Welcome to Xeric Garden
Thoughtful, resilient gardens for Colorado’s challenging climate.
At Xeric Garden, I design landscapes rooted in sustainability, seasonality, and long term performance. These are not “set it and forget it” spaces. They are living gardens that evolve over time and reward those who engage with them.
I specialize in xeric and firescape informed garden design for homeowners who want more than a low water yard. My work focuses on creating beautiful, highly intentional landscapes that reflect the character of the property, support the surrounding environment, and become a meaningful part of everyday life.
Colorado gardening comes with real challenges: arid conditions, dramatic temperature swings, limited water, wildfire risk, and an unpredictable growing season. The right plants and design strategies can do more than simply survive these conditions. They can create gardens that thrive within them.
Through thoughtful plant selection, efficient water use, intentional design, and an understanding of Colorado’s unique growing conditions, I create landscapes built for resilience, beauty, and longevity.
Firescaping is also an important part of my approach. By thoughtfully incorporating fire resistant plantings, defensible space, and appropriate landscape design strategies, wildfire resilience can become part of a beautiful, cohesive garden rather than something that compromises its character.
A Small, Selective Practice
Xeric Garden is intentionally kept small.
I take on only a very limited number of private projects each year, allowing me to remain personally involved in the design process and give each garden the level of thought, research, and attention it deserves.
New projects are currently considered primarily through referrals and existing relationships. I choose projects carefully based on fit, scope, timing, and my ability to provide meaningful guidance throughout the process.
I do not maintain a large client roster or accept every project that comes my way. Keeping the practice small allows me to focus on creating gardens that are thoughtful, distinctive, and built to perform for the long term.
Who I Work With
I work with homeowners who are genuinely interested in their landscape and want to be involved in its long term success.
My clients value thoughtful design, are open to learning, and understand that even waterwise gardens require observation, seasonal care, editing, and attention to truly thrive.
They are looking to create something distinctive and enduring rather than simply install a finished landscape.
Who I’m Not the Right Fit For
I’m probably not the right fit if you’re looking for a landscape that can be installed and largely ignored, or expecting a completely maintenance free solution.
Waterwise gardens can dramatically reduce inputs such as irrigation and mowing, but they are still living systems. The best gardens evolve over time through observation, editing, and care.
Private Garden Consulting & Design
I keep Xeric Garden intentionally small and take on only a select number of private projects each year. Opportunities to work together are generally extended through referrals and existing relationships.
If you were referred to Xeric Garden by an existing client, colleague, horticultural professional, or someone within my local network, I welcome you to get in touch.
Otherwise, I invite you to explore the garden, experiments, and resources here at Xeric Garden. Much of what I’ve learned is shared openly for Colorado gardeners who want to create better landscapes themselves.
Articles
- Wood Mulch Is Out. Colorado, Get Over It.
Wood mulch is out. Colorado, get over your obsession with wood mulch. Here on the Front Range, we receive only 12–18 inches of precipitation each year. Even more important, most of our rain events are tiny. Many produce only 0.02–0.10 inches, and very few exceed 0.25 inches. We don’t receive long, soaking rains like much of the eastern United States. We get short, localized thunderstorms followed by intense sunshine, low humidity, and wind. This is where wood mulch becomes interesting. A layer of organic mulch has to absorb moisture before that water can move into the soil below. Research has… Read more: Wood Mulch Is Out. Colorado, Get Over It. - Unirrigated Gardening in the Western USA: 8 Plants That Thrive on Rain
There is a common misconception about xeriscaping that I’m asked about often. The reality is that most “drought tolerant” plant lists quietly assume some level of supplemental irrigation. Xeriscaping was originally founded on the idea that traditional lawns in the West require excessive water, and that replacing them with lower water plants could significantly reduce water use. What many people quickly discover, however, is that achieving vibrant blooms and lush color usually still requires regular watering for their favorite “drought tolerant” plants. A true dry garden is different. In these landscapes, supplemental irrigation may only be needed during plant establishment… Read more: Unirrigated Gardening in the Western USA: 8 Plants That Thrive on Rain - The Easter Daisy, aka Townsend’s Daisy
I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say we eagerly anticipate the first perennials to bloom in the garden each spring. Finding these early blooming flowers is not only an exciting adventure but also a long awaited reward as we look forward to seeing them bloom again the following year. However, since most of the time you can’t get your hands on these early bloomers until after they’ve already bloomed, it’s easy to miss some of the most extraordinary flowers when garden centers first open. One such remarkable flower is the Easter Daisy, also known as Townsend’s Daisy. The… Read more: The Easter Daisy, aka Townsend’s Daisy - Sheep Fescue as a Lawn Alternative
My Experience After a Season with Sheep Fescue Thus far, Sheep Fescue has been a great alternative to traditional grass if you live without kids or dogs. Let me state this upfront for those who prefer the TL;DR version: if you have kids or a dog, Fine Fescue isn’t what you’re looking for. Move on and consider Tall Fescue, Dog Tuff (though it has a late green-up), Blue Grama, Buffalo or some of the other turf varieties I found at TurfMasters Sod. They offer a lot of drought-tolerant turf alternatives. Now, for those of you sticking around for the full… Read more: Sheep Fescue as a Lawn Alternative - Why Weed Barrier Fabric Shouldn’t Be Used
We all hate weeds and the chore that comes with maintaining them, but did you know that weed fabric is doing you more harm than good? It can cause some serious impacts on your plant’s health and the environment. I know I already sound like another one of those Internet hippies, but hear me out on why you shouldn’t be using weed barrier. The moral of the story here is to not use weed fabric barrier. Mulching is a great alternative to weed fabric and is even more effective. Things like wood mulch or rock mulch can be used. My… Read more: Why Weed Barrier Fabric Shouldn’t Be Used