A Town of Eagle resident goes waterwise for the first time with a Garden In A Box kit!
Colorado’s drought and aridification are well known across the state this year. In mountain communities like Eagle, the signs can be even more obvious: the struggling Eagle River runs right through town, and the missing snowpack is clear with the mountains so close by.
We know this means every drop of water saved matters, and Resource Central has been hard at work over the last few years developing accessible water conservation programs for Coloradans on the Western Slope. We were thrilled when Town of Eagle resident Terry invited us to his home for a conversation about his Garden In A Box experience.
This garden marks Terry’s first time participating in a Resource Central program. Like many freshly planted landscapes, his garden still has plenty of growth ahead of it. As our team likes to say, “Year one they sleep, year two they creep, and year three they leap!”
That said, Terry is excited about what he’s seen just in this first growing season. “The surprising thing so far has been how well the plants are adjusting. I’m very happy and excited about their progress.” We would agree! With some producing beautiful blooms already this year, we’re excited for what years two onward will look like.
Terry doesn’t consider himself to be an experienced gardener when it comes to low-water landscapes. His past knowledge comes from growing fruits and vegetables, but he’s found that experience has translated pretty well into caring for his waterwise garden. He emphasizes patience as a key to his success so far, telling us, “Remember…good things take time. Do what you’re capable of doing and let nature take its course.” Plus, Terry has some wonderful neighbors to lean on for inspiration, advice, and even some bonus plants as the garden grows.
The next-door neighbors have a Garden In A Box kit entering its third year of growth, which inspired him to start his own waterwise gardening project. Between their two gardens, he is quite proud of the waterwise oasis being created in the neighborhood.
“[Garden In A Box] inspired me to create a landscape that is beautiful, but most importantly creates resources for one of our greatest assets in nature – our pollinators. When I look at the flowers blooming and the bees and butterflies gathering nectar, I feel that in a small way I am making this a better place.” Those pollinators were hard at work during our conversation; hummingbirds and bees darted between plants the whole time.
This oasis in Eagle might be growing even more in the coming years. Not only does Terry have plans to expand his garden’s footprint, but his homeowners association is considering adding Garden In A Box kits to some of their common areas! More neighbors are also taking note and weighing lawn removal to install some waterwise plants of their own.
Thanks for tuning in! ‘Til next time.
En Resource Central, creemos que juntos podemos construir un Waterwise (de bajo consumo de agua) resiliente y Waterwise (de bajo consumo de agua) mediante acciones locales a gran escala.
Las personas que aparecen en esta serie de entradas del blog no son más que una pequeña muestra del trabajo que están realizando tantos habitantes de Colorado para alcanzar ese objetivo. Así que, tanto si acabas de empezar a mejorar tu eficiencia hídrica, como si eres un jardinero experimentado en el uso de poco agua, o si estás leyendo este blog y descubres por primera vez Waterwise (de bajo consumo de agua) , gracias por unirte a nosotros para crear un Waterwise (de bajo consumo de agua) más Waterwise (de bajo consumo de agua) .
Are you interested in sharing your story or know of someone who would be great to feature? Email us with details!
And don’t forget! You can always find more inspiring stories using the Waterwise Communities tag on our blog page!
