BY DONNA DIFRANCESCO

As the temperatures cool down and the holidays approach, it’s time to gather with family and friends, including out-of-town guests. Going for a nature walk is a wonderful way to work off those scrumptious home-cooked holiday meals or gourmet dishes from your favorite neighborhood restaurants!

Local botanical gardens in the Phoenix and Tucson areas are fantastic choices, but many cities also offer xeriscape demonstration gardens that you can visit for free. These gardens are also perfect for new residents of the Arizona desert who are looking to familiarize themselves with the local flora and to define their new sense of place.

GLENDALE XERISCAPE DEMONSTRATION GARDEN

This enchanting garden surrounds the Glendale Main Library located at 5959 W. Brown Street in Glendale. As you explore the garden, keep an eye out for the educational signs that showcase creative landscaping ideas and plants that are drought-tolerant and accustomed to our hot, dry climate. The garden inspires visitors to create their own vibrant and inviting landscapes.

One of the standout features of this property is its proximity to Sahuaro Ranch Park, which is home to historic buildings, gardens, orchards, and groves inhabited by peacocks and various other birds that commonly wander the xeriscape gardens.

Different areas of the garden highlight landscape ideas, including:

• A habitat garden that explains how to welcome wildlife and pollinators to your yard.

• A cactus garden that features over 250 species of cacti and succulents.
• A rain garden that uses rainwater runoff from the library’s rooftop to water native plants.
• A desert food forest with signage that encourages visitors to “Eat Your Yard” by planting edible trees and shrubs.

SCOTTSDALE XERISCAPE GARDEN AT CHAPARRAL PARK

Located at 8111 E. McDonald Drive in Scottsdale, this expansive six-acre xeriscape garden is nestled behind the dog park along the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt. Guests can enjoy a self- guided walking tour and admire the beauty of low-water landscaping against the stunning backdrop of Camelback Mountain. This unique garden highlights the “beauty of saving water” with informative signs on various gardening topics that promote the use of plants suitable for the local climate, proper maintenance techniques, and methods for retaining rainwater.

The garden is home to over 200 different types of plants and is certified as a National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Habitat — a haven for local birds, butterflies, and pollinators. The garden also features striking architectural elements such as gabion walls, large shade sails, and textured stone walls. “Terraced Cascade,” a captivating environmental art piece created by artist Lorna Jordan, enchants visitors and passersby.

At the northern end of the garden, there is a tranquil water feature that uses reclaimed water to illustrate the typical amount of water used by a household in a week. Encircling the border is a Native American saying: “The frog does not drink up the pond in which it lives.” Those are words that all of us who live in the arid Southwest should contemplate.

Find a complete list of additional xeriscape demo garden locations at www.WaterUseItWisely.com/demo-gardens.