Yakima County
Certified Gardens
Take a virtual tour through the Certified Heritage Gardens of Yakima County. 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.
SQUEOCHS HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
est. 18,933 gal/yr saved
Richardson's Penstemon really shows off in this Heritage Garden strip. This patch comes complete with a watering station for the local pollinators and birds to cool off and relax in the heat of summer. What a wonderful space!
SEAMAN HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
est. 69,642 gal/yr saved
A bare patch of dirt with places to go! After years of preparations and addressing the return of undesirable plants, Linda was finally able to install drip irrigation and get her native plants in the ground this spring. Though many of these plants are starting out small this year, they will be quick to establish and fill in this newly certified Heritage Garden. Congratulations Linda! We can’t wait to see your Garden grow!
SELAH VISTA HOMES HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
est. 656,241 gal/yr saved
As a Net-Zero community, Selah Vista Homes not only has plans to create a formal Heritage Garden in their community area, but they have taken landscaping with native plants to another level. By seeding and planting their communal areas with native grasses, forbs, trees, and shrubs, this community is able to save more than 600,000 gallons of water every year compared to conventional lawns and plantings–and that is only accounting for what was installed at the time of certification! Modern architecture has been paired with the plants of our intermountain deserts and foothills to create a sense of place unique to our region. Well done to the Selah Vista Community!
RICE HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
est. 24,556 gal/yr saved
From Weeds to Wild! With help from a friend, Doug worked hard to convert this weedy and grassy patch to a (nearly) native Heritage Garden. With a long-term weed control strategy in place and plans to expand the Garden across his property’s frontage, Doug hopes to grow appreciation and support for native species among those visitors to his unique and cozy vacation rental. From the patio and drive in Tieton, the hills north of Naches provide a serene backdrop for this Heritage Garden. Congratulations Doug!
After
WEISE HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
est. 9,042 gal/yr saved
Congratulations, Stephanie! Beginning their native planting project in 2019, the Weise’s weren’t sure if there would be a year the elk would take it easy on this garden. With reduced hoof-traffic (and hungry browsers) paired with the above normal rainfall this spring, this Heritage Garden has finally flourished. The pictures speak for themselves!
BUSH HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
est. 1,517 gal/yr saved
Hidden Gems! When Jacqui called us out for a site visit this summer looking for native plant recommendations for her pollinator patches, we had no idea we would come upon a garden ready for Certification (and neither did she!). Recently cleared of this summer’s wild lupin skeletons, the Bush Heritage Garden features many ornaments, mostly native plants, and does not require ANY irrigation in Selah. Buckwheats, purple sage, Indian ricegrass, fringed sage, and more! Who would have thought this pile of gravel they did not want to move anymore would become such a highlight?
BELLEFLOWER FARM HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
est. 4,045 gal/yr saved
This garden features ‘upcycled’ yard art, water features, and many rocks from around our region, as well as some other long inherited pieces from generations of ‘rock hounds’. While the desert bluebells were fairly dominant at the time of Certification, this garden experiences many different flushes of color over the growing season. But don’t ask us… Belleflower Farm hosts public events–be sure to check out this beauty for yourself! Congratulations Knox Family!
Before
ROBERTS HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
est. 67,292 gal/yr saved
Janet has been working on this area (and the rest of her yard) since moving in, and quite the undertaking it has been to make her property more ‘fire-wise’, increase the biodiversity, and restore her slice of shrub steppe. She has done a lot of the planning and plant community assembly through her own research.
WEEBER HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
est. 9,042 gal/yr saved
Oh, what a month will do! Megan’s newly Certified Heritage Garden has quite the variety of plants. Megan and her family did an excellent job incorporating plants native to our region into an existing planting. Many homeowners are removing those large shrubby junipers from their beds, which leaves some intriguing deadwood behind. Paired with cobble stone mulch, this deadwood helps the Weeber Heritage Garden achieve that coveted riverbed aesthetic.
Before
SHEEHAN HERITAGE GARDEN
2022
est. 1,659 gal/yr saved
While many opt for landscape fabric and rock mulch to control weeds and plant spread, Lindy wants to encourage her plants to reseed into the open spaces. More Oregon sunshine, Munro’s globemallow, bigleaf lupine? Don’t mind if we do! With goals to transform her entire yard into a native plant, pollinator, and avian paradise, we are sure she will soon be on to her next project—but for now she can sit back and watch her plants grow and dance in the gentle summer breeze.
KAPLAN HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
est. 50,649 gal/yr saved
Lisbeth transformed her yard by removing grass and installing pathways and garden beds layered with native and drought tolerant plants. She created a seating area so she could enjoy the beautiful garden she created.
McSLOY HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
est. 2,710 gal/yr saved
Pam layered her planting beds with native and low water-use plants creating a pollinators paradise.
NOB HILL WATER
ASSOCIATION
HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
est. 18,366 gal/yr saved
The Nob Hill Water Association wanted to create a Heritage Garden to promote low water-use gardening. A committee worked up the design and they selected the native plants to be planted. All the plants require less than 10 inches of water.
STEVENS HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
est. 28,804 gal/yr saved
Lucy's big goal was to provide plants that support wildlife that visit her yard: insects, birds and mammals. She took out nearly all plants that didn't benefit wildlife.
TIERNEY HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
est. 19,398 gal/yr saved
In her front yard Kathy wanted to incorporate native and drought-tolerant plants, raised beds for vegetable gardening and she wanted to add privacy.
VAIL HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
est. 72,434 gal/yr saved
During construction of their new home the Vail’s took the opportunity to install native and low water-use plants in their planting beds.
ROBERTS HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
est. 46,523 gal/yr saved
The Roberts moved into a new housing development in Selah where conservation is valued and is evident in the housing construction and landscaping. Debbie embraces using native and drought tolerant wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs to attract pollinators, hummingbirds and other wildlife.
SKOVRON HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
est. 19,782 gal/yr saved
Joe’s goal was to beautify a sloped retaining wall area by planting it with native and low water-use plants.
STEPNIEWSKI HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
est.94,947 gal/yr saved
Andy and Ellen are bird enthusiasts who set out to turn their whole yard into a bird sanctuary.
HOHMAN HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
est. 2,589 gal/yr saved
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.
COONROD HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
est. 31,635 gal/yr saved
Brittany and her husband wanted to select plants that would not need any supplemental irrigation. They also preferred the formal garden style.
HALVORSON-MILLER HERITAGE GARDEN
2021
est. 9,527 gal/yr saved
Amy transformed her front yard garden beds into a low water-use haven for birds, butterflies and bees.
BREWER-MAIN HERITAGE GARDEN
2019
est. 199,320 gal/yr saved
Kim and Rick have taken great care to preserve and restore native flora around their home. They have used native plants to create sitting areas where they enjoy views of the Yakima Valley, Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier!
