Although it might be cold outside, our winter days are getting longer and the calendar indicates spring is just around the corner!  We’re excited to see so many people already planning ahead!  Mainly due to recent drought concerns, many are looking to retrofit old landscapes; and some are now looking at bare dirt.  Admittedly, it is less labor intensive to work with existing landscapes, but we all have to start somewhere.  One piece of advice:  “Do what you want – it’s your yard; you live in it and look at it.”

When planning your yard, first look at function.  Where are the areas with heavy foot traffic?  Why put up a sign that says stay off the grass when you can plan a foot path into your design.  What view (or neighbor) would you liked blocked?  Create a screen with tall shrubs.  Is there a bare wall or side of the house?  Add a blooming vine!  Is the west side of your house too hot?  A large deciduous tree will shade that.  What might you do with that slope on your property?  How about a retaining wall to hold the soil and a vegetable garden in that area?  Is there an area for a playground set?  It would be nice to have soft grass around it.  Still other considerations might be attracting or deterring wildlife with a variety of plantings.

After you know what you want from your yard, look at what it has to offer – soil types, sunny areas and shady places.  If the soil isn’t great, amend it with lots of organic matter before planting.  It is easier to amend before doing installations than work around existing features or plants!  Find plants that will work in hot/dry or shady/cool areas.  The Colorado Nursery and Growers Association (CNGA) has published plant guides available at Phelan Gardens.  These describe the plants that do well in Colorado. What their special qualities are, how tall and wide they will get, their water and winter requirements and the sun exposure they will tolerate.  Believe or not, there are a lot of plants to select from!

It can actually be fun creating your yard to suit your family’s needs.  Think about large additions first such as trees and shrubs.  We usually don’t move the yard around like the living room.  So work on the permanent features and the small ones will fall in place.  And remember, once you have your plan on paper, if you would like advice before the actual hard labor begins, Phelan staff members are available to go over your design and offer suggestions.  Just call and set up an appointment for an in-house consultation.  Check our abbreviated Landscape Design Kit on this site to assist in your design.

For any questions you have on this article, or any topic of concern, email us—or better yet, come by and talk to one of our professional staff members.  Remember, Phelan Gardens is open year-round!    

For additional information, check the following links:

• Basic Principles of Landscape Design
• Challenging areas