But should ornamental grasses be cut back to the ground in winter?

Most ornamental grasses develop tall seed heads late in the summer that naturally persist through the winter.  When temperatures start to drop the plant will die back, leaving the dried foliage, stalks, and seed heads.  The general rule that you should cut back the grasses before the next growing season, so that the new year’s growth will be more vigorous and healthy.

I have found a couple of exceptions to this here in the Denver area, particularly with Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella tenuissima), which did not regenerate as well or look as good the year after I cut it back.  I have since started leaving it uncut, which results is the new growth coming up right through the beautiful finely textured golden old growth.  But with most varieties, they should be cut back before new growth starts in the spring.

So the question, then, is whether you should cut them back in the fall, or wait until the spring.  Many people enjoy the colors and movement that these elements provide in winter.  Others prefer a more “neat” or formal look.

I thought it would be interesting to explore the advantages each approach:

Advantages of leaving the grasses for the winter and waiting until the spring to cut them back

• When shrubs lose their leaves, and perennials wither to the ground, grasses can provide form in the landscape
• Texture:  Interesting textures can stand out, collecting frost or snow, and reflecting sunlight
• Movement:  Winter winds and soft breezes can move and sway the stems and seed heads of ornamental grasses
• The grasses can add color to the drab winter landscape, including shades of reds, yellows, browns, and blues
• Upright grasses can be used to help screen views when deciduous plants have lost their leaves
• The grasses can provide habitat and shelter for birds and other small animals

Advantages of cutting back ornamental grasses right away in the fall or early winter

• This can be interesting and different look, I have seen some nice formal plantings that looked stunning with the grasses cut back
• Some grasses hold their form better than others, while some varieties may flop over under heavy snow
• Cutting them back may give the impression (rightly or wrongly) that a commercial landscape is being better maintained
• In some cases the grasses may block sight lines, such as to important signage in a shopping center
• In high foot traffic areas, it may be beneficial to cut back ornamental grasses to avoid them being trampled

So what do you think, is one method better than the other?  My personal taste is to leave the grasses up all winter, but there are situations where you may want to cut them back.  And you can always decide to cut them back later, if you feel the need to tidy them up.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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The Challenges of High Elevations

When landscaping at higher elevations, there are many challenges to consider.  The plants themselves are often limited in how cold of winter temperature they can withstand.  And there are also the challenging microclimates, wind, and levels of moisture that can occur at high altitudes.

Grazing deer and elk are also a common problem at higher elevations.  All of these factors should be carefully considered in the design of the landscape.  Consult the USDA Plant Hardiness zones for your local area, and consider working with an experienced landscape architect or garden designer.

It would be a great idea to do some nature walks in your local area to observe the native plants that are thriving naturally, and are well adapted to the various microclimates that can be found in your area.

I have decided to limit the list to plants that I feel will do well above 8,000 ft.   There are several plants that are advertised to do well above 7,500 ft, but I am not comfortable recommending all of them, so lets go with 8,000.

Deciduous Trees

• Quaking Aspen    Populus tremuloides
• Canada Red Cherry    Prunus virginiana ‘Canada Red’
• Russian Hawthorne    Crataegus ambigua
• Ginnala Maple    Acer ginnala
• Apple and Crabbaple    Malus (several types)
• Alder    Alnus tenuifolia
• Tartarian Maple    Acer tartaricum
• Birch    Betula (several types)
• Mountain Ash    Sorbus aucuparia
• English Oak    Quercus robur

Evergreen Trees

• Southwestern White Pine    Pinus strobiformis
• Ponderosa Pine    Pinus ponderosa
• Colorado Blue Spruce    Picea pungens
• Douglas Fir    Pseudotsuga menziesii glauca
• White Fir    Abies concolor
• Limber Pine    Pinus flexilis
• Bristlecone Pine    Pinus aristata

Deciduous Shrubs

• Burning Bush    Euonymus ‘Turkstanica Nana’
• Peking Cotoneaster    Cotoneaster lucidus
• American Cranberry    Viburnum trilobum
• Currant    Ribes (several types)
• Lilac    Syringa (several types)
• Potentilla    Potentilla (several types)
• Siberean Peashrub    Caragana arborescens
• Snowball Viburnum    Viburnum opulus
• Rock Spirea    Holodiscus dumosus
• Sumac    Rhus (several types)
• Willow    Salix (several types)
• Sand Sage    Artemesia filifolia
• Serviceberry    Amelanchier (several types)
• Barberry    Berberis (several types)

Evergreen Shrubs

• Juniper    Juniperus (several types)
• Mugo Pine    Pinus mugo
• Dwarf Alberta Spruce    Picea glauca
• Blue Globe Spruce    Picea pungen ‘Globosa’
• Weeping Norway Spruce    Picea abies ‘Pendula’
• Yucca    Yucca (several types)
• Euonymus    Euonymus (several types)

Ornamental Grasses

• Blue Oat Grass    Helictotrichon sempervirens
• Blue Fescue    Festuca glauca
• Ravenna Grass    Erianthus ravennae

Perennials

• Aster    Aster (several types)
• Columbine     Aqueiegia
• Blue Flax    Linum perenne
• Snow in Summer    Cerastium tomentosum
• Wild Strawberry    Waldsteninia ternata
• Kinnikinnick    Actostaphylos uva-ursi
• Painted Daisy    Tanacetum coccineum
• Delphinium    Delphinium (several types)
• Bleeding Heart    Dicentra spectabilis
• Oregon Grape Holly    Mahonia repens
• Yarrow    Achillea (several types)
• Lupine    Lupinus (several types)
• Sedum    Sedum (several types)
• Black Eyed Susan    Rudbeckia fulgida
• Windflower    Anemone canadensis
• Serbia Iris    Iris sibirica

So, what do you think of this list?  I am sure that others reading this blog (myself included) would love to hear about your own experiences gardening at high altitude with any of these plants.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) has a graceful form, and unique pink flowers that appear in the spring before the leaves emerge.  The flowers appear even on the larger branches, and sometimes even on the trunk itself.  Redbud is one of my personal favorites.  In arid climates like Colorado, they should be planted in a protected location, in partial shade.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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Juniper bushes are common in older landscapes. Here they were not given adequate room, so they have been sheared off along the walkway.

Why is this?  I think there are a few main reasons, aside from the fact that they are prickly beasts that we have all tangled with a one point (either landing in one while playing as a kid, or getting that annoying rash on your arm while trimming them) :

1) They were simply overused in the past.  People are just tired of them and want something unique and new.  And since they live for ages and rarely die, they are often the only living survivors guarding the front doors of homes in any older neighborhood.

2) They were not planted with enough room to grow.  Many of the varieties get quite large after say, 20 years, and quickly outgrow the planting bed.  Because they grow too large for their setting they require excessive pruning to keep them at a manageable size.  This pruning then exposes all of the dead old growth inside the base of the plant- ugly!

3) The aforementioned prickliness.   And good luck getting the baseball you were tossing around out of the center of that green monster.

Given these negatives, why then should you consider using Juniper plants in your landscape?

1)  They require little water and are very well adapted to the western and southwestern United States.  That is why in places like Eastern Colorado (where few woody plants survive, and water is a scarce resource) they are used by landowners and farmers for windbreaks.  They are an excellent Xeriscape plant.

When used correctly, such as in this Denver Xeriscape, Junipers can be an attractive addition to the landscape.

2)  They are long-lived plants.  In some places native specimens have lived for several hundred years in the wild.

3)  Given an appropriate amount of space, they require almost no maintenance.

4)  They are evergreen, so they provide good winter interest.  They can be used to add texture and scale to a landscape, and make terrific visual screens, hedges, and windbreaks.

5)  There are many forms and colors available that offer endless design possibilities, ranging from narrow upright forms to low mat-forming spreading varieties, and everything in between.  Colors can range from dark green, to blue-gray, to bright green, to yellow green, with some varieties changing to purplish-red shades in the winter months.

So, the next time you decide to tear out those old Juniper shrubs, consider re-introducing them into your new landscape design to enjoy all of the benefits these versatile plants have to offer.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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The interesting seed pods of the Golden Rain Tree appear like hanging paper lanterns.  They start out a golden yellow in late summer, and fade to shades of red and brown through the fall.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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Delosperma (Red Mountain and Mesa Verde Iceplant) and Actostaphylos x coloradoensis (Panchito Manzanita)

Dry Xeriscape Garden

Erigonum umbellatum (Kannah Creek Buckwheat)

Delosperma (Red Mountain and Mesa Verde Iceplant)

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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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.

• Fernbush – Chamaebatiaria 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.
• 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.
• Panchito Manzanita - Arctostaphylos x coloradoensis ‘Panchito’    Panchito Manzanita is a low growing woody shrub with shiny, oval, dark green leaves that persist throughout the winter.  It gets small, pale pink flowers followed by small red berries- but it’s best characteristics are the evergreen foliage and the fact that it requires little care or water.  For more info read my previous post dedicated to this plant.
• Yarrow - Achillea ssp.    Yarrow is a group of Rocky Mountain native perennials that are available in many colors, ranging from yellow, to white, to red.  The plants are very drought tolerant, requiring almost no watering once established.  Fern-like, finely dissected leaves form clumps at the base of the plant, often naturalizing and spreading.  Flowers are produced on stiff, tall stalks throughout the summer.
• Spanish Gold Broom - Cytisus purgans ‘Spanish Gold’    Spanish Gold Broom is a medium sized deciduous shrub that is native to the Mediterranean.  In late spring it is covered with small yellow pea-like blossoms.  This shrub grows in a mounding, cascading form of bright green stems that remain green throughout the winter.  The small leaves drop by mid-summer.
• Catmint - Nepeta ssp.    Catmint is a widely used mint that produces an abundance of blue flowers.  The reasons that I like this plant are first, that it is one of the earlier Xeriscape perennials to emerge in the spring to form an attractive clump of blue-green foliage, and second, that it flowers all summer long and requires zero maintenance.
• Iceplant - Delosperma ssp.    The Iceplant that we use in Colorado is a perennial that is native to the higher elevations of South Africa.  Note that this is not the invasive Iceplant that is a problem in Southern California.  Delospermas form a ground-hugging mat of succulent leaves that range from grey to green.  The plants are coated with shiny, delicate flowers in colors from red, to purple, to pink, often with different colored centers.  One of my favorite plants.
• Blue Avena Grass - Helictotrichon sempervirens    Blue Avena Grass is a striking addition to any landscape.  Large clumps of blue-gray leaves give this grass a unique texture and contrast among other plants.  In mid-summer a large group of tan seedheads gracefully arch from the plant and stand out from the blue foliage.  Like most grasses, Blue Avena requires little maintenance or supplemental watering.
• Penstemon - Penstemon ssp.    Penstemon is another group of Rocky Mountain native perennials that requires little watering once established, preferring well drained soils. Penstemons are available in just about every color.  These plants are small in size which makes them ideal for filling in between other Xeriscape plants.  They provide an abundance of colorful blooms that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
• Mojave Sage - Salvia pachyphylla    Mojave Sage is a large shrubby perennial that produces an abundance of striking purplish-blue flowers throughout the summer.  The silver-green foliage really stands out too, growing up to 3 feet tall, and persisting as a semi-evergreen throughout the winter.
• Prairie Winecups - Callirhoe involucrata    Prairie Winecups is a Colorado native perennial that grows in a low mound of trailing stems covered in round dark-green leaves.  The plant produces a large number of cup shaped wine-red colored flowers from late spring through summer.  Because this is a native plant it is well adapted to our local climate and requires little maintenance.
• Mexican Feather Grass - Nassella tenuissima    Mexican Feather Grass has a fine, hair-like form that gives this grass a texture like none other.  Early in the summer the fine tufts of grass are bright green, then they fade to a striking golden yellow in the mid summer through the fall and winter.  The way that this grass moves in the breeze brings a graceful movement to the landscape.
• Torch Lilly - Kniphofia ssp.    Torch Lillies are interesting because of their unique foliage and flowers.  The foliage is grass-like, and grows in thick clumps ranging in color from blue-green to dark green.  The flowers are produced in a tight bunch on tall spikes, and the flowers open from the bottom of the spike upwards.
• Crimson Pygmy Barberry - Berberis thunbergii ‘Crimson Pygmy’    Crimson Pygmy Barberry is a compact deciduous shrub with small red leaves and stems.  The red color makes an excellent contrast with the tan and blue hues of the late summer Xeriscape.  This shrub is easy to care for, and maintains a very compact and dense form.
• Agave - Agave ssp.    Agave is native to the Southwestern United States and Mexico, and it thrives in hot, dry locations.  Most of the Agave’s have beautiful thick blue foliagewith spines on the tips of the leaves.  A very low maintenance plant for dry southern and western exposures.
• Prairie Coneflower - Ratibida ssp.    Prairie Coneflower is a tall, vigorously growing perennial that requires little maintenance and produces flowers throughout the summer.  The foliage is bright green, and available flower colors include yellow with dark brown centers, and burgundy red with dark brown centers.  The seeds are easy to harvest and sow the following spring.
• Creeping Western Sand Cherry - Prunus besseyi ‘Pawnee Buttes’    Creeping Western Sand Cherry is the low growing form of Western Sand Cherry that is native to the Rocky Mountains.  The plant has bright green leaves, and produces fragrant white flowers in the spring, followed by small black fruit that attract birds and wildlife.  In the fall, the leaves turn to beautiful shades of burgundy and red.
• Coral Bells – Heuchera ssp.    Coral Bells are a widely used favorite because they are easy to grow and care for. The large leaves are available in a variety of hues from light green, to burgundy, to silvery green. Coral Bells does very well in shade to partial sun.  Available flower colors range from white to red, and are produced on slender stalks in late spring to early summer.
• Yucca - Yucca ssp.    Yuccas are native to the Southwestern United States and Mexico.  There are many different varieties to choose from with various forms of stiff sword-like leaves ranging from dark green to blue-green.  Yuccas are a true evergreen that brings form and structure to the landscape year-round.  Most Yuccas produce large showy spikes of white bell shaped flowers in mid summer.
• Apache Plume - Fallugia paradoxa    Apache Plume is large native deciduous shrub with whitish stems and branches covered with small light green leaves.  Some of the leaves persist throughout the winter.  The shrub produces single white flowers in mid summer, followed by the very unique and attractive rose and pink colored plumes that give this plant it’s name.  A very unique and versatile shrub that grows vigorously in it’s native habitat of Colorado.

