Extremely Water Wise Demonstration Garden

The inspiration

Glendora built this compact teaching garden beside its public library to show residents how drought-tolerant landscaping works, at a time when Southern California was being hit hard by drought¹ . The city unveiled it in April 2016, using plants sourced from local nurseries, and it fits a broader pattern of civic demonstration gardens popping up at libraries and civic centers to teach water conservation¹ . Glendora's own Water Division backs up that mission, offering education, inspections and conservation guidance to help residents use water efficiently² .

What to order

• California natives and pollinator plants: monarch butterflies work the purple spires of Santa Barbara Mexican Bush Sage, and honey bees visit the Chocolate Flower .¹
• Lawn alternatives and groundcovers: a low mass of silvery foliage shows how drought-tolerant groundcover can soften a civic walkway .¹
• Labeled plants to learn from: coral fountain, coffeeberry and a coral bells selection are among the clearly labeled specimens .
• Habitat features and dwarf plants: small areas devoted to wildlife, dwarf plants and flowering shrubs round out the demonstration .

What people are saying

The park supervisor says visitors come with questions about attracting pollinators and bringing more color into their landscapes, and the garden answers them¹ . Garden writers at MySoCalGarden appreciate how the garden compresses many lessons into a small space that people actually pass through on the way to the library, City Hall or the civic plaza .

Why you should try it

If you are staying nearby, this is an easy fifteen-to-thirty-minute stop that doubles as a landscaping idea book for your own yard back home . Pair it with a visit to the library or the civic plaza, and grab a bench in the shade to watch the pollinators work¹ .