There is nothing quite like spring — when the birds chirp good morning and dormant plants and bulbs come to life and emerge from the earth. It is a time of renewal and promise. It’s also a time when people, especially residents at Sterling Ranch, are eager and inspired to plan their landscaping and summer gardens. 

In Colorado, Mother’s Day is often considered the official kickoff for gardening outdoors. The ground is warming and the threat of frost is low. April, therefore, is when the big planning push happens: people build garden beds, begin working the soil and procure seeds and starter plants. Are you among the many excited for spring planting? Read on for suggestions to ensure your high plains garden is a success.

A family of five sits on the front steps of a modern two-story house with a porch, brick columns, and a landscaped yard in Sterling Ranch, just southwest of Denver.

Landscaping at Sterling Ranch: 8 pre-approved plants

In the West, we must remain conscious of our plant choices and their water needs. As the ground thaws and your planning switches into high gear, get a head start on your garden with this list of beautiful, water-wise shrubs, perennials, evergreens and grasses. Bird-friendly varieties are marked with an asterisk.*

A close-up of a red and yellow flower, likely a Gaillardia, with pointed petals and a blurred green and brown background, captured in the natural beauty of Sterling Ranch Colorado.

Blanket Flower

Botanical Name: Gaillardia Aristata*
Common Name: Blanket Flower
Type: Perennial
Description: A low-growing member of the sunflower family, these flowers boast bursting red petals with vibrant yellow tips

Two purple, bell-shaped flowers with smooth petals and green stems are shown in close-up against a blurred green background, capturing the natural beauty often found in Sterling Ranch CO.

Beardtongue

Botanical Name: Penstemon Grandiflorus*
Common Name: Beardtongue
Type: Perennial
Description: This prairie-wildflower-turned-landscape-favorite brings elegance to any garden bed

Close-up of tall green grass with purple seed heads against a blurred green background, capturing the natural beauty found in Sterling Ranch CO.

Little Bluestem Grass

Botanical Name: Schizachyrium Scoparium*
Common Name: Little Bluestem Grass
Type: Grass
Description: Dainty blue-green stems sway in the breeze, reminiscent of the open space that stretches beyond the community

Close-up of a yellow rose in bloom at Sterling Ranch Colorado, with visible red stamens at the center and dark green leaves in the background.

Rocky Mountain Zinnia

Botanical Name: Zinnia Grandiflora
Common Name: Rocky Mountain Zinnia
Type: Perennial
Description: With a name like this, you know this water-wise plant with yellow flowers is a native plant suited to our unique Colorado climate

A single white flower with five petals and a yellow center, surrounded by green leaves on a plant, brightens the landscape in Sterling Ranch, Littleton CO.

Boulder Raspberry

Botanical Name: Ribes Deliciosus
Common Name: Boulder Raspberry
Type: Shrub
Description: Attract birds and bees to your garden with these low-growing, thornless plants that sport white flowers and irresistible red berries

Close-up of lavender-purple flowers on slender green stems, with a soft-focus background of similar blooms, capturing the natural beauty often found in gardens across Littleton CO.

Russian Sage

Botanical Name: Perovskia Atriplicifolia
Common Name: Russian Sage
Type: Shrub
Description: From the salvia family, these wispy purple flowers top tall stems of smell-good, light-green sage leaves

Close-up of several blue lupine flowers with green stems and leaves, set against a blurred green background in Sterling Ranch, Colorado, located just southwest of Denver.

Rocky Mountain Penstemon

Botanical Name: Penstemon Strictus*
Common Name: Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Type: Evergreen Perennial
Description: This fragrant, hardy, drought-resistant, nectar-heavy plant boasts showy royal-blue flowers

Dense green juniper shrub with needle-like foliage, showing lighter green new growth at the top, growing outdoors in natural soil at Sterling Ranch, Littleton CO.

Creeping Juniper

Botanical Name: Juniperus Horizontalis
Common Name: Creeping Juniper
Type: Evergreen
Description: Unassuming and vigorous, this ground cover brings year-round color to your yard

Red roses grow along a pathway with houses and a blurred American flag in the background under a blue sky with scattered clouds, capturing the charm of Littleton CO, just southwest of Denver in the Denver metro area.

Need some guidance? The Sterling Ranch Community Authority Board (CAB) hosts Homeowner Landscape classes from March through September. Check its event calendar for class offerings.

Quick tips for garden success

Gardeners at Sterling Ranch benefit from the expertise shared by others. “We conducted a five-year test garden with the Denver Botanic Gardens and the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies to determine what garden and landscape plans would be best for Sterling Ranch,” says Harold Smethills, cofounder of Sterling Ranch. From this test, here are some actionable tips to ensure your garden and landscape are bountiful:

  • In any new landscape, apply two to three inches of compost (unbagged is best) atop your soil and till it in four to six inches deep wherever you are going to plant.
  • Plant all your available space as soon as the weather warms.
  • Always use an organic-based fertilizer for your lawn or garden areas.
  • Use planter boxes or raised beds for vegetable gardens.
  • Container gardens need specially mixed media (potting soils) that do not contain any natural soil.

 

“We conducted a five-year test garden with the Denver Botanic Gardens and the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies to determine what garden and landscape plans would be best for Sterling Ranch.”

Harold Smethills, Sterling Ranch Founder

Thrive with us

Spring is a special time in Colorado. Our incredible location at Sterling Ranch is particularly suited for bountiful gardens. Planning a move? We invite you to swing by and explore our unique, sustainability-focused community. Delight in our public spaces bursting with new growth and tour our 10 inspiring model homes. Open daily.

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