Undoubtedly, one of the perks of living in northern Colorado is the stunning landscapes. As a custom landscape design company, our designers at Alpine Gardens pull a lot of inspiration from the Rocky Mountains. Creating a beautiful landscape that blends seamlessly with your home, budget, and the surrounding nature is what we do best. Homes in Estes Park are often Colorado mountain-inspired, and we love the challenge of creating a residential landscape that matches. If you are a homeowner in Estes Park and looking to have a custom landscape or outdoor living space designed, here are a few common themes that we think work well in the mountain surroundings.
Plantings
Colorado native plants offer a lot of benefits to a landscape – in addition to being relatively low maintenance, they provide food for native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. We’ve seen a lot of success with native plants in Estes Park landscapes because these plants have years of adapting to the severe Colorado conditions. Droughts, cold nights, and harsh sunlight won’t phase plants such as penstemon, Rocky Mountain juniper, blue spruce, prairie zinnia, or spiderwort. If you’re looking to add native plants, trees, or shrubs to your home’s landscape, our designers can help you choose the best options.
Another aspect to consider when planting, especially in an area near wildlife, is how resistant plants are to animals. Our designers are knowledgeable on elk-resistant plants and can recommend the best choices for your landscape. After all, it is meant to be viewed, not eaten! A few popular elk-resistant plants include Agastache, butterfly weed, coneflower, lupine, woadwaxen, ponderosa pine, and more.
Colorado Xeriscape
Xeriscaping has become a popular choice for many homeowners in Colorado, namely because water is expensive. Irrigating and caring for a luscious green lawn – although it looks beautiful – is a lot of work. Xeriscapes require little to no irrigation, making them the perfect choice for many homeowners living in Estes Park. You can still have a lot of variety in a xeriscape with walkways, retaining walls, varying plants and shrubbery, patios, and water features. Browse our gallery here.
Boulder Retaining Walls
A great way to add height and variation to your Estes Park landscape is through retaining walls. Practically, retaining walls hold soil at a different level than surrounding ground and prevent erosion. Visually, they add a lot of interest and beauty to a landscape! Many of our clients choose a retaining wall built out of boulders because of their natural appearance, but you can browse other styles of retaining walls in our gallery.
Water Features
Bring the waterfalls and creeks to you! Alpine Gardens can install flowing water features, adding visual and audible appeal to your outdoor living space. We have created cascading waterfalls over natural rock, still ponds, or even fountains! Let your imagination run wild and browse our water feature gallery for ideas.
It is the perfect time to begin designing your dream landscape. Please know that even during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the time following the outbreak, we are practicing safety for our clients and staff by offering virtual design meetings! 3D renderings can be viewed via video chat, meaning you don’t have to put off your landscape! Ready to get started on creating your own outdoor sanctuary at your home in Estes Park? Give our designers a call today at 970-226-2296 to get started or fill out our contact form here.
