Enriching communities through the thoughtful, artful, and resourceful design of outdoor space is my passion, and environmental stewardship is my imperative. Every project is significant, site-specific, and client-driven, with the power to transform, enrich, and restore human connection within the natural world. I value collaboration and effective communication and strive to exceed expectations while working as a team to synthesize and realize project goals. My services include hourly consulting, design on-site, DIY instruction, Parkway Amendment Applications, Xeriscape Incentive Program Plans (XIP), curated plant lists (seed, plugs, or containers), plant sourcing, ecological gardening practices, Colorado native and Eco-region appropriate planting design, site design, hardscapes, marrying building architecture with landscape architecture, complete landscape plans, and access to my go-to contractor referral list.
I offer a variety of design services, one of which is complete landscape plans. This page explains what this process entails. My design proposals typically include four design phases:
Phase 1: Scaled base map of your project area to serve as the foundation for all landscape plans.
Phase 2: Conceptual Design - We explore all the program elements you want in your design, balanced by your site's opportunities and constraints.
Design Review Meeting
Phase 3: Design Development - We hone your preferred site layout and landscape materials and dive into planting design with preliminary estimates
Design Review Meeting
Phase 4: Final Landscape Plans
Sometimes, the landscape design process may require HOA approval, a Parkway Amendment to be approved by the City, coordination and drawings to be approved by Xeriscape Incentive Program (XIP), Coordination with your home architecture team or preferred landscape installer, hands-on DIY demonstration.
Every project is custom. Every site is unique. Every project is client-driven.
The following drawings illustrate one project's process. Note different site layout options and how concept drawings get refined into a final site design. To simplify things, I've omitted all the notes and labels that would normally be included. The intent of these sketches is to show the iterative design process. I'm happy to answer any questions and create a design proposal specific to your needs.
Additional design services I can provide:
hourly consulting, design on-site, DIY instruction, curated plant lists (seed, plugs, or containers), plant sourcing, ecological gardening practices, Colorado native and Eco-region appropriate planting design, site design, hardscapes, marrying building architecture with landscape architecture, complete landscape plans, and access to my go-to contractor referral list.
Garden Editing! My client wanted to expand their garden, support birds and insects, and save water. We reduced the turf lawn size, edited the existing plant palette, and infused native and regionally appropriate perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs, and evergreen trees to add layering and diversity to the landscape. Now, they have a variety of host plants, nectar and fruit-bearing plants, and year-round interest in the garden. The garden stays up all winter and has an ecologically minded maintenance strategy. The landscape has become a high-traffic area for butterflies, hummingbirds, birds, and insects!
Old Town, Fort Collins
A wonderful Old Town project designed in autumn 2020, installed in 2021, with photos of its 2nd summer in 2023! See video of before and after of this project on Instagram HERE!
Clean lines for a buttoned-up contemporary aesthetic that also craves soft flexibility. Yes, you can have it all! Low-water plants wrap around the patio and set the stage for an avid gardener to add to the garden over time. Set against a park-like backdrop of mature trees, the entire patio design and planting are new. The site layout was informed by an underground canal that runs through the property. Layers of plant material buffer and frame views of the home and garden from the street with plenty of turf lawn to still run and play with the dog. Stay tuned for backyard photos in 2024 and 2025.
More photos can be found on Instagram Here!
