Danielle is a Denver7 evening meteorologist who’s been predicting Colorado’s ever-changing, ever-challenging weather for more than a decade.
As we inch closer into the fall season in Colorado, many homeowners and HOAs may think the landscaping season is over. But experts said this is actually the time to start planning for next year’s landscape.
With record heat in August, water restrictions and rising water bills, they explained it’s more important than ever to think about sustainable landscaping.Denver7 met up with Phil Steinhauer, owner of Designscapes Colorado and a member of the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado, to explain what a ColoradoScape is all about.Steinhauer said a ColoradoScape is a landscape that is specifically designed for Colorado’s unique climate. It’s not about putting in rocks and cactus everywhere. It’s about using native, water-wise plants, efficient irrigation, and even new water-saving turf like Tahoma 31. That’s grass that looks great, Steinhauer said, but uses a fraction of the water. The goal is to create landscapes that are both beautiful and sustainable, he explained.Steinhauer said a ColoradoScape saves water, reduces plant replacement costs, and still gives you a yard or community space in which you want to spend time. It’s about creating beauty and resilience in one package.There's a new ColoradoScaping certification program through the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado, launching this winter. Steinhauer said it’s so important for HOAs, homeowners and professionals to know about.The certification is designed to make sure professionals are trained to build and maintain true ColoradoScapes. He said this is a professional certification — an intensive program of 20 hours of online coursework along with 15 hours of hands-on training and testing. It ensures landscape professionals have the skills and expertise to design and maintain these Coloradoscapes the right way, Steinhauer explained.Landscaping experts want both HOAs and homeowners to be aware of this program so they can start to ask if companies are ColoradoScaping certified. With that assurance, Steinhauer said they’re getting the most water-efficient, sustainable and cost-effective care available.This is especially important for larger neighborhoods that see their water bills go up every summer. Water bills and plant replacement costs are huge issues for HOAs and Steinhauer said this certification directly addresses those challenges.As the climate changes, ColoradoScaping is an important step forward for Colorado’s communities. For more information, go to ColoradoScaping.org.
Associated Landscape Contractors Of Colorado Tony Coloradoscaping Coloradoscaping Certification Danielle Grant Denver7 Gardening Segment Denver7 Gardening Segment Phil Steinhauer Coloradoscaping Phil Steinhauer Designscapes Colorado Sustainable Landscaping
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