Spring 2009 Landscaping Newsletter-Spring Blooming Perennials and Xeriscaping

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Among the firms we considered, we are very glad we chose to do business with you. We have appreciated the personal pride you put in your work, the "Colorado" look of your designs, and your hard working, friendly crew.

Brian And Michelle, Parker, CO

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Looks like you need a spring clean up!

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Spring Blooming Perennials

After a long winter it’s great to see the first spring flowers emerge! These are my picks for some vibrant spring color along with progression of bloom from April to June!

· Basket of Gold-Yellow flowers on silver foliage. Blooms April-May. Ht. 8-12” & Spd. 12”.

· Creeping Phlox-Produces showy masses of flowers in red, pink, white and blue. Blooms April-May. Ht. 4-6” & Spd. 12-24”.

· Snow-in-Summer-Silver gray foliage with white flowers. Can somewhat be invasive. Blooms May-June. Ht. 4-8” & Spd. 24-36”.

· Siberian Iris-Petals are narrower than Bearded Iris and the Iris do not have a beard! Blooms are blue, white or yellow. Blooms in June. Ht. 2-3’ & Spd. 2-3’.

· Peony-Single or double flowers in red, pink or white with shiny foliage. Good cut flower and very hardy. Blooms in June. Ht. 3’ & Spd. 3’.

Plant selections by landscape designer Linda Ranney.

Xeriscaping:

There are many misconceptions about Xeriscaping. Most homeowners do not understand the principles of Xeriscaping. This raises the questions, what is Xeriscaping? Xeriscaping is a term that was coined by Denver Water to utilize water more efficiently. There are seven steps to achieve a xeriscape landscape.

Spring To Do List

· Turn on irrigation system. Check all heads and drip system for proper coverage. Set irrigation clock.

· Prune back all perennials

· Cut back ornamental grasses

· Prune back mid-late summer blooming shrubs, such as Roses, Spirea, Sandcherry’s, Potentilla. Russian Sage etc.

· Fertilize and aerate your lawn

· Inspect pine trees and deciduous trees for insects or diseases.

· Remove tree wrap

· Prepare vegetable beds with compost

· Add fresh mulch to planting beds

· Prepare annual beds with planters mix

· Clean out water features and fountains

· Check all outdoor landscape lighting for proper exposure, working light bulbs, broken and dirty fixtures.

The Seven (7) Steps To a Xeriscape Landscape:

1. Planning and design. This usually takes an educated landscape designer/architect or horticulturist to help design the space. Aspects that are important in a xeriscape design are light exposure, plant materials, functionality, water efficiency and a theme.

2. Improvement of soil. Soil improvement is done by adding organic matter, such as compost and peat moss to the existing soil. The organic matter helps add oxygen and water retention within the soil

3. Appropriate turf areas. Design a sod area that is functional yet doesn’t take up the entire landscape. Choosing the right sod for the area can depend on sun exposure, water usage and activity. If areas where sod exists but is not doing well, replace those areas with walkways, planting beds, patios or groundcovers.

4. Water efficiency. This can be done by a few strategies. The first is to get an irrigation system set up for your new landscape. Irrigation systems utilize different amounts of water for different areas by controlled times and using appropriate emitters or spray heads for the different areas within the landscape. The second is to use an ET controller along with a programmable irrigation system. ET stands for Envirotranspiration, the rate at which plants use water. A plants ET rate can depend on moisture, sunlight, humidity and wind.

5. Appropriate plant material. A landscape designer/architect or horticulturist will have knowledge on what plants can work in different locations. As a homeowner, you can go to the website www.xratedgardening.com. It is a website that is set up by the Garden Centers of Colorado that have every xeric plant specific to Colorado landscapes.

6. Mulch. The use of mulch in your landscape, as opposed to rock, will help reduce evaporation, control weed growth and cools the root zone of plant material.

7. Maintenance. There is no such thing as a NO maintenance yard. Some yards are less maintenance than others; however every yard should have some attention given. Maintenance is required on irrigation, tree health (trimming and pest control), turf areas, weed control, plant material (trimming) and debris removal.

If you have more questions about Xeriscaping your landscape call us or visit the website www.xratedgardening.com.

Call or email us to learn more. 303.791.3060 info@landscapconnection.net