- Xeriscaping Steps<\/a>
- Plan Effectively<\/a><\/li>
- Choose Your Plants Wisely<\/a><\/li>
- Minimize Turf<\/a><\/li>
- Use Mulch<\/a><\/li>
- Improve Your Soil<\/a><\/li>
- Water as Needed<\/a><\/li>
- Maintain It All<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Get Paid for Xeriscaping<\/a><\/li>
- FAQ<\/a><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>
Xeriscaping Steps<\/h2>
Xeriscaping your yard doesn\u2019t have to be complicated, as long as you follow a few principles:<\/p>
Plan Effectively<\/h3>
It\u2019s 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.<\/p>
Choose Your Plants Wisely<\/h3>
![\"Gardener](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Gardener-woman-advising-female-client-during-buying-flowers-in-the-garden-center.jpg\")
Photo Credit: leszekglasner<\/a> \/ Adobe Stock<\/figcaption><\/figure> 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.<\/p>
Native plants are the best picks because they\u2019re used to the local soil and climate. But you can also choose non-natives with traits that work for the area.<\/p>
Below are a few plants that do well in Fort Collins.<\/p>
- Ponderosa pine<\/strong>: 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.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Bigtooth maple<\/strong>: For a smaller garden addition, consider the bigtooth maple tree. The tree\u2019s name refers to its leaves, which adorn its dense crown. They turn a bright red and gold as the fall approaches. The tree\u2019s bark is dark brown, and it grows diagonal, upright branches. It produces small flowers in clusters, which grow together with the leaves.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Lead plant<\/strong>: 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.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Silver artemisia<\/strong>: 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\u2019s look.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Big sagebush<\/strong>: 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.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Japanese barberry<\/strong>: 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.<\/li> <\/ul>
The best places to get plants are your local nurseries, such as Gulley Greenhouse<\/a> and Fort Collins Nursery<\/a>.<\/p>
Minimize Turf<\/h3>
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/xeriscaping-3.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Felix Wong<\/a> \/ CC BY 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> 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.<\/p>
If you do keep some turfgrass, you\u2019ll need to water it more often than your Colorado xeriscape<\/a>. The ideal watering frequency depends on the season. Here\u2019s how much water on average your Fort Collins lawn normally needs, including rainwater (in usual weather):<\/p>
- Japanese barberry<\/strong>: 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.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Big sagebush<\/strong>: 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.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Silver artemisia<\/strong>: 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\u2019s look.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Lead plant<\/strong>: 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.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Bigtooth maple<\/strong>: For a smaller garden addition, consider the bigtooth maple tree. The tree\u2019s name refers to its leaves, which adorn its dense crown. They turn a bright red and gold as the fall approaches. The tree\u2019s bark is dark brown, and it grows diagonal, upright branches. It produces small flowers in clusters, which grow together with the leaves.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Choose Your Plants Wisely<\/a><\/li>
- Plan Effectively<\/a><\/li>
![\"brown](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/soil-mulch.jpeg\")
![\"Drip](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Drip-irrigation.jpg\")