Your outdoor space is more than just a yard – it’s an extension of your home and a canvas for creativity. A well-thought-out Denver landscape design can transform your garden into a stunning retreat, blending beauty with functionality. Whether it’s creating a peaceful oasis for relaxation, a vibrant area for entertaining, or a practical layout for everyday use, professional landscape design brings your vision to life while adding value to your property.
But finding the right team to craft your dream landscape can be a challenge. That’s where Mile High Lifescape comes in. Known for their expertise and innovative approach to Denver landscaping, they specialize in turning ordinary outdoor spaces into extraordinary landscapes tailored to your needs.
What is Landscape Design?
Landscape design is all about planning and arranging spaces to make outdoor areas like gardens, parks, and urban spaces more beautiful and functional. It involves designing and managing open spaces to create comfortable and appealing environments in both cities and rural areas.
This process can be used for many types of projects, including parks, sports fields, gardens, business parks, universities, and even large housing developments. Landscape design can also help improve areas that need a fresh start, like old industrial sites, and can support programs that protect and restore habitats affected by new construction. It’s a great way to make outdoor spaces better for people and nature!
Landscape design is about organizing different elements to create a beautiful and functional outdoor space. These elements include:
- The land itself
- Built structures
- Paths and walkways
- Plants and trees
- Water features and art
- Furniture
- Lighting
- Drainage systems
- Signage
Landscape design is often grouped into two categories:
- Softscape: Natural elements like plants and soil.
- Hardscape: Man-made features like paths, walls, and furniture.
Why Does Landscape Design Matters?
Prevent Soil Erosion on Your Property
Erosion can happen in any yard. Wind and rain can wash away soil from plants and garden beds, especially in steep areas. Loose rocks on slopes can even become a safety hazard for your family.
A well-planned landscape design can help prevent erosion. Retaining walls are a great solution – they hold the soil in place while adding beauty to your yard. These walls can also create a perfect backdrop for plants, flowers, or even sculptures, making your outdoor space both safe and attractive.
Transform Large Areas into Cozy, Welcoming Spaces
If you have a big yard, it can be tricky to create private spaces where neighbors can’t see in. Landscape design can help divide your yard into cozy, inviting areas just for you.
A well-thought-out design can create an outdoor living room surrounded by trees or shrubs to block noise and give you a peaceful, natural feel. The design will focus on how you want to use the space, creating the perfect setting for your needs.
Mitigate Yard Flooding
Without a good landscaping plan, your yard could turn into a muddy mess during spring and fall rains. Flooding can damage your plants, ruin your landscaping, and make your yard hard to use.
A smart landscape design can solve this by directing rainwater and runoff to a proper drainage area. It keeps water away from your plants and protects your yard, so it stays beautiful and functional, even after heavy rains!
Improve Air Quality by Reducing Pollutants
Landscape design lets you enjoy nature in a neat and organized way, but plants do more than just look nice – they also improve the air around your home. Plants naturally absorb harmful pollutants and chemicals, cleaning the air without needing electricity or machines.
The more greenery you include in your landscape, the more it helps purify the air. Plus, a plant-filled yard looks great and makes your space healthier!
Support Local Wildlife and Ecosystems
Landscape designs can be easy to take care of! Many plans use local plants and grasses that look great and grow well year-round. Native plants are already used to the weather and seasons in your area, so they don’t need a lot of extra work to stay healthy. With the right design, your yard can stay beautiful with less effort from you or your landscaping team.
View Your Landscape as an Integrated Ecosystem
Your yard isn’t just a relaxing space—it’s its own little ecosystem! Different areas, like sunny spots, shaded corners, and sloped sections, each have unique needs. A good landscape design looks at all these factors to create a plan that works with your yard’s natural features.
It puts the right plants in the right places and considers things like drainage, erosion, and sustainable growth. The result is a beautiful, healthy yard that works in harmony with nature.
Minimize Environmental Impact
When planting a flowerbed on your own, you might choose flowers and plants that don’t thrive naturally in Denver’s conditions. To help them grow, you may need to use fertilizers, but many store-bought fertilizers contain chemicals that can harm the environment. When it rains, these chemicals can wash into the water supply, which can affect local wildlife and native plants.
Landscape design focuses on sustainability. While tropical or exotic plants can add beauty to specific areas, a good design limits their use to reduce environmental impact. By using more native plants, the landscaping becomes healthier, easier to maintain, and better for the local ecosystem.
Popular Denver Landscape Design Styles
A great landscape design can make your property more beautiful and even increase its value. But there’s no single design that works for every yard. Each space is different and needs a custom plan. A good design considers the environment, your personal style, and your budget to create a yard that’s perfect for you.
- Tropical
- English Garden
- Woodland
- Desert
- Native
- Mediterranean
Tropical
Tropical landscape design is loved for its lush greenery, bright colors, and exotic plants that make you feel like you’re on a tropical island. Although it started in the tropics, this style is popular all over the world for its relaxing and welcoming vibe.
