1) Source + Deliver Hardscape Materials

• Pavers

• Cobble / Mulch / Weedmat

2) Install Hardscape Materials

3) Install Drip + check existing Irrigation

4) Source + Deliver Softscape Materials

• Soil

• Plantings

DIY

AGEM

AGEM

AGEM

AGEM (Bulk?) / DIY (Bags)

DIY

DIY implementation

✔ Joe ✔ Katelyn

AGEM install

2 Crew from Humberto’s Team: ✔ Jeovany ? ✔ _______

BACK PORCH GARDEN

❖ Remove existing grasses / perennials

• OPTION TO DONATE Place viable plants in used plastic pots (avail from local nurseries) with soil for donation to community garden (Rebecca or AGEM team will pick up) or give to neighbors

• If Weedmat is discovered + in good condition, leave in place. If in poor condition, mention to Rebecca or AGEM team to replace before planting.

❖ STAGE + PLANT NEW PERENNIALS + GRASSES per design

• Refer to SOIL section below for recommendations on prepping soil structure before + with planting

BACK PORCH GARDEN

❖ Install Mulch = Brown Gorilla Hair (re-use existing from side yard?)

• Either before plantings /or/ gently around new plantings

❖ Irrigation = Run 3/4” Main Line + Add Drip Lines to new plantings

LOW RAISED BED GARDEN

❖ Remove + Replace Existing Soil (8-12”)

• Bags = Source + deliver by car from a local vendor:

— See A List Of Local Vendors at bottom of page

— Useful for all in one mixes of soil + amendment + vermiculite or expanded shale + worm castings or similar + coconut coir or similar

OR

• Bulk = Source from a local material supplier such as: Pioneer Sand, Colorado Materials, or a closer vendor

— Useful for high volume of base soil mix— to which you can add amendment / peat moss as nec)

→  Option A: Pick Up + deliver with your vehicle

→  Option B: Schedule + pay for curbside delivery

PRO TIP Purchase and place 2 orange cones curbside to reserve the delivery spot + let traffic know to go around the pile

WEST SIDE ROCK GARDEN

❖ Place 2 RAISED BED PLANTERS per design

❖ TRANSPLANT 2 PEONIES at house corner per design

• Move from existing location = EAST SIDE BACK FENCE

LOW RAISED BED GARDEN

❖ Irrigation = Run 3/4” Main Line + Add Drip Lines to new plantings

• Run Main 3/4” line up into end of raised bed from underneath +

extend it flat along the short end.

• Run Netaphim /or/ 1/4” drip line WITH HOLES EVERY 6” - 12” lengthwise through the bed (in 3 straight rows / not snaking).

• Pin down the lines

❖ Set Zone at control box

• Make VEGGIE ZONE separate from perennial zone (if 1 separate valve and control-box-wire is avail to designate as such)

• Set RUN TIME per client preference

WEST SIDE ROCK GARDEN

❖ Existing Mulch Set Aside + Reuse to refresh back yard garden bed

❖ Weedmat = Reuse existing where able / Replace as nec

❖ Install Cobble

• FILL = 2—3” Cobble (or similar smaller size) “Pueblo Grey or similar general natural muted multi color mix”

❖ Irrigation = Check existing Main 3/4” Line + Add Drip Lines to new plantings

IN GROUND ‘VEGGIE PATCH’ (BY CISTENA PLUM / WEST)

❖ Plant: RHUBARB + STRAWBERRIES = create a garden patch

• Remove cobble + Till existing soil with shovel

• For Strawberry Patch

— Add 2-3” of pea gravel or similar to bottom of a wide shallow basin area for strawberry patch drainage (eg 2 x 3’ W).

— Add 1/3-1/2 SAND mixed with native soil (not heavily amended), for aeration/drainage.

BACK YARD BORDER - 3 SIDES (EAST / SOUTH / WEST)

❖ TRANSPLANT = Move 2 small existing lilacs (from either side of juniper row on south fenceline) to join a 3rd existing lilac, in the NW corner of the yard. Plant about 2-3 feet apart in a triangle.

