Owner
Brendon willenkamp
City
Centennial
Skill Set
Intermediate
Project Size
250 - 500 sq ft
Project Location
Front yard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
2025
Time Commitment
less than 10 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
Native or drought-tolerant plants, Drip irrigation system
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
I love how much cleaner and more intentional the new landscape feels. The mix of mulch, pea gravel, and native plants really transformed the yard into something that’s both low-maintenance and visually appealing. The defined edging and use of stone made a huge difference in giving it a finished, professional look. One of the biggest lessons I learned was the value of planning the sequence—removing sod first, then laying out the edging, irrigation, and plant placement before finishing with mulch and gravel. That order saved a lot of rework. Installing a drip line for the plants was another great decision—it ensures they get consistent water without wasting resources. If I were to do anything differently, I might have spent more time upfront mapping out plant spacing and considering how large they’ll grow over the years. A few areas could use a bit more breathing room. My advice to anyone taking on a project like this: don’t underestimate the prep work. Getting the foundation right with sod removal, soil prep, and irrigation makes everything else fall into place much smoother. Also, mixing textures like mulch, gravel, and stone adds a lot of depth and character to the final look.
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Owner
Julie
City
Centennial
Skill Set
Beginner
Project Size
750 - 1,000 sq ft
Project Location
Front yard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
2024
Time Commitment
21 - 30 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
Native or drought-tolerant plants, Pathways
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
Used plenty of water to get these plants started. I’m sure as time goes by they will need less and less. I’m not sure I like wild and carefree gardens. I may change up some plants to bring order to chaos. :0)
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Owner
Chris
City
Centennial
Skill Set
Intermediate
Project Size
250 - 500 sq ft
Project Location
Front yard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
2024
Time Commitment
31 - 40 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
Native or drought-tolerant plants, Drip irrigation system, Pathways, Patio/sitting areas
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
I can't wait to see how this looks in the spring and how it matures. We were at the end of the season, but everything still came out well. We used a lot of rocks from our home and only purchased the cobble for the dry river bed and the mulch. Using Resource Central really made the project come together. The lawn removal team came and in about 1 hour our grass was gone.
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Owner
Monica L McGarvey
City
Highlands Ranch
Skill Set
Beginner
Project Size
Less than 250 sq ft
Project Location
Backyard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
2023
Time Commitment
less than 10 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
Native or drought-tolerant plants
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
Follow their planting guide and relax! Our garden is in Highlands Ranch and receives full sun so the drought-tolerant plants were the right way to go.
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Owner
Mike
City
Centennial
Skill Set
Intermediate
Project Size
500 - 750 sq ft
Project Location
Front yard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
2021
Time Commitment
less than 10 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
Native or drought-tolerant plants, Drip irrigation system, Pathways, Shrubs
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
We started out with a vision of more native flowers and shrubs to attract more birds and to reduce our water use in our semi-arid climate. We just got tired of throwing water on turf that was there for no good reason anymore. So, we took classes through Resource Central and the Audubon Society to learn what was possible. We heard about the turf removal service offered by Resource Central and took advantage of their great work. I had removed a lot of turf with a manual, non-powered sod cutter and it is really, really hard work. To have Resource Central do it was a back and time saver and they did a fantastic job. We hired a professional firm to help us design and install our prairie meadow, paver pathway and patio border. They knew the best plants for our yard, and consulted with us several times through the design process to ensure they were in tune with our goals. The collaboration resulted in a beautiful and beneficial place for birds, pollinators and us. We can't wait for the springtime to see things really take off.
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