Colorado Rock Garden: A Colorful Carpet of Low-Water Plants

In early summer, the rock garden in this Boulder, Colorado backyard is carpeted with flowers and foliage. Boulders encrusted with green-and-silver lichens form the framework. In the foreground, large maplelike leaves of Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple' contrast with dainty pink-and-white flowers of Gypsophila repens and soft green thyme. Behind, Veronica liwanensis forms mounds of lavender-blue blooms.

Design for Privacy and Ecology

Designed by landscape architect Martin Hakubai Mosko, the garden sits on a berm that screens a public trail at the top of the hill, providing privacy while allowing glimpses of the green space beyond. Mosko used low-water plants to harmonize with the semiarid landscape and chose species that deer avoid.

DESIGN: Martin Hakubai Mosko