❖ Plantings = 1 CHERRY TREE + SHRUBS per design

IN GROUND VEGGIE ‘ISLAND’ (BY CISTENA PLUM / WEST)

❖ Irrigation = Run 3/4” Main Line + Add Drip Lines to new plantings

BACK YARD BORDER - 3 SIDES (EAST / SOUTH / WEST)

❖ Add Mulch Refresh to existing

❖ Irrigation = Run 3/4” Main Line + Add Drip Lines to new plantings

EAST SIDE ROCK GARDEN

❖ Plant 2 PEACH TREES

EAST SIDE STEP PATH TO DRIVE

n/a

EAST SIDE ROCK GARDEN (same as WEST SIDE above)

❖ Existing Mulch Set Aside + Reuse to refresh back yard garden bed

❖ Weedmat = Reuse existing where able / Replace as nec

❖ Install Cobble (around existing single-wide paver path)

• FILL = 2—3” Cobble (or similar smaller size) “Pueblo Grey or similar general natural muted multi color mix”

❖ Irrigation = Check existing Main 3/4” Line + Add Drip Lines to new plantings

• For Fruit Trees along Fenceline

EAST SIDE STEP PATH TO DRIVE

❖ Source / Deliver Pavers to match existing

— Concrete square (check Home Depot? Other?)

❖ Install Pavers to create a tight smooth level walk from bins to drive

— no gaps / double-width paver path

— move aside existing cobble to create necessary room for walk

— adjust existing single-width paver path as nec

IRRIGATION

❖ System TURN ON and full check (sprinklers + existing / new drip)

❖ Run 3/4” Main Drip Line + 1/4” Drip Line + Emitters to ALL NEW + EXISTING plants / use plugs to cap existing holes where not needed

❖ OPTIONAL MICRO SPRAYS = Ask clients if they wish to add ___ micro sprays to veggie garden areas / Confirm with Humberto for added minimal cost estimate

❖ OPTIONAL RAIN BARREL = Ask clients if they wish to add / Install a Rain Barrel at back yard downspout to collect smart water for plants

*NOTE All hardscape and irrigation sequence, steps, or information referenced for this project is for general purposes only. While we do our best to communicate among all project stakeholders, it is recommended that you refer to your licensed independent installation business or contractor for confirmation.

1) SOIL

2) GROWING

3) DIY GARDEN CARE + Growing SESSIONS

4) FRUIT TREE GUILD

5) Nature Walks

6) LOCAL VENDORS

COLORADO SOIL STRUCTURE + AMENDMENTS

WELCOME TO COLORADO: A HIGH ALPINE DESERT

The “high alpine desert” (high and dry) zone of our Colorado front range means that the soil here is typically a rocky compacted clay, deficient in nitrogen or other nutrients. The soil here has a high “alkaline” pH of 7.0 - 8.3, due to the high amount of calcium carbonate (free lime), a reflection of limited rainfall and rock weathering.

To adjust for this, here are the elements we can easily add to this soil to make it more hospitable and to support your garden’s beauty and bounty.

NOTE THAT MANY NATIVE PLANTS PERFER LESS OR NO AMENDMENT TO THE HARSH SOIL CONDITIONS. Yet in garden situations where there are adapted plants or vegetables, your soil may greatly benefit by the right help to support the ecosystem you’re planning. Every garden microclimate and design is nuanced. The right observations, recommendations, and know-how will help it thrive.

START HERE + BRING YOUR SOIL TO LIFE

In most perennial beds, after spring clean up, and before adding seeds or starts, it is highly recommend to:

1) OPTIONALLY Aerate or till the existing soil. By adequately loosening up and amending the soil, you are helping to create a more suitable environment for the plants that live there. Water and Air can move more easily through the substrate for better drainage, encouraging microorganisms to cultivate healthy root systems, which are able to transport available nutrients where needed.

In wild or more native gardens, nature’s symbiotic balance is best left as undisturbed as possible, or when growing vegetables or crops it can be difficult to apply a no-till practice such as this, so amending is a suitable alternative. 

BALANCE YOUR SOIL STRUCTURE WITH THESE ELEMENTS

2) Add a moisture-retaining element such as rice hulls, pearlite, or vermiculite (expanded shale). If you want to support a local reseller, these are available at McGuckins. The volume needed will depend on your square footage as well as any unique microclimate influences of note.

The gardener’s goal here is to create a loamy soil strucure (an equal balance of sand/silt/clay). We’re going for the “goldilock’s zone” of not too heavy, not too light, but just right, with good moisture retention. Here’s how to identify what general soil type you may be working with and how to balance it:

→ DENSE DIRT OR CLAY Most of the Front Range of CO has dense or clay dirt masquerading as soil. So, if you soil is overly dense, compacted, or has a high clay content, you’ll want to lighten it up. For this, you can use rice hulls, pearlite, and/or vermiculite. These elements act to retain moisture by wicking and dispersing, making it available to the roots in a more even distribution over a longer period. Coconut coir and spanghum moss also provide a lighter weight to the surrounding soil media thus aerating and lifting the density.

