Tag Archives: Denver landscape designer

Recap of the 5280 Home Party at Lifescape Colorado

Summer is the season for entertaining, so Lifescape Colorado decided it was time to throw a party! What better way is there to kick off three of the best months Colorado has to offer? We paired up with 5280 The Denver Magazine and their editors, as well as some of Colorado’s finest architects, landscape architects, designers and sculptors for this special event. It was a gorgeous evening, replete with delicious food, perfect weather, a beautiful ambiance and superb company.

5280 Home is a local magazine that serves as a complete guide to everything great about Denver and Colorado in general. Their gorgeous magazine spreads are comprised of stunning photos and well-written articles on subjects ranging from Rocky Mountain highlights and things to do in the area to recipes, home health remedies, as well as DIY design and build tips.

As an incentive to advertisers, 5280 Home hosts a party once a quarter for companies and advertisers who contribute a full page, back cover ad spread. Lifescape Colorado was happy to take advantage of their offer, and you can view our full-page ad in their June issue. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved and serves as one more example of how networking is beneficial to the collective.

Our 5280 Home party was a great way for Colorado landscape architects and others involved in the design and build industry, as well as 5280 Home, to get together and celebrate our mutual interests with a bit of fun. Our party took place on June 12 and it wouldn’t have been such a grand success without the participation of some key players:

We want to thank Olive & Finch, P17, Street Kitchen and Babette’s for providing scrumptious morsels throughout the evening. None of us could stay away! The Ace Eat and Serve Bar Bus and Penny prepared chilled refreshments to complement the food. Finally, The Perfect Petal graciously adorned our space with elaborate floral arrangements, yielding the perfect ambiance for this summer affair.

Everyone had an excellent time at the party! Check out 5280 Home’s Facebook page to see pictures and learn more about the magazine. Are you ready to get your own backyard in summer party shape? Give Lifescape Colorado a call at 303.831.8310.

Top Garden Trends in 2014

Garden planning requires two perspectives –reflecting back to learn from what didn’t work in years past, and gazing forward to embrace modern gardening trends. Here are the top garden trends of 2014. Which ones will you implement in your Colorado garden design this year?

5 Top Garden Trends for 2014

Source: All-America Selections

Plants of the year. Are you stuck in a plant rut, growing the same varieties year after year? Nearly every garden-oriented organization has a plant of the year. Here are a few of this year’s selections that do just fine in our climate:

Northwind (Panicum virgatum). This tall ornamental grass turns a beautiful golden color in the fall.
African Sunset Petunia. Looking for a burst of vibrant color? In the right conditions, these fiery orange blooms will proliferate through the first frost.
Sparkle White Guara. Delicate white blooms tinged with pink belie this plant’s ability to withstand heat and drought.

Source: HGTV Gardens

Color of the year. Interior and outdoor design go hand in hand, which is why the same bold colors we see in modern textiles and paint colors are cropping up in gardens. Case in point, Pantone announced Radiant Orchid as its color of the year. As a result, you’ll see plants with similar color profiles in homes and garden shows.

Source: Urban Farmer

Sustainable gardening. The more we learn, the more we realize synthetic pesticide and growth enhancers are detrimental to Mother Nature’s balance. In fact, the 2014 Garden Trends Report states composting as the no. 1 garden trend. They have dubbed it “the new recycling.” Use compost to organically amend your soil.

Source: Aloe Designs via Houzz

Edible gardens. In line with sustainable gardening is the growing trend towards edible gardens. They just make sense. You can include fruit trees, herbs and fruits. If you plan it right, your edible garden will add year-round visual interest.

Source: Calvin Craig Landscaping via Houzz

Bee love. If you don’t want to become a backyard bee keeper, you can do your part by cultivating plants essential pollinators love. These include pollen-rich flowers, fruit trees and pollinating vegetables.

Contact Lifescape Colorado for professional assistance incorporating these top gardening trends into your Colorado garden design.

A Colorado Gardener’s February Checklist

Source: Andrew Renn via Houzz

February is a tricky month for gardeners in the Rocky Mountain state. Sunnier days inspire hope that spring is on the way, but we know there will still be freezing temperatures before winter has truly run its course. The following Colorado gardening tips can help you give your garden the TLC it needs to begin the transition from winter to spring, without losing any beloved plants from overeager early planting.

Source: Pendleton Design Management via Houzz

Prune trees and shrubs

One of the blessings of cold weather is that deciduous trees lose their leaves. You can finally see the true “skeleton” of the plant, which provides much easier access for pruning. Use this dormant season to remove any branches that are noticeably diseased or damaged. Trim branches that are beginning to cross their neighbors. If you have flowering or fruiting trees, thin the branches in the middle, so the tree has ample access to sunlight. Always use appropriate pruning tools.

