Mountain Garden Mastery: Taming the Wilds of Vail Valley

At 7,800 feet in Colorado's Vail Valley, gardening is an exercise in resilience. Snow can linger into June and return as early as August, while summer temperatures swing wildly from 40°F to 90°F in a single day. Steep slopes and hungry deer and elk add to the challenge. Yet for nearly 25 years, landscape designer Glen Ellison has been transforming these harsh conditions into gardens that feel like natural extensions of the alpine landscape.

A Terraced Retreat on a Steep Slope

When Kaye and Cheri Pearson wanted a garden behind their home, the backyard rose sharply uphill. Ellison regraded the site, cutting and filling to create level terraces that expanded usable planting space. He also crafted a recirculating watercourse that mimics a mountain stream, beginning 16 feet above the sightline. Cascades and pools add movement, sound, and a tranquil mood—something Ellison notes is difficult to achieve on flatter sites.

Planting for Color and Texture

The garden's northeastern exposure provides enough sun for vibrant perennials. A stacked-stone stairway leads to a small grassy overlook, perfect for two people to enjoy the vista. Ellison's planting strategy draws directly from nature: soil-filled pockets mimic the way wild species grow among scree. Shasta daisies, pink Jupiter's beard, yellow 'Stella de Oro' daylilies, and blue catmint are arranged in scattered clumps and clusters, just as they would appear in the wild.

Design Lessons from the High Country

Lay Out the Lawn First

Ellison limits high-maintenance turf to small patches, treating lawns like area rugs that define garden rooms. "Once you carve out that space, it sets the tone," says Kathy Aalto, a landscape architect at Ellison's firm.

Take Cues from Nature

Planting pockets filled with soil replicate alpine scree conditions, allowing plants to grow in naturalistic drifts rather than rigid rows.

Vary Textures

Mix small-flowered plants with large-flowered ones, flat-topped clusters with mounding forms. Here, 'Paprika' yarrow creates horizontal splashes of orange, while catmint adds vertical brushstrokes of blue. Between them, mounding Artemisia 'Silver King', white salvias, and white Shasta daisies provide contrast.

Mix Heights

Low groundcovers like pink-flowered Sedum 'Dragon's Blood' and yellow moneywort surround taller deep blue salvia, creating layers of interest.

Create Alluring Spaces

Steps lead to the top of the waterfall, offering beautiful views down into the garden. Yellow-flowered moneywort grows between flagstones, and paths wind through the garden and around the house, beckoning guests to wander. Stone-slab bridges provide access over the water feature.

DESIGN: Glen Ellison, Land Design by Ellison, Vail (www.ldbye.com or 970/949-1700)