Story Behind the Garden
The garden is a requirement by the St. John’s River Water Management District under the City’s Consumptive Use Permit. Originally the garden was called the POWR Park and was located on the corner of Bluford Avenue and City Hall. POWR (Protect Ocoee’s Water Resources) is the name of the City’s water conservation program. Although the name of the garden has changed, the purpose of the garden remains the same. It aims to create a visually appealing, water-efficient, resource protecting, Florida-Friendly garden for the citizens of Ocoee to have tangible examples of what their landscapes could be. All the plants utilized are considered Florida-friendly and were chosen to match the site’s current conditions. Roughly 17% of the plant species are native to Central Florida. Plants were picked based off their availability in local nurseries or home improvement stores, making the majority of plants easily accessible to Ocoee’s citizens. Of course, the use of more native plants in your home landscaping is highly encouraged.
For more information regarding the irrigation system used to conserve water on this project, please visit the Utilities Department page.
To view a local Florida native garden, check out the garden located at the West Oaks Library off of Silver Star Road in Ocoee.