Source: Jocelyn H. Chilvers via Houzz

Stop pests before they start

You can use an eco-friendly dormant oil to prevent the eggs and larvae of common plant pests from maturing. Common pests in our area include leaf rollers, aphids and scale. Dormant oil is an effective means of controlling these pests without harming children or pets. Read the manufacturer’s instructions since it isn’t appropriate for all trees and shrubs.

Source: Paintbox Garden via Houzz

Plan your garden

If you haven’t had time to plan next year’s garden amidst the holiday hubbub, now’s the time. Before you’re tempted by all the seed catalogs making their way into your mailbox, comb through your stored seeds to see what you have on hand. Then you can make a list of the flowers and vegetables you need, so you don’t overbuy.

Source: Le jardinet via Houzz

Build a Mason Bee habitat

If you’re interested in boosting local pollination, but not so much in labor-intensive bee keeping, build a Mason Bee habitat. Mason bees are non-stinging, non-honey producing pollinators that live a solitary life.

If you don’t feel like braving your cold garden just yet, contact Lifescape Colorado. We offer year-round landscape maintenance services to ensure your gardens looks great during all four seasons.

Light Up Your Landscape This Winter

Source: Land & Water Design via Houzz

Landscape lighting provides a myriad of benefits, ranging from safety to aesthetics. During chilly months, landscape lighting can also help fight winter doldrums, creating a comforting, ambient glow around your landscape. With a few simple modifications, our Lifescape Colorado landscape lighting services can provide energy-efficient lighting solutions to enhance safety and prevent ice slippage.

Source: McKay Landscape Lighting via Houzz

Artistic enhancements

Your outdoor lighting can be both functional and artistic. You can select artistic lamp posts to line your walkways and stairs. They look beautiful by day and at night, and they also cast a unique glow. Backlit panels are a another way to help define patio and pathway boundaries, while providing an illuminated work of art.

Source: Wheeler Kearns Architects via Houzz

Understated safety

Lights are an integral part of nighttime stairway and walkway safety. This is especially true for our cold climate, where slick ice can be hidden under pockets of snow or under the guise of dark. Modern lighting plans can incorporate elegant, understated safety lighting right into the stairways themselves. These small lights provide sufficient lighting for safety without creating a harsh glare.

Source: McKay Landscape Lighting via Houzz

Up and downlights

Optimize your lighting plan to highlight some of your favorite and most picturesque landscape features. You can use landscape lighting to show off a postcard-worthy tree or to transform a line of stark, barren trees into sculptures. The right uplighting, downlighting and backlighting can turn everyday landscape features into works of art by night.

Source: Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture via Houzz

Lighting for ambiance

After the safety issues have all be taken care of, and the appropriate features have been highlighted and lowlighted, you can focus on lighting for ambiance. Colored lights on the patio add a festive atmosphere, while solar twinkle lights lend an element of magic.

Once your lighting plans are finalized and your landscape is illuminated, make sure you have a maintenance plan in place. Lifescape Colorado offers a variety of landscape maintenance services and enhancements to keep your landscape looking fresh year-round.

Add Holiday Cheer to Winter Container Gardens

Your home isn’t the only place to add holiday cheer this year. There are plenty of ways for you to create a festive atmosphere by adding holiday colors to your Colorado container gardens. From dogwood branches, to vibrant mosses and ornamental twigs, your containers can add visual interest all winter long.

We’ve put together a list of ideas for some inspiration. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by all the things you have to do to get ready for the holidays, our Lifescape maintenance team can take care of your landscaping for you.

Design by Lifescape Colorado

Transform an old container. We all have one or two containers that stare forlornly at us once cold weather comes around. These are the perfect place to begin. By adding a mix of evergreen boughs, grasses, pine cones, or other winter-inspired accents, your old containers will add festive cheer within half an hour or less.

Design by Lifescape Colorado

Design by Lifescape Colorado

One container – four seasons. With a little planning, you can create a container garden designed to be interesting all year long. By choosing a few plants that will last through the season, you can then select seasonal additions for your container. A pumpkin accent you added for fall can be replaced with faux gifts wrapped in colorful or metallic wrappings for winter.

Design by Lifescape Colorado

The power of redtwig dogwood. We recommend investing in a redtwig dogwood. This deciduous shrub loses its leaves and, as its name implies, leaves vibrant red branches behind. They’re beautiful left standing naturally, or you can cut some of the branches and use them for container arrangements. They look beautiful paired with an evergreen plant, like a dwarf spruce or holly, or simply stuck into the soil with a blanket of vibrant green moss.

Design by Lifescape Colorado

What are some of the ways you add holiday cheer to your Colorado container gardens? We would love to hear your ideas. Or, let us know if the Lifescape team can help you add festive accents to your garden space.