Riverside Public Utilities

Goeske Demo Garden

Visit the Janet Goeske Center Water Wise Garden. RPU is taking another giant step in ensuring that the City of Riverside has a reliable supply of water for its residents and businesses. The Water Wise Garden will save Riverside approximately 1.5 million gallons of water per year. The Goeske Center project was built for conservation education and contains California-native and drought-tolerant plants demonstrating various methods of landscaping. The one-acre garden is filled with pocket gardens that model turf alternatives, meadow garden, decorative hardscape, Mediterranean garden, California native garden, desert garden, and a sensory garden.


Goeske Garden Close up plant
Goeske Garden

Janet Goeske Center
5257 Sierra Street,  Riverside, CA 92504

The Janet Goeske Center Water Wise Garden is designed to provide conservation education in a hands-on environment. This 45,000 square foot, $300,000 facility is funded by grants, through the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority through Western Municipal Water District, RPU’s water conservation surcharge and in-kind irrigation materials by The Toro Company.




Goeske Garden Map

 

Knowing how much water different plants may need becomes crucial during hot summer months. The plants in this Sensory Garden are low wateruse plants and once established will need only 1-2 watering days per week.

The following are rules of thumb when watering. Ultimately, however, a visual assessment of the health and vigor of your plants is your best guide.

Water young plants often; they have small root systems and tend to dry out quickly. Older plants have established root systems with plenty of root hairs (the organs that collect the most water for the plant); they do not need as much water as younger plants.

Under hot, dry, and/or windy conditions, plants use water rapidly. Young or shallow-rooted plants may need extra water, as they cannot absorb enough water to keep foliage from wilting.

Water plants at night between sunset and sunrise. Watering in midday when the weather is hot, dry, or windy can waste water due to excessive evaporation. Watering late in the day will keep the soil surface wet all night increasing the chances of soil-borne fungi damaging garden plants.

Explore Details

The plants in this Desert Garden are low water-use plants and once established will need minimal additional watering. Although desert plants have developed mechanisms for conserving and storing water, none have given up the need for water entirely. There are many variables that determine how much and how often plants need supplemental water. Ultimately, however, a visual assessment of the health and vigor of your plants is your best guide.

WATERING NEW TREES AND SHRUBS: The following is a general guide to watering new plants. For your own yard, take into consideration the soil, plant size and plant age. Most importantly, watch the plants carefully. If they wilt in the heat, begin to lose their leaves, or are not thriving, you may need to increase the watering.

Trees and shrubs (woody perennials) require regular, deep watering for the entire first year that they are in the ground. This is true regardless of the size of the plant when it was transplanted. In the cooler months, natural rainfall may supply sufficient moisture for most woody plants.

Explore Details

Knowing how much water different plants may need becomes crucial during hot summer months. The plants in this Meadow Garden are low wateruse plants and once established will need only 1-2 watering days per week.

The following are rules of thumb when watering. Ultimately, however, a visual assessment of the health and vigor of your plants is your best guide. Water young plants often; they have small root systems and tend to dry out quickly. Older plants have established root systems with plenty of root hairs (the organs that collect the most water for the plant); they do not need as much water as younger plants.

Under hot, dry, and/or windy conditions, plants use water rapidly. Young or shallow-rooted plants may need extra water, as they cannot absorb enough water to keep foliage from wilting.

Water plants at night between sunset and sunrise. Watering in midday when the weather is hot, dry, or windy can waste water due to excessive evaporation. Watering late in the day will keep the soil surface wet all night increasing the chances of soil-borne fungi damaging garden plants.

Explore Details

Knowing how much water different plants may need becomes crucial during hot summer months. The plants in this California Friendly Garden are low water-use plants and once established will need only 1-2 watering days per week.

The following are rules of thumb when watering. Ultimately, however, a visual assessment of the health and vigor of your plants is your best guide.

