Backyard re-do pleases birds, bees and butterflies

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

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There's still snow in the forecast, but now is a good time to sit down with a hot cup of tea and plan this year's landscaping project.

When planted in the spring, new shrubs and flowers can put down roots before the heat of summer arrives. With an entire growing season to get established, the plants have a much better chance of surviving next winter's cold and snow.

Connie and Kim Marvel, who live in northwest Fort Collins, can vouch for this early-bird method. Last year, they began planning their backyard re-do in late winter, and earthmoving equipment moved into the yard by early spring. By fall, they had a beautiful new view from their kitchen window, plus wildlife that enjoyed the new landscape as much as the Marvels did.

In a few short months, the Marvels' backyard changed from a flat field of coarse grass and bindweed to an interesting, eye-catching vista of curving lines, color and contrasting textures. "It's a big yard," Connie Marvel commented, "so we needed a variety of features to break up the large expanses."

Some of those features include a wood-frame pergola on a sandstone patio, a dry creek bed lined with rocks, and a combination of evergreen and deciduous trees. With the new landscape, two-thirds of the lawn was eliminated and the Marvels used less water than the previous year, even while helping new plants get established. Installing drip irrigation lines helped to save water.

Since both Marvels work full-time, they opted to hire a professional landscaper, Detailed Landscape Construction, to help with the design and do the manual labor part of their project. That included scraping off the old lawn to get rid of as much of the bindweed as possible.

Connie Marvel played a big part in the planning process, however, since she had several goals in mind for her backyard. Specifically, she wanted to reduce water usage with a xeriscape design and to attract wildlife with carefully chosen plants and shelter-providing trees. She was also looking for color throughout the year.

"I wanted a place in my yard where I could relax, and I wanted to attract birds and butterflies," said Marvel. As an elementary school teacher with a specialty in environmental education, nature is an important source of energy for her. "Anytime I can immerse myself in the natural world," Marvel said, "that's where I find peace."

This year, with the work completed, the Marvels can enjoy walking barefoot on the lush, drought-tolerant bluegrass in their new backyard, or lying in the hammock under the pergola. That is, until they start working on the next project!

Marvel suggested several resources for people who want to tackle a backyard re-do of their own this spring.