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Courtyard Creates Sense of Space Without Mowing |
By Betsy Lehndorff, Rocky Mountain News
Dawn and Frank Nowak didn't own a hose or a lawn mower when they moved into their 1950s home three years ago. Nor did they intend to. Instead, they let their front yard wither and die.
For a while, the brown grass raised some eyebrows.
"We knew we had a plan, but we think our neighbors thought we were out of our minds," Dawn says.
But everything made sense once they constructed a low-walled courtyard in front of their home. They also put in a drip irrigation system and landscaped it with rocks and drought-tolerant plants.
Today, their project adds a crucial sense of space to their 850-square-foot home year- round.
Why a water-efficient landscape?: Because it's environmentally responsible. 
The yard before: grass
After: Enclosed courtyard, five new trees, berms landscaped with drought-tolerant plants.
Time it took to create garden: Three years
Biggest challenge: "Being brave enough to let the grass die while our neighbors watched."
Drought-tolerant plants: ornamental grasses, yellow penstemon (Penstemon pinifolius) "Mersea Yellow," New Mexican privet (Forestiera neomexicana), curl-leaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius), wooly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus).
How has your use of the yard changed?: The courtyard provides privacy and makes the Nowaks feel protected. They spend more time outside.
How much has the water use dropped? The latest water bill shows the couple consumed only 11,000 gallons between April and June or 3,666 gallons a month. For comparison Denver Water considers 12,500 gallons to be a monthly average.
Would you do it all over again?: Absolutely, they say. The courtyard and drought- tolerant plants make the Nowaks feel as if they're living in a lush oasis in the city.
Photos: Dawn and Frank Nowak
