At the Utah Botanical Center, we strive to demonstrate many ways in which we can be innovative in building beautiful landscapes while conserving natural resources.  A few of our demonstrations are shown below, but if you'd like to visit our facilities and learn more, please click on the links to the right.

The Wetland Discovery Point decking and the arbors at the Utah House were constructed with Trestlewood.  These timbers were reclaimed from the Lucin Cutoff railroad trestle that once crossed Great Salt Lake.  Aside from being part of our local history and also highly rot-resistant, the reclaimed wood reduces the need to harvest new wood.

 

The surface of our raised bed area at the Utah House and the parking lot are made of a stable, pervious surface called Gravelpave.  By first installing the underlying mesh and cups, which are then filled with pea gravel, we create a surface that allows rainwater to filter through, but is stable enough for wheelchairs. 

Another way we create stable, permeable paths is to use a soil stabilizing resin.  The resin is mixed in powder form with any native soil, which is then spread over a path.  Once compacted, the soil is sprayed with water, which activates the resin and hardens the path surface.  These paths can be found at the Rasmussen Teaching Garden to the north of the greenhouses.

 

In addition to having solar panels that generate electricity, the Utah House uses the sun to provide hot water for the house. The Utah House has a closed-loop solar hot water system, with a glycol solution so that the panels can be used through the winter months without freezing. When the sun is shining and the temperature increases in the collector on the roof, the system starts circulating the glycol solution. Inside the house, a heat exchanger takes the heat from the system and transfers it to water inside the hot water heater, lessening the use of natural gas.