This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
For many Utahns, waterwise landscaping means spiny plants, stone and gravel.
But the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District in West Jordan aims to change that perception with its sprawling 61/2-acre Conservation Garden Park, workshops, classes and a searchable database of more than 800 plants that need less water.
"We want people to see that waterwise landscaping is more than rocks and cacti," said Clifton Smith, conservation analyst at the district. "It can look lush. You just have to choose the right plants and water them the right way."
Visitors to the conservation garden park can see grass, flowers and a lot of other colorful and green plants that undoubtedly help many of the 20,000 people who visit each year change the way they look at saving water.
Although many of the visitors to the garden park come to learn about landscaping new homes, relandscaping existing homes or installing gardens, the park also is designed to help educate those with yards and gardens on how to use less water.
For example, many Utah households use double the amount of water needed to keep their lawns lush and green, Smith said. The center can show homeowners how to measure their watering and, if needed, cut back without sacrificing any aesthetics.
"If you're doing gardening and landscaping the right way, your yard will look nice, and you're going to save water," he said.
That's why waterwise landscaping and gardening — either through planting drought-resistant plant varieties or changing watering habits, or both — also can save money, Smith said. Even though Utahns pay less for their water than residents of many other Western states, water bills in areas of the Salt Lake Valley without irrigation jump during the summer months, sometimes by hundreds of dollars.
During the economic downturn, more families have tried to grow more of their own food, but that takes water. The district has offered numerous courses on the basics of vegetable and herb gardening, including a class for those who may not have a lot of space but can still grow a fair amount of produce in containers.
This summer, for the first time, the garden park will conduct a plant sale, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 9. Nurseries will bring plants to sell, and representatives will be on hand to answer questions.
The conservation garden park opened in 2000 with about one acre. Over the years the district has expanded the demonstration park and in 2002 added classes, which serve about 700 to 800 people a year.
The district's offerings pair well with municipal offerings designed to encourage Utahns to save water through landscaping and planting more effectively.
For example, the city of West Jordan has a Street Tree Program that reimburses residents up to 50 percent of the cost of planting approved trees — up to $25 per tree. Residents can be reimbursed for up to two trees, with those living on a corner lot reimbursed for up to four trees.
The city also has a Water-Wise Plant Rebate Program, which offers a $50 rebate to those who plant smartly. This rebate is available to West Jordan city residents through June 30.
Both rebates have specific requirements, so residents should read the fine print before making any plant purchases, said Steve Glain, water conservation program manager for the City of West Jordan.
"They need to buy the right plants and plant them in the right spot [in their yards]," he said.
The Central Utah Water Conservancy District has a rebate program, as well, in which residents can qualify for as much as $275 back on the cost of purchasing some types of water-conserving landscape irrigation equipment. For more information, go to Wjordan.com and click on "Residents" at the top of the page and then "Neighborhood Programs" on the left-hand side for all of the rebate programs.
Two-thirds of the Wasatch Front's culinary water — water suitable for drinking — is used outdoors on landscapes. "People have cut back somewhat on the amount of they use, but they are still using more than a healthy landscape needs."
One of the challenges Conservancy District staff and officials have had to address over the years is the fact that many people avoid waterwise landscaping and gardening because they don't want a lecture or to be involved with something they don't exactly consider fun.
That's why the district has aimed to make water conversation enjoyable. Classes are offered in an upbeat fashion, and the park has plenty of interactive displays.
"We're not trying to tell people what to do," Smith said. "All we're trying to do is show people how to do it in a way that will save them water and money and time."
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If you go
The Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District in West Jordan is at 8275 S. 1300 West. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, October 1 to April 30; and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, May 1 to September 30.
The district offers numerous classes each year, most of which are free. Learn how to grow plants in containers, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on April 28, and how to install drip irrigation systems for vegetable gardens, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on May 12. Also on May 12, the district is offering a basic course on vegetable gardening. Go to conservationgardenpark.org/events for more classes.