Winter Garden Maintenance - Things to do in January in your Denver Garden and across Colorado’s Front Range.

Winter Garden Maintenance - Things to do in January in your Denver Garden and across Colorado’s Front Range.

By:Jonathan Manning, CLT
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

In Denver there are many things which still need to be done in your garden. Dormant pruning is much needed in most gardens in the Denver Metro area. Topdressing new organic mulch is something which can be done to help retain moisture and enhance the color of the garden. Some things such as watering and finishing clearing out leaves from your garden can only be done when snow is not covering your garden areas.




Some bushes or shrubs sometimes need to be trimmed in the fall or winter to allow them to grow properly the next year. Butterfly Bushes (Buddleia davidii), Blue Mist Spirea (Caryopteris candensis), Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), and other shrubs which just finished blooming later in summer and fall need to be cut back to approximately three inches (3”) off the ground. Be careful not to prune bushes such as lilacs (Syringa spp.) or forsythia (Forsythia spp.). Some shrubs such as Red or Yellow Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea or Cornus sericea flaviramea; repstectively), need to have the old wood carefully removed from the bush to allow new colorful growth.




Color and texture is also added by installing or topdressing mulch in your gardens. Mulch has many beneficial effects and can be detrimental if not used properly. Mulch helps retain water and keeps the soil cooler beneath the mulch layer. It also protects plants from this harsh Colorado climate. Remember, mulch should only be applied to a depth of no more than four inches (4”). When more than four inches of mulch is applied other issues may occur. Things such as locking up nutrients, not allowing air to enter into the soil and absorption of water by the mulch can occur when too much mulch is applied. Adding mulch is a hugely beneficial aspect and should not be neglected in the Denver Metro Area.




When mulch is applied it is a great time to water the areas to help add weight to the mulch, evenly distribute the mulch and add water to the soil. Deeply watering trees, shrubs, perennials and even your lawn will dramatically effect their growth in the spring and summer. Deep watering during the winter and early spring, when sprinkler systems are shutdown, allows roots to penetrate the soil. Deeper roots means more root area, which allows plants to absorb more water & nutrients which increases survival in Denver’s semi-arid climate. (***Remember water should only be applied when there is no snow covering the ground and the temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.)




Get out in your garden and get prepared for the upcoming gardening season. What is done now dramatically effects the health of your garden. Help your Denver garden get started growing the right way this spring by watering, leaf cleanup, adding mulch to the proper depth and pruning your garden correctly.




A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC is here to provide assistance or to fully take control and help you have A Better Garden. Call us today, (303) 433 - 3750, to setup a Garden Maintenance Contract or Lawn Maintenance Contract for your Denver Area business or home garden. Remember we also offer snow removal services including Snow Plowing, Snow Shoveling and De-icing Services.

Winter Watering

Winter Watering

By:Whitney Gronseth
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

It may seem out of place to be worrying about watering your lawn and other plants during the winter time. However, in Colorado's dry climate, your yard does need to be watered throughout the year. We are blessed with many sunny days and this makes it so that there is not a consistent snow cover. Without the snow cover on the lawn, your grass does not get the water that it needs (it is alive year round) and can be damaged this way. Watering in the winter is only done when there is no snow cover on the ground and it is above 40 degrees outside. You can most easily accomplish this by hand watering. Check you lawn and perennials every 4-6 weeks throughout the winter season to make sure that they are getting enough water for what they need throughout the winter months. Call 303-433-3750 for your winter watering needs.

Sodding in the Rockies - Sod & New Lawn Sprinkler System installed in Denver in the month of November.

Sodding in the Rockies - Sod & New Lawn Sprinkler System installed in Denver in the month of November.

By:Jonathan Manning, CLT
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

Most people would be shocked to know that lawns & gardens gets installed in the winter. Landscape Construction can always be performed with the right equipment and the right conditions. The cool temperatures allow plants to support with ease and transport energy into the roots over the fall and winter. This newly installed sod and perennials needs to be watered over the winter. They are still actively growing and can suffer stress from lack of water. A lack of water over the winter from limited snow and rainfall which is not supplemented can cause dessication and dieback of the plant. Deep watering allows roots to grow deep limiting potential drought stress.

This yard below was requested to have a complete landscape and garden overhaul.

