Great Denver Gardens-Off Season Preparation is Essential to Having a Great Garden.

Great Denver Gardens - Off Season Preparation is Essential to Having a Great Garden.

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

Denver’s is snow finally melting and temperatures are forecasted to stay in the 40’s and 50’s for the next week or two. Now is a good time to get the rest of the leaves cleaned up in your garden. Some bushes need to be rejuvenated or just cleaned up. Adding mulch to your garden will make your yard have color during the bleak days ahead until spring. A little extra care now can make your Denver garden healthy and vigorous this growing season.


Plant growth is stunted when disease is present. Many plant pathogens over winter in the leaves of the plants they effect. Removing these leaves from the garden will seriously decrease the risk of pests and diseases being present this next gardening season. With perennials last years leaves have lost their color and began new basal growth (new lush green growth at the bottom or base of the plant). These plants need to have the old growth of the plant cut off and removed from the garden. Remember, most perennials die back to their base and begin new growth for the next season. Bushes are similar, yet are more specialized since their growth produces lignins which strengthen the previous years growth.


Shrubs are also termed as a “woody plant” since these chemicals produced affect the strength of the shrub, usually allowing it to grow much larger than a perennial. They also will produce new buds towards the end of the growing season which are where the new leaves or beautiful flowers are produced for the following Denver spring. It is important to understand the bushes characteristics, such as whether the buds will be flowers or leaves, before pruning any branches of shrubs in your garden. If necessary it is important to revitalize the shrub when growth gets too old or to remove any spent flowers such as rose hips or other seed pods created last year. Branches that cross each other and which might rub together should be removed as well. All debris such as branches and the extra leaves stuck between newly branches should be removed to give your garden a wonderfully clean look.


When the garden is clean of all leaves and debris, mulch should be the next consideration. There are a few varieties of mulch to choose from. Shredded cedar and bark mulch are the by far the most popular selected. They add a lovely touch to any home or business in Denver or Greenwood Village. Various people also appreciate a more recycled and colored mulch. Metro mulches are produced from construction waste, tree limbs and other recycled products. These woody materials, once recycled and steam treated to reduce weed seeds, are stained different colors to accent your house or commercial building. Mulch beautifies your property and by helping to retain water in the soil, enriches the life of all plants in your garden.


Great gardens, whether in Golden, Denver, Lonetree or Greenwood Village, are based upon the preparation provided when plants are not visibly growing. Your garden‘s, whether residential or commercial, risk for disease is reduced as leaf debris and pruning debris is removed. A well groomed woody plant or shrub, from pruning, makes for healthy, vigorous growth in the upcoming spring season.
Mulch will give some color to the bleak winter days where your garden plants sits seemingly idle. If these items are out of your skill range or if you just do not have the time, give us a call (303) 433 - 3750 and we can help you have A Better Garden.

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.

Spring Leaf & Garden Cleanup - Yard Restoration and Renovation

Spring Leaf & Garden Cleanup - Yard Restoration and Renovation

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

The snow is melting and the garden areas are being exposed. Now, before the buds break on the shrubs and trees, it is time to remove the leaves and debris from the garden. The leaves being left in the garden can cause issues with pests and disease. It is a great thing to remove the potential hassle and it makes the lawn & garden look great.

Here is an example, the garden below was not cleaned up for two (2) landscaping & gardening seasons.
"Accumulation of leaves & debris in the garden can cause disease and pest issues"

The important things to remember for a spring garden clean-up;

1. Cut back perennials to the "basal growth." Basal growth is the new soft shoots coming out of the base of the plants in your Denver garden. You should not have any dead plant material left on the garden perenials unless it is the shoot leading to the fresh groth.


2. Remove any overgrown sections. Gardening is about what you want to see; if you do not appreciate how the garden looks it needs to be pruned to make it look nice.


3. Large shrubs should be trimmed as needed by their species. Some shrubs such as Dogwoods are thinned to allow new colored wood. Lilacs need to be pruned after flowering in the spring. Some shrubs need to be pruned for a gradual renewal also known as sheering. Some shrubs might need to be fully rejuvenated. Schedule a gardener to come out and perform this service if you are unsure.


4. Rose bushes need to have the winter dieback and rose hips pruned out. Sometimes thinning cuts and new trellising/posting are needed to support bushes.


5. Broken Branches should be cleaned up to provide a proper & clean cut for the plant to heal.


6. Weeds should be pulled by hand or sprayed chemically to reduce issues throughout the season.


7. Leaves & garden debris should be removed with a wire rake first and then a blower should be used to give a clean garden area.


8. Top Dressing of all organic mulch beds should only be done as needed (mulch should not be deeper than 4 inches)

Below is the same picture after the garden had a spring garden cleanup was performed.

Reclaiming a garden is not only possible but a reality when we help you have A Better Garden.

CONTACT US TODAY TO SCHEDULE A SPRING CLEANUP.

(303) 433 - 3750