The site for the Gardens at Kendrick Lake was acquired by the City of Lakewood in 2001, and was originally an old xeriscape garden from the 1980s. Designed and built by Greg Foreman, the purpose and intent of the garden is to educate the public about plants that can thrive in the extremes of the Colorado climate, and only plants that meet this criterion are trialed and used at the garden. The first 3 beds were developed in 2002, and flourished despite the severe watering restrictions during the drought of 2002-2003. Six more beds were built in 2005, with 5 of them meant to each typify one of the 5 biomes in Colorado, including the Great Plains, Steppe (Foothills), Montane, Alpine, and Great Basin. The 6th bed combined plants from all the biomes in its design.

Plants used are native to these biomes in North America or similar biomes around the world. The beds are built around moss rock, granite, and brown river rock. One more bed was added in 2008; a flat planting bed using plants from the short grass prairie biome. The number of species varies as new ones are trialed and other removed, but at one point there were over 400 species. In 2009 The Gardens at Kendrick Lake won the Plant Select® Golden Shovel Award. It is maintained by Todd Bailey, his assistant Keely Foster, and 6 seasonal gardeners.