The garden along the Denver house had volunteers close to the foundation. The massive cottonwood in the center of the landscape had suckers all over the base and lower trunk. Landscape fabric was showing and plants needed cut back to their basal growth. The mixture of weeds and various grasses needed removed along with amending the soil with 5 cubic yards of composted dairy manure for every 1000 square feet of area.

The whole area was roto-tilled and lines were trenched in for the Rainbird lawn sprinkler system to be installed.

This quaint Denver home had an automatic three (3) zone RainBird Lawn Sprinkler System professionally installed. The lowest points of each zone had a Seal-A-Matic Rainbird 3504 Rotor installed to prevent water waste. The zones were nozzle to match precipitation rates. An outdoor controller was utilized to reduce the hassle of going inside for the lawn sprinkler system running outdoors. The inside tap and backflow prevention device requires a permit issued from the city and county of Denver. (These permits should be hung from your front window in plain sight). And a FebCo ¾” 765 was installed as required by Denver code.

The final touches of sod, perennials, and mulch were placed and the sprinkler system activated on November 7, 2009 as shown above.

Anytime is a good time to plant in the Denver Metro area, but Fall and Winter is a great time to plant. Give us a call today to setup a free estimate for your lawn sprinkler system, sod installation or shrub & perennial installation.

(303) 433-3750.

Winter Watering

Winter Watering

By:Whitney Gronseth

A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

Winter Watering

Watering your garden and lawn during the winter time is just as important as watering them during the warmer months. How often you do it is the only thing that changes. Watering during the winter is especially important in Colorado as we are in a semi-arid climate. While we do have snow fall, the snow cover does not stick around therefore the soil does not get a steady supply of moisture. This can damage or kill the root system. Plants that are damaged in this way may appear perfectly healthy until the temperature warms up. At this point the damaged plant, now weakened, may now die in the spring warm up or be much more susceptible to disease or infestation. Watering combined with mulching will help protect your soil and plants throughout the winter season.


Depending on precipitation, you will need to water every 3-5 weeks. Watering should only be done in weather that is forty degrees or warmer and there should be no snow covering on the ground. Plants and trees in windier areas also need to be watered more often as they are more quickly dried out by the wind. A Better Garden Maintenance furnishes this service for our clients on request. Contact us at 303-433-3750 to get your winter watering scheduled for this winter season. You can also contact us on our website at www.abtrgarden.com.

Fall Clean Ups

By:Whitney Gronseth

A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

Fall Clean-Ups

With the onset of autumn comes football, baseball playoffs, Halloween and fall garden and yard clean ups. In order to keep your garden and yard healthy and safe throughout the winter months and beautiful and ready to go in the spring time, your yard needs a full fall clean up. This includes cleaning up all the leaves in the yard, pulling dead or dying plants, wrapping up fruit trees and young trees, pruning up trees and trimming hedges and bushes. Doing so protects your yard and garden from disease and the harsh and ever changing winter weather.


As we all know, raking and gardening can be back breaking and time consuming work. At A Better Garden we take this off your hands and professionally and efficiently get the job done. This gives you the time to enjoy your time, spending your time on what you actually should and want to be doing. Call us at 303-433-3750 to schedule your fall clean today. You can also contact us through our website at www.abtrgarden.com.

Fall is great for New Sod - The time to install sod, shrubs and seed is now.

Fall is great for New Sod - The time to install sod, shrubs and seed is now.

By:Jonathan Manning, CLT
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

The summer is winding down and fall is on its way, yet now is a perfect time to think about next year. In the fall you should take time to make sure your contract for lawn, sprinkler and garden maintenance is in order, get new shrubs installed, get a lawn sprinkler system installed and even get a new sod lawn installed. Any and all of these items are great things to have performed in the Fall. The thing to remember, any plants installed in the fall must be hand watered throughout the winter months. During Denver's fall and winter months, plants are still active and need water.



Plants being active during the winter in Colorado is actually a good thing. During the fall in Denver, the above ground temperature drops dramatically while the soil temperature is buffered. The protected soil still has the trapped energy of summer to allow roots of plants to continue to grow during the winter and spring. In winter wheat, the process of roots growing laterally is known as tillering. Colorado farmers plant wheat plants in the fall to allow better establishment of the "stand," by tillers, for the next seasons crop. This is great since the newly installed sod is looking to establish roots. By planting in fall, you reduce the immediate heat stress conditions and encourage good rooting of the freshly laid lawn in Golden, Littleton, Arvada or Greenwood Village. Whichever city you live in, it is a good time to plant in the Denver Metro Area.


