Dry as a bone

How many people were unfortunate enough to have been attempting to drive in that awful wind and dust event last week? The Denver Post reported winds were 80 miles per hour and up. My car got smacked with tumbleweeds, an errant trashcan, and then sandblasted with gravel while I was stuck at an intersection near Brighton. I felt like I had been transported to the 1930s in Oklahoma and experiencing the Dust Bowl firsthand.

It is dry here. There is no getting around that fact. We receive approximately 14 inches of precipitation per annum, but we have not reached even that nominal amount in the past couple of years. Our semi-arid environment requires careful planning and maintenance strategies when it comes to gardening.

How do we deal with the extreme temperature changes and lack of precipitation? We xeriscape – that’s what we do. We design our landscapes in order to preserve resources while also maintaining a beautiful yard. Water in Colorado is a precious commodity, so we plan and plant accordingly.

In order to effectively use your resources, consider the type of soil you currently have, how you want to irrigate, and the type of mulch that would work within your scheme. For an overall view of your current landscape, take out a piece of paper and sketch out your house, driveway, sidewalks, and existing vegetation.

Since xeriscaping is a long term plan, you will want to think about how long you expect to reside in your home, the amount of money you want to spend, and how much time and effort you are willing to invest in maintenance.

Next, divide your yard into water usage zones, such as high, moderate and low. High usage zones are areas near a patio, for example, that are highly visible and will receive supplemental water on a regular basis. Moderate usage areas will receive supplemental water when plants show the beginning signs of drought stress. Low usage zones only receive natural rainfall.

After you have completed your drawing, refer to these wonderful fact sheets from Colorado State University Extension. . Xeriscaping: Trees and Shrubs - 7.229, Xeriscaping: Ground Cover Plants - 7.230 and Xeriscaping: Annuals and Perennials - 7.231. Here’s the link for the first one: http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/xeriscaping-trees-and-shrubs-7-229/

Make a wish list of the plants you want to include in your landscape. Lay a piece of tracing paper on top of your drawing, then sketch in the plants. Each year, you can add a few extra plants to your design.

For additional inspiration, take a walk through the xeriscape garden located in the parking lot of the George Di Ciero City and County building, near the intersection of Descombes Drive and Spader Way. This lovely garden is always open and free to the public.

Despite the lack of precipitation we receive here in Colorado, you can still have beautiful, desirable plants in your yard and kick the tumbleweeds and cactus to the curb. It just requires a little knowledge and planning.

Kelley Rawlsky has an M.S. in horticulture and is the director of Bringing People and Plants Together, an organization dedicated to bringing horticulture education and therapy to the community. For more information: PeopleAndPlantsTogether@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook.

Article originally published in Broomfield Enterprise - April 22, 2018