More Beauty, Less Water
Conservation Garden Exhibits
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Native Habitat Garden
This ecological garden demonstrates a straightforward approach to habitat creation called plant community design. By replicating plant associations found in nature, a low-maintenance and exceptionally drought-tolerant landscape is produced.
Butterfly Pavilion
The Dorcas E. Utter Memorial Butterfly Pavilion is a glass and steel structure inspired by Victorian era conservatories, and features colorful butterflies native to Southern California and the beautiful drought-tolerant nectar flowers that support them.
Amphitheater
The Water Conservation Garden’s outdoor Amphitheater is an ideal venue for live music, performances, fundraisers, graduations, religious events, weddings, and more. Surrounded by a striking display of drought-tolerant pine trees from around the world, it provides a beautiful, natural backdrop for any occasion. With space for several hundred guests, it’s perfect for gatherings that blend celebration, community, and the beauty of the outdoors.
Backyard Makeover
This exhibit compares two same-sized backyards to show how a water-wise makeover can dramatically reduce water use, maintenance, and costs. While one yard uses about 28,000 gallons of water per year, the redesigned landscape uses just 6,000 gallons, a savings of more than 75%.
By incorporating more hardscape, proper mulch, efficient irrigation, and low water-use plants, the updated design creates a more inviting and visually interesting space with less upkeep. Enhancements like slopes, rocks, garden art, and a stepped path add character while maintaining a sustainable approach, all achieved with an affordable makeover budget.
Bird and Butterfly Garden
This garden is designed to showcase plants that attract and feed pollinators, creating a vibrant, nectar-rich habitat. With benches for comfort, visitors can sit and observe hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators as they naturally interact with the plants.
Featuring a dozen inner-layer varieties and many more in the surrounding area, the garden highlights how diverse pollinators work together to support a healthy ecosystem, offering a front-row view of nature’s pollination in action.
California Natives Loop
This garden showcases a variety of California native plants on a sloping landscape as well as standard flat ground. It has a variety of different size and type of natives that show gardeners how to have a low water use garden that supports our native pollinators and birds.
Children's Trail
The Children’s Trail is a hands-on explorer zone designed just for kids. This shaded play area invites young adventurers to learn, imagine, and discover through nature-based play.
From the exciting Jurassic Garden, complete with a sand pit where children can dig for “fossils”, to a fun research station and mini cart for creative pretend play, every stop along the trail encourages curiosity and exploration. Kids can wander along winding paths, create music on the outdoor xylophone, and wrap up their adventure with a visit to the Lending Library near the Butterfly Pavilion entrance.
Design Loop
Designed by Deneen Powell Atelier, Inc. in the 1990s and opened in 1999, The Garden received the local AIA “Orchid” award for its thoughtful design. This path highlights plant layering, scale, climate control, and wind mitigation.
The Size It Up! display lets visitors see how trees will look at full maturity, showing height, width, canopy shape, sun/shade patterns, and root placement. Concentric circles on the concrete pad illustrate canopy spread, helping you plan a garden that fits both your space and your needs.
DIY Rain Barrel Exhibit - COMING SOON
COMING SOON
Located within our demonstration cottage area, the DIY Rain Barrel Exhibit demonstrates how simple it is to capture and reuse rainwater at home. This interactive display shows visitors how rain barrels connect to roof downspouts, store runoff, and provide a sustainable water source for fruits, vegetables, and landscape plants.
See the components up close, learn how much water a single storm can collect, and discover how harvesting rain can help conserve resources while keeping your garden thriving.
Erosion Contrail Exhibit
The Erosion Control Exhibit demonstrates how erosion impacts a typical San Diego County slope and shows how easily it can be prevented with the right approach. Although the region receives little rainfall, its soil types and climate make slopes especially vulnerable. When heavier rains do occur, water runs off instead of soaking in, washing away valuable topsoil. Wind and heat then damage struggling plants, causing the cycle of erosion to worsen over time and sometimes leading to ruts, gullies, and flooding.
Mulch Exhibit
Mulch is one of the critical factors in creating drought tolerance in the landscape, along with use of drought- tolerant plants, and efficient irrigation. Our mulch exhibit shows the great variety of mulches available that are useful in San Diego gardens.
