Daily Postcard: Fall foliage colors the Los Alamos Demonstration Garden on Central Avenue before last week’s snowstorm. The Demo Garden is a Public Education Garden maintained by the Los Alamos Master Gardeners organization (LAMG), in conjunction with the Los Alamos County Parks and Recreation Department and the New Mexico State University Los Alamos County Cooperative Extension Office. The Garden is on the South side of Central Avenue, between Ashley Pond and Oppenheimer Drive. It is always open to the public and handicap accessible. The Demonstration Garden was started in 1990 by Solveig Palanek, Los Alamos County Cooperative Extension Service Horticultural Agent at the time, and Tom Trujillo, PRIDE Committee. Initial financing came from grants and donations, specifically from Keep New Mexico Beautiful grants. Donations from the cable television provider and from UNM-LA were also received. Private donations in amounts ranging from $100 to $5,000 also were received from private citizens and not-for-profit organizations. The original garden was half the size of the current garden and occupied the Eastern end of the current garden. It was designed as a xeriscape garden and was anchored by trees and shrubs. Circular gardens on Central Avenue included (from East to West) Herb, Perennial, Turf, and High Mountain themes. A significant portion of the original landscape design has changed over the years as the emphasis became that of a demonstration garden. learn more about the Demo Garden here. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com