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Colorado State University Extension operates in partnership with the El Paso County Community Services Division to provide non-credit programming to local citizens.

Low Maintenance/Low Water Shrub Garden   arrow

This garden is designed to present an alternative to both lawns and to all-gravel gardens.  Many people don’t have the time, money, and energy to maintain a lawn, and turn to replacing their lawn with gravel.  This garden is composed of low-growing shrubs on a drip system with gorilla hair mulch.

Common NameScientific NamePhoto
Autumn amber sumacRhus trilobata ‘Autumn amber’ 
Dwarf rabbitbrushEricameria nauseosa
Boulder raspberryRubus deliciosus 
Golden currantRibes aureum 
Chieftain manzanitaArctostaphylos x coloradensis ‘Chieftain’
Creeping mahoniaBerberis repens (Mahonia repens)
Switch grassPanicum virgatum 
Pawnee Buttes sandcherryPrunus besseyi ‘Pawnee Buttes’ 
New Mexico PrivetForestiera Neomexicana 

Helpful Resources:

https://elpaso.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/44/2022/09/How-to-remove-lawn.pdf

https://elpaso.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/44/2022/09/Native-Plant-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Keeping ahead of COVID-19

This rapidly evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) has imposed an unsettling, fluid situation upon our community and its businesses. While the team here still aims to maintain a “business as usual” approach, we are making a number of significant changes to our operations to account for a situation that is far from normal.