Water-Wise Tree Lawns at Providence Village

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Dinah Perkins
5 years ago
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1 Water-Wise Tree Lawns at Providence Village

Tree Lawns AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF natural resource stewardship and responsible water management is specifying a significant portion of plant material that is native, naturalized, or adapted to the

2 Tree Lawns AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF natural resource stewardship and responsible water management is specifying a significant portion of plant material that is native, naturalized, or adapted to the semi-arid high plains prairie ecosystem in which Providence Village is located. By incorporating the native or naturalized plantings of this geographic region in a way that meets the aesthetic character of the community, tree lawns in Providence Village can be a showcase of water demand management and a successful blending of nature and development. Tree lawns by deffinition refer to the landscape area between the sidewalk and street-curb. customized water BUDGETS have been predetermined for varying lot sizes in Providence Village. There is flexibility in using these water budgets to meet individual landscaping styles. For example, tree lawns planted with shrubs, grasses, and perennials and irrigated with a drip system will have a lower water demand than the same area planted entirely with turf and irrigated with a spray system. The water savings from the tree lawns can be applied towards additional planting elsewhere in the front yard or backyard landscape. the plant palette provided on the following page is a recommended list of plant materials that use relatively little water, thrive in our sunny environment, and demonstrate the character of our community. This palette, along with the SAMPLE TREE LAWN PLANS provided, are being offered as a design tool to builders, designers, and homeowners who wish to substitute some turf in their tree lawns with a low water and relatively low maintenance alternative. While the species on this list are approved by Sterling Ranch, it is not exhaustive, and the landscape designer is responsible for following Douglas County requirements for plant height within sight visibility triangles for vehicles in the public right-of-way.

Tree Lawn Palette Perennials Achillea 'Coronation Gold' Agastache cana Agastache 'Blue Fortune' Allium cernuum Aquilegia chrysantha Artemisia 'French' Asclepias incarnata 'Cinderella' Aster 'Lady in

'Floristan Violet' Melissa officinalis Mentha 'Peppermint' Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' Nepeta 'Little Trudy' Origanum 'Common' Origanum libanoticum Parthenium integrifolium Penstemon pinifolius

3 Tree Lawn Palette Perennials Achillea 'Coronation Gold' Agastache cana Agastache 'Blue Fortune' Allium cernuum Aquilegia chrysantha Artemisia 'French' Asclepias incarnata 'Cinderella' Aster 'Lady in Black' Baptisia austalis Crambe maritima Centranthus rubur Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' Delosperma cooperi Echinacea pallida Echinacea paradoxa Echinacea purpurea Echinacea tennessensis Eupatorium 'Gateway' Fragraria 'Ft. Laramie' Gaillardia aristata Helenium 'Moerheim Beauty' Iris missouriensis Lavandula x intermedia 'Grosso' Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' Lavandula x intermedia 'Munstead' Liatris spicata 'Floristan Violet' Melissa officinalis Mentha 'Peppermint' Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' Nepeta 'Little Trudy' Origanum 'Common' Origanum libanoticum Parthenium integrifolium Penstemon pinifolius Penstemon pseudospectabilis Penstemon pinifolius 'Mersea Yellow' Penstemon strictus Penstemon x mexicali 'Pikes Peak' Penstemon x mexicali 'Red Rocks' Physostegia 'Crown of Snow' Phlox 'David' Phlox subulata 'Atropurpurea' Rudbeckia hirta Ratibida pinnata Perennials Continued Salvia 'Garden' Sedum 'Angelina' Solidago 'Fireworks' Vernonia altissima Vernonia liwanensis Veronicastrum virginicum 'Albo-Rosea' Shrubs Chamaebatiaria millefolium Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Dark Knight' Ericameria nauseosa var. speciosa Juniperus horizontalis Prunus besseyi 'Pawnee Buttes' Rhus trilobata 'Autumn Amber' Grasses Andropogon gerardii Bouteloua 'Blonde Ambition' Festuca 'Boulder Blue' Muhlenbergia 'Undaunted' Nassella tennuissima Panicum 'Heavy Metal' Panicum virgatum Sorghastrum nutans 'Indian Steel' nassella tennuissima prunus besseyi pawnee buttes echinacea paradoxa

Sample Tree Lawn Plans The following Sample Tree Lawn Plans illustrate a matrix of landscape design alternatives for tree lawns arranged by relative amounts of water use.

