To achieve Objective 1.1 in the District’s Water Conservation Program Strategic Plan, the landscaping around our office building will be replaced with drought-tolerant native plants utilizing xeriscape gardening. A xeriscape garden is a landscaping approach that reduces overall water use and requires minimum maintenance by using native plant species, mulch, and soil that are well-suited for the region’s environment. The goal of this project is to lead by example and demonstrate the effectiveness and appeal of a xeriscape garden.

The garden will require routine watering at the beginning phase for the plants to become established. This can range from the first few months to a year of the implementation of the garden. Once the plants have matured and established their roots, irrigation is not required unless in severe drought conditions. The native plants selected for this project have adapted to our region’s conditions and can survive with little to no watering through extremely hot temperatures to the occasional winter freeze. There are a variety of prairie grasses, ground cover, and bushes to resemble Houston’s wetlands and prairies, and will also include flowers to attract pollinators.

This project includes the replacement of the Bermuda grass around the office building with a more sustainable turf called Cobalt™ ‘DALSA 1618’ St. Augustingrass; developed by Texas A&M, the Cobalt™ St. Augustingrass is drought-resistant turf that is fast-growing, resilient to diseases, strong shade tolerance, and winter hardy. During a 4-year testing period across 20 different sites across the country, Cobalt performed at above-acceptable turfgrass quality. The study looked at drought performance, dormancy and recovery, shade tolerance, active growth during spring, and turfgrass quality.

Some of the selected native plants for this project include:

Texas Lantana

Type: Small to medium shrub with flowers 

Exposure: Sun to partial sun 

Favored by pollinators such as butterflies and birds. Heat and drought-tolerant.  

Inland Sea Oats

Type: Dense covering grass 

Exposure: Part to full shade 

Seeds provide food for small mammals and birds. Can thrive in a variety of environments and conditions.

Red Yucca

Type: Succulent 

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade 

A tough plant that can survive with great tolerance to dry and hot conditions.

Texas Sage

Type: Bush 

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade 

Thrives in the sun and is a hardy plant that can tolerate dry conditions with little need for supplemental nutrients or fertilizer.