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The owners of this northeast Boulder County home saw the potential when they purchased this one-acre lot in Longmont, where they have unobstructed views of the entire Front Range beyond the shores of Gaynor Lake. The site presented many difficult hurdles to overcome. The property is situated on the swampy banks of Gaynor Lake (which at one time was named Alkali Lake). Thousands of yards of fill and amended soils were brought in to bring the grade up to allow for the landscape to be developed.
The water feature was designed first, to utilize the ground water, secondly, to provide the intended natural aesthetics, and thirdly, to filter water through a natural bog filtration system. The lower main pond supports many species of fish, including bass, crappy, and catfish. Native flora grows on its banks. The upper fall and pond are the homes to pet koi. The banks are ever-changing from season to season, with iris; water lillies, native grasses, and hardy perennial ground covers and shrubs. The falls down to the stream and bog create a spectacular scene as you enter the garden, luring you to venture up and beyond. The sound of the water trickling through the stream complement the deep tone from the falls, before the water enters the calm filtration bog.
The owners of this home began the construction of this garden before the undertaking of an extensive addition to the house. The same natural blue slate, which constitute the hardscape surfaces outside, now flows throughout the house, and the Arts and Crafts prairie styling influences both the inside and outside design features.
Many varieties of tough native grasses are utilized, while a multitude of ground covers and perennials add more interest, with color and texture as they change through the seasons.
The rear gardens are less formal, in that Rocky Mountain wild flowers are spread over the berms that flow throughout the property.
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