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Xeriscaping on Campus

2022, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, USA

Students posing by their drought resistance plants
George Washington Carver School of Arts and Sciences students Nickole Lacourse and Maya Mendoza are concerned about the multi-year drought that California is experiencing, and particularly how much water is typically used to maintain outdoor landscapes. They devised a plan to xeriscape an area of campus with drought-tolerant species. The team prepped the garden area and adjacent raised bed by removing weeds and adding soil and compost, then planted a variety of species known to thrive with very little water, such as California fuschia. They also installed drip irrigation in their plot, which will serve as a demonstration garden highlighting water-wise, landscaping plants and practices.

Garden bed that has drough-tolerant plant species