I had an interesting phone conversation this past week. A week prior, a man (let’s call him Adam) had called and left the message that he was “desperate for a landscape design.” I was on vacation at the time, but returned his call when I got back to town. By then, Adam was no longer “desperate” but extremely frustrated. We spoke on the phone for some time and he told me he had needed a rush job because the landscape installer was due to show up in two days. (My schedule wouldn’t have afforded him the rush job even if I had been home, but that’s not the point.) Adam had found someone willing to draw up a quick design but now he was unhappy with the result.
     This is a summary of his complaints. The designer told him his plan was too choppy with too many geometric shapes and that it would be more natural with long, flowing, curvilinear lines. This felt too confusing to him – the curves came out and back for no reason. The sketch wasn’t made to scale, so the firepit didn’t fit and the lawn space was smaller than he envisioned. The slope of the land wasn’t accounted for in the drawing and the first thing the landscape installer said was “that won’t work.” Adam spent a good sum of money on the design and was still left with multiple points to figure out on his own and was really unsure of the direction of the installation and the intended end result.
      I’d like to say at this point that I’m not perfect, I’ve made mistakes on designs, and that building out a design drawn on flat piece of paper is an art in and of itself. I’m not looking to bash another designer, especially since it was a rush job. Rather, my point of sharing this story is to emphasize the importance of planning ahead. A good landscape design requires careful consideration of many factors including:

• the scope of the land including slope;
• neighboring properties;
• HOA and city regulations;
• the architecture of the house, including downspouts and drainage;
• micro-climates impacting plant growth, such as shady spots or hot walls;
• and, of course, the owner’s preferences.

     At the end of our conversation I advised Adam, “Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.” I’m not sure that really assuaged his fears, but it was the best I could do at that moment.
    If you are considering fixing up your landscape (or know someone who is moving to a new home or otherwise wants to fix up their yard), now is a great time to get started on the landscape design. Besides not feeling rushed to get something together in two days, remember that here in northern Colorado, plenty of landscape work can be done over the winter and you’ll be ready to place the plants in the spring. Give me a call (970-988-3808) for a free consultation!

   Although I believe we'll have a few more weeks of pleasant weather, I want to remind you that I offer a fall clean up service to clean out and protect your containers for the winter. When you are ready to have your containers cleared up, email me or give me a call at (970) 988-3808 to schedule. I keep an eye on the weather and when the weather turns cold enough to freeze, you can expect to get a frost warning email from me, too.

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Stephanie's Favorite Flower:

Trumpet vine / Campsis radicans:
Right now, I am loving my Trumpet Vine because it is covered with tubular, orange flowers that attract hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and pollinators of all kinds. Campsis radicans is a very vigorous, low-water use vine. Due to the limitations of the trellis my vine grows on, I have to cut this vine back HARD early each spring. This does not discourage it at all, as it is well established and has intentions of taking over the world. If you’re thinking of planting Trumpet Vine, remember this rhyme (which applies to all types of vines, actually): the first year it sleeps; the second year it creeps; the third year it leaps. You may be tempted to plant more than one vine, but you really should just be patient! I love this plant and it’s flowers, but it’s growth potential and vigor should not be underestimated!

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Chesney's Favorite Flower:

Blue Mist Spirea / Caryopteris x clandonedisis
Blue Mist Spirea has many characteristics that make it a great option for any yard.  It blooms later in the year to add some color while most plants are already starting to go dormant, the multitude of purple-blue blooms are unique and stand out in the fall, the flowers attract bees and other pollinators, it has a nice mounded shape, is not bothered by pests like deer or rabbits, and it is very low maintenance and xeric. Blue Mist Spirea is happiest in full sun with low water but will tolerate some shade. This flowering shrub grows to be about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide each season. The only maintenance it really needs is to be pruned down to about 5 inches in late winter/ early spring before the growing season takes off.

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Chesney's Favorite Tool:

My favorite tool is yet another tie… I use a lot of tools during the day and have a few that are what I would consider a necessity and some that I would consider more of a luxury. One of those necessary tools is a good shovel. I have found that when planting perennials and smaller shrubs I prefer a good edging shovel. It is generally a little shorter and the blade is thinner than a regular shovel. I find that it digs the perfect size hole and is easier to control than a regular spade.
The tool that I have found that is definitely a luxury is a bulb dibber. You can plant bulbs using a shovel or trowel but a bulb dibber makes the job easier. The one that I use (and totally love) is a hand held tool with a big stainless-steel point at the end and it makes the perfect little hole for a bulb (such as a daffodil, tulip or crocus) to be nice and happy!

We love talking about landscaping and plants! Send an email, call or text Stephanie at (970)988-3808 to chat about your plants.