To xeriscape your yard, plan effectively, choose the right plants and grasses, improve your soil, and maintain your xeriscape. But first, you can try to take advantage of Fort Collins’s xeriscaping incentive and get money back if you qualify.
Xeriscaping will allow you to have a beautiful yard that needs minimal watering. The term was introduced in Denver, Colorado, in the 1970s. Xeriscaping needs slow-growing, drought-resistant plants, and the right setup to work. From there, the maintenance is easy.
Xeriscaping Steps
Xeriscaping your yard doesn’t have to be complicated, as long as you follow a few principles:
Plan Effectively
It’s important to have a drawing of your landscape before you make it a reality. Identify all your needs, sunny and shady areas, slopes, and views. Put plants with similar needs together, and think logically about the layout of your garden. For instance, you might want to plant a few trees for some shade or a groundcover for an easy-care grass replacement.
Choose Your Plants Wisely
Droughts are relatively common in Fort Collins. For a sustainable garden, you want to choose slow-growing, drought-tolerant plants. Choose plants with similar requirements to make maintenance easy. If you choose more of a variety, group plants with similar soil and sunlight needs together. Pick plants that vary in texture, color, and height to create diversity.
Native plants are the best picks because they’re used to the local soil and climate. But you can also choose non-natives with traits that work for the area.
Below are a few plants that do well in Fort Collins.
- Ponderosa pine: This perennial has an open, cylindrical crown and bears three- to six-inch cones. Its bark is brown to black in color. Over time, it turns a lighter brown. Ponderosa pine may live up to 600 years. Its seeds serve as food for various wildlife like squirrels and chipmunks.
- Bigtooth maple: For a smaller garden addition, consider the bigtooth maple tree. The tree’s name refers to its leaves, which adorn its dense crown. They turn a bright red and gold as the fall approaches. The tree’s bark is dark brown, and it grows diagonal, upright branches. It produces small flowers in clusters, which grow together with the leaves.
- Lead plant: Lead plant is a deciduous shrub with lovely, bluish-purple flowers that bloom for three weeks between late spring and early summer. These blossoms feed a variety of beneficial insects, including butterflies, moths, and bees. Its deep roots make the lead plant the perfect candidate for surviving drought.
- Silver artemisia: Native to the Colorado mountain meadows, the silver artemisia shrub has showy silver foliage. It boasts small, yellow flowers in mid to late summer. However, you may want to trim these off to maintain the plant’s look.
- Big sagebush: The big sagebush has a short, twisted trunk and fragrant, silvery leaves but also grows small, yellow-green flowers in late summer. A variety of songbirds nest in it, and the sage grouse bird feeds on it. The big sagebush can also work as a groundcover or hedge.
- Japanese barberry: A low-maintenance dream, the Japanese barberry shrub is often used as a hedge. It boasts bright foliage in the fall, and its blossoms and berries attract butterflies and birds. Although the Japanese barberry is a great choice for its low-maintenance nature, be careful with it, because it can outcompete native plants.
The best places to get plants are your local nurseries, such as Gulley Greenhouse and Fort Collins Nursery.
Minimize Turf
Turfgrass requires a lot of water to remain thick and healthy, so a good xeriscape minimizes the use of turfgrass to reduce water usage and maintenance. Replace turfgrass with drought-resistant ground cover if you can.
If you do keep some turfgrass, you’ll need to water it more often than your Colorado xeriscape. The ideal watering frequency depends on the season. Here’s how much water on average your Fort Collins lawn normally needs, including rainwater (in usual weather):
| Month | May | June | July | August | September | October |
| Watering Needs | 1 inch per week | 1.25 inches per week | 1.5 inches per week | 1.25 inches per week | 1 inch per week | 0.5 inch per week |
If you thought it was that simple, you’re wrong: it doesn’t end here. Depending on your grass type, you may need to water your Fort Collins lawn more. Some grasses, like Kentucky bluegrass, need more watering in the summer than other grasses. It may need up to 2.5 inches of water in the summer.
Moreover, don’t cut your grass too short to keep it strong and help it conserve water. Mow it when it’s about one third longer than the desired height. After you mow, leave grass clippings on your grass for a quick and easy nutrient boost.
Read more about the best Fort Collins grass seed in our article. And if you’d like to know more about watering lawns in Colorado in general, check out our article for that.
Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
Mulch is a protective layer of material that helps preserve moisture. It also helps against weed growth and soil erosion.
Use two to four inches of mulch directly on the soil surface or over landscape fabric. There are several kinds of mulch that work well. You can use eco-friendly organic mulch or long-lasting inorganic mulch. However, don’t use black plastic, which keeps air and water from reaching roots.
Examples of organic mulch are:
- Compost
- Straw
- Wood chips
- Bark
- Leaves
Examples of inorganic mulch are:
- Gravel
- Landscape fabric
- Rubber mulch
- Reflective metallic mulch
Improve Your Soil
For your xeriscaping design to work, you need the right soil. Good soil absorbs and retains water well. Moreover, quick-draining soil is the best for retaining moisture without drenching your plants in water.
Based on location, soil types in Fort Collins range from sandy loam to clay, with variations in texture, fertility, and drainage. Most Colorado soils can use two to three cubic yards of organic matter, like commercial compost, for every 1,000 square feet of landscape area.
Plants vary in their soil preferences, so make sure you do your research to take care of them properly. Test your soil routinely to find out if you need to make amendments to its PH or nutrients.
Water as Needed
Avoid overwatering. Not only can it damage your garden, but it’s also bad for the environment. Water efficiently by hand or use an irrigation system. The best time to water is early in the morning, but if needed, you can also water in the late afternoon. Familiarize yourself with each of your plants’ watering needs. The best xeriscape plants need infrequent watering.
Drip irrigation is a great option for plants that need a lot of water. Our drip irrigation guide is a great resource for anyone interested in trying it.
For grass, use low-volume, low-angle sprinklers, and follow the aforementioned lawn watering guidelines.
To make the most out of your irrigation system, include timers and weather checks so that you only water your garden when it needs it. You can also get a rain shut-off device. As its name suggests, it will shut off your irrigation system when it rains.
Maintain Your Xeriscape
While xeriscaped gardens require some maintenance, it’s minimal. So once you opt for this easy-care option, make sure not to overdo it with maintenance. Once again, don’t overwater or overfertilize. Take care of your turfgrass as per the instructions above. Prune all your trees, shrubs, and flowering perennial plants as needed.
Get Paid for Xeriscaping
If the convenience and eco-friendliness of xeriscaping aren’t enough to convince you, here’s another reason to transform your landscape into a xeriscaped one: Fort Collins’ xeriscape incentive program. You can essentially get paid for xeriscaping your landscape by receiving rebate from your local municipality. But hurry while funds are still available.
To get started, you need:
- To be eligible: Check out the terms and conditions for more information.
- To be a Fort Collins Utilities Water customer with an account number: Confirm your water district here.
- To make a landscape plan. Here’s a landscape example. For more inspiration, check out the Xeriscape Design Booklet, the Water Wise Landscape Design (CSU Extension), and the Low-Water Native Plant Designs for Foothills and Prairies.
- To make an irrigation plan if your design will include an irrigation system: Here’s an irrigation plan example.
- To make a watering plan: Here’s a watering plan template.
- The right plants: Check out some examples of native and non-native plants above. Additionally, you can use the XIP Approved Plant List and the City of Fort Collins Recommended Plant List.
- Two color “before” photos: The photos must show green grass or new construction in the last 12 months and include a wide view of the property and grass areas that you’ll renovate.
Once you have everything down, you can:
- Schedule a customer meeting before you submit your application. This will give staff a chance to review your design packages and help you with any questions.
- Install your project within one year.
- Schedule an inspection and submit paperwork prior or during inspection.
- The paperwork will include a final rebate application form, a list of expenses, and receipts to prove that the project cost was equal to or greater than the rebate.
- If you remove grass and replace it with new material, you’ll also need a soil amendment certificate.
- You may also need to fill in a W9 form. These are provided and completed at inspection. The reason for that is that a rebate over $600 counts as taxable income.
- Receive rebate as a check. It may take up to a few months.
How much will I get paid for xeriscaping? You can receive as much as $0.75 per square foot up to 1000 square feet, or up to $750 per project. You’ll get an extra $0.25 per square foot up to 1000 square feet or up to $1,000 total for planting at least 80% of Colorado natives.
Can I get paid for xeriscaping if I’m renting? Yes, you can get paid for xeriscaping whether you own your home or rent it.
If you have your own home, apply with the Residential XIP Application. If you’re renting or live in a mobile home community, email xeriscape@fcgov.com to receive an alternative application.
Take note that your project has to be approved to get paid. The plants must cover at least 50% of the renovation area at maturity.
FAQ
What time of year is best to xeriscape?
The best time to xeriscape is in the fall. The weather is cooler, and you’ll be prepared for the summer. You can also get good deals from contractors, as well as plants on sale.
How can I xeriscape on a budget?
As mentioned above, xeriscape in the fall when you can get better deals. Buy perennials rather than annuals because you won’t need to replace them. Buy seeds instead of plants. Use materials you have at home for mulch.
What are the best xeriscaping grasses for Fort Collins?
The most drought-tolerant grasses for Fort Collins are buffalograss, blue grama, and tall fescue.
Leave Xeriscaping to a Pro
Unless you’re a pro, xeriscaping your landscape is going to be challenging. Plus, you can get money back with the aforementioned incentive program. Contact a pro from Lawnstarter to get xeriscaping done right.
Sources
Main Photo Credit: The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery Building / Zerdnog / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