4 Sample Tree Lawn Plans The following Sample Tree Lawn Plans illustrate a matrix of landscape design alternatives for tree lawns arranged by relative amounts of water use. The sample water use calculations provided are based on a typical 6,600sf corner lot with a water budget of 32,000 gallons per season. Actual water usage will very from lot to lot based on lot shape and the size of the home, driveways, patios, etc.). The Sample Plans for which the water use calculations are provided all have the same front yard and backyard landscape design. Only the treatment of the tree lawn changes with each alternative to demonstrate how the different tree lawn treatments work within the overall water budget for the lot. While 4 of these 6 sample tree lawn plans are offered to the user as a kit of tools, two have been provided to illustrate tree lawn plans that are not encouraged. Sterling Ranch encourages the implementation of some plans over others to balance the goals of conserving water and creating an aesthetically pleasing tree lawn. The Plans... the perennial border planting bed with turf accents the half & half turf with planting bed accents the typical (not encouraged) The rock mulch minimum (not encouraged)

the perennial border This tree lawn design essentially substitutes all of the turf typically found in a tree lawn with low water use perennials, grasses, and shrubs.

5 the perennial border This tree lawn design essentially substitutes all of the turf typically found in a tree lawn with low water use perennials, grasses, and shrubs. The planting in this approach takes advantage of vertical layering and massing that virtually fills the tree lawn. Plantings consist of spreading groundcovers and a densely planted mix of low water use shrubs, grasses, and perennials; reminiscent of a perennial border garden.

6 the perennial border

7 planting bed with turf accents This alternative can be thought of as a toned down version of the Perennial Border. Approximately 75% of the tree lawn is comprised of planting beds with groundcovers, shrubs, grasses and perennials, and it is accented with panels of turf (approximately 25 % of the tree lawn).

8 planting bed with turf accents

9 The Half & Half This tree lawn alternative is a 50/50 split of manicured turf and planting beds. As in the previous alternatives where plant material is incorporated into the tree lawn, the wood or rock mulch below is essentially covered by grouping plants together or by using spreading groundcovers. In some instances plant height is vertically layered and a variety of texture and color is provided. In others, a single type of ground cover creates a clean, unifying ground plane.

10 The Half & Half

11 Turf with planting bed accents This tree lawn design is essentially a reverse of the Planting Bed with Turf Accent treatment. The tree lawn is comprised of approximately 75% manicured lawn, punctuated with planting beds (approximately 25% of the tree lawn area).

12 Turf with planting bed accents

The typical (Not Encouraged) This alternative reflects what one would see in the majority of suburban neighborhoods across Colorado; tree lawns comprised completely of turf.

13 The typical (Not Encouraged) This alternative reflects what one would see in the majority of suburban neighborhoods across Colorado; tree lawns comprised completely of turf. While this treatment is certainly typical for the State, the Sterling Ranch community encourages forward thinking landscape designs that reallocate the large water resource normally spent on turf in tree lawns to more functional areas in the front and backyards of our homes. A tree lawn comprised of all turf is not an encouraged tree lawn treatment.

14 The typical (Not Encouraged)

The rock mulch minimum (Not Encouraged) While this approach achieves the lowest water use of all the alternatives presented, it does not meet the desired community aesthetic and as such, it is not an

15 The rock mulch minimum (Not Encouraged) While this approach achieves the lowest water use of all the alternatives presented, it does not meet the desired community aesthetic and as such, it is not an encouraged tree lawn treatment. While this approach may technically meet the minimum design requirement to break up continuous mulch areas greater than 8 feet in width, it still exposes large spans of uninterrupted rock mulch which can have a detrimental effect on the intended community aesthetic, particularly if the same treatment is applied across numerous adjacent lots.

