Five Colorado Gardens Where Nature Leads the Design

The Rockies' expansive vistas, forests, and peaks create landscapes of unmatched grandeur. These five Colorado gardens—part of the Cultural Landscape Foundation's Garden Dialogues tour—don't impose on the environment; they're guided by it, incorporating existing materials and landforms. From a former cattle ranch to a forest-embedded landscape, each garden sits within the greater context.

The Denver and Aspen Garden Dialogues tours run two weekends in August 2015. The series, in its fourth year, spans North America through October. Unlike typical tours, designers lead them onsite, sharing insights into the client-designer-site dialogue. Let's explore the five featured gardens.

DBX3 — Aspen

Designers: Sheri Sanzone and Christine Shine of Bluegreen
When: Saturday, August 8, 9:00–10:30 a.m.

This 6-acre property on a former 19th-century cattle ranch (Double Bar Ranch) sits on a bluff overlooking Maroon Creek. Designers shaped ~2 acres around the new home; 4 acres are conserved via easement and local codes. Remnants of the past—pastureland, volunteer cottonwoods along an abandoned irrigation ditch, tilled rubble with beautiful patina—informed the design. The designers envisioned a multi-generational landscape while preserving history.

Plants: Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) foreground; quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) background.

They planted more cottonwoods and aspens to replace declining trees. The irrigation ditch was re-created as a recirculating water feature with original alignment, including replicated architectural features like a water trough.

Plants: Quaking aspen background; Peking cotoneaster (Cotoneaster lucidus) and western snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) foreground.

The landscape respects the past but serves the future. "It's equally important to be about family," Sanzone says. The couple wanted generations to gather, walk, play—elements encouraging exploration and discovery. An old-growth sage, juniper, and serviceberry community was retained (invasives removed). Walks lead to natural overlooks—one honoring mountain peaks, one a family member.

Cranmer Park Residence — Denver

Designers: Gretchen Wilson and Laurel Raines of Dig Studio
When: Saturday, August 8, 9:00–10:30 a.m.

A story of two landscapes. One side: a 1917 Italianate mansion (National Register) with formally pruned boxwoods and vines reinforcing architect Jacques Benedict's design. The other: a new pool house with lap pool, fire pit, fountain, basketball court, surrounded by grasses and trees forming a lush meadow overlooking the Rockies and downtown Denver.

Pondbank House — Englewood

Designer: Herb Schaal
When: Saturday, August 8, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

2½ acres transformed for entertainers. Hardscape and plants suit Denver's High Plains climate, complementing Palladian architecture. Pool terrace doubles as entertaining space; laminar-flow jets turn pool into fountain. Rocky Mountain views surround.

Terraced garden off pool uses local stone. Drought-tolerant grasses and flowers (whirling butterflies, black-eyed Susan, coneflower, blue mist, blanket flower) fill planters. "As long as we stay with xeric plants, they are complementary and compatible." Rainwater from roof feeds planters via pipes every 6 feet.

Japanese-inspired spa garden off master bath, accessed through a moon gate. Homeowners wanted "the same feeling, but better" from their previous Japanese garden. Knock Out roses, lavender, irises foreground; amur maple (Acer ginnala) background. 25 mature trees (some 30 ft tall, 1.5 ft diameter) were dug up, stored 5 years, replanted—all survived.

Stillwater — Aspen

Designer: Valerie Yaw of Bluegreen
When: Saturday, August 22, 9:00–10:30 a.m.

On an estuary off the Roaring Fork River, surrounded by mature forest. "Working with an existing forest of that scale was amazing." Water elements and natural surroundings pulled into design—especially on undisturbed sites. "The site's qualities inform the design; this is why the client bought the property."

A recirculating water feature carves through the property, echoing nearby tributaries and intercepting stormwater from steep hills. Stone castoffs mixed with gravel form the streambed.

Plants: 'Walker's Low' catmint (Nepeta faassenii), Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), 'Autumn Joy' sedum (Sedum 'Autumn Joy'), 'Husker Red' penstemon (Penstemon 'Husker Red').

Patio and hot tub overlook trees and vista. Stainless steel art around hot tub responds to forest verticality—also convenient for towels and robes.

Plants: 'Red Magic' daylily (Hemerocallis), 'Stella de Oro' daylily, wood sage (Salvia x sylvestris 'Mainacht').

A Virtuous Garden, Far Beyond Form — Boulder

Designers: Martin Mosko and Luke Sanzone of Marpa Design Studio
When: Saturday, August 22, 10:00–11:30 a.m.

A working horse ranch setting. An arc conceived in design moves through home and landscape. Wall materials—Cor-Ten steel, board-formed concrete, reclaimed wood—shift through areas, forming clean thresholds. Low-water native plantings (wildflowers, ponderosa pines, low-grow meadow) on perimeter; colorful plants closer to house. "We chose not to bring the surrounding natural plant palette into the courtyard."

Excavation soil built landforms influenced by surrounding views—borrowed scenery (shakkei). Wabi-sabi (imperfect, unsymmetrical, uncontrived) seen in entry garden boulder arrangement. "The stones shape the space, defining foreground, midground, background. They gesture to one another."

Drought-tolerant plants—ice plant, thyme (Thymus sp.), veronica (Veronica sp.)—cascade over boulders. Reveille lawn mixture (multiple grass types) uses ⅓ less water; roots grow deeper. Locally harvested sandstone, Cor-Ten steel, board-formed concrete—contemporary, resilient, low-maintenance—blend indoor/outdoor.

"The result is a place to feel nestled and held, directed and protected, while enjoying incredible vistas and landforms," Sanzone says.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation's Garden Dialogues tours run through October 18, 2015. Visit their website for more gardens, cities, dates.