Helena’s Law & Justice Center Getting New Garden

Published on July 30, 2024

HELENA, Mont. – The City of Helena will implement an exciting new sustainability project this month thanks to the hard work and volunteer efforts of a pair of Helena residents. The Law and Justice Center, located at 406 Fuller Avenue, is getting a new Xeriscape Garden that will support the City’s effort to make facility landscaping more conservation friendly. Devon Malizia, a landscape designer and owner of Trellis + Trowels, donated her time and expertise to make the project a reality. 

The City will host a planting event on August 14 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is looking for volunteers to assist in planting over 1100 plants, trees, and grasses. Interested volunteers can signup at https://signup.com/go/tbdthOX.

The project compliments the small Xeriscaping garden that was installed at the Law and Justice Center in 2023. Malizia and Helena Citizen Council representative Diana Hammer presented the idea to City staff last year. It was ultimately approved and included in the City’s budget. ‘Xeri-scaping’ is a method that uses native and drought-tolerant plants to create a landscape that uses far less water and can be designed to be incredibly beautiful and low maintenance. Xeriscapes can be designed to create habitat for pollinators by planting native species. On average, Helena only receives about 11 inches of precipitation (rain and snow) a year.

 “I see enormous potential here to create a beautiful and welcoming space while also serving as a demonstration and educational site - and bonus: requiring less maintenance and water,” says Hammer. “A win-win-win!”

Malizia came up with a stunning design and donated her services for the project. She used Montana's keystone species, which are the native plants which support the existence of Helena’s ecosystem pollinators.

“Our community continues to see increasing weather extremes, so climate resiliency is at the heart of this project,” adds Malizia. “It was a natural fit to design these spaces using xeric principles and with native and keystone species; the entire system supports water conservation and champions biodiversity. These redesigned spaces are structured to capture and conserve natural precipitation and thrive in harsh conditions. But they also offer people an opportunity to learn about pollinator pathways and bioswales or listen to songbirds under a canopy of shade."

Questions or comments in reference to this project can be directed to:

Bridget Johnston
City of Helena, Community Facilities Manager
316 North Park Avenue, Room 241
(406) 447-8399
bjohnston@helenamt.gov