Palo Verde desert garden dedicated

Faculty, pupils and friends of Palo Verde High School in the Summerlin master-planned community recently dedicated the school's new desert garden in honor of former Principal Theresa Smith.

The 16,000-square-foot garden features more than 75 species of cacti and was funded by donations. Its three largest donors were the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which contributed more than $30,000, and the Summerlin Children's Forum and Summerlin Improvement Committee, which each gave $5,000 to the project.

According to Palo Verde teacher Lisa Campbell, who spearheaded the effort to build the garden, saving a piece of the desert became the mission of the project.

"We're celebrating what we preach," Campbell said at the dedication ceremony. "The garden is about conservation and hard work, and it was truly a labor of love for scores of students, faculty, parents and community organizations who worked together to make it happen."

According to David Hunt of the SNWA, the removal of 16,000 square feet of turf and the change to xeriscape will save 863,000 gallons of water a year.

"The Palo Verde High School Desert Garden is an ideal example of xeriscape. We were happy to underwrite this project because of its value in demonstrating to the public the attractiveness and effectiveness of xeriscape in conserving water," he said.

The high school is one of several schools in Summerlin, a development of The Howard Hughes Corp. The community is unfolding in villages along the western rim of the valley and has been ranked as the nation's best-selling master-planned community nine of the past 10 years.

It is home to eight golf courses, nearly 100 neighborhood and village parks, nearly 100 completed miles of trails, houses of worship, shopping centers, medical and cultural facilities, business parks, and nearly 100 model homes.

Houses, townhomes and condominiums are priced from the mid-$100,000s to more than $700,000. Custom lots measuring from one-half acre to three-quarters of an acre are priced from the high $300,000s to more than $1 million, and predesigned custom homes are priced from $500,000 to more than $1 million. Apartments offer monthly rents starting from the high $700s.

To visit the community's home finding center, travel west on Sahara Avenue, past Hualapai Way, to Town Center Drive. Or, take Interstate 215 to the Sahara exit. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

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