A school xeriscape plan should conserve irrigation water while supporting the way students and staff use the grounds. Start with facilities staff, teachers and the people responsible for ongoing care. A planting that survives the school year but has no summer caretaker is not a finished plan.
Define the project and its owner
Choose a manageable pilot area and name the person responsible for approvals, installation, irrigation and maintenance. Agree on the educational purpose and the budget for establishment, not just the initial plants. Check district procedures and relevant local requirements before changing school grounds.
Record a baseline: photographs, approximate planted area, existing irrigation equipment, known maintenance problems and available water-use records. Avoid promising a fixed percentage of savings before the site and baseline have been assessed.
Map how the grounds are used
Show entrances, accessible routes, drop-off areas, sightlines, sports and play spaces, outdoor teaching areas and emergency access on the base plan. Keep planting and irrigation equipment clear of those functions. Low water demand is only one requirement; durability, visibility and safe maintenance access matter too.
Retain suitable turf where it serves active recreation. A low-water ornamental grass or meadow is not automatically a substitute for a heavily used playing surface. Select any turf change with local expertise and the expected wear in mind.
Use the seven principles as a planning framework
Denver Water’s xeriscape principles cover planning, soils, plants, turf, irrigation, mulch and maintenance. For a school, connect each principle to a named responsibility and a practical site decision.
| Planning task | School-specific decision |
|---|---|
| Site assessment | Where can a bed be observed without obstructing circulation or supervision? |
| Soil assessment | Who will investigate compaction, drainage and any testing needed before student planting? |
| Plant selection | Which locally suitable species fit the space, student ages and maintenance capacity? |
| Irrigation | Who checks operation during weekends and vacations? |
| Mulch and edges | How will material stay out of routes and play areas? |
| Maintenance | Who handles weeds, pruning, replacement plants and records? |
Select plants for this campus
Use species suited to the actual sun, soil, drainage and regional climate. Group compatible watering needs and allow for mature size. Native plants can support local habitat, but a plant native to a wet habitat is not automatically suited to a dry bed.
Review thorns, irritating sap, ingestion concerns, visibility and location with the school’s responsible staff. Place pollinator teaching areas thoughtfully in relation to busy doors and play routes. Confirm botanical identities and local invasive-species status; a common name alone is insufficient.
Do not amend every bed with manure or compost by default. Assess the soil and selected plants first. Preserve established trees and obtain advice before changing the watering or grade around them.
Design care through the summer
New plantings require establishment care even when the mature species tolerate drought. Give the caretaker an irrigation-zone map, shutoff location, inspection routine and contact for failures. Drip emitters and sprinklers need different checks; neither should wet paths unnecessarily.
Choose mulch appropriate to the planting and site, keep it from trunks and crowns, and inspect water penetration beneath it. Landscape mulch should not be treated as certified playground impact surfacing. Keep instructional beds separate from equipment fall areas unless the relevant design requirements have been addressed.
Make the garden a useful lesson
Students can compare the same bed over time with photographs, plant-height observations, flowering records and weather notes. Label plants clearly and explain their habitat rather than calling every native plant drought-proof. Use water-meter data only where it actually represents the area being studied.
A class can maintain an observation board while facilities staff retain responsibility for irrigation, chemicals and powered equipment. Define age-appropriate tasks and supervision before a planting day. Plan how records will pass to the next class so the project survives staff and student changes.
Review before expanding
After establishment, review plant survival, route clearance, staff time, irrigation problems and measured water use. Adjust the pilot before repeating it across campus. Include vacations, replacement costs and seasonal work in the next year’s budget. The EPA WaterSense landscape guide is a starting point for water-conscious design; apply it alongside school-specific site and maintenance requirements.