Fort Collins, CO
A complete landscape renovation for a modern aesthetic in Old Town Fort Collins. Thoughtful site layout and material selections are reflected in the fencing, and the board formed walls, trellising, custom gates, shade structure, and artistic planting. Keen attention was given to the selection and placement of water-wise plants to offer a modern twist with native and non-native regionally appropriate plants that thrive in Colorado’s arid climate. Installed in the fall of 2018 with Detailed Landscape- stay tuned for more photos as plantings mature. Boulder Raspberry, CHEYENNE® mock orange, Red Birds in a Tree, Butterfly weed, Seven-Son flower tree, Blonde Ambition, Fernleaf Buckthorn, Penstemon, Engelmann’s daisy…
Fort Collins, Colorado
The City of Fort Collins Xeriscape Incentive Program added a new rebate in 2020 to encourage homeowners to achieve 80% native plant palettes! This client wanted to remove all of the turf grass in their front and side yard & replace it with a low water to xeric plant palette to meet this challenge. We integrated existing planting beds into the new design and layered in Colorado native plants & low-water regionally beneficial Steppe Region plants. The existing soil was amended with pea gravel, more than fluffy compost, to give plants their preferred drainage and soil conditions. The right soil amendment is determined by your existing soil conditions and the types of plants you want to plant. A succession of bloom times with low-maintenance, habitat-building plants are currently taking root in this landscape. Stay tuned for photos as plant material matures.
Please read the XIP Residential Terms and Conditions before embarking on changes in your landscape! You will not be eligible for the program if you make changes to your landscape prior to XIP approval.
Please reach out if you would like help with your XIP design! I am happy to answer questions or assist you with as much or as little help as you need with your water-wise landscape conversion project! I have been an ambassador for the XIP program since 2018.
Photos show the existing conditions before landscape demolition. Zavala Landscaping performed all of the landscape demolition and installation for this project. They do beautiful work and are a joy to work with!
This project was installed during the covid pandemic!
Watch this informative video I took of Denver Botanic Gardens Horticulturist Mike Bone for Plant Select to learn more about plants that like well-draining soil: Soil for a Colorado Steppe Garden with Mike Bone
Ribbons of ornamental grasses, perennials, and shrubs elegantly glide through this landscape, creating structure and sculpture on the ground plane, framed views, and unity of home and garden. Geese with goslings visit the great lawn, fish jump in the lake, and grasses move in the breeze while the owner has beautiful gardens to explore around every corner. This project was installed in the spring/summer of 2017, and I continue to nurture it today.
Fort Collins, Colorado
Landscape design concepts for a busy family of five renovating a mid-century home. Concepts explore circulation, parking, boundaries, outdoor family space, areas for specialty crops, and honoring the history and integrity of the original architecture. This project is in progress…Phase 1 of the landscape included a new fence, driveway, and establishment of a lush Sheep Fescue lawn from seed. This project is in progress…stay tuned!
Projects can range in size and scope from a small pocket garden to a large master plan. This pasture property is being installed in phases to become home to rescued wild mustangs, burros, and other furry and feathered friends! The windbreak was designed in collaboration with the Colorado State Forest Service, whose mission is “to achieve stewardship of Colorado’s diverse forest environments for the benefit of present and future generations.” Planning for your site in advance will pay you back in the long run. Investing in a windbreak will benefit generations to come. Stay tuned for photos as this project breaks ground.
Hand-drawn sketches can help you visualize options for how to change your space. If you’re unsure where to begin, let’s sketch ideas and see what suits you!
No project is too small. A small space can make a big difference in your life! You can hire out the work to be done or DIY — I’ll walk you through it!
When I worked for Plant Select, I organized and wrote content for the monthly newsletter, contributed to annual brochures (writing, editing, and sometimes photographs), and collaborated with Jane Shellenberger and DBG Horticulturist Mike Bone to write an article for Colorado Gardener. The graphic was created and provided by Didier Design Studio. Click here to read the Late Spring 2021 article “What it Takes to Bring a Plant to Market.” (p. 8-9).
Resource Central and Plant Select asked me to design a Garden in a Box for the 2021 growing season! Three water-wise garden designs featured Plant Select plants for full-sun. Every year, Resource Central works with Colorado designers to offer beautiful water-wise gardens you can order online and plant yourself!
