When selecting plants for your spring garden consider some of the Nifty-50 plants identified by the experts at the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College.

The Nifty-50 plants are a small subset of plants that are California-friendly.These plants have been selected because they are attractive, often available in retail nurseries, non-invasive, and of course, drought tolerant.

You can see the Nifty-50 plants on display at the Water Conservation Garden. The five-acre public garden is an excellent place to get ideas for a new or retrofitted landscape that saves water, time, money, and looks beautiful.

The Garden is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tours are offered each Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, and by appointment. There are classes, workshops and gardening festivals for the entire family.

The Water Conservation Garden is located on campus at 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive West in El Cajon. For current events and a list of local nurseries who have agreed to stock Nifty-50 plants, visit thegarden.org