Water young plants often; they have small root systems and tend to dry out quickly. Older plants have established root systems with plenty of root hairs (the organs that collect the most water for the plant); they do not need as much water as younger plants.

Under hot, dry, and/or windy conditions, plants use water rapidly. Young or shallow-rooted plants may need extra water, as they cannot absorb enough water to keep foliage from wilting.

Water plants at night between sunset and sunrise. Watering in midday when the weather is hot, dry, or windy can waste water due to excessive evaporation. Watering late in the day will keep the soil surface wet all night increasing the chances of soil-borne fungi damaging garden plants.

Explore Details

The plants in this Native Garden are low water-use plants and once established will need minimal additional watering. The following are rules of thumb when watering. Ultimately, however, a visual assessment of the health and vigor of your plants is your best guide.

New planting, the first 3 - 6 months
Deep soak - Hand water the plants, apply water in the basins, the swales, and the secondary watering rings, for deep soak approximately every 3 - 4 weeks. Light sprinkles - Hand water or use sprinklers once or twice a week to lightly water the leaves and wet the soil surface. With sprinklers, a 3-5-minute run time should be plenty. Do not water in heat of day and preferably not during heat waves. Water ahead.

Young planting, becoming established, 6 - 18 months
Deep soak - Hand water or run sprinklers (hose end or system) or drip (point-source or in-line), approximately once a month to apply the recommended 1 - 1.5 inches precipitation. Cycle/soak or pulse irrigation method is best. Light sprinkles - Approximately once a week run sprinklers for 5 minutes or so. Do not water in heat of day and preferably not during heat waves. Water ahead.

Mature planting, fully established, 18 months onward
Deep soak - Set hose-end sprinkler, run sprinkler system or drip system (irrigate by your normal method) to apply approximately once a month to apply the recommended 1 - 2 inches precipitation. Cycle/soak or pulse irrigation method is best. Light sprinkles - Not necessary, but you can wash the leaves and freshen up the garden occasionally in summer by sprinkling or hosing down the foliage in early morning or late afternoon/evening. Do not water in heat of day and preferably not during heat waves. Water ahead.

Best to water between sunset to sunrise.

Explore Details

Knowing how much water different plants may need becomes crucial during hot summer months. The plants in this Turf Alternatives Garden are low water-use plants and once established will need only 1-2 watering days per week.

The following are rules of thumb when watering. Ultimately, however, a visual assessment of the health and vigor of your plants is your best guide. Water young plants often; they have small root systems and tend to dry out quickly. Older plants have established root systems with plenty of root hairs (the organs that collect the most water for the plant); they do not need as much water as younger plants.

Under hot, dry, and/or windy conditions, plants use water rapidly. Young or shallow-rooted plants may need extra water, as they cannot absorb enough water to keep foliage from wilting.

Water plants at night between sunset and sunrise. Watering in midday when the weather is hot, dry, or windy can waste water due to excessive evaporation. Watering late in the day will keep the soil surface wet all night increasing the chances of soil-borne fungi damaging garden plants.

Explore Details

Knowing how much water different plants may need becomes crucial during hot summer months. The plants in this Turf Alternatives Garden are low water-use plants and once established will need only 1-2 watering days per week.

The following are rules of thumb when watering. Ultimately, however, a visual assessment of the health and vigor of your plants is your best guide. Water young plants often; they have small root systems and tend to dry out quickly. Older plants have established root systems with plenty of root hairs (the organs that collect the most water for the plant); they do not need as much water as younger plants.

Under hot, dry, and/or windy conditions, plants use water rapidly. Young or shallow-rooted plants may need extra water, as they cannot absorb enough water to keep foliage from wilting.

Water plants at night between sunset and sunrise. Watering in midday when the weather is hot, dry, or windy can waste water due to excessive evaporation. Watering late in the day will keep the soil surface wet all night increasing the chances of soil-borne fungi damaging garden plants.

Explore Details




Address & Contact

5257 Sierra St, Riverside, CA 92504
(951) 826-5311