This design features bold, eye-catching plants like palm trees, banana trees, and hibiscus. These not only add a tropical feel but also provide shade and privacy. One key element of tropical landscaping is layering, where smaller plants are placed in front of larger ones. This creates a rich, full look that feels natural and inviting.
English Garden
The English garden is all about creating a charming, country-style garden that feels natural yet carefully planned. It features neat lawns, clear pathways, and thoughtfully placed shrubs and trees to create a balance between order and a touch of wildness.
English gardens are also known for their variety of flowers and greenery. They often include a mix of perennials, annuals, shrubs, and trees that work together beautifully. With plants like roses, clematis, delphiniums, and wisteria, these gardens burst with color and texture that change with the seasons, making them a stunning sight all year long.
Woodland
The woodland style is a timeless favorite, inspired by the peaceful beauty of forests. These natural-looking landscapes blend effortlessly with their surroundings, creating a calm and organic feel. Once symbols of wealth and status, woodland gardens are now loved by homeowners who want a relaxing, nature-inspired space in their backyard.
A key feature of woodland gardens is the use of native plants. These plants are well-suited to the local soil and climate, making them easier to care for and more resistant to pests and diseases. Native plants also require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides, making woodland gardens a sustainable and eco-friendly choice that’s both beautiful and low-maintenance.
Desert
Desert gardens, also called xeriscaping, are perfect for dry and drought-prone areas. These gardens use plants that thrive in hot, dry conditions, making them easy to care for and water-efficient. As droughts become more common, desert gardens are growing in popularity, even in places where they weren’t as common before.
These gardens are not only beautiful but also practical. They bring a unique and stylish look to any backyard or front yard while helping save water and reduce maintenance.
Native
Native and naturalized gardens, often called “wildlife gardens,” are designed to look like nature while supporting local plants and animals. These gardens use native plants that have grown alongside local wildlife, fungi, and microbes for thousands of years, creating a balanced and healthy environment.
Native plants are used to the local climate and soil, making them strong, low-maintenance, and perfect for the area. This style celebrates the beauty of local plants and animals, helping us feel more connected to the land we live on while promoting biodiversity and a sense of home.
Mediterranean
Mediterranean gardens come from countries like Italy, Greece, and Spain, where the weather is hot and dry. These gardens are designed to thrive in such climates, making them both beautiful and sustainable, even in areas with limited resources.
In Mediterranean climates, the summer heat can be tough on plants. To help them grow, these gardens often include features like pergolas and arbors that provide shade during the hottest parts of the day. These structures not only protect the plants but also add a stylish and eye-catching touch to the garden.
Steps to Start Your DIY Denver Landscape Design Project
Gather Inspiration and Ideas
Explore different sources for garden ideas! Flip through garden magazines, browse websites, or check out Pinterest for inspiration. Take a walk around your neighborhood to see what others have done with their yards. Visit botanical gardens or join a garden tour to get a closer look at different styles. Pay attention to what catches your eye—whether it’s the hardscaping, plants, or overall style, like rustic or modern.
Analyze Your Site’s Features
Take a walk around the area you want to landscape and observe it at different times of the day and in different weather. Notice how much sunlight it gets and when. Morning sunlight is softer and kinder to plants because it’s cooler.
Check for any drainage problems after it rains. If water tends to pool, your landscaping plan should include solutions like a French drain or plants that thrive in wet conditions.
Create a Thoughtful Plan
Start by measuring the area you want to landscape and planning where everything will go. Imagine a path here or a hedge there. You can use hoses or ropes to mark the edges of planting beds and place items like buckets or boxes to represent larger plants like shrubs or trees. This simple trick helps you picture how bigger plants will fit into the overall design and how everything will look together.
Select the Right Plants
Now that you know your yard’s conditions—like morning sunlight, afternoon shade, and drainage – and how much space you have, it’s time to pick your plants! You can do some research online, check plant catalogs, or visit a nursery. Each plant usually has a tag that tells you what it needs and how big it will grow.
Visiting a nursery is especially helpful because you can see the plants in person and place them side by side to see which ones look good together. Plus, you’ll avoid falling in love with a plant that’s not available in your area.
Bring Your Landscape Design to Life
You can sketch your design on grid paper, using circles to show how big the plants will be when they’re fully grown. If you prefer, you can also use computer programs to design your landscape. These programs make it fun and easy – they let you plan on a grid and then see your design in 3D. You can even add features like pathways, benches, or fountains to bring your vision to life.
Common Mistakes You May Face in DIY Denver Landscape Design
Underestimate the Power of a Good Design
One big mistake in landscaping is skipping a solid plan. Without a design, you might put the entertaining area in a random spot just because there’s space or plant something only because it’s sunny there.
A thoughtful design helps your outdoor space work better and look amazing. It considers everything – like position, space, access, and views – to create a yard that’s both practical and beautiful. Plus, having a plan to follow means your landscaping will stay consistent over time, instead of becoming a mix of mismatched ideas.
