In February 2013, as it turned out, at the beginning of a five year drought period, a project began to demonstrate to the local community how to create a glorious garden of drought tolerant and water conserving plants.

This garden is conveniently located in downtown Aromas, right behind the Aromas Water District office and is open and easily accessible to the public year round.

Each year the garden is featured as part of the Aromas Hills Artisans Garden Tour in May (see more about this community event here, then scroll down the page) when typically over 100 visitors from the local community come to spend time admiring the garden, chatting with our friendly staff then taking inspiration and free cuttings home!

There is lots of information available; the plants are labelled, a list of those plants is available for visitors and storyboards of the development of the garden (see below), including materials used and cost involved.

Visitors are educated on how drip irrigation reduces water loss, but directs it to where it is needed; mulch is used extensively to suppress weed growth but more importantly to prevent water loss; permeable gravel paths to encourage as much groundwater recharge as possible as well as rain water catchment; this can all be achieved environmentally consciously without the use of herbicides or pesticides.