Red Butte – Water Conservation Garden

After nearly a decade of planning, Red Butte’s Water Conservation Garden opened to the public last May. And as with all things done well, it is hard to remember – or even picture – the space without it.

Utilizing the slope above the Fragrance Garden, the new expansion adds three more acres and provides two unique views; the first is the garden itself and the second is of the city and valley below. A vantage point of this quality will usually cost you a little more effort. However, at a 5% incline, the paved path meanders comfortably to the top and, once there, you can see how it divides all 10 areas of the new space into strata-like sections.

With predictions that Utah’s population will nearly double within the next 50 years, the topic of water usage is increasingly relevant. Aiming to teach and inspire, the new garden uses 350 species of water-wise plants that challenge the notion of typical conservation landscaping. While visitors will still find cacti and succulents, they will also see flowering plants like poppies, lavender, and even papaya popsicles. By recreating some of what they see here in their own home gardens, locals can take steps to decrease their water consumption.

To learn more, visit: redbuttegarden.org