Explore Our Brand-New Demonstration Garden!
By City Manager Ken Striplin
Throughout the past decade, California has experienced some of the worst droughts in history – partnered with catastrophic wildfires, diminishing water levels in our lakes and rivers and water restrictions impacting millions throughout the state. Our region is no exception. We want to help educate our residents about the impact water use has on landscaping, so the City of Santa Clarita has partnered with SCV Water to create a demonstration garden that features a variety of landscaping ideas surrounding water conservation.
The demonstration garden is beautifully integrated into Bridgeport Park. Centrally located and welcoming an estimated 16,000 visitors annually, this park provides educational programming opportunities due to its proximity to Bridgeport Elementary School and its location within the Bridgeport neighborhood. This location will be great for those looking to learn about sustainable landscaping and water conservation, as well as for those who stumble upon it during their morning walks or while exploring our City parks.
This demonstration garden will serve as a place where residents can get inspired or simply learn about native plants, water-wise landscapes, efficient irrigation practices and more. Serving as an educational hub, residents can learn how landscapes play a crucial role in water conservation and gain insights into the significance of using California and Santa Clarita Valley native plants. Additionally, there will be information on programs and incentives offered by SCV Water and contact information for local landscape designers who designed this garden.
The garden itself is roughly 14,800-square-feet, located just off of the walking path and is comprised of four different landscape designs, each showcasing native and low-water use plants, rain gardens and high-efficiency spray irrigation. Also included is a permeable concrete pad for garden maintenance and other sustainability demonstration purposes. The pathway throughout the garden is built out of decomposed granite and also offers benches and signage to let residents relax and learn more about the site.
Hoping to instill a sense of creativeness, conservation and comprehension, this garden will serve as a space for residents to rest and enjoy during their walks, to pull inspiration from for their own homes or a place to bring their families to learn more about water conservation efforts happening here in Santa Clarita. Individuals will also be able to observe the blooming patterns of plants throughout the year. Some of the plants featured in the garden are Hummingbird Sage, California Wild Lilac Yankee Point, Showy Milkweed, Fortnight Lily and Deergrass.
I hope that this garden will give our residents a place where they can get outside and enjoy nature, but also learn about the importance of water conservation and sustainable landscape design. I encourage residents to join us on Friday, September 1 at 10:00 a.m., for the official ribbon cutting of the Bridgeport Park Demonstration Garden, where they can come explore the different landscape designs and learn more from our partners at SCV Water. To learn more about the garden, please visit YourSCVWater.com.
Ken Striplin is Santa Clarita’s City Manager and can be reached at kstriplin@santaclarita.gov.