Overlooking Existing Features
If you’re not starting with an empty yard, you might already have some hidden treasures in your outdoor space. With a little creativity, established plants or features can be updated or moved to fit into your new design. Keeping some of these elements can save time, money, and add character to your yard.
It’s also important to work with what your yard naturally offers instead of fighting against it. For example, if your yard has a slope, you could embrace it instead of trying to make it completely flat. Designing with the natural terrain can create a unique and beautiful space that feels like it belongs.
Skipping Infrastructure Investments
It might not be exciting to spend money on things you can’t see, but some features can make a big difference in your yard’s overall design and functionality. For example, installing an irrigation system may not seem glamorous, but it’s a lifesaver if you go on vacation during the hot summer months.
Lighting is another investment that’s worth it. While it can be pricey to set up, quality outdoor lighting adds beauty, boosts your property’s value, and makes your outdoor spaces more enjoyable. These practical upgrades are the foundation of a great yard!
Neglecting Interior-Exterior Connections
The inside/outside trend has been a favorite for years, but people often forget how their outdoor space looks from inside the house. When planning your garden, think about the view from every window. Before planting or adding structures, take a moment to look outside from each room. This way, you can design a garden that looks great both inside and out, giving you beautiful views all year round!
Planting Too Sparsely in Garden Beds
A garden filled with layers of texture, color, and shape can create a stunning and inviting space. If you don’t add enough plants to your garden beds, the area can feel a little plain. Planting in large groups, or “masses,” is a great way to make your garden look full and vibrant.
If you’re not sure what to plant or how many plants you need, consider asking a professional landscape designer or horticulturist for help. They can create a planting plan that brings your garden to life and makes it truly special!
Benefits of Hiring a Professional for Your Denver Landscape Design
Professional Expertise
While anyone can dream up ways to make a yard look great, professional landscape designers bring training, experience, and a unique skill set to the table. They’ve spent years learning and working on all kinds of landscapes, which gives them an eye for what works best.
Just by looking at your yard, a professional can come up with creative ideas to transform it. They also have the talent to take your ideas and enhance them, turning your vision into a beautiful reality. Landscapers understand how to design a space that looks amazing and meets your needs.
Save Time and Energy
Imagining your dream yard is easy, but making it happen takes a lot of work. From planning materials to organizing construction, it’s a time-consuming process that requires attention to detail.
If you’re busy or want to avoid the heavy lifting, hiring a professional landscaper is the smart choice. They handle the hard work for you, saving you time and effort while delivering a high-quality result. With their expertise, you can relax knowing your project is in good hands.
Smart Planning and Site Analysis
Professional landscapers take the time to carefully plan and organize your project before they start. They often use advanced tools to create realistic designs that show you exactly how your yard will look. Instead of jumping in right away, they study your yard to understand it fully.
They analyze things like the soil type, the climate in your area, and which plants will grow best. They also think about other elements you might want to include. This thoughtful planning ensures your project is successful, something only skilled landscapers can do.
Fewer Mistakes
Because landscapers are trained professionals, they know the best tools, materials, and techniques for the job. If you try to DIY, you might run into problems or make mistakes that lead to costly repairs later.
Hiring a pro gives you peace of mind. They know exactly how to manage your project to get the best results without issues.
Budget-Friendly Solutions
If you want a beautiful yard without breaking the bank, a professional landscaper can help. Just let them know your vision and budget, and they’ll make it work.
They’ll find the right materials and solutions to fit your budget while still delivering high-quality results. Once the budget is set, everything will run smoothly, saving you stress and ensuring a great outcome.
Cost of Denver Landscape Design Services
The cost of landscape design can change depending on how big and detailed your project is. If you’re doing it yourself, you’ll only pay for the plants, trees, or materials like rocks or stones that you choose to add. A simple DIY project usually costs about $2,600.
If you decide to hire a professional landscape designer, it’s more expensive, averaging around $8,150. While it’s a bigger investment, a designer can help create a stunning yard tailored to your vision and save you time and effort.
Mile High Lifescape: Best Denver Landscape Design Service
For almost 20 years, Mile High Lifescape has been the trusted choice for landscaping in the Denver Metro area. We’re known for our excellent service and offer a full range of landscaping, hardscaping, and xeriscaping options. Our friendly and professional team is here to help turn your outdoor space into a stunning oasis that’s even better than you imagined!
Conclusion
Denver landscape design is your key to creating a yard that’s as beautiful as it is functional. From preventing erosion to crafting cozy spaces and supporting local wildlife, a well-thought-out design enhances both your outdoor area and the environment.
Professionals like Mile High Lifescape bring expertise, creativity, and smart solutions to transform your garden into a dream space, all while saving you time and effort. Whether it’s lush greenery, vibrant flowers, or modern hardscaping, investing in professional landscape design ensures a yard you can enjoy and be proud of for years to come.
