Colorado summers get dry and water restrictions can create tedious boundaries when planning and designing your dream garden and yard. It takes strategic effort to keep the grass green and the flowers luscious and healthy. That’s where John Van, president of Four Elements Landscape, comes in. John manages the company’s vision, quality, and footprint in the landscaping industry. He and his team have a lot of wisdom to share when it comes to creating and maintaining your yard and garden in anticipation of the Colorado heat.
"As a company, we are always reinventing ourselves based on the new trends, the changing climate and what’s friendly for the environment,” John says. As a full-service landscaping company, Four Seasons takes care of landscaping, hardscaping, maintenance, electrical, and anything else needed to complete an outdoor living space. By taking ownership of every element in a project, they cut out the hassle of having multiple contractors. Their passion is to make your yard and garden an extension of your home.
"This summer, we are most excited about helping create outdoor spaces where lasting memories can be created with families,” John shares. When approaching a new project, they take great care to identify your wish list, budget, and survey the property in regard to slopes, elevations, drainage, and impervious coverage. They even consider resale value as they draw up plans. Every detail is important. This includes picking out the best waterwise grasses and plants.
So, what is the best way to plan out your yard and garden? John suggests xeriscaping, a landscaping method developed especially for arid and semiarid climates that utilize water-conserving techniques. He also recommends automatic irrigation systems, carefully considering your trees, choosing drought-tolerant perennials, and incorporating hardscaping. He even mentions artificial grass as a viable option. For your garden, container gardening is a great consideration as well.
“Landscaping is very much an art,” John explains. “To create a beautiful design, there needs to be depth, texture, and colors to create an aesthetically pleasing space. For example, trees and plants of various heights, multi-tier walls or patios of different shapes or materials, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, and colorful flowers or bushes can really add some drama to your home.”
John says the best waterwise grasses and plants are blue fescue, blue avena, and fountain grass, as well as ground covers such as snow-in-summer, ice plants, creeping phlox, daylily, salvia, and yarrow. If you’re looking for more low-maintenance native plants, he advises toward the Colorado blue columbine, black-eyed susan, fringed sage, mountain mahogany, and rabbitbrush. And his favorite garden plant combination is serviceberry, dwarf mugo pine, feather reed grass, daylily, plus snow-in-summer and veronica for ground covers.
“A person's outdoor living space speaks a lot about their personality,” John says. “Social butterflies tend toward outdoors that mirror an indoor vibe. They have at least two couches, loads of cushions, and a table for eight with a range and minifridge close by. With a setup like this, there’s a pretty good chance you’re a born entertainer. A quieter soul may have more simple plantings (or none at all), and a quiet solitary spot to read. The crafty sort relishes an outdoor space that is full of clever furnishings built from scratch or upcycled.”
No matter which setting speaks to who you are, there are many options for creating a unique yard and garden. Even as you proactively approach the dry bouts of summer, with the right grasses and plants you can enjoy your home and make memories that will last a lifetime in the comfort of your own backyard.
Four Elements Landscape
(303) 346-0837
fourelementslandscape.com
