Benton & Franklin Counties
Certified Gardens
Take a virtual tour through the Certified Heritage Gardens of Benton & Franklin Counties. These gardeners have worked hard to convert their high water-use landscapes and under utilized spaces into works of native plant art. View their transformations below.
Many of these gardens were certified and photographed while the plants were young. If you see your garden here and would like to submit additional pictures of your established garden, contact your Heritage Garden Representative.
PIDCOCK HERITAGE GARDEN
2023
Rose has created this inviting front yard garden by collecting and sowing native seeds along with the purchase of a few treasures as well. The garden is intersected by pathways allowing visitors to meander through the space. Basalt rocks and sun bleached antlers are used as visual backdrops to showcase her native plants.
LUTTRELL HERITAGE GARDEN
2023
Rebecca, from Kennewick, started her Heritage Garden journey in 2021! She loves spending time in her yard photographing the flowers and the pollinators that visit them.
HALLQUIST HERITAGE GARDEN 2023
When the high winds uprooted a water hungry tree in her front yard, Carrie knew it was the perfect time to make the switch to a waterwise garden. Her Heritage Garden planted this past Winter already checks all the boxes for the HG Wall of Fame! Free of weeds and featuring over 10 native, low water species and 2 water sources for wildlife, this garden will quickly become the local watering hole for pollinators and local fauna. She even went to a local rock yard and found the perfect Basalt boulder with a naturally formed basin to catch rainwater. Geologic feature? Check! She also made some snazzy labels for each plant that include a color code for which flag drip emitter to use.
WILLOW POINT NORTH HERITAGE GARDEN 2023
Willow Point North HOA in Richland wanted to enhance their conservation easement along the Columbia River. They planted native forbs, grasses and shrubs along the walking path adding beauty and wildlife habitat. The HOA works hard to weed and water the plantings to aid in establishment. From the photos, you can tell the Purple Sage, Yarrow, Munro's Globemallow and Blue Mtn Prarie Clover, among others, are loving it! Congratulations, Willow Point North volunteers on this stunning garden!
CONGREGATION BETH SHOLOM HERITAGE GARDEN
2023
Congregation Beth Sholom in Richland wanted to beautify their space without creating additional areas that needed water and constant maintenance. The solution? A Heritage Garden!Notice the tubes next to the plant? That's a watering strategy! Watering into an open ended tube buried next to the plant allows you to target the water near the plants roots. The Purple Sage and Globemallow are sure loving it! We can't wait to watch this garden establish and transform!
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN PROSSER PLANTER HERITAGE GARDEN 2023
Historic Downtown Prosser was looking for alternatives to the usual annuals used in planter pots that require less water and would thrive in the heat- native plants to the rescue! Bonus- This project really brought together the community! Volunteers planted the pots and built wood covers for the DIY olla watering system which should curtail water waste and keep the plants hydrated between weekly waterings. Many thanks to all the amazing volunteers that helped bring this project together and we can't wait to watch them continue to grow!
SMITH HERITAGE GARDEN
2023
Josh and Denice were ready to ditch the traditional water hungry lawn in favor of a xeric, native pollinator patch. This HG is estimated to save over 18,000 gallons of water per year compared to a traditional lawn! Located on an extremely sandy and windy site, they opted for a variety of rock mulches to add texture and interest while keeping the soil in place. Taking a cue from the Hansen Park HG in Kennewick, they incorporated a dry creek bed of river rock that directs the runoff from their roof to the nearby Idaho Fescue. Fringed Sagebrush, Yarrow, Pale Evening Primrose, Blue Mtn Prairie Clover, and Munro’s Globemallow are a few species that are thriving on the harsh site while bringing in the pollinators.
TAPTEAL GREENWAY GRAYHAWK HERITAGE GARDEN
2023
Volunteers including local scout troops have meticulously installed and maintained this garden which features over 15 native species that thrive in the sandy dunes. Pale Evening Primrose and Gray Rabbitbrush and Ricegrass have happily popped up throughout the space helping to provide erosion control. Weedy invaders like cheatgrass and tumbleweeds have been eradicated by early detection and manual removal before they go to seed. Congratulations to the site lead Dirk, and all his fabulous volunteers who have transformed and maintain this space! Learn more about Tapteal Greenway.
SCHIEFELBEIN HERITAGE GARDEN 2022
Congratulations to Mandy of West Richland on her certified Heritage Garden! She started planning her garden in 2020 and she is eager to continue adding native plants throughout her property.
STENNER HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
Heidi’s garden features plants that she grew from seed as well as those sourced from local native plant nurseries. The result is a stunning display of color and texture in her backyard sanctuary.
SULLIVAN HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
Colleen’s yard features beautiful basalt boulders that act as the perfect back drop for her native and low water-use plants.
BLAIR HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
Congratulations to Johanna on her certified Heritage Garden! Her garden features a striking textural element created by plantings of Indian Ricegrass, Fragrant Evening Primrose and Gaura.
JAMES HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
Jan transformed her front yard into a native plant oasis. The new curved pathway that leads to her front door is as practical as it is whimsical.
TURNER HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
Kelli turned her boring blank flower beds from blah to beautiful by adding native plants. Kelli relies on irrigation over spray to water those plants that do best with just a little extra water.
FULSOM HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
Congratulations to Melissa of Richland on her certified Heritage Garden! Melissa has steadily been adding native plants to her landscape since 2015.
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BLACK HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
Lisa’s garden in Richland features a meandering walking path that emotes a riverbed by incorporating edges lined with river rock. Great Basin Wildrye adds height while fringed sagebrush and bunch grasses add texture. Not to be outdone of course by the numerous wildflowers that are incorporated into the space.
MARTIN HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
Congratulations to Joni of Pasco on her certified Heritage Garden! Joni installed pathways, plants and plant id labels in addition to beating back a mountain of weeds to restore her front yard to a pollinator paradise!
SYMONDS HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
Congratulations to Mikki of Prosser on her certified Heritage Garden. This garden was designed and installed by her son Miguel and features some of their favorite hyperlocal species. Emphasis was put on water infiltration and contouring to passively direct runoff. Beautifully done!
RICHLAND HORSE PARK
2022
Congratulations to the Richland Horse Park on their Certified Heritage Gardens! The Purple Sage Riders chapter of the Back Country Horsemen of Washington designed and installed a native plant garden with funding from the Garden Genies and Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs at Richland Horse Park, W.E. Johnson. The garden was designed to help visitors identify native plants by installing signage near larger groupings.
RENNIX HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
2023 Update - See the changes!
Congratulations to Jane on her Certified Heritage Garden! Jane's garden in Prosser was planted last fall and the plants are well on their way to filling in the space.
PRINCE HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
“What a journey our lovely garden has traveled. My favorite part is seeing how the garden changes every season, every year and in every light. The Heritage Garden always provides interesting new looks and unexpected guests!” - Amy and David, The Heritage Garden at Seven Pines
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SOLOMON-OBLATH HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
Naomi and Noah wanted to reduce their amount of grass while increasing biodiversity in their yard. This beautiful Heritage Garden featuring a dry riverbed was the answer.
CUUC HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
Sandra and members of the Community Unitarian Universalist Church of Pasco created a native plant garden on their property complete with a walking path. Sandra continues to add plants to the garden to add color and provide food for pollinators. The garden is an oasis in the City for church and community members.
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HOLLERAN HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
Molly admittedly is not an avid gardener; however, she wanted to beautify her space by adding native plants. We searched her property and found the perfect sunny patch to begin her yard’s transformation. Molly had her landscaper assist with clearing unwanted vegetation, adding landscape fabric and drip irrigation and a finishing layer of river rock along with lots of native and low water-use plants.
BADGER MTN TRAILHEAD HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
Margaret, Nancy & Elaine volunteered their time to create a certified Heritage Garden at Badger Mt.'s Trailhead Park. They added to the existing infrastructure by adding a pathway, plants and signage.
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CORSTEN HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
Alex and Yoko transformed their very traditional front yard into a native plant oasis. Crushed rock pathways surround islands of plants. Alex loves penstemons so this garden features many different varieties grown from seed.
BROWN HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
Benita’s house renovation extended to her front yard. She transformed her space using native plants creating an inviting front yard and entry way.
ALLISON HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
Alice’s Heritage Garden focuses on plants noted during the Lewis and Clark expedition. Her cat loves her Heritage Garden!
CARRIER HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
Tawney wanted to maximize the landscape bed at the corner of her lot by adding large geologic features and native plants.
