Corner of Dunne Park transformed into drought-tolerant
demonstration garden
The California drought may be over, but the need to conserve the
water supply has not waned, so a former city-owned horseshoe pit is
being transformed into a water-wise demonstration garden.
The San Benito County Water Resources Association is creating
the garden at the northwest corner of Dunne Park, at the
intersection of Sixth and Powell streets, to showcase
drought-tolerant plants and smart irrigation techniques.
Corner of Dunne Park transformed into drought-tolerant demonstration garden
The California drought may be over, but the need to conserve the water supply has not waned, so a former city-owned horseshoe pit is being transformed into a water-wise demonstration garden.
The San Benito County Water Resources Association is creating the garden at the northwest corner of Dunne Park, at the intersection of Sixth and Powell streets, to showcase drought-tolerant plants and smart irrigation techniques.
“We’ve been in the midst of a water crisis for some time now,” said Shawn Novack, the county’s water conservation program manager. “We are out of the drought but we’re still not receiving our historical allocations of water for growers and municipalities. It’s still critical that we conserve even though we’ve had this great rain recently. Our groundwater supply is in great shape, but our imported supply is way below normal.”
Novack approached city officials to get permission to turn the former horseshoe pit into a garden. City crews connected the planned garden area to the park’s irrigation pipes and the Water Resources Association has been working to get the plot planted in recent weeks. It should be open to the public next week, Novack said.
“My agency is trying to remind people that we need to conserve our water supply, so we plan to use the garden as a reference for people and an educational tool,” he said. “When people think drought-tolerant plants, they often think cactus. We want to give them some colorful options.”
The park will feature native and drought-tolerant plants as well as permeable landscape materials such as interlocking pavers. Hollister Landscape Supply gave the Water Resources Association a discount on plants and shredded rubber is being used to help keep weeds down. Brigantino Irrigation of Hollister provided the “latest technology” for the irrigation system, Novack said.
“We hope to have some classes down there eventually and maybe take groups there,” he said. “We could do a neighborhood garden tour and have that as one of our stops and we hope to get in front of some garden groups.”
A big push of the Water Resources Association over the past decade has been on encouraging indoor conservation of water, through toilet replacement and other rebate programs, such as those for new, water-efficient washing machines.
“This year we’ve really focused on landscaping, since more than 50 percent of water use happens outside,” Novack said. “We’ve found that a lot of that water is wasted, so we’re trying to get people to tighten up their water use.”
He said he is hoping that the demonstration garden’s drought-tolerant plants and water-efficient landscaping methods will inspire locals to consider updating their outdoor spaces to conserve water.
“Ensuring a balance between water supply and water demand in San Benito County is vital to maintaining the economic prosperity for our region,” Novack said. “Becoming better stewards in controlling the use of water is a great place to start. The demonstration garden will serve as a practical teaching tool for all water users, including municipalities, property management firms, landscape professionals and homeowners.”
The Water Resources Association offers free irrigation system checks, including suggested watering schedules and a free home water survey. Technicians can also check for leaks and install new showerheads and faucet aerators.
A “smart gardening” class will be held at the San Benito County Water District offices on Saturday, June 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The class will focus on water efficient gardens, with topics including design, irrigation maintenance and trouble-shooting, plant selection, irrigation scheduling and fertilizer use.
For more information, call 637-4378 or go to www.wrasbc.org.
Plant list for the Dunne Park Demonstration Garden:
TREES
Strawberry Tree
Western Redbud
Crape Myrtle
Chinese Pistache
SHRUBS
Shiny Abelia
Carmel Creepers
Julia Phelps
Rock Rose
Rock Cotoneaster
Butterfly Iris
Gulf Stream Nandina
VINE
Honeysuckle
PERENNIALS
Artemisia
Yarrow ‘Pastel Mix’
Snow-In-Summer
Australian Fushia
Purple Coneflower
Santa Barbara Daisy
Gaura
Daylily Yellow
English Lavender
Mallow
Mexican Primrose
Apple Blossom
Mexican Salvia
Autumn Sage
California Fuschia
GROUND COVER
African Daisy
Trailing Rosemary
ORNAMENTAL GRASS
Sheep Fescue
Feather Grass
