Overview

The Farm at Arapahoe County encourages xeric landscapes and conservation of water.  In response to Colorado’s ongoing drought, the following supplementary information has been added to the Design Guidelines to allow homeowner’s more flexibility in the establishment of a landscape that requires less water, while maintaining a high level of finish and visual quality for the community. Also called Xeriscaping, this style incorporates trees, shrubs, mulch and rock with a minimal amount of turf. Xeric (meaning less water) landscapes not only conserve water and require less maintenance, but add beauty and value to a property. The initial cost of installation for a xeric landscape may be more than a traditional landscape predominantly planted with grass, but homeowners should consider the long term cost of water, yard maintenance and appearance with limited irrigation.  See Sample Xeric Plan.

General Notes

Watering:  Soil preparation is key to the success of lawn and planting areas, especially when water resources are limited. The addition of organic matter to the soil promotes healthier plant growth and helps reduce runoff and inefficient use of irrigation water. Organic matter rototilled into the top 6”-8” of soil at a rate of five cubic yards per 1000 SF of lawn area is recommended. Trees, shrubs, groundcovers, perennials and ornamental grasses which have similar water needs should be grouped together so that they can receive similar amounts water. Homeowners should select plants that require less water to survive, while maintaining seasonal color, texture and interest. Expansion of patios and decks along with pathways will help reduce the need for water.

Location:  Trees should be located to both cool the home, but also shade planted areas. This helps reduce evaporation from lawns, shrubs and groundcovers areas. Consider using ornamental grasses in large masses or drifts within the landscape. Local nurseries and garden centers carry a variety of grasses that add year-round interest, while using less water and requiring less maintenance. Place pockets of perennial flowers into shrub beds to add a splash of color throughout the growing season.

Accents:  Incorporate a variety of mulch types, both organic (shredded wood, bark) and inorganic (river rock, granite, cobblestone, etc.)  to add variety and visual interest to the ground plane. Create dry streambeds with cobblestone and river boulders to add visual interest while reducing turf areas to manageable/ useable areas. There are numerous boulder types and rock mulches locally available to add color and accent to the landscape.

Artificial Turf:  Artificial turf will be considered by the Design Review Board on  a case-by-case basis. A 12” x 12” sample of the proposed material should be included with submittal request.

Front Yard Landscaping

Trees:  The required street tree species must follow the street tree plan per the Design Guidelines. For other trees, follow the requirements as described in the Design Guidelines, except tree species may be selected from the Xeric Plant List.

Turf:  In order to provide visual continuity throughout the community, the turf area in the front yard shall not be less than 200 SF for lots less than one acre in size and 2000 SF for lots one acre and greater.

Shrub/Mulch:  It is the intent of the xeric guidelines to allow for reduced turf areas, but with sufficient shrub and groundcover plantings to avoid the negative visual impact of large masses of open mulch (organic and inorganic). If the shrub/mulch bed area in the front yard is greater than 30% of the total area of the front yard, the following xeric guidelines will apply:

1.    For all lot sizes, a minimum of one (1) five-gallon shrub per 30 (thirty) square feet of mulch area will be required for front yards.  This includes the area under deciduous tree canopies.
2.    One-third (1/3) of the shrubs in the front yard shall be evergreen.
3.    One (1) five-gallon ornamental grass or three (3) one-gallon ornamental grasses will be equivalent to one (1) five-gallon shrub.
4.    If cobblestone “dry creek bed” areas with at least three (3) boulders are used, the shrub requirements for those “dry creek bed” areas will be reduced to one shrub per 50 (fifty) square feet.
5.    At least three (3) different mulch types must be used for xeric landscapes. At least one (1) type of mulch must be organic, such as shredded wood or bark. Acceptable non-organic mulch types include gravel, river rock, granite, cobblestone, and landscape boulders. Weed barrier should be installed under all non-organic mulches.

Side and Rear Yard Landscaping

Trees:  Follow the requirements as described in the Design Guidelines, except tree species may be selected from the Xeric Plant List.

Turf:  In order to provide visual continuity throughout the community, the turf area in the rear yard shall not be less than 500 SF for lots less than one acre in size and 6000 SF for lots one acre and greater. Variations from this requirement will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Shrub/Mulch:  It is the intent of the xeric guidelines to allow for reduced turf areas, but with sufficient shrub and groundcover plantings to avoid the negative visual impact of large masses of open mulch (organic and inorganic). Shrub plantings play a crucial role in a xeric landscape. If the shrub/mulch bed area in the rear yard is greater than 30% of the total area of the rear yard, the following xeric guidelines will apply:

1.     For all lot sizes, a minimum of one (1) five-gallon shrub per 50 (fifty) square feet of mulch area will be required for side/rear yards.  This includes the area under deciduous tree canopies.
Note:   Additional tree or shrub plantings may be required to screen dog runs, gardens, patios, air conditioning units, etc.
2.     One-third (1/3) of the shrubs in the side/rear yard shall be evergreen.
3.     One (1) five-gallon ornamental grass or three (3) one-gallon ornamental grasses will be equivalent to one (1) five-gallon shrub.
4.     If cobblestone “dry creek bed” areas with at least three (3) boulders are used, the shrub requirements for those “dry creek bed” areas will be reduced to one shrub per 60 (sixty) square feet.
5.     At least three (3) different mulch types must be used for xeric landscapes. At least one (1) type of mulch must be organic, such as shredded wood or bark. Acceptable non-organic mulch types include gravel, river rock, granite, cobblestone, and landscape boulders. Weed barrier should be installed under all non-organic mulches.

 Xeric Plant List

The following plants are considered to be xeric and have the ability to thrive with less water. This plant list is not intended to be conclusive.

DECIDUOUS SHADE TREES	DECIDUOUS SHRUBS	GROUND COVER, VINES AND PERENNIALS
Western Hackberry	(continued)
Kentucky Coffeetree	Tall Western Sagebrush	Gayfeather
Western Catalpa	Alternate-Leaf Butterfly Bush	Prairie Coneflower
Green Ash	Curl-Leaf Mountain Mahogany	Bellflower
Burr Oak	Moonlight Broom	Yarrow
Ohio Buckeye	Common Lilac	Basket of Gold
	Silverberry	Blue Flax
ORNAMENTAL TREES	New Mexican Privet	Verbena
Amur Maple	Coralberry	Sea Pink
Canada Red Cherry	Snowberry	Garden Mum
Bigtooth Maple	Potentilla	Fringed Sage
Select Crabapple Species	Fernbush	Red Hot Poker
Goldenrain Tree	Amur Maple	Peony
Russian Hawthorn	Cranberry Cotoneaster	Creeping Phlox
	Chokecherry	Pasque Flower
EVERGREEN TREES	Serviceberry	Purple Coneflower
Pinyon Pine	Buckthorn	Hardy Salvia
Ponderosa Pine	Russian Sage	Hens & Chicks
Bristlecone Pine	Honeysuckle	Lamb’s Ear
Upright Junipers	American Plum	Daylily
	Western Sandcherry	Rock Cress
DECIDUOUS SHRUBS	Three Leaf Sumac	Silver Sage
Rabbitbrush	Smooth Sumac	Blanket Flower
Cliff Rose	Wax Currant	Evening Primrose
Apache Plume		Clematis
Silver Sagebrush	EVERGREEN SHRUBS	Honeysuckle
Dwarf Leadplant	Mugho Pine	Silverlace Vine
Mockorange	Juniper Species	Virginia Creeper
Ninebark	Yucca	Creeping Thyme
Gambel Oak		Sedums
Bluemist Spirea	ORNAMENTAL GRASSES	Hardy Ice Plant
Mountain Mahogany	Indian Grass	Hardy Gazinia
Shrub Roses	Prairie Cordgrass	False Sunflower
Barberry	Needle Grass	Bearded Iris
Nanking Cherry	Big Bluestem	Poppies
Red Lake Currant	Little Bluestem	Lavendar Cotton
Ash-Leaf False Spirea	Switch Grass
	Feather Reed Grass