Xeriscaping-Colorado

[Chickchic]

I just paid a dang fortune to replace my septic system, which is in my yard I have worked so hard on for years to grow grass after the house was a rental for over 20 years.
We have clay soil so drainage was and is bad, so we had to have a larger than planned leech field (rock bed style). The man did not recommend that we plan grass, but agreed we could do drought tolerant if we HAD to.

We are in Northeaster Colorado, very dry and very windy. I am looking into doing xeriscaping, with drought tolerate plants, bushes, rock and so forth.
I am looking for some nice websites that would have some landscape ideas incorperating plants into it that I could see. My yard is a rectangle and we can enter it from either the left or right side. Some native grass in the center would be nice, but all along the sides I would like to create some nice decorative beds. and along the house if I can. Anyone know where I can find someplace with some good layouts I could take a look at? It is all open to sun, no shade.

 

[COgirl]

I know that there are some Xeriscaping gardens in Colorado Springs that are done by the Colorado Springs Utilites Dept
www.csu.org/environment/xeriscape/where/index.html

That may be too far for you to travel but there may be some ideas on the site you can use. Hope that helps

 

[vfem]

Here's some more information in a link I found:

http://landscaping.about.com/cs/cheaplandscaping1/a/xeriscaping.htm

 

[warmfuzzies]

I also found a lot of books about it in our library. I am in Southeast CO, And I know exacly what you mean. In fact my Mom says it is impossible to have flowers here. I am setting out to prove her wrong, but so far, havenot been able to.

 

[wifezilla]

I live south of Co Springs.

Daylilies grow great in my yard. So does japanese spirea and hollyhock, but I do water.

 

[Chickchic]

Well, I ordered two books on Xeriscaping, one written by a guy in Boulder. I have been doing a little research, I just am not good at planning a "layout". I am thinking of going with ornamental grasses, maybe even some Yucca. I like the Purple Sage, or is it actually called Russian Sage? My mother in Law I am sure has some Hen and Chicks. Not sure what to use for around the plants, I am thinking on doing a couple rows of pavers maybe, but need it as inexpensive as I can get. Hubby said picking up a load of rock would be obviously cheaper than buying it by the bag, or do I want mulch instead? I do not know. I am leaning toward rock.

I need full sun plants for sure. I have another part of my yard out of the leech field zone that is in the front of the house by the entrance we do not use often and was just thinking about using it for wildflowers and such like that, M-I-L has Tiger Lillies and she also has some Columbine. That area is partially shaded, as we do have some trees on that area and there are a few sad lilac bushes. One thing for sure I want is all Perennials I do not like to garden tomuch as far as weeding and stuff goes. I want low maintenance.

 

[COgirl]

We are on the prairie, full sun, full wind all the time. The Russian Sage will do well once established, love lies bleeding and yarrow also do well. Clematis does very well for me but I do water it. I have chamomile (german) coming up everywhere watered or not and summer savory same thing, I don't mind herbs popping up where ever and I love rhubarb as a ornamental as well as eating it. We basically mulch with pea gravel, mulch just doesn't stay put for very long out here.

 

[Chickchic]

Thats been my concern about the mulch. I am here in Northeastern Colorado and the wind is horrendous sometimes.
I have Rhubarb I have to move to a differnet location, (over by the leech field) and not sure where to put it. I think I might put it over on the side of the house, as I had tried to put Iris there last year but the cats kept pooping there and killing them. I have one or two Iris left there so I could clean it out good, add some garden soil and plant the rhubarb there and surround with rock seeing it does not spread.
Herbs are a great idea, but aren't those all annuals?
I have strawberries moved over to where my good row of Iris is now.

 

[wifezilla]

A lot of herbs are perennial. I have chives, mint, thyme, and sage that come back every year. I replant basil every year since that is an annual.