Owner
Kathryn Cassady
City
Westminster
Skill Set
Intermediate
Project Size
250 - 500 sq ft
Project Location
Backyard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
2022
Time Commitment
21 - 30 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
Native or drought-tolerant plants, Pathways, Bird/Bee houses, Patio/sitting areas
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
I love the way these plants are taking off and filling in. I had some idea about what I'd be planting, but some have surprised me, too. Bottom line, we've got less grass & the bees and plants are thriving. I'm delighted!
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Owner
Jim
City
Westminster
Skill Set
Intermediate
Project Size
250 - 500 sq ft
Project Location
Front yard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
2022
Time Commitment
More than 40 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
Native or drought-tolerant plants, Retaining walls, Drip irrigation system
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
I removed almost 300 sq. ft. of sod myself . I was much younger the last time I did this and would pay for it to be removed. Modified sprinkler system to add drip feed water for the gardens, had some issues with the old system and the way it was feed, which caused additional work. I built all the flower boxes from fencing that was replaced last year. They are lined them with heavy duty landscape material framed with 4x4 and 2x4 covered with slats from fence. Repurposing the old fence saved several hundred dollars. It was a lot of work but I enjoyed it. I am proud of what I accomplished and love the change to the front yard.
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Owner
Nancy lBarnett
City
Westminster
Skill Set
Beginner
Project Size
750 - 1,000 sq ft
Project Location
Front yard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
2022
Time Commitment
31 - 40 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
Native or drought-tolerant plants, Pathways, Boulders, Shrubs, Drip irrigation system
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
We had a person (xeriscape consultant) help us with the design and the choosing of materials. She also helped us obtain commercial grade edging, landscape weed barrier, and do a long-term layering process that included using Breeze underneath the rock and mulch. She went with us to the rock yard to choose the materials and determine the amounts needed for the job. We had very little overage which saved us money. We used Resource Central and Garden in Box. The city did the sod removal. We laid out plants according to the plans provided by Garden in a Box. The family, including kids and grandchildren, did all of the labor. Take your time. Work with your city. Add your personality. Mix it up with materials. A shout-out to Westminster, they were great to work with.
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Owner
Diane
City
Westminster
Skill Set
Intermediate
Project Size
250 - 500 sq ft
Project Location
Front yard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
on going
Time Commitment
More than 40 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
Native or drought-tolerant plants, Raised/tiered beds, Pathways, Bird/Bee houses
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
The project has taken time, but I have done it all by myself. I dug up and turned over the grass, collected rock from neighbor next door, eliminated several sprinkler heads, and transplanted \added some of my original plants with two garden in a boxes. I let everything go to seed in the fall, it looks very Colorado-y in the winter covered in snow. Everything gets heavily mulched in early spring, very little weeding is needed. It is rewarding to see neighbors slow down and walk by observing the fruits of your labor.
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Owner
Ronda
City
Westminster
Skill Set
Intermediate
Project Size
250 - 500 sq ft
Project Location
Side yard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
2021
Time Commitment
less than 10 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
None of the above
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
The team that came to take up our sod was terrific and we are planning to doing more next year. The zero maintenance is such a relief and the savings on water is the best bonus of all.
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Owner
Justin
City
Westminster
Skill Set
Intermediate
Project Size
250 - 500 sq ft
Project Location
Front yard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
2021
Time Commitment
21 - 30 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
Native or drought-tolerant plants, Drip irrigation system, Pathways
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
Much more appealing that a bare lawn. Front lawn replaced fall 2020, side lawn replaced spring 2021, both using the Grass to Garden program, plus additional Garden In A Box purchases. Wooden sleepers and colored mulch contrast nicely with the planting. Last fall's plants have come away strongly this spring.
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Owner
Jake
City
Westminster
Skill Set
Beginner
Project Size
250 - 500 sq ft
Project Location
Front yard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
2021
Time Commitment
11 - 20 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
Native or drought-tolerant plants, Pathways, Drip irrigation system
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
The grass in this yard always struggled from inconsistent watering and the shade from the silver maple. Covering the grass with cardboard was an easy way to begin to remove the grass, and covering the cardboard with landscape cloth and mulch made the area look much nicer while we waited for the grass to die (and stopped the cardboard from blowing away during spring storms).
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Owner
Susan
City
Westminster
Skill Set
Beginner
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, Shrubs, Boulders
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
From any angle, walking by or from inside our home, our new garden makes us smile (and our neighbors too)! We have learned so much during this project about native plants, water conservation, and our environment including needed pollinators and their habitats. The webinar series from Resource Central was very helpful and has turned us into a reservoir of resources. We utilized a professional landscaper to properly install the drip irrigation and new smart sprinkler system to ensure our garden's success and now look forward to the water conservation over time. Our advice would be to double-check garden measurements when ordering rock and mulch (we bought way too much mulch but it was a happy opportunity to share with neighbors). We are now inspired and empowered to revamp other areas of our yard in the years to come!
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Owner
Ali
City
Westminster
Skill Set
Intermediate
Project Size
250 - 500 sq ft
Project Location
Front yard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
2021
Time Commitment
21 - 30 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
Native or drought-tolerant plants, Drip irrigation system, Retaining walls
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
Strongly advise all homeowners to take advantage of this great program to save water and add beauty to their yards.
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Owner
Carl
City
Westminster
Skill Set
Intermediate
Project Size
250 - 500 sq ft
Project Location
Front yard
Sun Exposure
Full sun
Year Completed
2021 still in progress
Time Commitment
less than 10 hours of labor
Project Cost
less than $500
Other Project Elements
Boulders, Native or drought-tolerant plants
Resource Central Programs
Advice from the Owner
My main focus is to remove the grass in my front yard. I love the plants that were in the Garden In A Box kits. Also, they gave us a layout of where to orient all of the plants. It was hard work removing the grass but all I did was take up the sod flip it over and chop it up. That works really well. I also found free rock on Nextdoor to keep costs down and use recycled materials. Plus I got the free mulch from Westminster as well. Now we have a nice garden that will not need much water after years 2 and 3. We planted this spring and in July the plants are big and produce flowers. It will really look great and fill in more next year. I hope to do another phase next year and add to what we did this year and continue to remove more grass. I have gotten several good comments from neighbors about how nice the garden looks.
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