Heading out this weekend?

Weather this week reminds us that we're at the jumping off point for another glorious season outdoors. We're deciding what to plant-more veggies, splashier annuals, more perennials for longer lived color.


Before we get busy and just go plant something, we need to pull back. Think big picture.

What do you want your landscape, your balcony, your front porch, your patio, your curb appeal to do for YOU? Where does your landscape meet your life and how can you make it better?

If your outdoor space is where you want to live (or want to live more) in the warm months, do everything you can to make it friendly for you, your family, your guests.

• Do you need an expanded lawn area for little soccer players to kick the ball around?
• Has the dog worn trails across the grass that need to be remedied?
• Would an outdoor food prep area make entertaining easier?
• If you added some color and greenery to your patio, would that draw you outdoors more?
• Could a real fire pit create a gathering place for the teenagers you'd like to keep closer to home?

Answering these questions is all about having a plan and in the landscaping world, we call that plan a landscape design. The design relates to how we want to live in our landscape in a very pragmatic way. It incorporates the details that make the pet happy, cater to the kids, create privacy and drive the outdoor ambiance we want to enjoy.

On the practical side, a new design can be a problem-solver. Creating the big picture perspective for your space (even a very small one) will also point out problem areas that could be solved. Screening off the AC unit or solving a drainage problem by the downspouts isn't as much fun as adding a fire pit. But solving those problems along the way will help your state of mind and safeguard your property.

This weekend, if you're out planting carrot seeds or pushing petunias into pots, get a fresh take on how you want your landscape to meet up with your life.




Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

Ambiance after Dark

The love of being outdoors lures us to drift from afternoon to evening to night-time enjoyment of our patios and backyards. That's partly because outdoor living resonates with our primal needs to connect with nature that get thwarted as we fight for space on the freeway and work in hermitically sealed offices.


At the end of the day, that lounge chair on the patio by the pot of petunias is ever so inviting. And when we can stretch late-day relaxation into the night-time hours, it's all the better.

But if your patio or deck is well lit and the rest of your yard is pitch dark, you know that uncomfortable feeling of sitting in light while being surrounded by darkness. The cozy ambiance of soft lighting and candles where you relax is simply undone by the darkness that stretches beyond. That can feel a little creepy.

The solution, of course, is to add more light--but not too much and not too bright. Adding light to outdoor living areas has to be done strategically and with subtlety.

Lighting up interesting areas of the yard makes the whole landscape more enjoyable after dark--and it cures that uneasy feeling of being surrounded by total darkness. Adding better light to the area by the grill means more food prep can be done outdoors and that's also a convenience factor with fewer steps back and forth to the kitchen.

Outdoor lighting is one of the more recent bells and whistles for landscaped areas--but it's also one of the most affordable options. It can be installed cost-effectively in a new yard and it can also be retrofitted later for not much more expense.

If you're thinking about lighting up the night around your home this season, think about security and safety as well as atmosphere. Notice whether people can see your address clearly at night, whether the sidewalk--and especially steps--are well lit. Outdoor lighting increases home security and it's one of the top items on the list for curb appeal to consider if your home is about to go on the market.




Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

Need fresh ideas for your landscape?

Find inspiration for your landscape

Whether it's more Zen or more zing your landscape needs, you can find fresh ideas from ALCC's Excellence in Landscape Awards. This year's awards competition showcases the best designs, installations and maintenance projects throughout Colorado--and the photo gallery of recent recipients can inspire you for the outdoor season that's just weeks ahead.

Here are five fresh ideas from these award-winning landscapes that you might want to consider:


• Small spaces can be amazing places for outdoor living. A high-rise balcony or townhome backyard offer great possibilities. Or for an expansive yard, tucking a small living area into an inconspicuous space can make a cozy retreat.

• Outdoor lighting adds security, curb appeal and evening drama around a home.

• There's nothing like annual flowers for outdoor pizzazz. From new spins on traditional designs to exotic flower combos, annuals remain the number one outdoor fashion statement.

• Edibles are in and should not be segregated from the rest of the yard. Carefully placed combos of flowers and veggies not only ward off pests, but bring new visual interest to planting beds.

• Perennials are the newest trend for landscape value. Because they keep coming back year after year, perennial plants are the sought-after landscape investment for the long term. Seasoned gardeners know this--and others are catching on fast to this great outdoor value.


Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC

Pet Friendly Landscape Tips

When it comes to pets and the yard, it will be easier to keep pets out of the proverbial dog house if you do a few things to accommodate their needs and to eradicate ongoing problems.  

Even a small water feature will cool pets on hot days.

Cool pets with a water feature.

• Most people think that water features are anything but pet-friendly and worry about having both pets and a water feature in their yard. In reality, water features are good for dogs.
• Water features provide an ongoing source of drinking water, but you need to use non-toxic cleaners in the water. Even a pond-less (stream like) feature will provide the water a pet needs.
• They also allow dogs to cool their feet. Since dogs perspire through their feet, keeping their feet cool helps them cope with the heat of summer.
• Making sure dogs stay hydrated on hot days when you are away from home is a major challenge solved by a water feature. A pet-friendly feature requires a few design and maintenance considerations, but little to no more expense than any other water feature.

Deal with puddles.

• Sporting breeds instinctively dig when they see water, so the best solution is to eradicate low spots that become puddles and lead to muddy paw prints across the floor.
• Short term fixes are as easy as placing rocks or bricks in holes and depressions. Swampy and puddle areas due to low spots in the yard or drainage problems should be dealt with by re-grading for the long-term solution.

Create shade.

• Female dogs, especially, like to nest and will dig a nest in cool places next to foundations. In wet weather, the nesting area holds water that can lead to foundation problems. This is one reason why dogs need to be encouraged to find shade in the right places.
• If there are few tree-shaded areas encourage dogs to seek shade by giving access to the north and east sides of the house or by making other shaded areas like the space underneath a trampoline accessible.

Beware of dangers on decks.

• Sadly, many dog owners have learned what dangerous places decks can be for their pets who have suffered heat strokes and other mishaps by being confined to the deck in hot weather. Dark wood decking gets extremely hot and wood decking often has painful splinters if not sanded regularly.
• If you are building or replacing a deck, consider a more pet-friendly choice if your pets will spend any time on the deck. One made of recycled products like Trex in a light, reflective color will be cooler and less maintenance than wood. Decks from recycled products are also splinter-free.

Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC