Denver Botanic Gardens
Red Butte Gardens
Thanksgiving Point
I love these examples because they are water wise, but more noticeably they are extremely well designed and full of beautiful color. So how can you bring this high end look home? Does it take a small army of gardeners to keep it looking this good? Do it take a small fortune to install it?
Lets start with the basics of how you make this happen in your own yard. I won't give you a list of plants that grow well here, mostly because it's tedious. Here are some links that will help you figure it out though:
http://www.wyomingextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B1152.pdf
http://www.wyomingextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B1139.pdf
http://www.sunset.com/garden/climate-zones/sunset-climate-zones-nevada-wyoming-utah-colorado-00418000067318/
So how do you get that professional look? Well, the best way is to actually hire a professional. I highly recommend Good To Grow out of Evanston. They will do as much or as little of the job as you like. They're more than happy to design it for you and let you do the work too. Good To Grow are usually booked a year in advance, mostly because they are incredible. They did my Mom's yard (Denise Pritchard, her house is on Riverbend in Mountain View, and if you are driving by in the next couple of weeks you can't miss it because of the Daffodils).
Maybe you are more hands on and want to do it yourself though. I respect that, and you can definitely get some good results if you follow some basic design and planting principals. First of all, pick the right plants for the spot. This is a re-occurring theme with me I know, but I can't stress it enough. Each plant has specific requirements for light, irrigation, growing season, soil conditions and heat/cold tolerance.
This means no matter how hard you try, Blue Hydrangeas are not going to grow in your flower bed here. They need a nice loamy low pH soil, lots of water, long growing season, partial shade, and they can't take cold below 20 Degrees Fahrenheit. 2 out of 5 won't cut it for these temperamental plants. However, you can have great success with Lilacs, Snowball Bushes, Floribunda Roses, Peonies, or Bleeding Heart. As long as, you make sure to plant them in the right spot in your yard. Always read the planting guide which is generally included with the plant you are purchasing, or ask a garden center employee. Or, you can ask me anytime, I'm here to help :)
Grow Your Own Tip:
Another thing I stand by is buying your plants from a reputable greenhouse or garden center. Don't be cheap. Really, just stop yourself. Places like the Green River Nursery take extra care in picking healthy plants that are guaranteed to thrive in our environment. They have a knowledgeable staff on hand that can help you find the perfect plant for the project you are doing. You can sort of get away with buying annuals at box stores, but any perennials, shrubs, or trees need to be bought somewhere they actually care about what they are doing. I know you are thinking of reasons why I am wrong right now, knock it off, I'm trying to help you. I have nothing to gain by giving you this information, I'm not selling anything.
Secondly, have a plan and stick to it. The best way to get a good plan is to use a resource like Sunset Magazine (L-O-V-E Sunset), or go to the library or Google and find a landscape design you can adapt to your yard. This will help you properly place plants into a nice layered effect by height and color. Kind of like this:
You can have a lot of fun with this, by making your yard change colors every couple of weeks throughout the summer. This happens when you choose plants that bloom in succession, daffodils in yellow and orange die out and give way to pink and white tulips, tulips fade and bring on dark purple and red perennials, those fade into orange and yellow perennials... With a little planning, you can have a different yard every time you go outside.
Next, make sure you put in good irrigation. Drip systems pay for themselves and they are not hard to install as they require no trenching. Just make sure to put 4-6" of mulch down after you have put your plants in, this covers up your drip lines and creates an organic weed barrier--BLACK PLASTIC IS A TOOL OF THE DEVIL! Once again I'm trying to help you here, so stop saying "Well, I get the kind with holes in it," it doesn't matter, it all stratifies and compacts your soil, creates poor drainage, then eventually breaks up and makes black trash. Don't try and justify it to me, I've seen the difference between a well mulched yard and black plastic.
Now, if you've done your homework, stuck to a good design, bought the right plants, mulched, and created a good method of irrigation, you're maintenance will be minimal. Pulling the stray weed, cutting spent flowers to encourage new growth, and kicking back in your lovely yard are what you have to look forward to. When mulched correctly cleaning up for winter is a snap too, just trim back your plants, bury the waste in your mulch, and plan your next snow shoeing adventure:)
Grow Your Own Tip:
Now, I know some of you aren't cheap, you're broke, and there is a difference. You can still get good results on a shoe string budget if you are willing to be flexible. There are many gardeners here in the valley that are more than happy to share perennials out of their yards. Most plants need to be divided every few years, and asking around for plants is a good way to get them. Many of the Shasta Daisies in my yard came from Theresa Kellum's yard. I have raspberries I got from Kathy Moretti, and several plants that I inherited from my Grandma Beth's yard. You get good quality and you don't have to spend a dime, in fact, you are doing someone else a favor. If you are looking for a common plant, try posting on Facebook for it.
I'm getting really excited for the Container Gardening Workshop! So many great things to show all of you and some tasty treats too! Put May 4th, 6:00pm, Mountain View Library on your calendar :)
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