Our friends over at the Denver Botanic Gardens (DBG) recently took some time out to share a few landscaping ideas of theirs with Better Homes & Gardens. After perusing through the list of 16 tips, Phase One Landscapes decided to highlight a few of our favorites that we think could really be helpful to our clients who live here in Denver and other high-altitude areas.

Take a look below:

Put in Good Paths: Many of the pathways at the garden are paved in gravel, a readily available and often inexpensive material for use in home gardens, too. Additionally, gravel makes an excellent weed-smothering mulch for dry-loving plants because the material doesn’t hold moisture.

Add Vertical Interest: Be sure to include a few plants with vertical growth to add interest to the landscape. In the section of the garden shown here, upright salvias, penstemons, and verbascum, along with spiky yucca foliage, contrast beautifully with the myriad of mounding plants.

Grow Old-fashioned Favorites: Botanical gardens are a great place to see new varieties. But also keep an eye out for old-fashioned favorites that have a proven track record in your area. California poppy, for example, is often underused in gardens even though it blooms profusely and is delightfully drought tolerant.

If you’re in the Denver area and have the chance to visit the garden, we strongly suggest you take advantage of the opportunity! The DBG features a seemingly endless array of plants and display gardens, many of which feature waterwise and high-altitude plant selections.

Photo Credit: Better Homes & Gardens