Straw Bale House-Green Roof Exhibit
This innovative exhibit home demonstrates practical strategies for saving energy and improving indoor comfort. Built with nearly 95% repurposed materials, including reclaimed doors, windows, straw bales, and fire-salvaged wood, it showcases the power of sustainable design.
Strategically placed windows, roof vents, and a fully engineered living green roof work together to regulate temperature, provide insulation, and support plant life with integrated irrigation and drainage. The result is an environmentally friendly home that stays noticeably cooler on hot summer days.
Water Wise Front Yard Exhiibt
Permeable pavement looks and functions like solid ground, but it allows water to pass through into the soil below. By keeping more water on your property, it reduces runoff into storm drains, bays, and beaches, helping protect wildlife and ocean health. It also enriches the soil, supports beneficial microbes, and reduces erosion. Permeable pavement helps prevent costly erosion damage while maintaining the appearance and value of your property, making it both an environmentally friendly and practical solution.
Turf Exhibit
The Garden’s Turf Exhibit showcases seven low- to moderate-water lawn options suited for San Diego County, comparing appearance, texture, water needs, heat and drought tolerance, and traffic resilience. It also includes a no-water artificial turf option.
The exhibit features a rustic space-dividing wall, created as an Eagle Scout project from reclaimed pallet wood, demonstrating DIY design ideas and creative upcycling of materials.
Topiary Garden
Every garden benefits from a touch of wonder and whimsy, and topiary offers a creative way to add both. From clean geometric shapes to playful sculpted figures, topiary plants bring structure, personality, and visual interest to any garden style.
Topiary dates back to ancient Rome in the 1st century. The art form resurfaced during the Italian Renaissance, spread through Dutch and French gardens, and eventually made its way to America in the late 1600s. Today, topiary continues to be a timeless way to add charm and dimension to outdoor spaces.
Sensory Garden
The Dorcas E. Utter Sensory Garden at the The Water Conservation Garden is a Mediterranean-inspired perennial herb garden designed to awaken all five senses. Fragrant herbs release their scent in the warm sun, soft foliage invites a gentle touch, vibrant colors delight the eye, textured leaves create subtle sounds in the breeze, and many plants even offer flavors that can be enjoyed.
This immersive garden experience encourages visitors to slow down, explore, and connect with nature through sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste.
Gift Shop and Plant Sales
Step into Gifts from The Garden and explore a curated shop run by dedicated volunteers and Creative Crafters. Discover unique treasures celebrating nature and imagination, including local art, garden photography, recycled creations, and garden essentials.
Take home a handcrafted succulent arrangement from our Succulent Team or find one-of-a-kind gifts and keepsakes that bring the Garden home. Every purchase supports local artists and offers something special for every occasion.
Gazebo
The beautiful Gazebo lies at the heart of the Water Conservation Garden, surrounded by lovely trees and roses. It’s a perfect locale for a garden wedding, and an example of a targeted irrigation approach.
Fire Wise - (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
Protect Your Home From Wildfire
Creating a defensible landscape is one of the most effective ways to protect your home from wildfire. Strategic plant placement, proper spacing, and consistent maintenance all play a critical role in reducing fire risk.
While no plant is completely fire-resistant, well-irrigated plants with higher moisture content are more effective at catching and cooling embers. Choose low shrubs and perennials closer to your home, with taller shrubs and trees planted farther away. Maintain space between plants and tree canopies, prune regularly, and remove dead leaves, branches, weeds, and dry vegetation to keep your landscape healthy, beautiful, and fire-smart.
Formal Garden
At the The Water Conservation Garden, our Formal Garden exhibit showcases how classic symmetry and structured design can thrive in a low-water landscape. Featuring drought-tolerant plants, clean lines, and balanced plantings, it demonstrates that elegance and sustainability go hand in hand.
Tucked in the rear, a charming Friendship Cove offers a peaceful retreat, perfect for quiet reflection and beautiful photographs. Enjoy the vibrant blooms of our Crape Myrtles from July through September.
Buckner Succulent Garden
Designed by the Buckner family, this garden showcases a stunning variety of cacti and succulents that even extend across the path. Low-maintenance and water-wise, it supports local wildlife while providing a striking visual display.
