Complete – Tollgate Open Space: 2025 Xeriscape
Complete – Tollgate Open Space: 2025 Xeriscape
After months of thoughtful planning and construction, the Tollgate Xeriscape Project is officially complete! What was once a traditional bluegrass area east of Toll Gate Park, along South Picadilly Street across from Pioneer Park, has been transformed into a stunning native landscape that celebrates sustainability, biodiversity, and Colorado’s natural beauty.
A Landscape Rooted in Sustainability
The Tollgate Xeriscape Project replaces water-intensive turf with a rich variety of native grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs specifically chosen for their drought tolerance and habitat value. The transformation supports the district’s long-term goal of conserving water, reducing maintenance, and creating outdoor spaces that reflect the unique ecology of our region.
Visitors walking through the area can now enjoy soft-surface trails that meander through a vibrant landscape of textures and colors. Boulders, benches, and new educational signage invite parkgoers to pause, learn, and connect with nature. The newly installed “Water-Wise Landscaping” sign highlights the benefits of xeriscaping and explains how native plants help conserve water while supporting pollinators and wildlife.
In the near future, the site will feature additional plant identification signs throughout the space, helping visitors recognize and appreciate the diverse mix of native species that now call the area home.
Native Plants That Bring the Landscape to Life
The Tollgate Xeriscape features a diverse blend of grasses, perennials, and shrubs that offer beauty in every season while providing critical habitat for pollinators, birds, and small wildlife. Some of the native species you’ll find include:
- Grasses: buffalo grass, blue grama, sideoats grama, slender wheatgrass, prairie junegrass, needle and thread, western wheatgrass, galleta grass, and Indian rice grass.
- Wildflowers and perennials: butterfly milkweed, purple prairie clover, white prairie clover, prairie aster, tenpetal blazing star, broadbeard beartongue, dotted gayfeather, Rocky Mountain bee plant, Mexican hat coneflower, coneflower, native blanket flower, and lavender bee balm.
- Shrubs and trees: rubber rabbitbrush, apache plume, fernbush, western hackberry, Texas red oak, and ponderosa pine.
These plants were chosen not only for their resilience but also for their ecological value—attracting butterflies, bees, and other pollinators, stabilizing the soil, and providing shade and structure throughout the park.
A Community Space for the Future
The completion of the Tollgate Xeriscape Project marks an important milestone for Trails Park and Recreation District’s commitment to sustainability. This project demonstrates how thoughtful design and native landscaping can conserve resources, promote biodiversity, and create beautiful public spaces for the community to enjoy.
“As the new plants establish and grow, this area will only become more vibrant and self-sustaining,” said Sean Bowering, Parks Manager for Trails Park and Recreation District. “It’s exciting to see how much potential these native landscapes have—to save water, support wildlife, and provide residents with a peaceful, educational place to experience nature.”
The district invites residents to stop by the new xeriscape area, explore the paths, and see firsthand how native plants bring color, life, and resilience to our community spaces.
The Tollgate Xeriscape Project isn’t just about changing the landscape—it’s about shaping a more sustainable future for our parks and open spaces, one native plant at a time.
