Castle Rock Teach by Example Final Report

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TOWN OF CASTLE ROCK "Teach By Example" Program Summary Page 9 There was a raised bed next to the front door. We increased its height, to be even across the front. This area will be used for some annual planting arrangements. We interspersed crimson pygmy barberries for color. The front yard blue grass was replaced by a blue gramma/buffalo grass mixture called Native Wonder. An area on the east side of the home with a small aspen grove was planted to become a wildflower garden. One of the aspen was removed to aid the growth of a beautiful blue spruce. The stump was left to be a home for a bird house or feeder. The property line was lined with western sand cherries to create a hedge, and attract birds. A decorative boulder was used to cover an unattractive storm drain collar visible on the corner of the front yard. A large shade tree, a bur oak, was planted in a constructed raised bed in the front as well. The bed was to be consistent with the bed at the front of the house and, one with a ponderosa pine in the front yard. An area in the front has also been saved for another wildflower bed, probably a knee high mix, shorter, and not too obstructive to irrigation spray. Next to the driveway was an area mostly used for access to the back yard, and to an area on the western side of the house used for parking of the camper trailer. A road base driveway was installed for ease of parking. A railroad tie retaining wall was erected to level an area for the trailer. The parking area was filled with 1/2 inch river cobble that was present in the back yard, around some well established shrubs. The area next to the wall was left for possible use as a garden, or perhaps for a clothes line. Next to the newly installed drive, we continued a theme from the neighbors, a natural aspen grove, to which we added a decorative boulder, a ponderosa pine, and a few dwarf ninebark shrubs. We had to move an existing Douglas fir, to ensure its growth habit would not interfere with the drive. Now to the back yard. This was the only home that the back yard was also included in the retrofit. Due to that, the Nettles spent a long summer without any grass in their back yard. Not a lot of fun for the kids and the family dog, Nick! A deformed pine was removed from the corner of the yard. It had no root zone, thus causing its peculiar growth habit. We removed and pruned back some of the well established, and relatively out of control existing shrubs. We cleared an area for the play set, which is to be filled with a little road base on the bottom, and pea gravel. We delineated the area to be re-sodded. Ground preparation included the addition of compost, tilling and leveling. The Nettles had their work cut out for them with removal of 1/2 inch river cobble which had been laid on plastic and used around the existing shrubs. It was slow going, a