Plant Select is a non-profit collaboration between Denver Botanic Gardens and Colorado State University, whose goal is to create smart plant choices for a new American landscape inspired by the Rocky Mountain Region. Plants chosen for the program exhibit these eight attributes:
* Flourish with less water
* Habitat-friendly
* Tough and resilient in challenging climates
* Thrive in a broad range of conditions
* One of a kind/unique
* Resist disease & insects
* Long-lasting beauty
* Non-invasive
Support Plant Select! Become a member Here!
2024: Please request
2023: Please request
2022: Please request
2021:
Valley View 3, Fort Collins, CO
Village Court, Fort Collins, CO
Alexa Way, Fort Collins, CO
Red Oak Ct, Fort Collins, CO
Whedbee 1 & 2, Fort Collins, CO
High Pointe HOA, Fort Collins, CO
Muskrat Creek, Fort Collins, CO
Mathews St, Fort Collins, CO
Mountain Ave 1, 2 & 3, Fort Collins, CO
Brown St, Fort Collins, CO
Tulane, Fort Collins, CO
Indian Hills 1 & 2, Fort Collins, CO
Headwater Dr, Fort Collins, CO
Featherstar Way, Fort Collins, CO
Overland Trail, Fort Collins, CO
2019:
Whedbee 1 & 2, Fort Collins, CO
Alexa Way, Fort Collins, CO
Mariposa, Fort Collins, CO
Rocky Ridge, Fort Collins, CO
My Sister Knits, Fort Collins, CO
Spinnaker Lane, Fort Collins, CO
Trapper’s Creek, Fort Collins, CO
Wren Place, Loveland, CO
2018:
Alexa Way, Fort Collins, CO
Wood Street, Fort Collins, CO
Muskrat Creek, Fort Collins, CO
Nedrah Drive, Fort Collins, CO
Valley View 1 & 2, Fort Collins, CO
Cottonwood Drive, Fort Collins, CO
Dearborn Street, Fort Collins, CO
Detailed Landscape 2018-2017 continued:
Basta-Brown Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2018
Jordan Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2018
Toshcoff Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2018
Rupert Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2018
Blat Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2018
Ridgeway Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2018
Lewis Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2018
Russell+Mills Studios:
Johnson Dr, Fort Collins, CO 2016
College Green Landscape Design, Greeley, CO 2016-17
Lusk Elementary School, Lusk, Wyoming 2016-17
Mirasol Phase III, Loveland, CO 2017
Mapleton Global Academy, Adams County, CO 2017
Touchstone Marble & Granite, Adams County, CO 2017
Eastridge Townhomes, Loveland, CO 2017
Warren Lake, Fort Collins, CO 2017
Jenkins Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2017
Greenscape Designs:
Kendall Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2016
Anika Drive, Fort Collins, CO 2016
Oaks Residence, Ft. Collins, CO 2015
Galeton Fire Station, Galeton, CO 2015
Good Samaritan Society - Fort Collins Village, Fort Collins, CO 2015
Liberty and The Enclave at Registry Ridge, Fort Collins, CO 2015
Clear Creek Park, Cheyenne, Wyoming 2015
Knox - Shonkwiler Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2015
Kurtz Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2015
Vigil Residence, Timnath, CO 2015
Goupil Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2015
Firestation #2, Loveland, CO 2015
Guimaraes Residence, Windsor, CO 2015
Gibson Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2015
Oaks Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2015
Konopasek Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2015
Bill Nye Roadway Improvements, Laramie, Wyoming 2015
Skyview Elementary School of STEM, Windsor, CO 2015
Schumacher Residence, Windsor, CO 2015
West Lincoln Way Streetscape, Cheyenne, Wyoming 2015
Carren Residence, Fort Collins, CO 2014
Bradford Residence, Brighton, CO 2014
Adamson Funeral Home, Greeley, CO 2014
BHA Designs Inc:
Saint Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 2008
Odell Brewery - First Expansion, Fort Collins, CO 2008
Front Range Village, Fort Collins, CO 2007-2008
Cheyenne Family Recreation Center, Cheyenne, Wyoming 2007
Mt. Nebo Cemetery, Gillette, Wyoming 2007