COOLEY HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
Lynne and her husband spent three years planning and implementing their landscape which included this beautiful Heritage Garden full of family heirlooms.
CRYSEL HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
Betsy has converted her backyard into a pollinator paradise. Her yard is an excellent example of how you can use Fringed Sagebrush as a groundcover. The silvery foliage of Fringed Sagebrush is highlighted by the red flowers of Firecracker Penstemon in the background.
DAUBLE HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
Dennis created a poolside retreat with a view of his Heritage Garden.
EVERITT HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
Nina did not let her small front yard stop her from creating a gem of a garden. By adding signage she hopes to educate her community about native and low water-use plants.
McKEEN HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
Jade’s Heritage Garden has a very cottagey feel with plants selected for color and texture throughout the growing season.
ROSS HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
Lannie and Rocky have created a garden with a western feel. Corral fencing has been repurposed to divide the garden into rooms. Pathways bordered with wood rails, spent agave stalks standing guard and geologic features artfully placed make this garden a feast for the eyes.
WILDE HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
One of Justin’s goals for his Heritage Garden was to include as many plants as possible to attract hummingbirds. We are thrilled to announce that he has recorded all four species found in Washington in his garden!
WRIGHT HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
Joan and Tom wanted to pay tribute to the amazing flora and fauna of our area. They incorporated native and low water-use plants that would provide food and shelter to our native pollinators.
COLE HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
Amy creatively incorporated a dry river bed into her Heritage Garden. The dry river bed doubles as a stormwater runoff system diverting rainwater away from her home.
SHEPLER HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
Val has turned her front yard into a Xeriscape paradise featuring cacti and lavender and she has transformed one of the side yards in the back into a Heritage Garden oasis.
BAKER HERITAGE GARDEN
2018
Eric and Lauren converted a water hungry area of lawn into a gem of a Heritage Garden. We can’t wait to see this garden grow.
EDGEMON HERITAGE GARDEN
2018
Glenn and Sandi turned their front yard into a pollinator’s paradise. Metal artwork adds interest and texture to the landscape.
HAMBLIN-HART HERITAGE GARDEN
2018
Kim used her poolside retaining walls and planting beds to add long lasting color and beauty to her backyard retreat.
NILSSON HERITAGE GARDEN
2018
Jan and Gerry’s patio garden had been overtaken by groundcovers. After successfully eradicating the unwanted plants they were able to showcase Gerry’s rock work and establish their Heritage Garden.
STEFFAN HERITAGE GARDEN
2018
Margo and David turned an undeveloped portion of their property into a garden with a view.
MAHLUM HERITAGE GARDEN
2018
Darlene did not want to waste time and energy on maintaining a lawn so she turned her attention to creating a water-wise landscape.
SIMMONS HERITAGE GARDEN
2017
Mary Ann convinced her neighbor to convert the shared flowerbed between their driveways into a Heritage Garden focusing on Columbia Basin natives.
CLARK HERITAGE GARDEN
2017
Paula created this little gem of a garden in her side yard to beautify the space.
AUTREY HERITAGE GARDEN
2017
When Ann set out to create not one but two Heritage Gardens on her property she became very frustrated at not being able to easily find and secure native plants. So she started her own native plant nursery, Tapteal Native Plants. Heritage Gardens save water and grow local businesses!
CARPENTER HERITAGE GARDENS
2017
Bill & Donna’s garden started when Bill brought home a sagebrush plant his friend had given him. Living on a farm in Franklin County they designated an area between a farm field and their windbreak for their native plant garden. Bill focuses on the “true” natives to our area while Donna brings home regional plants of interest.
ROOP HERITAGE GARDEN
2017
Joe Roop started his Heritage Garden journey in the Fall of 2015 with a site visit from Heather & Donna. When BCD certified his garden in the spring of 2017 his comment was “I wasn’t expecting my garden to be so ‘lush.’”
BRANCHES & VINES HERITAGE GARDEN
2017
Mary, the owner of Branches and Vines in Benton City wants to promote local small farms and businesses and sustainable products and practices. Heritage Gardens were a perfect way to beautify her landscape while promoting her vision for her community.
