The Heritage Garden Program

08/28/2026

Unlike the Gray Rabbitbrush, Green Rabbitbrush has a rich green foliage. This shrub provides nesting habitat for birds and is a favored food of the black-tailed jackrabbit. It is a larval host for the Sagebrush Checkerspot butterfly. It has been used to create yellow and orange dyes as well as chewing gum.

08/21/2026

Gray Rabbitbrush is responsible for some of the yellow blooms you see along the highway in the autumn. It is a versatile plant that is a great food source for mammals and birds in the fall. It is also the larval host for the Sagebrush Checkerspot butterfly. You may also hear it called "Rubber Rabbitbrush". This is because it is a natural source of latex and was once considered as a source of rubber as far back as 1904.

08/20/2026

Throwback to this Spring certification in Benton County! Jenni was very intrigued by the idea of adding waterwise, native plants to her front garden bed. Starting with a plan back in 2021 she’s enjoyed watching how the plants have come to find their own place in the space. Globemallow, mockorange, blanket flower, purple sage and rocky mtn penstemon create a cacophony of color in spring and the plants have been particularly robust in her partly shaded microclimate. She enjoys watching the seasonal shift that occurs and pollinators that stop by. Congratulations, Jenni!

💧This Benton County Heritage Garden is estimated to save over 4,288 gallons of water per year compared to a traditional lawn!

08/14/2026

Although not always suitable for an urban garden, Spiny Hopsage puts on a brilliant show in late spring. The female flowers are surrounded by bracteoles that enlarge to form a flat structure that becomes whitish with shades of bright pink or chartreuse.

08/13/2026

Throwback to this May certification in Benton County -- Alaina recently moved into this home and the drought tolerant landscaping was a huge selling point! Installed by the previous owners, this landscape features drought tolerant species, cultivars and, just enough of our local flora to certify a portion as a Heritage Garden! Purple sage, blue flax, globemallow, native prickly pear and heartleaf buckwheat paired with yellow and pink yarrow cultivars create a cacophony of color and texture! Her daughter loves observing butterflies and pollinators in the space and the amount of bees they see sparks much joy. Congratulations, Alaina and welcome to the neighborhood!

💧This Benton County Heritage Garden is estimated to save over 5,360 gallons of water per year compared to a traditional lawn!

08/07/2026

Sulfur Buckwheat aka Sulfur Flower appears as an unassuming groundcover until the bright yellow summer blooms come. It is a good food source for wildlife such as Quails and Sage Grouse. It is also a larval host for the Mormon Metalmark , the Western Green Hairstreak, the Sheridan's Green hairstreak, and the Blue Copper butterflies.

08/06/2026

Check out this free event hosted by the Columbia Basin Conservation District Heritage Garden Program!

🌾🌼 Join us with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Moses Lake next Tuesday, August 11th at 5 pm for a Heritage Garden class at the CBCD office located at 903 W. 3rd Ave., Moses Lake.

Discover how to create a beautiful, low-maintenance landscape using low-water-use and native plants. You'll learn how to conserve water, reduce your utility costs, and provide valuable habitat for pollinators and other wildlife - all while creating a yard you can enjoy.

Sign up here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHd-LYnd7azLNRoxZKMO10hC5g2IP2-bJuOOMtOqRKCgyG6A/viewform

We look forward to seeing you Tuesday night!

08/05/2026

Congratulations to Ben on his Heritage Garden Certification! Sick of the Bermuda grass on site, Ben was ready for a waterwise, pollinator friendly alternative. He began his gardening with native plants journey in 2023. Since his initial planting, he’s added native annual plants to help fill the space as the shrubs and perennials establish. Many a pollinator has been sighted in the yard and greeting these new neighbors has been a delight! The hardest part of the journey so far has been managing w**ds as the plants fill in and keeping the non-native creeping Bermuda grass at bay. Working in phases, he plans to continue to expand and embellish his native planting. Congratulations, Ben!

💧This Benton County Heritage Garden is estimated to save over 28,318 gallons of water per year compared to a traditional lawn!

08/03/2026

Kathleen started this garden project during covid. They had a pile of woodchips that were starting to decompose and were covered in w**ds. So they started with that. The following year they added a burm garden, a round garden with basalt columns, and a trial garden. Now their garden space is a haven for native plants and the local birds. In this one location you can go through multiple different planting styles. It is a great reminder of how versitle native plants can be.

This Yakima County Garden is 4,328 sqft = 87,544 gallons of water/year saved

07/31/2026

Heather works intimately with water in our valley. As a hiker that now has a garden of her own, she is replacing lawn with drought tolerant native plants. She started Her garden with w**d barrier, but how now decided to remove it in order to allow the flowers to propagate. She plans to continue to remove grass and expand her Heritage Garden.

This Yakima County garden is 695 sqft = 14,058 gallons of water/year saved