This xeric landscape design is based on a desire for a front yard that is not only water wise, but colorful, interesting, and bird and bee friendly. I was able to use some water saving ideas for the garden while working around the homeowner’s beautiful and mature silver maple tree. We started by removing all of the thirsty turf and installing a drip irrigation system that efficiently waters each plant individually at its roots. I then designed a water wise front yard garden with bermed areas for contour, moss rock boulders for year round visual interest, pathways for navigating the garden, evergreen plants for winter greenery, and shrubs and perennials that bloom from early spring to late fall for as much color as possible through three seasons. The homeowners wanted a very detailed plant design, so I created two versions of the design, one with a plant key and the other with plant labels. The plant pallet features xeric shrubs and perennials that attract pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Many of the shrubs provide berries, not only for the birds, but also for the homeowners to enjoy. There are perennial herbs, medicinal plants and Colorado natives in the landscape design as well. This variety of plants transformed the front yard into a space that is water wise and functional as well as beautiful.

design: Studio TOOP, 2008 location: Vianen, NL status: built in 2008, Tuinvreugd photo: Jolanthe Lalkens, 2009 This front garden needed to make a link with the newly built contemporary home and its gorgeous view. The key was for the design not to compete with either. Strokes of three types of grass and textural interest and privacy while not distracting you from the main focus of the garden: the view!

Novato, CA / photo: Gary Marsh / Constructed by 'All Decked Out', Marin County, CA
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional shade backyard stone garden path in San Francisco for summer.

Summer container garden with lantana, dahlia, and zinnia
Photo of a landscaping in Minneapolis for summer.

Flowers planted with vegetables to keep away harmful insects and diseases
Design ideas for a mid-sized full sun backyard stone formal garden in San Francisco for spring.

Country hallway photo in Belfast

A large border bed sweeps around the corner of this Illinois home, framing the large porch. Plants are a mixture of long blooming perennials, flowering shrubs and ornamental grasses. Renn Kuhnen Photography

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Wild Geranium / Geranium maculatum
Photo of a landscaping in Minneapolis.

Photo of a landscaping in Minneapolis.

Side view of The Oval from surrounding perennial borders featuring long-lived herbaceous perennials and grasses
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Designed and built by Land Art Design, Inc.
Small trendy backyard gravel patio photo in DC Metro with no cover

Stephen Himschoot
Inspiration for a small traditional partial sun backyard landscaping in Denver for summer.

This is an example of a large traditional backyard mulch landscaping in New York.

Photo of a large traditional partial sun front yard stone landscaping in Chicago.

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Chasmanthium latifolium / Sea Oats Photo: Josiah Lau Photography, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic
This is an example of a landscaping in Other.

Photo of a landscaping in Other.

Close up of 'Amy Cotta' flowers. In cool weather, leaf color is dark purple.
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional partial sun landscaping in Chicago for spring.