Green grass in Colorado? (Denver, Evergreen: appointed, school, camping)

[MandieBunny]

Hi there -

My boyfriend, puppy and I are looking to move to Colorado, but we're not sure which areas would give us the most green vegetation. We've both been in Phoenix for school, and this is definitely not the place for us! Too brown and dirty!

Any ideas on what areas would give us good gardening, camping, and a nice green grass? A nearby river or lake would be ideal.. And so would a good school system and friendly town (of course). We have friends and family in Denver, but we are not tied to that spot. Thanks so much!

[bluescreen73]

Well, as millions have proven you can grow nice, lush, green grass in the middle of the high plains desert. Green lawns abound along the Front Range, but they're not normal for the area and they consume a buttload of water.

Your best bet for all those things would be somewhere in the foothills or mountains; however, living in those areas can sometimes be very cost-prohibitive.

[MandieBunny]

Definitely not looking to be wasteful with watering the lawn! They do that here in Phoenix and it is just plain ridiculous, as you can imagine. Was just wondering what cities/counties would offer natural greenery (if any). Or have I just been spoiled by my east coast roots? Thanks again.

[WhereTheSidewalkEnds]

Originally Posted by MandieBunny

Definitely not looking to be wasteful with watering the lawn! They do that here in Phoenix and it is just plain ridiculous, as you can imagine. Was just wondering what cities/counties would offer natural greenery (if any). Or have I just been spoiled by my east coast roots? Thanks again.

You've been spoiled by your east coast roots I'll have to say.....you may be very disappointed here.

[sterlinggirl]

If you want green grass, there are two things to look at:

Use buffalo grass, which is a native species that doesn't require much water. The downside is that it isn't as soft and plush as bluegrass, but if you can live with that aspect, it will save you a LOT of money on your water bill, and you don't have to mow it as often.

It also helps to find a place with big trees on the south side of the lawn to provide shade. Your grass will be greener and healthier in the shade, and won't require as much water to stay green.

[bluescreen73]

Well I haven't traveled Colorado to the extent of Jazzlover so I know I'll invariably leave a ton of places off the list, but when I think of places with a fair amount of vegetation, I think of Dillon, Silverthorne, Vail, Breckenridge, Ouray, Carbondale, Gould/Upper Poudre Canyon, Oak Creek, and Yampa.

Now, Dillon, Silverthorne, Vail, & Breckenridge are all resort towns and housing is ridiculously high.

Carbondale is along the Aspen/Glenwood corridor and housing isn't as overpriced as Aspen, but it's well above the state average.

Ouray is also above the state average.

Yampa and Oak Creek are below the state average but that's because they're out in the middle of nowhere and there's not much to the local economy.

The Upper Poudre Canyon & Gould areas are very sparsely populated and quite honestly I wouldn't want to spend a winter there.

[McGowdog]

I know! Move someplace where your backyard is adjacent to a golf course. But then you'll only have green part of the year.

[tfox]

In some ways our grass is LESS green than Phoenix -- that city's warm climate means you can have year round green grass if you are willing to water it all year. Here, we mostly shut off our sprinklers in October and fire them up again in April (at the earliest). Once you stop watering the grass in Colorado, it will go dormant very quickly and turn a shade of brown.

If you just want year-round greenery in general (as opposed to grass, which is seasonal) you could consider living in the foothills (like Evergreen, for example), or along the Palmer Divide -- these areas are going to look something like Flagstaff, Arizona, if you're familliar with that.

Also, most of the historic areas of the city of Denver do appear lush by anyone's standards, in the summer, with hundred year old trees lining the sides of the streets. But in October the leaves will fall, the grass will go dormant, and it will look quite brown again.

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by MandieBunny

Hi there -

My boyfriend, puppy and I are looking to move to Colorado, but we're not sure which areas would give us the most green vegetation. We've both been in Phoenix for school, and this is definitely not the place for us! Too brown and dirty!

Any ideas on what areas would give us good gardening, camping, and a nice green grass? A nearby river or lake would be ideal.. And so would a good school system and friendly town (of course). We have friends and family in Denver, but we are not tied to that spot. Thanks so much!

I would suggest either looking to the Pacific Northwest-- Oregon's Willamette Valley perhaps-- or somewhere in the southeast United States-- like Kentucky or Tennessee or Alabama or something. Colorado is NOT what you are looking for. Colorado is very brown. And there's nothing wrong with brown. Brown is beautiful. But if you don't like brown, you're not going to like Colorado. And this is not an ideal place for gardening.

[bluescreen73]

If you don't mind places that can get bitterly cold in the winter, I can recommend the driftless area of West-Central Wisconsin. There are rolling, rocky hills and plenty of old-growth forests. Not too hot in the summer, butt cold in the winter.