HELENA — Helena community members and leaders are getting their hands dirty, planting over one thousand plants, grasses, and trees to make the Law and Justice Center on Fuller Ave landscaping more conservation-friendly.
"There was a lot of questions leading up to it about 'What's going on? What did you do to our grass?' So, there's been a lot of education about what a Xeriscape is and how it can help conserve water," said Bridget Johnston, the City of Helena's community facilities manager.
According to the City of Helena, "Xeri-scaping uses native and drought-tolerant plants to create a landscape that uses far less water and can be designed to be incredibly beautiful and low maintenance."
On average, Helena receives roughly 11 inches of precipitation yearly, says the City.
Johnston said, "As the City of Helena, we think it's a good example to set for other citizens to maybe follow suit to help us conserve water."
The City partnered with landscape designer Devon Malizia, who donated her time to the project.
The City says, "She used Montana's keystone species, which are the native plants which support the existence of Helena's ecosystem pollinators."
"It's going to create a beautiful landscape for people that come to visit the farmers market or come to do business at the law and justice center," said Johnston.
The project is funded by the Law and Justice Center, which pays rent to the City of Helena.
Those tenants include Criminal Justice Services, Grants and Purchasing, the Helena Police Department, and the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office.
Johnston said, "It is a place that [for] a lot of people when they come here, they're very uncomfortable. They may be coming to court. They may have to come to visit the police about something. We hope this creates an inviting space that makes them feel a bit more comfortable to come over here."
The City of Helena plans to wrap up landscaping next week and hopes to add benches to the garden eventually.
