Here we see the front of the house, which we divided up into areas of mulch, alternated with areas of rock. We then added native, low-water perennials, shrubs and grasses. Over time, these plants will mature and camouflage even more of the rock.

This unused area was a perfect location for a giant sandbox! Using online plans, we created a cover that converts to two benches. Additionally, we added a water faucet with an auto shut-off valve for fun water play. Finally, we used siloam stone, plants and boulders to blend the play area with the rest of the yard.

This area was uninviting and had no purpose. We built a siloam stone walkway to connect the patio to the sand box to the new vegetable garden. Now this area is the most used part of the yard!

The previous landscaper filled in the areas around the patios with granite rock, making for very uneven ground to walk on. We continued the siloam stone pathway and added creeping thyme between the stones to soften the edges. Other heat-loving plants we used here are Coreopsis and low-growing Stonecrop Sedum in a variety of colors.

On the north side of the house, we had the opportunity to create a shade garden since this section of the yard does not get any sun throughout the day. We added hostas, delphinium and penstemon, which can suffer in Colorado’s blistering afternoon sun.