by Melissa Hahn
– USA –
Bird of Paridise in a Xeriscape garden. Photograph courtesy of the author.
Charles Kapuscak and his wife Sharon moved to the Phoenix metropolitan area from Pennsylvania over thirty years ago. They installed low-flow toilets, a low-water-usage washing machine, and they under-water their plants. Unlike many transplants to the “Valley of the Sun,” they also embraced desert landscaping – meaning no grassy yard, the symbol of the American dream.
The Kapuscaks were early proponents of Xeriscape (xeros, from the Greek word for dry), a movement that encourages property owners to save money and beautify their yards by cultivating native and low-water plants.
A relatively young state, Arizona has very few residents with multi-generational ties to the land. According to US Census records, there were less than 500,000 people here before WWII, but over 6 million by 2006 – a growth of over 1100% in barely sixty years. Nearly every person has moved here from somewhere else – typically the much more humid Midwestern and Eastern sections of the country.
Upon arriving, many of these transplants go into “horticulture-shock”: trees are short, flowers are small and the grass is brown and patchy. Plants considered “normal” elsewhere are simply impossible to grow here; unfortunately, many residents cling to the belief that they can create an idyllic grassy lawn and colorful flower bed with diligence and enough water. The City of Glendale Water Conservation Office reports that the average Arizonan uses two-thirds of their water outdoors, yet excessive watering cannot be absorbed by the dry soil and usually just drowns the plants.
With barely 13 inches of precipitation annually, we suffer from a 2.5 million acre foot overdraft on our groundwater. Unable to meet our water needs locally, we depend on the Arizona Canal system and controversial reservoirs such as the Hoover Dam to store and transport water to the metro area. The 300 mile federally-funded canal system annually diverts an average of 1.5 million acre feet of water from the Colorado River in the north to the rest of the state.
A Movement is Born
Until the Xeriscape movement began, even those residents who knew their efforts were in vain felt they had to keep up the appearance of their lawn for the sake of their property values or for pride amongst their neighbors. Others had to contend with the restrictions of their subdivision’s Home Owners’ Association policies, which frowned on “ugly cacti.” Even those who wanted to adhere to a water-wise landscape had few options besides pouring rock over their failed yards.
Located about ten miles west of downtown Phoenix, my hometown of Glendale was one of the first to creatively address this problem. In 1985, the city hypothesized that residents could be encouraged to change their approach to landscaping – and therefore their watering habits – if shown an appealing alternative.
Constructed in 1992 on reclaimed public library grounds, the city’s Xeriscape Demonstration Garden allows patrons to experience the unique beauty of the desert. Visitors are introduced to over 400 species of desert plants and landscape design techniques that they can incorporate at home.
Curving trails meander through the garden’s nearly four acres. Visitors can stroll past saguaro, cholla, ocotillo, acacia, aloe, mesquite, flowering shrubs, and under palms and palo verde. Agave, yucca, jasmine and prickly pear cactus offer an array of textures and colors. Summer visitors will notice that the garden is at its most vibrant when temperatures are highest and are often delighted to find that certain tropical plants such as bougainvillea and oleander thrive alongside the desert plants.
Peacocks, hens, roosters and desert rabbit scurry through the foliage. By observing animals up close, visitors increase their awareness of desert creatures and their habitat. The National Wildlife Federation recently certified a newly installed habitat gardens at the site as a “Backyard Wildlife Habitat.”
In 2002, the city’s Water Conservation Office, also housed at the public library, expanded its mission with a change of leadership. Program Manager Jo Miller aims to keep the program relevant by integrating it with a holistic green-living campaign and through a practical, hands-on educational approach. Audio tours are available through a collaborative grant effort with the library’s technology department.
“Originally, the garden didn’t really educate visitors beyond the names of the plants. Now, we talk about design concepts, pruning techniques, and emphasize state-of-the-art smart watering technologies,” she says.
The office publishes a number of free landscaping guides, and provides instruction on proper irrigation and rainwater-harvesting techniques. It also offers free courses throughout the year on topics such as “Cactus Care 101” and “Understanding Your Landscape Watering System.”
The office recently began a program for middle school teachers, and field trips have become a valuable tool for teaching children about the variety of plant life in the Sonoran Desert. In 2005, it added an artistic element to its youth and community outreach through its “Art in the Garden” project, funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Consisting of three cement and mosaic glass pieces, the project was a collaborative effort of school children, over 250 volunteers and an artist in residence.
“The garden is really an asset for us in community education,” explains Ms. Miller. “Through our hands-on classes, we are trying to maximize our educational mission. I think a lot of people really care about water conservation, and just want to know what to do.”
Perhaps most significantly, the city instituted a rebate program that gives approximately 150 residents per year up to $750 for converting their yards to low-water environments. This program, funded by city water bills, was recently expanded to include community areas at multi-family housing units, such as apartments and town houses. An active local landscaping industry – primarily comprised of independent contractors and recent immigrants – has provided the plants and the labor to make the vision a reality.
Once an experimental program that received only dim reception in its early years, the Xeriscape effort was nominated last year as a Rain Bird Intelligent Use of Water Finalist. The irrigation company notes that “the number of gallons used per day by Glendale residents has decreased by more than fourteen percent since the garden first opened in 1992 and local residents have converted more than 215,000 square feet of turf to Xeriscape, for an estimated water savings of more than 5 million gallons of water a year.”
Jerry, a lifelong resident, recalls the impact the gardens had on him when they were installed nearly two decades ago. “It definitely influenced my home landscaping.”
Joe has lived here for nearly 60 years and admits that he should think about water conservation more seriously. “Lately I have been considering (Xeriscape) because I have to water my winter lawn and it gets expensive.” He loves visiting the garden, but worries that switching to all-Xeriscape might require him to uproot some of his older shade trees.
“They really keep my house cool in the summer, so I can save money on electricity. It’s hard to know what to do.” Previously unaware of the rebate offer, he is now considering switching to low-water landscaping because of the financial incentive.
Ms. Miller says that he should keep his trees, saying that if a homeowner can do anything, “they should plant a tree,” for the very reasons Joe mentions.
The Xeriscape Demonstration Garden is an inspiration and serves as evidence that constructive efforts between politicians, citizens, students, conservation groups, city planners, and businesses can bear meaningful fruit. In an era of increased awareness about global warming and concern over one’s carbon footprint, the Garden offers a practical, money-saving way to go green.
Ms. Miller adds that Xeriscape offers a practical lesson to communities around the world. “The same principles apply globally, because every region has its own appropriate plants. Using local plants gives residents a sense of place, and a sense of belonging. It’s very powerful.”
About the Author: Melissa Hahn is a freelance writer and world traveler whose projects include foreign affairs analysis, children’s literature, and creative nonfiction. Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, she completed her B.A. in Russian Area Studies at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, and studied at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. She is an associate analyst at The Power and Interest Report and currently writes for the English-language edition of the Pan-Korean Peacemaking Webzine.
A photojournalist and amateur artist, Melissa aims to bring small joys to people’s lives and to enable Americans to release their fear of the rest of the world. Through her works, she hopes to inspire her readers to seize the day and experience the wonder of humanity that exists both around the globe and in their own backyards.
This article brings up an issue that has been on my mind since I danced in the Mettler company in Tucson. It distressed me to see the proliferation of golf courses and lawns not suited to the dessert. May there be more efforts like the one described so vividly in this article.