You can create a beautiful xeriscape in your Boulder yard using native, drought-tolerant plants, trees, bushes, and flowers along with hard accents, like stones, bricks, and, dare I say, boulders.
In the High Desert, xeriscaping may be your only ticket to a stunning landscape because achieving and maintaining a lush lawn is difficult without a lot of water. Xeriscaping can make your property bright, natural, and best of all, low-maintenance and eco-friendly.
What is Xeriscaping?
Photo Credit: Jeffrey Beall / Flickr / CC By-SA 2.0
Xeriscaping swaps out a lawn full of grass and replaces it with groundcovers, trees, shrubs, succulents, and perennials that thrive in their native environment and require less water. For Boulder residents, this means that the rocky, sandy, or clay soil you have will usually suit these plants just fine.
When you opt for a xeriscape instead of a landscape, you enhance the natural environment around you. You use plants that provide food and shelter for the local birds, pollinators, and wildlife. You use far less water, and you spend much less time on mowing and maintenance.
Accenting the plants, xeriscapes often include hard features such as rocks, gravel, mulch, and water features, like a rain garden, fountain, or pond.
How to Xeriscape
Whether you’re revamping your existing landscape or starting from scratch, there are some key steps you should follow to create a great xeriscape.
Step 1
The first thing you need to do once you’ve decided to xeriscape is assess your land. What is the soil condition? Where is it sunny and shady? Does water pool anywhere when it rains?
Knowing these things will help you determine what kind of plants will thrive in various areas of the yard.
Step 2
Next, design a layout. Choose plants that will benefit from the natural features of your space. Some plants need full sun, others thrive in partly shaded areas. Some plants grow in sandy soil, while others prefer soil with a lot of organic matter.
Design must be aesthetically pleasing as well. Put taller plants behind shorter plants, and group plants with different textures and colors.
Step 3
Like the foundation of a house, the soil is the foundation upon which your xeriscape will be built, and it must be strong. Testing your soil will tell you its pH and what kind of nutrients it needs. This information will help you amend if necessary or choose the proper plants.
Step 4
Having a xeriscape doesn’t mean you have to lose your entire lawn. If you have a dog or kids who want to go in the yard to play soccer, that might be hard to achieve with just rocks and plants. If you want to include grass, choose one of the best grass types for Boulder (learn about lawn maintenance and how and when to water your lawn in Boulder).
Xeriscape Maintenance
Having a xeriscape in Colorado is a low-maintenance option, not a no-maintenance one. There is still some work you will have to do for upkeep, but not nearly as much as you would need to do with a traditional Colorado lawn and garden.
You will need to irrigate. While native plants are drought-tolerant and can survive long periods of time without water, they do still need some water. But rather than running the sprinkler over your entire yard, you can opt for a drip irrigation system.
You will need to prevent weeds. Weeds grow anywhere, with or without water! But with the help of a thick layer of mulch, straw, or gravel, you will have far fewer. Try to avoid chemicals, but rather pull weeds by hand. Check out our weed control guide for more tips and tricks.
You will need to prune and trim. Keep your shrubs and trees in check so they aren’t overgrown. Cut them down to size in April and May to promote their healthy growth. If you’ve never done it before, check out our pruning guide.
You will need to prevent pests and diseases. Pests like Japanese beetles and cutworms can infest your plants and cause significant damage. Likewise, watch out for diseases like black spot that can spread and kill your plants.
Native Plants for the Front Range and Foothills
Photo Credit: James St. John / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
Here is a short list of native plants to choose from that have low water needs.
Trees
- Rocky Mountain juniper
- Gambel oak
Shrubs
- Rubber rabbitbrush
- Snowberry
- Western sandcherry
Grasses
- Blue grama
- Indian ricegrass
- Little bluestem
Succulents
- Prickly pear
- Plains yucca
Perennials
- Butterfly milkweed
- Black-eyed Susan
- Prairie coneflower
- Blue Mist Penstemon
- Desert four o’clock
Groundcovers
- Spreading daisy
- Sulphur flower
- Gro-Low fragrant sumac
Native Plants for the Mountains 7,500 Feet and Above
Photo Credit: Matt Lavin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0
*No trees grow at this elevation with low water requirements; they all have medium to high water needs.
Shrubs
- Boulder raspberry rubus
- Wax currant
- Shrubby cinquefoil
Grasses
- Indian ricegrass
- Prairie Junegrass
Perennials
- Rocky Mountain penstemon
- Blue mist penstemon
- Golden banner
- Pearly everlasting
Groundcovers
- Pussytoes
- Kinnikinnick
- Sulfur buckwheat
FAQs
When is a good time to xeriscape?
Most anytime of the year is a good time to xeriscape, as long as the ground isn’t frozen. You also don’t want to be out in the heat digging, so fall is best, but spring is also good, as long as the threat of snow is gone.
What if I still want grass?
Whether it’s because of pets, kids, or aesthetics, grass lawns can be hard to eliminate altogether. If you want to incorporate some grass into your xeriscape, be sure to choose a grass seed best for Colorado.
Additionally, if you have an area with turfgrass, be sure you follow the rules and regulations for watering your lawn in Colorado.
Are there professional xeriscapers like there are landscapers?
Absolutely! If you’re thinking of switching to a xeriscape but don’t have the time or tools, you can hire a professional xeriscape designer in Boulder. They’ll work with you to assess your land and create a design that works for you and your family at a price you can afford.
Xeriscaping: DIY or Hire a Pro?
Depending on how large of a space you have, how much time you have to devote, how knowledgeable you are about gardening, and whether you have the right tools, planning and creating your own xeriscape may be a rewarding experience for you.
However, if you love the idea of using less water and being more environmentally friendly but don’t have what it takes to do it yourself, hire a pro. A professional Boulder landscape designer knows all about Boulder’s soil, what plants grow best, and how to design and maintain a xeriscape that fits your life and style.
Main Photo Credit: A xeriscaped yard in Colorado / Brenda Ryan / Lawnstarter