→ SANDY SOIL If your soil is too sandy or dry dusty silt, water may run through it too fast, or it may not cultivate the density necessary to support the kind of microbial activity that will truly nourish your plant roots. So you’ll want to create more moisture retention and build up the structure slightly. In this situation, coconut coir acts as a fine moisture retention element, or you could use vermiculite for even more retention. Consider removing a % of the existing media and/or adding a denser raised bed soil to bring the structure into balance.

For moisture balance, remember this general rule of thumb: Use rice hulls, coconut coir or perlite when you want better drainage and aeration. Use vermiculite when you want more moisture retention.

What’s Your Starting Soil Type?

Use Amendments To Balance Soil Structure

Here’s What A Healthy Balance Might Look Like

NEXT FERTILIZE YOUR SOIL WITH

COMPOST + NUTRIENTS

There is a difference between soil and dirt. Dirt can be any media such as sand/silt/clay, but it lacks the living microbes or fungal networks that create the ‘soup’ of life within which plant roots symbiotically thrive. Soil, on the other hand, can have a base of the same media, yet it is ALIVE, providing a living soup for such organisms. Soil has a balanced structure, density, and most importantly: the biodiversity necessary to support a living eco-system thriving within. Here’s how to build biodiversity and healthy structure into your Colorado soil:

COMPOST

3) Add a volume of organic compost suitable for vegetable or medicinal garden use. Start by adding a layer to the top of the exposed soil and then mixing it in. Great composts to use can be anything from Alpaca or Chicken poop from your local farm (make sure it’s not too “hot”), to bagged compost. Here are our recommended bagged planting soil blends, available at local suppliers such as McGuckins:

• The Bomb — by Paonia Soil Co

• Sheep ‘n Peat — by Earth Essentials

• Ocean Forest — by Fox Farm

FERTILIZERS

4) Add nutrients that help plants grow. Your typical fertilizers will have a blend of Nitrogen—Phosphorus—Potassium (N-P-K). Together these provide a spectrum that meets plant needs. You can also add other natural elements such as worm castings, bat guano, fish or kelp emulsion, blood or bone meal. Keep in mind that each of these has their own ratio, so make sure it’s what your plant needs before applying. We recommend the following brands:

• Root | Grow | or Bloom — by Age Old Organics

• Hemp Dress — by Key To Life

BOOST SOIL BIO-DIVERSITY

5) Add mycorrhizae (a fungus that grows in association with the roots of a plant) for help with nutrient uptake to help plants and ecosystem grow. Establishing this root-based systemic network is essential in that it helps plants attract and absorb nutrients from the surrounding soil that its roots alone would not be able to draw up. It’s like ‘nature’s wifi’— helping connect the neighborhood bio-chemically through the soil. Nature takes time to build this, and we can help speed it up by introducing the mycorrhizae.

• Mycorrrhizae — by Big Foot

ADD WATER SLOWLY AS YOU MIX YOUR SOILS

6) Slow water. Let the amendments soak down with slow watering (to avoid fast runoff) before planting. Soaking, rather than spraying, will give your soil time to sink in and begin to come to life. Make sure the water soaks deeply down and doesn’t just sit in the top few inches of your soil.

PLANT YOUR SEEDS + STARTS

7) Now your seed and starts are ready to be planted. By nurturing the soil before planting, you increase the success rate of your introduction, robustness, and longevity of your new plants, as well as contribute to a healthier ecosystem.

Additional Natural Products

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS

for horticultural and vegetable gardens

What To Do As Your Plants Grow

Better Your Garden Game!

√ Get A Hand Getting Started With A 2 Month Pack

√ Meet Up Monthly To Garden Together DIY

Pick Plants That Support Your Trees: Fruit or Deciduous

Local Nurseries + Vendors

GROWING GARDENS — BOULDER

THE FLOWER BIN — LONGMONT 

GIAMBRACCO & SONS — BOULDER (POP UP STORE)

GREEN SPOT — LONGMONT

HARLEQUIN’S GARDENS — BOULDER

CREEKSIDE NURSERY — BOULDER

PAONIA SOIL CO — PAONIA, CO

CO HIGH DESERT SEED + GARDENS — ONLINE

BBB SEED COMPANY — BOULDER

THE CORNER GARDEN — BOULDER 

SUNFLOWER FARM — LONGMONT 

BOTANICA FESTICAL OF PLANTS — LAFAYETTE

JUNE 27 & 28TH 2026

BEFORE

CONCEPT

AFTER