In the fall, many homeowners are getting ready to hunker down for the winter. Designing the landscape and gardens can wait until spring, right? It turns out that may not be the best plan! According to Boulder/Denver landscape designer Tom Altgelt, of Altgelt and Associates, designing in the fall "could save you money, you could have a beautiful landscape much sooner, and the landscape design itself could be better."
An important consideration is getting the best landscaping contractor, and negotiating a good price. Since landscape construction work slows way down in the autumn and winter, says Altgelt, "sometimes we can get a better price on construction, and very likely we can still get the best contractors, who are often booked solid by early spring."
"Next, we can get a significant jump-start on the actual landscaping, depending on the location and exposure of the project," says Altgelt. In the Denver/Boulder area where he does much of his work, the weather is often mild enough to do much of the messy "hardscape" construction, especially if there is a southern exposure. This means that by spring, the major earth moving can be completed, the rocks and boulders can be in place, with the paving laid and retaining walls built.
For the massive rock features some of his clients want, Tom has to drive off-road through Wyoming ranch country to pick out rocks weighing up to 20 tons. Next he tags them and arranges for their removal. If he gets too late a start, those rocks could be snowed in until spring! "It's a race against time for me to get them out."
Most shrubs and trees love to be planted in the fall, so they can establish their roots over the winter. "That way they are ready to burst onto the scene with flowers and foliage in the spring." Even better, nurseries often mark down their plant material at the end of the season, so it's another chance to save some money. Some specialty plants will need to be ordered for spring, and it's important to get the order placed soon enough to have the best selection and highest quality.
The other consideration is the incredible mess that is created during the months the landscaping is being done. "Since the actual work of landscaping isn't pretty, why not get most of it done during the winter? That way you're prepared for a beautiful spring and summer."
And, of course, the most important consideration is the end result. Optimally, a garden will be pleasing all year round, but Altgelt says most are designed to impress us in the spring and summer. That's because there is such a wide range of plant choices that exhibit their full splendor in the warm months. Designing a landscape in the fall makes it easier to conceptualize plantings that will provide beauty year-round. For example, "a beautiful fall combination of perennials is the Sedum of Autumn Joy, which is reddish or pinkish, next to Salvia, which turns deep purple. These colors resonate with each other. Next if you add the bright golden of the black-eyed Susan, you have a stunning collage of colors."
Designing in the autumn can also inspire greater winter beauty, so the landscape will still be lovely after the leaves fall. "The evergreens, of course, come into their glory, and there are also evergreen grasses like the Blue Avena and Festucas, which beautifully reflect the blue of our Spruces. Our deciduous ornamental grasses are also very beautiful during the winter, keeping the structure of the garden alive until spring." Deciduous yellow twig and red twig shrubs display their colorful stems all winter long. "The winter is also a good time to envision the rock formations, how to give flowing form and shape to the land, especially by using dry stream beds to direct the run off from storms."
In Tom's experience, the fall and winter lend themselves to listening and contemplation, which present opportunities for a connection with the land itself. He has found that most people who own property feel a deep connection with their land. By truly listening to his clients and to the nature within the land, he finds his best inspiration.
So designing a landscape in the fall can yield benefits, both the practical benefit of saving money, and a more soulful benefit of co-creating with nature. To Altgelt, this is a magical combination. - 30228
An important consideration is getting the best landscaping contractor, and negotiating a good price. Since landscape construction work slows way down in the autumn and winter, says Altgelt, "sometimes we can get a better price on construction, and very likely we can still get the best contractors, who are often booked solid by early spring."
"Next, we can get a significant jump-start on the actual landscaping, depending on the location and exposure of the project," says Altgelt. In the Denver/Boulder area where he does much of his work, the weather is often mild enough to do much of the messy "hardscape" construction, especially if there is a southern exposure. This means that by spring, the major earth moving can be completed, the rocks and boulders can be in place, with the paving laid and retaining walls built.
For the massive rock features some of his clients want, Tom has to drive off-road through Wyoming ranch country to pick out rocks weighing up to 20 tons. Next he tags them and arranges for their removal. If he gets too late a start, those rocks could be snowed in until spring! "It's a race against time for me to get them out."
Most shrubs and trees love to be planted in the fall, so they can establish their roots over the winter. "That way they are ready to burst onto the scene with flowers and foliage in the spring." Even better, nurseries often mark down their plant material at the end of the season, so it's another chance to save some money. Some specialty plants will need to be ordered for spring, and it's important to get the order placed soon enough to have the best selection and highest quality.
The other consideration is the incredible mess that is created during the months the landscaping is being done. "Since the actual work of landscaping isn't pretty, why not get most of it done during the winter? That way you're prepared for a beautiful spring and summer."
And, of course, the most important consideration is the end result. Optimally, a garden will be pleasing all year round, but Altgelt says most are designed to impress us in the spring and summer. That's because there is such a wide range of plant choices that exhibit their full splendor in the warm months. Designing a landscape in the fall makes it easier to conceptualize plantings that will provide beauty year-round. For example, "a beautiful fall combination of perennials is the Sedum of Autumn Joy, which is reddish or pinkish, next to Salvia, which turns deep purple. These colors resonate with each other. Next if you add the bright golden of the black-eyed Susan, you have a stunning collage of colors."
Designing in the autumn can also inspire greater winter beauty, so the landscape will still be lovely after the leaves fall. "The evergreens, of course, come into their glory, and there are also evergreen grasses like the Blue Avena and Festucas, which beautifully reflect the blue of our Spruces. Our deciduous ornamental grasses are also very beautiful during the winter, keeping the structure of the garden alive until spring." Deciduous yellow twig and red twig shrubs display their colorful stems all winter long. "The winter is also a good time to envision the rock formations, how to give flowing form and shape to the land, especially by using dry stream beds to direct the run off from storms."
In Tom's experience, the fall and winter lend themselves to listening and contemplation, which present opportunities for a connection with the land itself. He has found that most people who own property feel a deep connection with their land. By truly listening to his clients and to the nature within the land, he finds his best inspiration.
So designing a landscape in the fall can yield benefits, both the practical benefit of saving money, and a more soulful benefit of co-creating with nature. To Altgelt, this is a magical combination. - 30228
About the Author:
To find out more about what's possible for your garden design, contact Thomas Altgelt, award-winning Denver, Colorado landscape architect. Visit http://www.altgelt.com to view Denver garden designs, as well as landscape and garden designs throughout Colorado and internationally.
