This homeowner wanted to their backyard to have the look and feel of their favorite vacation destination - the Colorado Rockies.  Certainly our climate prevents an actual re-creation of a Colorado garden, we were able to get a sense of the mountains with the use of a few pine trees, a dry creekbed of river rock, some moss covered boulders, and an assortment of blooming shrubs and perennials that mimic the colors and textures of high altitude plants.

Our biggest challenge was a drainage swale that split the back yard and directed surface water around each corner of the house.  We turned a negative into a positive by creating an attractive dry creek bed of Colorado river rock between the two patios and around the corner of the house. A small bridge connects the two patios.

Click on any image for a larger version