With plants blooming at different times, there’s always something new to see. Visitors are encouraged to enjoy the beauty, while reference pages provide information on plant origins and highlights rather than care instructions.
Container Logic Exhibit
In Southern California, most nursery plants are sold in containers, and understanding the different sizes can help you make smart, budget-friendly choices for your landscape. Options range from bare-root roses and fruit trees (available in fall and winter) to small liners, standard 1-, 5-, and 15-gallon plastic pots, and large trees or shrubs grown in wooden boxes. Annuals and ground covers are also offered in packs, small pots, or flats, giving gardeners flexibility depending on their project needs.
While larger plants create an instant landscape effect, younger plants are often more affordable and establish more quickly after planting. With a little patience, smaller plants frequently catch up to, and sometimes outgrow their more mature counterparts, making them a practical and cost-effective choice for long-term garden success.
Tortoise Exhibit-Hardscapes
A garden isn’t just plants, hardscape elements like paths, walls, decks, and seating areas can enhance beauty, provide function, and create spaces to relax. This exhibit showcases examples of hardscape and softscape so visitors can see and touch options that fit their garden needs. By incorporating hardscape and ground cover, you can reduce water use and maintenance while adding structure, access, and visual interest to your yard.
Plus, while exploring, don’t miss our California Desert Tortoises! These threatened, cold-blooded tortoises brumate (a period of dormancy) in winter but return in spring ready to explore. You can visit them from spring through fall at their exhibit right across from the gift shop, our boys can’t wait to meet you!
Sustainable Kitchen Garden
When deciding how to group plants in the landscape and how to lay out the sprinkler system, make sure that each of the valves in the system applies the right amount of water for the plants in that area. This requires that you group plants together according to their water need, that you consider the sun or shade exposure when you establish the valve zones, and that the zones include only one type of sprinkler or drip emitter. Slopes also need special consideration.
Grey Water Exhibit
Greywater Laundry-to-Landscape Exhibit
This interactive exhibit demonstrates how gently used water from a washing machine can be reused to irrigate trees and ornamental plants. The working laundry-to-landscape system shows visitors a simple, water-wise solution for reducing potable water use and supporting drought-resilient gardening.
Clear signage explains how the system works, safe detergent choices, and basic installation guidelines—making greywater reuse practical and accessible for homeowners.
Mini Visitor Center
Nifty 50 Exhibit (COMING SOON)
Explore our newest upcoming exhibit featuring select plants from the San Diego County Water Authority’s “Nifty 50” list and the Homeowner’s WaterSmart Guide, two trusted resources for creating beautiful, climate-appropriate landscapes.
This curated display highlights low-water-use, non-invasive, and durable plants perfectly suited for our Mediterranean climate. With a strong emphasis on native species and pollinator-friendly selections, these plants demonstrate how sustainable choices can support local ecosystems while conserving water.
Discover how smart plant selection can transform your yard into a resilient, vibrant, and water-wise landscape that thrives with less water, and more life.
Rain garden
Water-Saving Tropical
This exhibit is designed for those who want a vibrant, tropical look while still being responsible with water use. Many of the plants featured are native to dry, warm climates and are naturally water-wise, storing moisture in their leaves and using efficient root systems. Thoughtful placement beneath a shaded tree canopy further reduces water needs while enhancing the rich, layered feel of the space.
Beyond plant selection, the exhibit showcases simple landscaping structures that add depth and character, including a portico, faux rock wall, and a metal entry arch covered in climbing plants for a dramatic, immersive effect. These elements demonstrate how you can create the feeling of an exotic retreat at home. Visitors are invited to relax under the shaded portico and experience how a well-designed, water-smart landscape can transport you to your own tropical getaway
Woodland Stream
Composting Demonstration Exhibit
All aspects of water-smart gardening for the Southern California region are covered in our exhibits. Plants from the xeric eco-regions of the world are represented including California, South Africa, Australia, Chile, and the Mediterranean. Water-efficient gardening tips and techniques are demonstrated throughout our 6-acre campus. Detailed water-wise gardening protocols are provided in our Landscape & Garden Resources page. Come by and check us out!