Green landscaping in Boise, Idaho

Green landscaping in Boise starts with a question a lot of homeowners have: "How do I keep a yard that looks good without pouring water and chemicals on it all summer?" Our summers are hot and dry. Watering rules and costs keep changing. And plenty of people just want a yard that works with the land here instead of fighting it.

I'm Kabe Hockema. Green landscaping is part of the landscaper work I do. To me it means a landscape that uses less water, needs fewer inputs like fertilizer, weed spray and gas for the mower, gives bees and birds something to eat, and handles rain where it falls. It doesn't mean ripping everything out and putting down gravel.

Green landscaping is not the same as rock

Some people hear "water-wise" and think of a yard full of rock and a couple of cactus. That's one style, and I cover it on my desert landscaping page. But a green landscape here usually has plenty of plants, some shade, and often a smaller lawn where it gets used. A yard that's all rock can make the area around your house hotter, because stone soaks up sun all day and gives the heat back at night. Plants cool things down.

Using less water without losing the yard

Water is the biggest piece. Most of the savings come from a few changes:

• A smaller lawn, in the right spot. Keep grass where you play and walk, and trade the strips and corners nobody uses for planting beds. That's the idea behind turf reduction.
• Drip irrigation in beds. Drip puts water at the roots with little lost to wind and evaporation. Spray heads on shrub beds waste a lot, especially on windy afternoons.
• Weather-based controllers. These adjust run times as the weather changes, so the system isn't running a July schedule in October.
• Grouping plants by water need. Thirsty plants together, dry plants together, each on its own zone.
• Mulch. A few inches of wood or rock mulch keeps soil cool and slows evaporation.

For a fully low-water design, see my xeriscaping page. Xeriscaping means landscaping planned from the start around low water use.

Plants that belong in the Treasure Valley

Native and adapted plants handle our clay and alkaline soil, cold winters and dry summers without much help. Sagebrush, penstemon, rabbitbrush, yarrow, blanket flower and many ornamental grasses are good examples, and a lot of them feed bees and butterflies. I also use non-native plants with a long track record here. Once they settle in, usually after a season or two, these plants need far less water than a lawn.

Trees matter too. A shade tree on the west or south side of the house cools both the house and the yard. Tree landscaping is worth planning early, since trees take years to fill out.

Soil, compost and fewer chemicals

Healthy soil does a lot of the work. Compost worked into clay helps water soak in and lets roots go deeper, which means less watering. Plants that suit the site get fewer pests and diseases, so there's less to spray. A mix of plants, instead of rows of one kind, keeps a pest problem from spreading through the whole bed. I'd rather pick the right plant than plan to treat the wrong one.

Letting rain soak in

In most yards, rain and snowmelt run off the roof and paving and out to the street. A green landscape slows that water down and lets it soak into the ground. A few ways to do it:

• Permeable pavers, which have gaps filled with gravel so water drains through the surface.
• Gravel paths instead of solid concrete where it makes sense.
• Rain gardens, shallow planted low spots that catch roof water and let it soak in.
• Dry creek beds that carry storm water and still look good when dry.

Where artificial turf fits

People ask about synthetic grass. It uses no water and needs no mowing, and for some spots, like a dog run or a shady strip where grass won't grow, it can make sense. It also gets very hot in our summer sun and doesn't support bees or birds. I'll give you both sides. If it's right for part of your yard, see artificial turf installation.

Cost, phases and long-term upkeep

The size of the area, how much lawn comes out, how much soil prep is needed, and irrigation changes drive most of the cost. Converting spray zones to drip takes time. Plant size matters too: smaller plants cost less and often settle in faster. Many projects work well in phases, starting with the front yard or the thirstiest areas. Over time, a green landscape usually needs less water and less mowing than a yard that's mostly lawn.

Green landscaping across the valley

I design and build green landscapes in Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Garden City, Star, Kuna, Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton and Hidden Springs. Sun Valley and Ketchum have a shorter season and colder winters, so I plan plant lists to match when I work up there.

If you want green landscaping in Boise that looks good and uses less, schedule a consultation. Call (541) 961-7269 to talk with me directly.