Tag Archives: landscaping Colorado

Creating Definition Within Your Landscape With Planted Borders

Whether it’s a small courtyard or an outdoor living room, any landscape can benefit from a little extra definition. Creating a border not only draws attention to the space, but also adds extra emphasis, texture, and in some cases, creates a cozier, more intimate space for relaxing and entertaining.

While lots of homeowners opt for brick or other forms of hardscaping to border and define their landscapes, using plants can create an excellent effect. The Houzz ideabook “Define Your Garden Softly With Planted Borders” explains: “Plants have the edge in several ways, including being cost effective, providing year-round interest in foliage and flowers, and most of all, having the ability to soften the joint between pathways and plantings.”

Boxwood hedging was a favorite of English botanist John Parkinson and remains a favorite among landscape designers today for more formal landscapes. It can be used alone, or with another low-lying plant to create more dimension when the boxwood has been hard clipped.

boxwood hedging

Photo via Houzz

Perennials are another great choice for creating a border within a landscape, offering seasonal foliage that is especially refreshing when compared to other plant species that don’t thrive well in certain seasons.

Perennials

Photo via Houzz

Planted borders have been used in this example to create symmetry and frame the fountain, which serves as the focal point of the courtyard.

bordering a focal point within a landscape

Photo via Houzz

As Sunset Magazine shares, ornamental grasses not only bring texture and interesting color to a garden border, but also motion and sound. More importantly, the magazine notes that they are “graceful threads that weave all other plants in the garden together, making them look more like family members than a convention of strangers.”

ornamental grass bordering a walkway

Photo via Sunset Magazine

 Are you interested in creating definition in your landscape with planted borders? The experts at Lifescape are here to assist you with all of your landscape design needs. Contact us today at 303-831-8310, and let’s start developing a plan for a stunning new look for your landscape!

Water Smart Landscaping Strategies

Due to the worsening drought conditions in the Denver area, water conservation has been the hot topic. But in addition to being water conscious, there are other ways to create a more drought-tolerant landscape. Landscapes can actually be strategically designed to withstand extra-dry conditions. The benefits of strategically designed landscapes go far beyond saving water, too. Thoughtfully designed landscapes create a beautiful scene all year long.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense website offers several strategies for achieving water-wise landscapes. But before we can get into those, you first have to make sure you know your landscape well. For example, one area of your landscape might have one type of soil and lots of exposure to the sun and wind, while another area might differ significantly in soil type and sun and wind exposure. Once you have a better idea of the factors at play with your landscape, you can then start to think and plan strategically.

An effective way to achieve a strategic landscape design is to create “hydrozones.” This method involves grouping plants with similar watering needs together by planting them in the same area. With hydrozones, you are less likely to overwater or underwater plants. It can also simplify the watering process when coordinated with your landscape’s irrigation system. All you’d have to do is set up your landscape irrigation system to water by zone.

similar plants grouped together

Project by Lifescape Associates

Incorporating landscape design strategies such as plant grouping by hydrozones will not only yield a beautiful landscape, but it will also help Colorado homeowners contribute to water conservation efforts.

Whether you’re ready to design the landscape for your new home or just want to revamp what you’ve got, the team at Lifescape is here to help. Our team can create the gorgeous landscape you’ve always dreamed of while also using water-wise landscaping strategies. Visit our website to learn more about our services, or contact us at 303-831-8310.

3 Reasons to hire a Landscape Professional

When it comes to regular menial yard work, you may hate it, but it is something you can take care of yourself for the most part. However, there comes a time when the problems you have in your lawn can be a bit too much for you to handle and you’ll need to call a Denver landscaping professional in order to help you find a solution and implement it.

Take a look at three top reasons you should hire a landscape professional:

1. You have a specific issue that requires certain horticulture knowledge. For example, you don’t know what is wrong with a particular tree in your yard, why plants never seem to grow in a certain section of your landscape, or your best options for an outdoor living space.

2. You do not have the skill nor the time to do what is needed. It’s hard to get things done around the landscape when you are always running low on time, and you do not know have the know-how nor the tools/equipment to efficiently do what needs to be done.

3. It’s not a safe job for you. If the work that need’s to be done calls for climbing a tree, operating heavy machinery or moving heavy landscape materials, you most definitely need a landscape contractor’s help. Plus, you can not just dig anywhere.  It’s the law to call for a utility locate before doing any digging takes place.

Lifescape Associates can  help you get your Colorado landscape healthy and beautiful whether in the planning stages of building a new home or wanting to revamp the landscape of your current home. Just give us a call at 303-831-8310.

 Source: Alcc.com

 

 

 

 

 

Watch out for Sprinkler System Issues

Most homeowners out here in the great state of Colorado run their sprinkler system overnight. However, when they do this, they never get to see if the system is working correctly or not. With temperatures in the 90-degree range like they have been for the past few days, all sprinkler issues will start to show up very quickly in lawn conditions across the state.

Here is an example of sprinkler issues: if your sprinkler has been watering the street more than your lawn, don’t be surprised when you begin to see brown spots in the grass where the water has been missing the mark. Perhaps one of your sprinklers has gone missing or maybe one has clogged.  All of these sprinkler problems can be avoided or have simple fixes if you deal with them in a timely manner. If not, your lawn will suffer. So take a few moments this weekend to watch your sprinklers run. Look for areas that the water may be missing then simply adjust the sprinklers to hit right on target.

If you see signs of deeper trouble, contact Lifescape Associates in Denver. We’ll be happy to diagnose any issues and treat your landscape back to health.

Photo Credit: pinellaspump.com

When is the Best Time to Hire a Landscape Architect?

Many homeowners wonder when is the best time to hire a landscape architect. The answer to that question is linked to a few factors. First of all, a good design starts with the siting and design of your house. If in the planning stages of building a new home, you should assemble the entire team of professionals together in the beginning of the project so the initial design is a democratic process.  This way, you can start making very important decisions from day one.

Most times a homeowner will choose to work with the architect first so decisions are made considering the home interiors before the exterior spaces. The design of your home’s interior spaces does in fact impact exterior massing, that has a direct impact on the landscaping, views, and the diversity of spaces that exist around the house. If your landscape architect is not involved in the process until after the home is being built, it becomes much harder to make desired fundamental structural changes.

Lifescape Associates can get your landscape design started off right whether in the planning stages of building a new home or wanting to revamp the landscape of your current home. Just give us a call at 303-831-8310.

Photo: landscape-architects.regionaldirectory.us