CREDIFORD HERITAGE GARDEN
2015
Ernie’s garden features many unique plants. In fact 100% of the plants featured are native to our area. Ernie’s garden also includes numerous examples of local geology. A true treasure in a small space. (DIY)
LEMAR HERITAGE GARDEN
2015
The Lemar's took advantage of soil left over from construction of their home to form a berm in their backyard. The berm acted as the perfect planting bed for their low water-use landscape. (DIY)
UNTERSEHER-DUNLOP HERITAGE GARDEN
2015
Reg and Sheila were serious about converting a corner of their yard to a Heritage Garden. It took them just four short months from our first meeting to the installation on their garden. Their goals were to reduce water consumption, remove overgrown plants and provide a welcoming corner with paths leading from the sidewalk. (Installation by 509 Lawn Care, Kennewick)
LUCAS HERITAGE GARDENS
2017
Yes, we said Gardens--as in multiple! For Donna, one Heritage Garden is never enough. The third garden she created, this one in her front side yard. The steep slope was terraced with native rock, including a dry creek bed.
BRON HERITAGE GARDEN
2017
Marten’s vision came to life with a little help from us in the form of a planting plan. He knew many of the plants he wanted to include he just wasn’t sure how to bring it all together.
WINTCZAK HERITAGE GARDEN
2017
Dustin created this beautiful oasis in his front yard much to the delight of his two small children and the family cat.
COYOTE RIDGE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
2016
Heather taught a Heritage Garden Practicum that kicked off a design competition for the inmates at the Coyote Ridge Correctional Facility. There were two winners of the competition (Mr. Reyes and Mr. Le) who had the opportunity to see their gardens constructed on the facilities grounds. Inmates are responsible for hand weeding and watering the gardens.
HOLLOWAY HERITAGE GARDEN
2014
Aaron started his Heritage Garden by rescuing sagebrush from surrounding lots that were slated for development. The plan forward is to thin out some of the sagebrush and to add other native plants for diversity, color and texture. (DIY)
WALTER CLORE WINE & CULINARY CENTER HERITAGE GARDEN
2014
In lieu of a Spring Heritage Garden Workshop the District capitalized on an opportunity to work with the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center in Prosser. As part of establishing a Heritage Garden on the premises the District hosted a practicum. The practicum was developed to teach homeowners Heritage Garden design concepts. The practicum included a lecture, hands-on paper design opportunity followed by implementing the Clore Center Heritage Garden. (Community Project)
GRABER HERITAGE GARDEN
2013
The Graber's wanted to embellish an existing naturalized area at the corner of their property that was dominated by rabbitbrush. They utilized overspray from their vegetable garden and added some drip irrigation to increase the diversity of plants. If you listen closely you can almost hear the buzz of pollinators enjoying this Heritage Garden oasis. (DIY)
CANNON HERITAGE GARDEN
2013
Cheryl did most of the planning and execution with the help of her handyman on the hardscape. Features include a dry creek bed and the strategic placement of potted plants to provide added color. Instead of removing the existing concrete landscape edging, Cheryl simply covered it up with basalt rocks and backfilled with soil. Cheryl is a meticulous gardener whose passion has turned her garden into a living piece of art. (DIY with a little help)
COKER HERITAGE GARDEN
2012
Carol's informal HG reminds me of an English garden. Plants are allowed to propagate creating a layered, lush and vibrant landscape. This type of garden does require a little bit more intensive weeding but the result is well worth the effort. (DIY)
LUCAS-JENSEN HERITAGE GARDEN
2012
The Lucas-Jensen Heritage Garden has the honorable distinction of being the first certified Heritage Garden! Donna and Louis created basalt pathways to lead the visitor through a labyrinth of different eco-regions from no water-use shrub step to a small riparian area "fed" by a dry river-bed. This garden literally has it all. (DIY)
SLOVIC HERITAGE GARDEN
2012
Randy's landscape is a great example of a formal Heritage Garden. Randy designed her HG to highlight native low water-use plants. Her garden also showcases several different geologic features including two different sizes of basalt mulch, basalt boulders and a river rock dry river bed to add interest to the garden. (Installation by Cachys Landscaping, Tri-Cities)
RYKIEL HERITAGE GARDEN
2012
Ed's Heritage Garden takes full advantage of that area we all have in our yards where the grass inevitable does not want to grow. A combination of unrelenting sun and hot pavement from the adjacent sidewalk make this planting strip the perfect location for native, hardy drought tolerant plants. A little overspray from the adjacent lawn sprinklers and voila! A lush, pretty landscape is realized. (DIY)