BEAUTIFUL WAY TO CONSERVE WATER

Add trees to provide shade and cooling to plants and to sections of your home — you’ll save water and energy. Placing deciduous trees on your home’s east, south and west sides will provide shade during summer and allow the sun to come through during winter.

Plant ground covers in front of perennials and shrubs; use them to replace grass lawns in low-traffic areas. Mulch keeps soil cooler, reduces evaporation and minimizes weeds. Coordinate shape, color and function with plant types, trees and house color. Organic mulches include wood chips, chunk bark, shredded bark, pine needles, lawn clippings and straw. Install 4 inches worth of these materials.

Inorganic mulches are stone-based and include rock, cobblestone, pea gravel, lava rock and crushed rock. These last longer than organic mulches.

Contest

Win a front yard makeover! Create an entertaining 30- to 60-second video about why your lawn sucks — water, that is. Then submit it between April 1 and April 30 for an opportunity to win a $9,000 ColoradoScape front yard makeover. Find details at CRconserve.com/Contest.

Perennial plants come back each year. Using an assortment will ensure blooms throughout the growing season. Place perennials in front of shrubs, with the smallest plants in front. Create a powerful effect by planting in close groupings. This keeps plant roots cooler and can reduce the need for water.

Use annuals to add great seasonal color and fill in bare areas.

A low-water landscape is a balance of soft and hardscape elements like rock, mulch and plants.

Ornamental grasses add height and texture in a design — plant them as a backdrop to perennials and annuals.

Make an irrigation plan. Drip irrigation systems for landscape beds can reduce water waste from evaporation by 20%! Group plants according to their watering needs, and use irrigation designed for that zone.

Start planning by visiting CRconserve.com/ColoradoScape. Sign up for a ColoradoScape Design Workshop at CRconserve.com/WaterWiser and see if you qualify for a ColoradoScape renovation rebate at CRconserve.com/Rebates.