The Criteria for this List:
- This list is for the Front Range of Colorado.  We are somewhere in the middle of zone 4 to 5 on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.  I will plan to follow up with a separate post for the mountain areas located above about 7,000 feet in elevation.

- I have only included plants that are very easy to care for, and have excluded plants that require a lot of water since that is a key component of Xeriscape.  The “best” plants, in my opinion, are those that are well adapted to the local climate and do not require much additional water and maintenance.  Of course there are occasions where the use of higher water-use plants is desirable, such as in drainage areas, however I have left them off of this particular list.  And if this were a list of my personal “favorite” plants then I would probably include some that require a little extra care.

- I am not a botanist- I am a landscape architect.  This means that I am far from an expert on the science and anatomy of plants.  Instead, I am influenced by characteristics such as:  how the plant works in an overall design, its adaptability to a variety of sites, the colors and form of the foliage, the availability and cost of the plants, etc.

- This list includes a good mixture of evergreen and deciduous shrubs, perennials, and ornamental grasses that will provide a variety of color, texture, and interest throughout each of the seasons.  I have excluded trees, bulbs, and annuals for the purpose of this list.  There are so many of each to chose from that I will provide future lists for each category.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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• The 2 Common Types of Rebates Available for Renovating Your Landscaping to Save Water
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• The Top 10 Benefits of Making Landscaping More Water Efficient
• Scenes from a Colorado Garden – June 2010

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Panchito Manzanita is one of my favorite plants- and not just because the name is so fun to say.  What sets this plant apart is that it’s:  1) low-growing, 2) evergreen , and 3) it can handle full sun and minimal watering.  That combination can be difficult to find outside of the standard limited options like the low-growing junipers.

