Demonstration Gardens

The Water Department has created or partnered with the development of several demonstration gardens around Greeley to give customers ideas for water conserving gardens. Xeriscape (pronounced ZEER-ih-scape) is a term coined in the early 1980s by Denver Water to describe the use of native and climate-adapted plants in landscaping. Up until then, the typical yard was a blanket of bluegrass with a shade tree in the middle.

City of Greeley Water Conservation Garden

2503 Reservoir Road

This garden began in 1997. The term Xeriscape, while known, still had perceptions of rock gardens and cactus. The objective of the garden was to dispel the rock idea and show that Xeriscape can be a lush mix of perennials, annuals, ornamental grasses, bulbs, trees, and shrubs. Another misconception is that Xeriscape means no turf. This garden has four kinds of turf: Smooth Brome, Buffalograss, Blue Gramma, and a Fine Fescue blend.

The site boasts two spectacular pieces of artwork. "Oasis" by Tim Upham was the first 1% For Art Project completed in 2022 and is a tribute to Greeley 's founding fathers and their insight into assuring a water supply for the community. The fountain in front of the sculpture consists of twelve plates, each representing a month, and varying in depths to represent the average amount of precipitation for that month. “Blue Gramma” by Kevin Shaffer of Evergreen was created as part of Greeley’s Sculpture on Loan Program and installed in 2010. It is 12-foot-tall, powder-coated steel depiction of a species of native grass, and it was chosen by the public to be purchased by the City of Greeley.