Designing a Colorado-Inspired Summer Backyard

Colorado-Inspired Summer Backyard
You step outside and feel like your yard’s flat, predictable, and nothing like the wild landscapes of Colorado. You’re surrounded by mountains, wildflowers, and blue skies that stretch for miles—and your backyard should reflect that.

Start With What You’ve Got: Colorado Soil and All Its Quirks

This isn’t the Midwest. You’re not coddling Kentucky bluegrass with constant watering and desperate prayers. You’re working with altitude, unpredictable weather, and soil that doesn’t always want to play nice. Spread mulch that blends with the land and create winding paths with crushed granite or flagstone that doesn’t feel forced. Go for rough timber or reclaimed stone and build a few raised beds—it gives off that wild, practical charm that feels more Telluride cabin than city patio.

Let Native Plants Take Over

Walk a few trails and you’ll see what thrives in the Colorado wilderness. Wild blue flax, Indian paintbrush, Columbine—You’re not landscaping, you’re recruiting plants that already know how to handle a dry June and a surprise frost in late May. Mix in rabbitbrush and golden currant for unexpected bursts of yellow and red. Wild grasses like little bluestem or mountain muhly will sway and shift with every breeze. It should look like your backyard wandered out of a nature documentary filmed near Salida.

Create a Hangout Spot That Doesn’t Feel Manufactured

Skip the polished outdoor showroom look. You don’t need synthetic cushions and matching sets to enjoy your yard. Think rough-sawn timber benches, a fire pit made from fieldstone, and a hammock slung between two scrubby pines. Add a hand-built table where you can drop a six-pack or a few wildflower cuttings. Let everything age—wood that fades to gray under the sun, stones that gather moss after a summer storm—those are the details that bring a backyard to life.

Let Wildlife Wander Through Like They Own It

Colorado is home to hummingbirds that dart through gardens like little missiles, butterflies that float in slow loops, and birds that sing all day. You’ll lure them in with the right setup. Bee balm, milkweed, serviceberry shrubs—they attract the pollinators you want. Fill a dish with water and leave a few flat rocks around for sunbathing birds. Skip the sugary feeders in bear-heavy areas though. Nothing ruins a summer evening like an unexpected black bear pawing through your garden.

Rethink the Lawn and Embrace the Wild

If mowing’s your idea of weekend fun, great. But most of us want a yard that takes care of itself. You don’t need a big green rectangle that sucks up water and energy. Let native grasses fill in the space. Carve out pockets for flowers, stones, and groundcovers like creeping thyme that smell amazing when you walk over them. Add a bench facing west and let the sunset do all the talking.

Add Movement, Light, and a Bit of Sound

Stillness is overrated. Hang up metal wind chimes that rust a little in the rain. Place a few solar lights around paths or near tall grasses—they’ll glow like fireflies without attracting every bug in Colorado. Want to really set the mood? Drop in a water feature—something subtle, a basin maybe a rock with a hidden pump. It doesn’t need to scream for attention—let it hum away in the background, bringing a sense of calm to your backyard.</5>

Capture That Colorado Feeling

There’s a special event that happens right before sunset in the Rockies. Light cuts sideways through the pines, the air cools fast, and you can hear the bustle of your surroundings clearly. Your backyard can hold onto that feeling if you let it. Don’t over-design, let it be slightly unpredictable, let it breathe.</5>

SOLMAUNA Creations & Landscaping Designs in Colorado

Our team of landscape designers brings a unique combination of landscape architecture education paired with extensive knowledge of plants to the table. Contact us today.

Designing a Colorado-Inspired Summer Backyard

Colorado-Inspired Summer Backyard
You step outside and feel like your yard’s flat, predictable, and nothing like the wild landscapes of Colorado. You’re surrounded by mountains, wildflowers, and blue skies that stretch for miles—and your backyard should reflect that.

Start With What You’ve Got: Colorado Soil and All Its Quirks

This isn’t the Midwest. You’re not coddling Kentucky bluegrass with constant watering and desperate prayers. You’re working with altitude, unpredictable weather, and soil that doesn’t always want to play nice. Spread mulch that blends with the land and create winding paths with crushed granite or flagstone that doesn’t feel forced. Go for rough timber or reclaimed stone and build a few raised beds—it gives off that wild, practical charm that feels more Telluride cabin than city patio.

Let Native Plants Take Over

Walk a few trails and you’ll see what thrives in the Colorado wilderness. Wild blue flax, Indian paintbrush, Columbine—You’re not landscaping, you’re recruiting plants that already know how to handle a dry June and a surprise frost in late May. Mix in rabbitbrush and golden currant for unexpected bursts of yellow and red. Wild grasses like little bluestem or mountain muhly will sway and shift with every breeze. It should look like your backyard wandered out of a nature documentary filmed near Salida.

Create a Hangout Spot That Doesn’t Feel Manufactured

Skip the polished outdoor showroom look. You don’t need synthetic cushions and matching sets to enjoy your yard. Think rough-sawn timber benches, a fire pit made from fieldstone, and a hammock slung between two scrubby pines. Add a hand-built table where you can drop a six-pack or a few wildflower cuttings. Let everything age—wood that fades to gray under the sun, stones that gather moss after a summer storm—those are the details that bring a backyard to life.

Let Wildlife Wander Through Like They Own It

Colorado is home to hummingbirds that dart through gardens like little missiles, butterflies that float in slow loops, and birds that sing all day. You’ll lure them in with the right setup. Bee balm, milkweed, serviceberry shrubs—they attract the pollinators you want. Fill a dish with water and leave a few flat rocks around for sunbathing birds. Skip the sugary feeders in bear-heavy areas though. Nothing ruins a summer evening like an unexpected black bear pawing through your garden.

Rethink the Lawn and Embrace the Wild

If mowing’s your idea of weekend fun, great. But most of us want a yard that takes care of itself. You don’t need a big green rectangle that sucks up water and energy. Let native grasses fill in the space. Carve out pockets for flowers, stones, and groundcovers like creeping thyme that smell amazing when you walk over them. Add a bench facing west and let the sunset do all the talking.

Add Movement, Light, and a Bit of Sound

Stillness is overrated. Hang up metal wind chimes that rust a little in the rain. Place a few solar lights around paths or near tall grasses—they’ll glow like fireflies without attracting every bug in Colorado. Want to really set the mood? Drop in a water feature—something subtle, a basin maybe a rock with a hidden pump. It doesn’t need to scream for attention—let it hum away in the background, bringing a sense of calm to your backyard.</5>

Capture That Colorado Feeling

There’s a special event that happens right before sunset in the Rockies. Light cuts sideways through the pines, the air cools fast, and you can hear the bustle of your surroundings clearly. Your backyard can hold onto that feeling if you let it. Don’t over-design, let it be slightly unpredictable, let it breathe.</5>

SOLMAUNA Creations & Landscaping Designs in Colorado

Our team of landscape designers brings a unique combination of landscape architecture education paired with extensive knowledge of plants to the table. Contact us today.