As we convert more lawn areas into Xeriscape to save water, I think the use of evergreen plants is a vital design element to help replace some of the green color of the replaced lawn that is lost.  Panchito Manzanita is an excellent choice because it looks great year-round, stays fairly compact, and requires little maintenance.

PLANT STATS
Scientific Name:  Arctostaphylos x coloradoensis
Plant Type:  Evergreen Shrub
Mature Height:  12-24″
Mature Spread:  18″-48″ (quite variable, depending on conditions)
Water Requirement:  Low- may need more water the first growing season, but requires little water once established.
Exposure:  Full Sun to very light shade
Best Features:  Unique evergreen foliage consisting of leathery 1″ long leaves.  This plant really looks great year-round.
Flowers:  Small urn-shaped pink to white flowers from February to April
Winter Interest: Very attractive evergreen foliage, reddish colored stems and bark
Disadvantages:  Slow grower the first season or two
Availability and Sizes:  I have been told that this plant is quite difficult to propagate- therefor It can be a little hard to find.  As it gains more popularity and demand for it goes up, it should be available in larger quantities.  Usually it is sold in 1 gallon size containers.  Since it is slow-growing, a 5 gallon size shrub would be even better.
Maintenance Tip:  A low maintenance plant.  You may want to prune a branch or two here or there.
Other:  Named to Plant Select in 2006.  Do not confuse with Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, which prefers much more moisture and shade. 

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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• Photo of the Day – Golden Rain Tree Seed Pods

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PLANT STATS
Scientific Name:  Salvia darcyi ‘Pscarl’
Plant Type:  Perennial
Mature Height:  36-48″
Mature Spread:  30-42″
Water Requirement:  Low
Exposure:  Full Sun to partial shade- best in full sun.
Best Features:  Intense cardinal red flowers that hummingbirds love.
Flowers:  Bright cardinal red tubular flowers from July through October.
Winter Interest:  Minimal
Disadvantages:  Does not perform well in poorly drained soils.  Late to emerge in spring.
Availability and Sizes:  This plant was introduced in 2007, but is already available through most retail and wholesale nurseries.  Commonly available in 1 gallon size, or in flats of smaller pots.  I would recommend the 1 gallon size.
Maintenance Tip:  Mulch heavily over the winter to protect from hard freezes.
Other:  Leaves and stems are very aromatic.  Salvia darcyi was originally collected in the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico.  Named to Plant Select in 2007.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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• The Best Plants for High Altitude Landscaping
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• Photo of the Day – Golden Rain Tree Seed Pods

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Diabolo Ninebark is a large, drought tolerant deciduous shrub with intense reddish-purple color.  Ninebark has been around for a while but I had not used it before in any of my designs or in my own garden.  Thanks to Stefan at Arbor Valley Nursery for recommending this versatile plant!

I was looking for a large shrub that would provide screening along the inside of an open-rail fence.  I wanted something that could handle the full sun and dry conditions, and that would get large enough to provide the screening that the client desired.  Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) was my first choice, but in a 5 gallon size it was very small and spindly, and it is a slow grower- my client wanted some impact right way (note the size in the photo).  Diabolo Ninebark provided the perfect solution.

PLANT STATS
Scientific Name:  Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’
Plant Type:  Deciduous Shrub
Mature Height:  6-8′
Mature Spread:  6-8′
Water Requirement:  Low
Exposure:  Sun (will handle part shade, but is said to have the best color in full sun).
Best Features:  Intense foliage color.
Flowers:  Clusters of creamy white flowers in mid summer.
Winter Interest:  Limited.  Bark tends to peel, which can be interesting.
Disadvantages:  None known to me.
Availability and Sizes:  Readily available for retail and wholesale purchase.  Typically found in a 5 gallon container size.
Other:  I think this plant would be a great replacement for Purple Leaf Plum, which requires more water, is susceptible to disease problems, and (in my opinion) is somewhat overused.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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• Should Ornamental Grasses be Cut Back for the Winter?
• The Best Plants for High Altitude Landscaping
• Photo of the Day – Eastern Redbud Tree in Bloom
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• Photo of the Day – Golden Rain Tree Seed Pods

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