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This reality helped build Redmond's Water Conservation
Demonstration Garden. This salmon-friendly, water
conservation demonstration garden is just 20 feet south of the NE 85th
St Bridge, on the Sammamish Trail just beyond the Opportunity Building.
It is easily accessible to all path users.
Construction of the garden began in winter of 2007 and was complete at
the end of 2008. It was built in conjunction with the Habitat
Enhancement Project IV (HEP IV) on the Sammamish River and just across
the path from it.
The garden was originally designed by Parametrix and built by BCI
Construction. Funding for the garden came from the City of Redmond
Water and Stormwater Utilities, with generous contributions from the
Emerald Heights Community, Microsoft, and a grant from the King
Conservation District.
The garden design roughly mimics a native northwest stream system, using
plants, gravel pathways, mounded planting beds, large rocks, benches and
signage. The plants themselves were selected to attract beneficial
insects that salmon and birds like. The soil is amended to support
native plants and vegetation that adapt easily. The garden should
feel comfortable and welcoming - like an outdoor room - along a stream.
There are several types of irrigation used - all of which promote
smart and efficient watering, where and when it's needed. The City
Of Redmond has its own weather station which provides irrigation
information to remote controllers, so they turn on and off according to
the weather conditions. That's a lesson we could all learn - to be
weather watchers in our own gardens.
Some interesting facts about the garden are the large flat rocks seen
throughout the garden which are meant for seating. Use your nose to
enjoy the many fragrant plants such as Lavendar Cotton (Santolina
chamaecyparissus), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis "Huntington Carpet",
Common Sage (Salvia Officinalis), and Catmint (Nepeta faassenii "Six
Hills Giant", among many others. Please make yourself
comfortable and enjoy the garden. It is constructed using Natural
Yard Care methods, which can easily be used at home. The five
steps of Natural Yard Care include:
1. Build
healthy soil. Use compost and mulch to build rich, deep
soil.Your plants will
develop deeper roots, have less disease and pests, and will require much
less water without water runoff.
2.
Plant right for the site. Choose plants that fit the
needs of your site, are pest resistant, and require less water.
Native plants are always a wise choice. Great plants can be found
at good nurseries, garden centers and certified landscape professionals
and horticulturalists. Great
plant lists and information can be found in several website sources.
a.
Great Plant
Picks
b. Native Plant Society
c. Washington
State University Extension/Master Garden
d. Several plant lists are available at
Partners for
Water and
Saving Water
e. Redmond Stroll
Conservation Garden plant list
3. Practice smart watering.
Watering too much or too little is the cause of many common plant
problems and failures in our area.
- Water deeply, but infrequently. Different kinds of plants
have differing water needs. Group plants with similar water
requirements together.
- Moisten the whole root zone. Deeper watering builds
healthier root systems.
- Water lawns separately from other plantings.
4. Think twice before using pesticides.
Overuse of these products can damage the soil and plant health. There
are possible health risks among families and pets where lawn and garden
pesticides are found. Try using
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to keep your garden healthy.
5. Practice natural lawn care.
Set mower height to 1-2 inches, higher in the heat of the summer. Mulch
mow - leave grass clippings on the lawn - it's free nitrogen and shades
the lawn.
And, if you're curious if that's a weed in the garden, check out this
great website
Noxious Weeds, created by King County.
For additional questions about your garden, please contact the Garden
Hotline 206-633-0224, email
help@gardenhotline.org, or search their website at
www.gardenhotline.org.
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