16 The rock mulch minimum (Not Encouraged)

17 Comparing Water Use Calculations It goes without saying that the most intensive water using alternative is one that is not encouraged, The Typical, which would use an estimated 38,180 gallons of water per year. The second highest water using alternative at 35,072 gallons per year is the Turf with Planting Bed Accents. Both of these designs as shown exceed the 32,000 gallon water budget for the lot. Reduced planting and/or turf area in the front and backyards or the use of artificial turf in the rear yard would be needed to bring the landscape into conformance with the budget. The other tree lawn alternatives (The Perennial Border, The Half & Half, Planting Bed with Turf Accents) all are within the 32,000 gallon water budget and are encouraged tree lawn design alternatives at Sterling Ranch. The Rock Mulch Minimum is the lowest water using tree lawn alternative, however it does not achieve the secondary goal of creating an aesthetically pleasing tree lawn. Unlike the design approaches above that use spreading groundcovers or a mix of layered and massed plant materials, The Rock Mulch Minimum exposes large spans of uninterrupted rock mulch which when compounded over the length of a street block can create an undesirable aesthetic effect. THE PERENNIAL BORDER - (6,600 sf) lot Water-Use Calculations: Plant Water Need Category sf gals/sf gals/season High Water Zones ,280 Moderate Water Zones Low Water Zones ,426 TOTAL gallons need by ALL ZONES: 25,706 Water Budget assigned to lot: 32,000 TOTAL square feet (sf) of ALL ZONES: 2735 * This plan meets the water budget established for the lot and achieves an encouraged aesthetic. PLANTING BED WITH TURF ACCENTS - (6,600 sf) lot Water-Use Calculations: Plant Water Need Category sf gals/sf gals/season High Water Zones ,720 Moderate Water Zones Low Water Zones ,094 TOTAL gallons need by ALL ZONES: 28,814 Water Budget assigned to lot: 32,000 TOTAL square feet (sf) of ALL ZONES: 2735 * This plan meets the water budget established for the lot and achieves an encouraged aesthetic.

18 Comparing Water Use Calculations THE HALF & HALF - (6,600 sf) lot Water-Use Calculations: Plant Water Need Category sf gals/sf gals/season High Water Zones ,220 Moderate Water Zones Low Water Zones ,744 TOTAL gallons need by ALL ZONES: 31,964 Water Budget assigned to lot: 32,000 TOTAL square feet (sf) of ALL ZONES: 2735 * This plan meets the water budget established for the lot and achieves an encouraged aesthetic. TURF WITH PLANTING BED ACCENTS - (6,600 sf) lot Water-Use Calculations: Plant Water Need Category sf gals/sf gals/season High Water Zones ,660 Moderate Water Zones Low Water Zones ,412 TOTAL gallons need by ALL ZONES: 35,072 Water Budget assigned to lot: 32,000 TOTAL square feet (sf) of ALL ZONES: 2735 * This plan achieves an encouraged aesthetic however it exceeds the water budget established for the lot and would require either artificial turf in the backyard or a reduction of turf and/or planting area in the front and backyards. THE TYPICAL - (6,600 sf) lot Water-Use Calculations: Plant Water Need Category sf gals/sf gals/season High Water Zones ,100 Moderate Water Zones Low Water Zones ,080 TOTAL gallons need by ALL ZONES: 38,180 Water Budget assigned to lot: 32,000 TOTAL square feet (sf) of ALL ZONES: 2735 * This plan does not achieve an encouraged aesthetic and it exceeds the water budget established for the lot and would require either artificial turf in the backyard or a reduction of turf and/or planting area in the front and backyards. THE ROCK MULCH MINIMUM - (6,600 sf) lot Water-Use Calculations: Plant Water Need Category sf gals/sf gals/season High Water Zones ,280 Moderate Water Zones Low Water Zones ,184 TOTAL gallons need by ALL ZONES: 21,464 Water Budget assigned to lot: 32,000 TOTAL square feet (sf) of ALL ZONES: 2028 * This plan meets the water budget established for the lots, however, it does not achieve an encouraged aesthetic.

BUTTERFLY GARDEN PLANTS. Plant Information all plants native to Michigan except where noted

BUTTERFLY GARDEN PLANTS. Plant Information all plants native to Michigan except where noted BUTTERFLY GARDEN PLANTS Plant Information all plants native to Michigan except where noted Butterfly Garden Plants - Perennials Yarrow Achillea millefolium 1-2 tall Blooms: Jul-Aug Nodding Wild Onion Allium