Landscape Planning ConceptsKurt M. Jones Chaffee County Extension Director
When water supplies become stretched, many gardeners look upon their large lawns and wonder about converting it to low moisture plantings.While lawns have their purpose, making them functional (having only what you need) instead of covering large areas of your lot makes good sense.So, where do you begin? First, explore your goals for your landscape.Do you need an area for your pets or children?Are there some places in your landscape that are difficult to maintain or keep watered?Will you need to convert a portion of your existing lawn sprinklers to convert to a perennial bed? One trick that landscape designers start with when making a plan is to draw out the existing lot on paper, noting the location of difficult-to-move items like sidewalks, driveways, structures, and established trees.From there, they draw a “bubble diagram” to note differing effects they wish to make, plant watering requirements, and other desire