Xeriscape Demonstration Gardens
Visiting a xeriscape demonstration garden is a great way to get unique landscaping ideas. Be sure to bring a notebook, camera, and an open mind! At Xeriscape gardens, you’ll get the opportunity to look at interesting plant combinations and how plants appear during different times of the year. You’ll discover that by utilizing an array of low- water- use plants, you’ll conserve water resources, save money, and attract wildlife to your yard.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
2021 N. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, 85743-8918
(520) 883-1380
Along two miles of paths, visitors will have the opportunity to view a collection of Sonoran desert plant exhibits - including a riparian corridor, a desert garden, pollination gardens, a cactus garden, and desert grasslands. Education programs and special events are offered throughout the year for children and adults.
Design by Guy Greene and Mark Sitter
Photo by Doug Larson (c) 2006 Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Design by Cory Martin
Photo by Doug Larson (c) 2006 Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Arizona State University Desert Arboretum Park
Tempe, Arizona, 85287-3305
Located on the northwest corner of 6th Street and Packard Drive, between Sun Devil Stadium and Packard Stadium
(480) 965-2682
http://www.asu.edu/fm/arboretum.htm
The Desert Arboretum Park is part of the greater Arizona State University Arboretum. Through a partnership of Arizona State University employees and outside consultants, the Desert Arboretum Park was created to serve as a botanical refuge for desert plants.
Avondale Xeriscape Demonstration Garden
11465 W. Civic Center Drive, Avondale, Arizona
(623) 478-3373
The Avondale Xeriscape Demonstration Garden is located outside of the City Hall building. The garden demonstrates the utilization of low-water-use trees, shrubs, and ground covers. The garden is over 25,000 square feet and contains over 900 plants.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum
37615 U.S. Highway 60, Superior, Arizona, 85273
Located on Highway 60 East (Milepost #223), 3 miles west of Superior, Arizona
(520) 689-2723
http://cals.arizona.edu/BTA
Just one hour east of Phoenix, the Boyce Thompson Arboretum features 3,200 desert-adapted plants from all over the world. The Demonstration Garden displays a series of low-water-use residential theme gardens.
Education programs and special events are offered throughout the year for children and adults.
Chandler Hummingbird Habitat
Desert Breeze Park
660 North Desert Breeze Blvd. E., Chandler, Arizona, 85226
Located south of West Ray Road and east of North Rural Road
(480) 782-3580
This garden was installed in the late 1990's and highlights plants that attract wildlife. Local community groups helped with the design and installation, and a metal artist created a beautiful entry archway and metal shade tree. A large water feature provides a relaxing place to sit after strolling along the paved pathways along the perimeter of the garden.
Chandler Xeriscape Demonstration
Located on the northwest corner of Erie Street and Arrowhead Drive
(480) 782-3580
One of the first demonstration gardens in the valley this small, one-acre, demonstration garden boasts mature desert trees and shrubs. It is currently undergoing a renovation to include new pathways and signage.
Desert Botanical Garden
1201 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona, 85008
Located on Galvin Parkway just south of Mc Dowell Road
(480) 941-1225
http://www.dbg.org
Covering nearly 50 acres, the Desert Botanical Garden showcases more than a thousand desert-adapted plants from all over the world. The Center for Desert Living Trail provides visitors with information on desert landscaping and gardening. Education programs and special events are offered throughout the year for children and adults.
Desert Botanical Walk at Superstition Springs Center
Superstition Springs Center
6555 East Southern Avenue (Plaza Entrance), Mesa, Arizona, 85206
Located on Southern Avenue and Power Road just north of the Superstition Freeway
(480) 396-2570
Elsie McCarthy Sensory Garden
7637 North 55th Avenue, Glendale, Arizona, 85302
Located south of Northern Avenue on 55th Avenue
http://www.glendaleaz.com/ParksandRecreation/elsiemccarthysensorygarden.cfm
Visitors will have the opportunity to fully experience the garden through their different senses. The garden also demonstrates the utilization of low-water-use trees, shrubs, and groundcovers.
Glendale Xeriscape Botanical Demonstration Garden
Glendale Public Library
5959 West Brown Street, Glendale, Arizona, 85032
Located on 59th Avenue just south of Peoria Avenue
(623) 930-3596
http://www.glendaleaz.com/WaterConservation/xeriscapegarden.cfm
Totaling nearly 4 acres, this award-winning xeriscape demonstration garden contains over 400 species of low-water use plants. Visitors can learn about native plants through signage, a free audio tour, and a free “Tales from the Garden” booklet.
