The Durham County EMGV Demonstration Garden, located in front of the Durham Extension building on Foster Street, spans more than 3,000 square feet. Beginning in 2019, Master Gardener volunteers, together with leadership from our Extension Agent, set about redesigning the Demonstration Garden. Our vision was to create a unique and widely recognized urban garden to educate visitors through innovative displays, programs, and sustainable gardening practices. Part of our goal was to use water collected from the roof of our building to water the Demonstration Garden rather than use city water. For this self-sustaining irrigation system, two 850-gallon green plastic cisterns were installed to collect water from the roof, the first in 2008, the second in 2019. We then installed filters, a control panel and distribution boxes connected to a pump system and tubing to provide drip irrigation to the garden. 

Weather had degraded the cistern surfaces. The left hand cistern as you face the building had previously been painted and began to peel. The right hand cistern had not been previously painted but was dull and scratched. This created an unwelcoming eyesore for those visiting the Extension Office. Below are the “before” pictures of the cisterns on the left and right as you face the building.   

Master Gardener Lisa Nadler, in conjunction with local muralist and Master Gardener Dave Milkereit, led a team of Extension Master Gardeners in transforming these cisterns into a welcoming and  educational experience for visitors to the Extension office.  

All photos by Lisa Nadler.