Posts Tagged ‘lists’

The Top 10 Benefits of Making Landscaping More Water Efficient

July 23rd, 2010 by Matt Corrion

Converting an outdated landscape into landscaping that uses less water is not as hard as you might think.  And there are many benefits! 

One of the best ways to do this is to convert your high water-use landscaping into a Xeriscape (pronounced “zeer-escape”).  This can be done anywhere-  from a small home landscape, to a large commercial property.

Many people have an image of Xeriscape as a “sea of rocks, with a few cactus plants”.  But Xeriscape can also be a lush, green and colorful landscape that is interwoven with flowering plants, textures, and beauty throughout each season.  In my opinion it is much more beautiful and interesting than “traditional” landscaping.

The Top 10 Benefits Are:

10.  Less Maintenance
9.  Use Less Water & Better for the Environment
8.  Prevent Water Damage
7.  More Beautiful, Colorful & Unique
6.  Better Wildlife Habitat
5.  Less Fertilizers & Pesticides Needed
4.  Better Suited to Your Site’s Unique Conditions
3.  More Winter Beauty
2.  Better Prepared for Drought
1.  Saves You Money

Now I will discuss each benefit in greater detail and explain what each one can mean for you:
(more…)

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The 20 Best Xeriscape Plants for Colorado

March 30th, 2010 by Matt Corrion

I often get asked to recommend Xeriscape plants for Colorado landscapes.  This is a difficult task because there are so many to chose from, and I would hate to limit anyone’s pallette to a limited number.  After all, it is the variety in color, textures, and form that makes Xeriscaping so attractive.  

That being said, I do think a small list can be helpful to people who are new to the area, or are not familiar with the available plant choices and may be overwhelmed by a catalog of thousands of plants.   Although this is a Colorado list, most of these plants can be used in many places throughout the world depending on the local climate.

  • FernbushChamaebatiaria millefolium    Fernbush is a medium sized shrub with interesting fern-like leaves that persist throughout the winter.  This shrub requires little water or maintenance, and produces clusters of small white flowers in the late spring through early summer.Double Bubblemint
  • Agastache - Agastache ssp.    Agastache, or hummingbird mint, is a fragrant group of colorful perennial herbs that is available in many colors mostly ranging from orange to pink.  The plants are covered with beautiful tubular flowers from mid-summer to fall.  Hummingbirds absolutely love these plants. (more…)
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Simple Landscape Maintenance Tips for Winter

February 6th, 2010 by Matt Corrion

winter landscape

Brrrrr… It’s cold out there!  The last thing you are probably thinking about is landscaping.  Or, if you are like me you already have the itch to get outdoors and are counting the days until spring.  Whether you are a restless home gardener looking for reasons to get outside, or you are performing maintenance on a commercial property and want to do all you can to have it look great some spring, there are many tasks that can be accomplished over winter.  Get the hot chocolate ready!

 Key Dates

  • Late February:  Stop any pruning from this point on- spring is right around the corner, and woody plants are developing buds and preparing for the new season.
  • Late March:  Plants will begin to emerge for spring at this time.  As plants (especially Xeriscape plants) emerge and show signs of new growth, begin to remove any heavy mulching that was done to protect them over the winter. (more…)
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Landscape Maintenance Tips for the Fall Season

October 9th, 2009 by Matt Corrion

fall landscapeFall.  When the morning air turns crisp and cool and the leaves begin to float softly to the ground.  Not only is it my favorite season, there are many maintenance tasks to be accomplished in the landscape.  The info below includes tips on what I have found are the most important and useful tasks-  so get out there, have fun with it, and enjoy the autumn weather!

Key Dates

  • Early October:  It is a good idea to winterize your irrigation system and blow out the lines.  Many landscape maintenance companies will provide this service for less than $50, or it is pretty simple to do it yourself.
  • October 15th:  Don’t plant any grasses or perennials after this date.  Many of them won’t survive, and you will have much better luck in the spring. (more…)
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