Visitors using the free, self-guided audio wand tour at the Glendale Xeriscape Botanical Demonstration Garden
Photo by: Jo Miller
Glendale Xeriscape Botanical Demonstration Garden
Photo by: Joanne Toms
Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Office
Landscape Interpretive Trail and Demonstration Gardens
4341 East Broadway Road, Phoenix, Arizona,
Located on the southwest corner of and Broadway and 43rd Street
(602) 470-8086
http://cals.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/html/general/intrail.htm
The Interpretive Trail, created through the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension and Arizona Master Gardeners, will assist visitors with landscaping and gardening in the low desert climate. Visitors will find signs and flyers that will guide them in the creation and maintenance of their own environmentally sound landscape.
Mesa Xeriscape Demonstration Garden
Mesa Community College
1833 West Southern Avenue, Mesa, Arizona, 85202
Located on Dobson and Southern Avenue just north of the Superstition Freeway
(480) 644-3334
http://www.ci.mesa.az.us/utilities/conservation/mcc_demo_garden.asp
Working collaboratively, the City of Mesa, Mesa Community College, and the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation recently made enhancements to the garden by installing new plants and updating the irrigation system. Improvements were also made to the educational components of the garden through interpretive signage and a self-guided tour feature. A native plant interpretive trail can also be toured at the Mesa Community College at Red Mountain campus located at 7110 E. McKellips Road.
Mesa Community College Demonstration Garden
Photo by: Donna DiFrancesco
Interpretive signs line the trails around the garden.
Photo by: Donna DiFrancesco
Peoria Desert Fusion Garden
Located in the downtown Peoria City Hall Complex near 83rd Ave. and Peoria Ave. at 8401 W. Monroe St.
(623) 773-7286
This garden welcomes visitors to experience the beauty of low water use landscapes. Combinations of low water use plants from desert-like areas around the world demonstrate that beauty and functionality don’t have to be sacrificed for water efficiency. The five themed areas in the garden also showcase different mulch materials and different ways to bring color into the landscape.
Peoria Desert Fusion Garden
Sara Gibbs Botanical Garden
Sierra Vista Public Library
2600 E. Tacoma
Sierra Vista, Arizona 85635
(520) 458-4225
This garden is located on the backside of the library and features indigenous and introduced low-water-landscape plants. Penstemons, Arizona rosewood, and desert willows are just some of the wide assortment of plants featured in this landscape. Passive rainwater harvesting designs direct rainwater through the landscape. Some of the local plants were saved from area construction projects and relocated to the garden. Handouts are available on the plants from library staff.
Scottsdale Xeriscape Garden at Chaparral Park
5401 N Hayden Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Located on the southeast corner of Hayden Rd. and McDonald Dr.
(480) 312-5651
Demonstrating the beauty of saving water is the purpose that has guided the design and educational components of this Xeriscape garden. Outdoor classrooms offer learning opportunities that engage the senses, demonstrate water-saving principles, and showcase beautiful low-water-use plants.
Designer: Ten Eyck Landscape Architects, Inc.
Tempe Xeriscape Demonstration Garden
Tempe Woman's Club Park
1265 N. College Avenue, Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Located on the Northeast corner of College Avenue and Weber Drive
(480) 350-2668
http://www.tempe.gov/pkrec/parkfacil/address.htm
Located at the Tempe Woman’s Club Park, this Xeriscape garden highlights plants from the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts, Australia, and the Mediterranean.
Tempe Xeriscape Demonstration Garden
Tempe Xeriscape Demonstration Garden
Tohono Chul Park
7366 N. Paseo del Norte, Tucson, Arizona, 85704
Located on the northeast corner of Ina and Paseo del Norte
(520) 742-6455
http://www.tohonochulpark.org
This 49-acre- Sonoran desert preserve also contains specialty gardens, such as the native plant demonstration garden and “sin agua” garden, which utilizes rainwater-harvesting technology. Education programs and special events are offered throughout the year for children and adults.
Water Feature at Tohono Chul Park
Photo by: Christina Bickelmann
Sin Agua Garden at Tohono Chul Park
Photo by: Christina Bickelmann
Tucson Botanical Gardens
2150 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson, Arizona, 85712
Located on the southeast corner of Alvernon Way and Grant Road
(520) 326-9686
http://www.tucsonbotanical.org
Located in the heart of Tucson, the garden comprises 15 different themed gardens, including the Xersicape Demonstration Garden and Cactus and Succulent Garden. Education programs and special events are offered throughout the year for children and adults.
Tucson Botanical Garden, photographer Tanya Jones
The University of Arizona South
1140 N. Colombo Ave
Sierra Vista, Arizona 85635
(520) 458-8278
The UAS campus has been planted with lovely, colorful low water landscape plants. From lantanas to acacias, visitors can stroll through various groupings of plants. Many of the plants have been labeled and an extensive plant list created by the Cochise County Master Gardeners Association will be available to visitors.
Adjoining the UAS campus is the Plant Sciences Center. In this plant yard, constructed as a repository for plants salvaged from construction projects, visitors can view a 2,500-gallon rainwater harvesting system, 4 demonstration landscapes and a plant water needs study. The Cochise County Herbarium is also housed at the Plant Sciences Center.