People called the swath of land on the corner of 11th Avenue and Terrace Hills all sorts of things — "weed patch," "eyesore" and "used-car lot," to name a few.

But after nearly three years of work from city and community leaders, the once overrun piece of public utilities land has a name Salt Lake City residents say they can be proud of — the Greater Avenues Water Conservation Demonstration Garden.

"I don't know how many of you purchased cars at this erstwhile used-car lot," City Councilman Eric Jergensen joked during the park's opening Wednesday. "It has turned into a really great gem of this community."

The park, officials hope, will double as an educational tool for the neighborhood.

"As a sustainability advocate, the education piece is very big," said Jim Jenkin, the Greater Avenues Community Council's chairman-elect. "Without that, you have just another group of plants. I'm hoping the neighborhood will take this as an example of how to do water-wise landscaping the correct way."

The park's designers steered clear of traditional grasses and trees, opting instead for vegetation that should reduce the need for watering.

"Too many people think a beautiful yard needs Kentucky bluegrass," said Tom Berggren, who helped spearhead the efforts.

Instead, the park will feature bearberry, desert olives, dwarf yuccas and rubber rabbitbrush.

And if the park looked brown and bare Wednesday, its creators said it would take just a year or two before the native shrubs and trees fill in the gaps.

"It's what we can and should be doing with a lot of our property," Mayor Ralph Becker said. "It's what we need to do … for us to transform into a fully sustainable community."

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