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Residential & Commercial Landscape Design | Landscaping Services  | North Denver
  • Landscape Features
  • Residential Gardens
  • Commercial Gardens
  • Process
  • Annual Conference
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Awards

2022 Conference Recap: A Workshop on Plants, Seeds, and Wild Systems with Kevin Williams

The steppe in Boulder, CO. Photo by Kevin Williams.

Kevin Williams, horticulturist and Assistant Curator at Denver Botanic Gardens, shared plant design perspectives that derive from his vast knowledge of the steppe landscape.

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tags: conference, plants, garden philosophy, techniques, naturalistic planting, horticulture, plant selection
categories: Horticulture Education
Monday 03.28.22
Posted by Guest User
 

Seed Not Sod: A Logical Approach to Landscape Design

Learn how we’re refining a stewardship and design approach that combines curated grassland seed mixes with designed planting to create intentional and self-sustaining plant communities as a substitute for sod.

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tags: seed, plants, plant selection, colorado plants, garden design, seed design, xeriscape, naturalistic planting
categories: Horticulture Education
Monday 11.01.21
Posted by Guest User
 

Autumn in the Colorado Garden

Plants begin their transformation in this Boulder, CO garden.

Plants begin their transformation in this Boulder, CO garden.

We plan our gardens with the experiences of fall in mind—remembering the textures, colors, sounds and feelings that come with the changing of the foliage.

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tags: autumn, fall, fall interest, fall color, plant selection, plants, colorado plants, garden design, garden philosophy, seasonal interest, drought tolerant, horticulture
categories: Plant Selection
Tuesday 10.27.20
Posted by Guest User
 

The Case for Perennial Gardens in Water Conservation

Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ and Agastache Cana intermingle bring vivid color to a water-wise garden.

Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ and Agastache Cana intermingle bring vivid color to a water-wise garden.

Let’s delve into why water conservation is important and how perennial landscapes can contribute to the effort.

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tags: garden design, plant selection, plants, colorado plants, xeriscape, xeric garden, research, drought tolerant
categories: Plant Selection
Friday 09.25.20
Posted by Guest User
 

3 Plant Combinations For Colorado Summertime

After decades of experience, we have found some of our favorite plant combinations that thrive in the Colorado climate.


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tags: plant selection, plants, sun plants, shade plants, garden design
categories: Plant Selection
Friday 07.31.20
Posted by Guest User
 

10 Plants That Thrive in Colorado’s Summer Heat

 

Despite its dry heat and alkaline soil, Colorado flaunts colorful gardens with plants well-adapted to its natural conditions. Through years of observation, we have gained a repertoire of knowledge surrounding our local plant palette. That’s why we love what we do. We’ve spent years forming a relationship with the landscape and learning its intricacies as they reveal themselves. This month, we’re sharing a few of our favorite Colorado plants that thrive in the summer heat.

The Sun-Lovers

Heliopsis helianthoides - False Sunflower

This yellow beauty in the sunflower family shows radiant blooms from June to August. It grows 3-6 feet tall with a spread of 2-4 feet and attract butterflies to the garden.

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Echinops ritro - Globe Thistle

Known for its bold, globular form, Echinops ritro adds distinct structure to the garden. Showing a blue color and intriguing texture, the flowerhead displays its form throughout the year. Rightly named, the greek roots of the word refer to a hedgehog appearance. You can expect Globe Thistle to reach about 4 feet tall and bloom from July to September.

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Chamaebatiaria millefolium - Fernbush

Fernbush gives the appearance of being evergreen with its buds that remain visible through the winter months. This 3-5 foot tall native plant has aromatic white blooms that last from mid-June to August and its leaves are thought to have medicinal uses (Native Americans used the leaves in tea to settle an upset stomach).

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Phlomis cashmeriana - Cashmere Sage

This late spring to early summer bloomer grows to be 36-60 inches tall, showing lavender-pink towers of color that turn to ornamental seedheads in the fall and winter. The Phlomis stalks add intriguing form to the garden.

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Origanum libanoticum - Oregano Hopflower

A cascading perennial, Origanum looks best where it can flow over a planter wall. Quite literally, the blooms resemble hops and show a gradient of chartreuse to lavender. The long bloom (June to September) provides interest in the garden for most of the season. Origanum stays low at .75-1.5 feet and spreads 1-1.5 feet.

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The Shade-Dwellers

Jamesia americana - Cliff Bush

Jamesia prefers dry shade, especially at the base of a cliff or boulder where its roots can be kept cool. Clusters of waxy white flowers, reddish bark, and brilliant autumn colors make it a lovely option for the year-round garden. Look for it in the wild and you're sure to find some growing near the cliffs.

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Carex rosea - Rosy Sedge

This sedge plant creates mats of soft, fine texture in the shade of your garden, offering a vivid lawn alternative in the landscape. Carex adapts to wet and dry soil, as well as shade and sun, making it the perfect plant for tough spots.

Brunnera macrophylla - False Forget-me-not

With vibrant heart-shaped leaves, Brunnera spreads across the shade of your garden floor and shows delicate blue flowers that rise to 18” in the early spring and summer. For a magnificent textural effect, layer the bold leaves of Brunnera with more delicate foliage types in the garden.

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Chasmanthium latifolium - Northern Sea Oats

Northern Sea Oats create a tall, vivid backdrop in the shade of the landscape and will tolerate a variety of growing conditions. The “oat-like” cascading seedheads bring unique texture and winter structure, making them an ideal choice for year-round interest.

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Phalaris arundinacea 'Picta' - Ribbon Grass

The wide, variegated leaves of Ribbon Grass provide the garden with interesting foliage contrasts. It grows in wide clumps to 2-4 feet tall and tolerates a wide range of growing conditions. Attractive white seed heads bloom mid-summer.

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tags: plants, plant selection, colorado plants, shade plants, sun plants
categories: Plant Selection
Monday 06.29.20
Posted by Guest User
 
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