Current residents of the San Luis Valley...Can I ask you a few things? (Fort Garland: to rent, hotel)

[Hyperviktor]

There's a site somewhere on the page where you can read about well permits that shows you every well in the area with depth / owner / permit type etc. I'll try to find the link.

[Hyperviktor]

Has anyone experience with flowers / any vegetation that not necessarily native but like the SLV climate ?

I'm browsing high altitude plants and there's quite a wide range of plants that like high altitude and extremely low rainfall / drought. Would any of these plants survive there without any care ?

What about cactus ? They need zero care.

[CarsonMathers]

Originally Posted by Hyperviktor

Has anyone experience with flowers / any vegetation that not necessarily native but like the SLV climate ?

I'm browsing high altitude plants and there's quite a wide range of plants that like high altitude and extremely low rainfall / drought. Would any of these plants survive there without any care ?

What about cactus ? They need zero care.

Across much of Colorado and the West as a whole, xeriscape or zeroscape is the best option for landscaping because of the usefulness in conserving water and providing habitat for native wildlife. Native plants such as sage and rabbitbrush are the best, but there are also many arid non-native plants such as russian sage, yucca, prairie cone, black eyed susan, spanish broom, etc. A great site to order and also simply read about many of these is Highcountygardens.

Note, that when planting any plant, including these plants, they will need watering for at least the first year to become established, but afterwards can survive with native precipitation. Personally, I like rabbitbrush and think it's a great choice, along with yucca and a sprinkling of color with a few flowering plants such as prairie cone.

[Hyperviktor]

Yep, pretty much this is the idea - anything that survives on it's own can stay

Highcountygardens is one of the sites I was browsing and they have a very good selection of plants.


What about trying to scatter seeds ? Could that work ?

[CarsonMathers]

Originally Posted by Hyperviktor

Yep, pretty much this is the idea - anything that survives on it's own can stay

Highcountygardens is one of the sites I was browsing and they have a very good selection of plants.


What about trying to scatter seeds ? Could that work ?

Spreading wildflower seeds can work with moisture coming in the winter/spring, you can hope for some of them to germinate in the spring. They might need some supplemental watering in order to become established.

We have a piece of land with a small cabin in mountains, which we get to about once a month and we've had a very difficult time getting wildflowers to come up there, although last year was particularly dry. I spread more seeds this last fall and this year, we've had a lot more snow, so I'm hoping to see some results in the spring.

At my house, I have had tremendous success with California poppies and get two bloomings a year, but we are along the Front Range and get about 15 inches of precip a year, vs I believe about 7 inches in the SLV. They obviously are not native, but are very drought tolerant and add a nice splash of color to the desert landscape. They also spread nicely.

[Hyperviktor]

Well, if I'll be able to mix some local greens such as the agave-type plant we have on the land with some cactus and a few wild flowers for color that would be great.

There's a wide range of native cacti in Colorado and they would well fit in the xeriscape idea.

Blanca has 10" rain a year plus around 30" snow so in the end I can only try and see what happens.

[CarsonMathers]

Originally Posted by Hyperviktor

Well, if I'll be able to mix some local greens such as the agave-type plant we have on the land with some cactus and a few wild flowers for color that would be great.

There's a wide range of native cacti in Colorado and they would well fit in the xeriscape idea.

Blanca has 10" rain a year plus around 30" snow so in the end I can only try and see what happens.

Getting the plants established the first year will be the most difficult part, especially if you're not there to care for them. Prickly pear and cholla would probably work well and are gorgeous specimens in my view. Don't overlook the yucca family either!

[Hyperviktor]

Yep, they all look amazing and fit well in a nice rock garden type layout. I'll probably will need to get some large boulders as on the land there are just smaller rocks, size of a brick maybe but that's fine.

[Hyperviktor]

Do people put up any fences around their houses or any larger area there ? On the satellite photos I mostly see houses just sitting on a plot but no fence apart from a very few. Any pros or cons for either having or not having a fence ?

[interloper1138]

Originally Posted by Hyperviktor

Do people put up any fences around their houses or any larger area there ? On the satellite photos I mostly see houses just sitting on a plot but no fence apart from a very few. Any pros or cons for either having or not having a fence ?

Some put up fences, generally if they have livestock or pets or a garden, and of varying types. Everything from simple barbed wire to more modern aluminum ones like this (that aluminum is kind of a current trend throughout the state). In my personal opinion, the 'coyote' style of fencing looks best out here.

Pros for having a fence are keeping wildlife out of your yard if you want to have a garden, as well as privacy, and protected space for an outdoor pet. Not too many cons other than potentially obstructing your view or making your neighbors (if you have any) think you don't like them. I wouldn't worry about that, though. Whatever you think looks best.