When it comes to water-efficient landscaping, the City of Allen is leading by example and the idea is taking root among residents and HOAs. This Member City takes water education seriously and realized that the best way to teach residents about water-efficient landscaping is to show them how it’s done. In 2012 the city began incorporating native and adapted water-efficient plants into their landscaping. Combined with xeriscaping and improved irrigation systems, the new landscaping proves that water-smart designs can be beautiful.
They didn’t just stop with the city buildings – they also changed the landscaping at most of their center medians. While many people think that native landscaping means cactus and rocks, many native and adapted plant choices are actually beautiful and rich with color, such as these gorgeous bushes and flowers in the new Earthkind Demonstration Garden at the Allen Public Library. Not only do their re-designed median landscapes and new library gardens save the city water, they are also hardy enough to survive the intense heat of our North Texas summers.
Homeowners and homeowners’ associations (HOA) in the area have begun to see the benefits and are adopting similar water-efficient designs into residential landscapes throughout Allen. Public interest and participation in the city’s water conservation education programs has also skyrocketed with 1,476 participants in 2016-2017, and the hope is that summer-hardy, water-saving designs and maintenance practices will continue to grow throughout Allen and the rest of the region as more and more people take the #PledgeToPlantSmart.