Jessie Myers talks me through her waterwise yard transformation and shares her love of plants.
Hi! I’m Garrett Brown, the Conservation Engagement Coordinator here at Resource Central. I’m beyond thrilled to welcome readers to the first-ever Waterwise Community Field Blog post! I’ll be sharing stories of incredible community members across the state who, through their Resource Central program participation, are joining the ever-growing waterwise yards movement in Colorado.
Earlier in March, I had the pleasure of meeting Jessie Myers, a passionate gardener and all-around joy, at her home in Thornton. The City of Thornton has partnered with us for years to provide its residents with access to our water conservation programs, offering all four of our core programs this year! Two years ago, Jessie took advantage of two of those programs, Lawn Replacement and Garden In A Box, to completely transform her front yard from grass into the waterwise paradise that it is today.
When I pulled up to the house, Jessie and her husband were doing one of their favorite things: just sitting in the garage and enjoying the view of their gardens! “We call it garage sitting – it’s a very practical name for it,” she says with a laugh. I then got a tour of the front yard, now entirely a low-water garden, and she talked through her experience. She and her husband took out the grass all in one go with our Lawn Removal Service, spending most of their free time in June 2023 to prepare their yard and plant their Garden In A Box kits. Gardening was new to both of them. “We’ve never done this before at all, so it really surprised me that it’s done so well,” she tells me.
They don’t miss their grass at all, especially the higher water bills that came along with a grass yard. They recall only watering the garden one time since the year they planted it! But they aren’t the only ones who enjoy the new landscape. Neighbors, some now considering their own yard transformations, take their time strolling by Jessie’s yard while walking dogs or taking a loop of the neighborhood. And then there are the non-human visitors – bees, moths, and birds flock to the garden throughout the year. She happily states, “Every time we come out, we see birds. We see so many hummingbirds, three or four at a time!”
Each of Jessie’s plants has a name. Some were given by her, while others chose their own name, she says. “Fränk,” sporting the only flower so far, and fuzzy-haired “Anderson Cooper” were among a few plants touting fresh spring greenery, while “Taylor Swift” holds a place as the star of the show. The impressive growth of the garden since she planted, supported by Jessie’s love and care, is evident. While year 3 is generally when Garden In A Box kits “leap” and show the most obvious growth, this garden had clearly leapt already! There’s dense vegetation everywhere, including towering plants and the growth of “Josh,” for example. Once 3 individually spaced out plants, the Joshes quickly grew together into who they now lovingly call “Blob-osh.”
Jessie credits her love for the garden for how well it has done – “I think that’s why they flourish so much. Because of all the love.” As for her advice for people looking to replace their grass yards? “Be patient. And talk to them. Seriously! I talk to them every single day and they’re flourishing!” With that, I had to part ways with Jessie and her plant family, but I’m already planning a return visit to see the yard in all of its summer glory!
I truly hope you enjoyed this conversation and will continue to tune in for more Waterwise Community stories. ‘Til next time!
-Garrett
At Resource Central, we believe that we can build a resilient and waterwise Colorado together through local action on a massive scale.
The individuals featured in this blog series are only snapshots of the great work that’s being done by so many Coloradans to work towards that goal. So whether you’re just starting to improve your water efficiency, are a seasoned low-water gardener, or are reading this blog and learning about waterwise gardening for the first time, thank you for joining us in creating a more waterwise future.