Yes, the hose needs to be dragged, a water trailer utilized, the irrigation system reactivated to water your new or established plants. The alternative option is to pay someone to perform the services above, which are offered by A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC., over the winter months for your newly installed plants & established plants. Anytime the winter temperatures are above 40 degrees farenheit with no snow on the ground, it is recommended to water all plant material(sod, perennials, shrubs, sod & turf areas). It is recommended to deeply water to allow deeper penetration and deeper establishment of roots.


There is something more important to root establishment in newly planted areas then just watering. The ability for the roots to grow though the soil and the ability of the soil to hold water is important as well. This is increased by ammendment of the soil by adding composted manure and rototilling. Various cities require a different number of yards of composted manure per thousand square feet. I recommend and install approximately five (5) cubic yards composted manure per thousand square feet. This is done prior to grading the areas which will have sod installed. It is important to make sure the grading is done correctly(away from the house, proper drainage, etc.) and is smooth without rocks or large chunks/clods of dirt. When installing sod, it should be layered with the second row of sod being a half piece off laterally to prevent gaps and the help prevent the sod from rolling.



Watering is the best way to prevent gaps and rolling of the newly installed sod. The soil below the sod needs to be saturated to not shock the sod. As soon as the sod has been installed the areas should be watered and then placed on a regular schedule to water the sod at least three to four times a day for the first three to four weeks. After that point the regular irrigation schedule should suffice but should not be depended upon. If the plants look stressed, water should be applied.
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If there are any questions or if you would like to get an estimate for sod, sprinklers, or maintenance give me a call (303) 433 - 3750 or send an email to abettergarden@abtrgarden.com .

Sodding and Seeding - Fall is a great time to install sod or seed in Colorado.

Sodding and Seeding - Fall is a great time to install sod or seed in Colorado.

By:Jonathan Manning, CLT
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

I've gotten many calls asking whether it is a good time to install sod in the Denver area. Its not just a good time, but a great time to get a new lawn installed. In the fall the ground below the sod remains warm, yet the air above is cold. This causes the sod to root more effectively. The same is true with seed and most all other plants. As long as they receive supplemental water to establish, both immediately and over the winter, these newly installed plants will thrive.


In any situation our Colorado soil needs to be ammended. This is where the soil has composted manure incorporated into its structure to make it better. Organic Matter plays a huge factor by increasing the water holding capacity of the soil. Many micro and macro nutrients are introduced to the soil as well.


Also remember a lawn sprinkler system is a needed item in a Denver landscape. Since our Denver weather patterns are unpredictable and never consistent, we need to supplementally water our lawns and gardens. Here at A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC we can install whatever landscape you need to fit your budget and needs.


Call us today (303) 433 - 3750 to set up an appointment to get an estimate. We service both residential and commmercial properties across Arvada, Denver, Golden, Wheatridge, Lakewood, Greenwood Village, Cherry Creek, Cherry Hills Village, Lonetree, Highlands Ranch, Ken Caryl, Centennial, Englewood, and Littleton.

Winter Watering

Winter Watering

By:Jonathan Manning, CLT
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

The Denver area is considered to be a semi arid climate. Essentially this makes our front range community a desert. Infrequent rainfall and snowfall do not put much moisture in our soil. This is especially true with moisture from a snow event. Even with a 3 inch snowfall, we only receive around a quarter inch of precipitation. We almost never receive enough rain or snowfall to support the true need of the plants in our yards. This moisture needs to be supplemented.

The addition of water during the winter months is a critical addition to the health of all plants (pansies, perennials, shrubs and trees). These plants do not shut down over the winter as it appears. The lack of moisture can cause dehydration of the branches and stems. When this happens in trees, it cause either winter die back or weakens the cells in the branches. This is a process called "cavitation." Essentially the cavities of the xylem, with which the plants pull up water, are destroyed and no water can pass through. This not only affects the physiology of the plant, but also the structural integrity. Winter Watering, done in the correct fashion, can help deter these effects.

Winter watering should only be performed when the air temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Watering should only be performed during daylight hours to reduce the possibility of creating ice. Use of a watering wand with shut-off on the handle is recommended. During the winter a garden should be watered as much as necessary and as the weather permits.

Thank you for reading. Please visit us on the web at http://www.abtrgarden.com/ .

We hope these tips will help you have A Better Garden.