Outdoor Living in Wide Open Spaces
This picturesque property sits at the edge of forest and open prairie in Peyton, CO. Our clients came to us to help design the landscape for their new build home. As we met with homeowners and discussed goals, we found the key concerns were to create an ultra-low maintenance landscape with room for entertaining.
As beautiful as the setting is, it boasted some serious challenges we needed to keep in mind as we designed. High winds and dry conditions needed to be considered when looking at plant selection. The sloped yard also needed to be addressed to create the outdoor living space the clients were seeking.
Boulder retaining walls allowed us to create the level areas needed for the turf and outdoor living space, and aesthetically they are a great complement to the natural surroundings. We wanted to expand the concrete patio space the builder had provided, so we poured standard great broom finished concrete to match. We then provided saw cut expansion joints, which we carried into the existing slab to add continuity between the two separate pours.
We then built a large outdoor fire pit, with a custom burner for this large fire pit that functions perfectly off the home’s propane system. The pit was veneered to match the home’s stone accents. The stucco wall helps anchor the area and provides an intimate space without blocking the stunning peak views. The built-in bench offers lots of seating space, and being finished with composite decking requires no upkeep.
For the softscape, we went with artificial turf rather than sod. We also selected hardy, drought tolerant plantings we knew would thrive in the site’s tough conditions. We also seeded the perimeter of the project with native grass seed to blend into the surrounds natural landscape. Decorative boulders, a dry creek bed, and low voltage landscape lighting provide beautiful accents to the landscape.
This xeriscape provided exactly what our clients needed; a truly low maintenance yard that didn’t sacrifice appearance and usability. Please contact us to help bring your wish list to life.