By Lane Roberts

In October, the Metro District Board voted to approve a $115,000 Xeriscape project at the Castle Pines North (CPN) Community Center, located at 7404 Yorkshire Drive.

The three-phased Xeriscape project will feature drought-tolerant shrubs and native grasses, along with mulch and river rock. Portions of water-dependent Kentucky blue grass will be removed to conserve water. Xeriscaped flower beds will be added around the entire area of the Community Center.

“One of the goals established in the Integrated Water Resources Plan was to reduce consumption of water by 10 percent,” said Metro Board member Bruce Thompson. “The Xeriscape project is a good start toward this goal.”

“We at the Metro Board wanted to walk our talk,” said Jonette Browneyes, Metro Board member. “If we are recommending water conservation, we needed to start with ourselves.”

Xeriscape is a method used to promote water conservation through creative landscaping. Utilizing Xeriscape in lawns not only reduces water consumption, it can reduce landscape maintenance and the use of fertilizers and pesticides.

“When this project is complete, it will offer residents ideas of what they can do with their own yards in terms of Xeriscape,” said Metro District Manager James McGrady.

The Community Center Xeriscape project is expected to begin this spring. To learn more about Xeriscape, pick up free brochures at the Metro District office or
call 303-688-8550.

To contact the Metro District Board of Directors, visit www.cpnmd.org. Board meetings are open to the public and are typically held on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the CPN Community Center.

Editor’s Note: The word “Xeriscape” is a registered trademark of the Denver Water Department and was developed in 1981 to help promote water conserving landscape methods.