With Colorado’s changing and extreme climate, landscape experts say you have to be strategic when it comes to picking out the right plants to create an attractive landscape year-round.
>> IT IS A BEAUTIFUL, SUNNY DAY AND WE’RE JUST TRYING TO FIND A LITTLE SHADE AROUND HERE. I HAVE KACI HERE. A MEMBER OF THE U.S. IS THE LANDSCAPE, CONTRACTORS OF COLORADO WITH ME ALSO A PROJECT MANAGER WITH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGNS. AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT PLANTS. THERE ARE SO MANY PLANS TO CHOOSE FROM. TALK TO ME ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE’RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD PUT IN OUR YARDS HOW LOSE, REALLY AND ESPECIALLY FOR COMING OUT OF CHINA. AND THERE’S SO MANY OPTIONS OUT THERE. AND USUALLY WHEN HOMEOWNERS ARE EVEN LANDSCAPE, PROFESSIONALS ARE LOOKING TO. >> PLANT ARE LOOKING FOR WIDE SELECTION, GO TO SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE COACH WHO WILL SAY ONE THING THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE TO CHECK ON IS WHERE THIS CAN YOU KNOW, THERE’S A LOT OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN THAT COMES OUT OF CHICAGO. OUT OF CALIFORNIA, OUT OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST. AND A LOT OF THOSE PLANTS JUST CAN’T HANDLE OUR COLORADO TEMPERATURE EXPOSURE. SUCH EXTREMES, RIGHT? SO HOW DO WE FIND? >> PLANTS THAT ARE HARDY ENOUGH TO SURVIVE AND ARE. >> WHILE GET IS A LITTLE TRICKY. SO HERE LCC, MANY OF OUR MEMBERS ARE SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT CERTIFIED. THEN YOU LEARN A LOT ABOUT PLANT SELECTION. THERE. WHAT’S ELECTION RESOURCES LIKE PLANTS ELECT DOT ORG, WHERE WE CAN FIND MATERIAL THAT’S BEEN ADDED TO SURVIVE AND EXCEL IN OUR CLIMATE RIGHT. WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THE EXPOSURE TO TEMPERATURE THE HEAT AND EVEN FACTORS LIKE THE SHADE OR SOMEWHERE HERE IN THE SHADY SPOT RIGHT NOW. BUT HOW DOES THIS LOOK IN THE AFTERNOON? AND LATER? >> WE’RE GOING TO THE GARDEN CENTER FOR GETTING OUR HANDS IN THE DIRT IN OUR BACKYARD. WHAT ARE THINGS MAYBE WE SHOULD AVOID DOING? SO I THINK GOING TO THE THE THE GARDEN CENTER OF THE NURSERY AND JUST GRABBING THE FIRST. >> PRETTY THAT’S A LOT OF OUR REACTION. YEAH. MAKE SURE IT’S SOMETHING THAT WORKS WELL AGAIN IN THE CLIMATE IS A SUPPLY CHAIN IS IT’S A PLAN THAT WILL RED, FOR EXAMPLE, WE’VE GOT A CABINET HERE. THESE ARE LOVELY IS SPREAD PROLIFICALLY. ANOTHER COVERING A GOOD BIT OF SPACE. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE WE PLANNING THESE RIGHT NEXT TO SOMETHING ELSE? ARE WE GIVING THEM? >> SPACE. WE DO KIND OF HAVE TO BE STRATEGIC AND NOT ONLY WHAT WE’RE PICKING UP THEN WHERE WE’RE PLANTING THEM TO WRITE A C UP TO SEE THE AREA WAS THE USAGE. WHAT ARE THE WHAT ARE THE DEW POINTS? ARE WE SEEING THIS FROM THE STREET FACING THIS FROM THE FRONT DOOR? >> ARE WE GETTING TRAFFIC? IS THIS SOMETHING THAT SMELLS NICE AGAIN, LIKE A CABINET YOU WANT IS JUST TO GET TO KNOW YOUR SPACE AND THEN. >> SOLD WHAT’S AVAILABLE BOTTOM LINE. I DON’T NOW WHAT I’M DOING. SO THAT IS PROBABLY THE BEST IDEAS. >> CALLING UP SOMEONE LIKE THAT IS TRICKY. BUT YES,