado Springs Utilities' Xeriscape Demonstration Garden dates back to an earlier garden conceived in the late 1970s. Ed Bailey, former water division manager, suggested the Control Center (as the water plant was known at that time) become a landscape show place of plants that grow well in this semi-arid region with little or no irrigation. The water division, as it was then called, wanted to encourage the use of low-water-use plants as a way to conserve water. A landscape architect was given the task of designing a layout and finding the plants. Vic Eklund, former conservation planner, oversaw the purchase and installation of the plants. Water division employees did the planting. The concept was to present groundcovers, shrubs and trees so that visitors could get a sense of varying colors, textures and size. The design grouped similar material together in a nontraditional layout to contrast the choices. Groundcovers were in adjoining beds, junipers in another grouping and medium-sized shrubs in another area. A more traditional rock garden was planted on the east side of the building to give a sense of design and scale. Gernot Heirichsdorf, a local landscape architect and skilled rock wall builder, designed and installed the rock garden that still exists today. Other plantings from the original garden can also be found today in several areas of the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden. Xeriscape is born: The 1980s
The original garden contained over 5,000 individual plants representing more than 90 different species. The plants ranged from grasses and other groundcovers, shrubs of various sizes to potentially large trees. Over half the plant species were native to Colorado. The building and the garden were officially dedicated Aug. 1, 1980. Invited guests included officials from other Front Range water agencies. The Denver delegation was as interested in the garden as the control center. The result of that interest was a landscape plan for the new Denver Water administration building coupled with a vigorous public relations effort to focus their customers' attention to landscaping alternatives that would conserve water. At that time, Denver conceived the word Xeriscape, but Colorado Springs inspired the concept. The garden served its purpose and encouraged use of plants that required little or no supplemental irrigation. But the design did not provide much public access. A security fence, locked after business hours, restricted access and the small parking lot in front of the building was typically full with business visitors during the work week. Plants were labeled, but little written information was available to explain the concept. Xeriscape had developed beyond just using drought tolerant plants. It was now a concept that promoted seven horticulturally sound principles that would create water conserving landscapes and gardens. At the same time, water conservation had become more of a public interest issue. Federal and state legislation began to focus on water use. Colorado Springs, with a growing population, recognized that its plans for major water developments needed to include water conservation in order to have a defensible posture in the permitting process. Also, customer acceptance of rate increases necessary to finance future water projects would be more likely with a strong conservation program in place. Plans for a Xeriscape Demonstration Garden that would serve as a highly visible public focus for water conservation education were initiated in early 1989. The water division considered expansion and improvement to the demonstration garden to be an integral part of the long-range water conservation program. Many communities throughout the state (Arvada, Fort Collins, Boulder, Longmont, Denver, Aurora and others) had made considerable investments in similar facilities in order to demonstrate commitment to water conservation. N.E.S Inc., a local landscape firm, was tasked to develop a plan for a Xeriscape demonstration garden that would serve as a highly visible public focus for water conservation education. The new garden would be larger, demonstrate the seven principles of Xeriscape, be divided into zones of different irrigation needs, include attractive hardscape, expand parking, improve access, retain parts of the earlier garden and be aesthetically pleasing. Birth of the public garden: The 1990s
By June 1990, Thomas P. Papadinoff and Fawn Hayes Bell, landscape architects with N.E.S., had completed the plans for the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden on Mesa Road. SaBell's Landscape and Maintenance Company of Denver was awarded the construction contract and began work in July 1990. Construction and most of the planting was completed by late fall 1990. Planting was completed in spring of 1991. The Xeriscape Demonstration Garden graced 1.74 acres of the 3.31 acres that surround the building. It contained 64 species of trees, 126 species of shrubs, 340 species of perennial flowers, groundcovers, vines and ornamental grasses, 12 types of grass, 71 plants native to Colorado, 820 linear feet of Lyons sandstone rock wall, and 185 tons of rock boulders. Concurrent with the beginning of the construction of the garden, Linda Firth was hired as a water programs specialist. Her task was to formulate water conservation and education programs using the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden as the focus and inspiration. Three volunteers made their services available to help make the garden a valuable resource. LeRoy Fish and Bob Short were Colorado State University master gardeners. Both had a strong interest in horticulture and water conservation. Fish, a retired businessman, had lived in the area for most of his life and had a down-to-earth understanding of how water conservation and sound horticulture practices could be beneficial in this semi-arid climate. Short was a retired Air Force meteorologist who shared Fish's commitment to xeriscape. Roger Smith, a retired Air Force pilot, brought with him an interest in cactus and succulents, but his budding interest in computers would cause him to eventually be the self-taught computer programmer. Smith, along with Henry Culver, former senior programmer analyst, developed the database used for the garden's research and evaluation program. By midsummer 1990, Firth and the volunteers began several projects. Finding the precise location of all the more than 400 species in the garden was essential for the anticipated plant evaluation program and the convenience of the visitors. Grids were overlaid on the landscape plans and all plants were assigned grid letters...a tedious job. A list of all plants was then compiled, including common and botanical name of each plant species, and its characteristics. Using a copy of the gridded plan and the list, visitors could locate and identify plants. Plant identification signs were added after much discussion of color, size, content and how the sign would be held in place. Additional interpretive signs have since been placed in the garden so that visitors may browse the garden at their own pace. In 1991, with the garden construction completed, work continued to provide comprehensive written information about xeriscape. Fish prepared information sheets on several aspects of Xeriscaping, which were combined with information from Colorado State University Cooperative Extension. The information provided was coordinated with Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Colorado Nurserymen's Association, United States Natural Resources Conservation Service, City Forestry and other businesses and agencies involved in the green industry. The plant Research and Evaluation Program also began in 1991. In coordination with Dr. James Klett, extension horticulturist, Colorado State University, the elements of evaluation were determined, data collection begun and entry made into the computer database developed by Smith and Culver. In 1992, the garden really began to draw a lot of attention. The plants were reasonably well established and the signs and written materials in were in place. Colorado Springs Utilities hosted an open house to share its accomplishments. More than 1,000 people came to the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden to view the new concept in landscaping. 1992 also saw the beginning of a group that eventually picked up the name Xeriscape Task Force. Representatives from the green industry began to meet once a month to discuss common concerns and ways to promote Xeriscape and water conservation. Included were Colorado Springs Utilities, City Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, City Planning, local nursery associates, landscape architects, Cooperative Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service and landscape contractors. This group still exists today and has expanded its interests to include review of landscape plans for commercial developments and revision of the City's Landscape Code and Policy Manual. Today
The current Xeriscape Demonstration Garden is known across the Front Range as one of the finest gardens of its kind. Just as the plants have grown over the years, so have the programs. Many garden and civic clubs visit annually to learn about the water conserving gardening principles and to enjoy the many varieties of plants. Schools have incorporated water conservation and Xeriscape into their curriculum and even some of their school grounds. More homeowners each year are incorporating Xeriscape into their landscapes to save water, time and money while still enjoying the beauty of a Colorado landscape.
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