March 2017: 17 Days Until Spring!
· Escape Garden Design, Aspen, Colorado
Our February warm weather has come and gone, and Winter seems to be back. However, Spring 2017 is only 17 days away. It will return soon bringing the beautiful greenness we have all been longing for.
What does late winter look like in Aspen?
There is something particular about late winter in Aspen. The light starts to feel different even before the snow recedes, the willows along the creeks glow yellow at their tips, and the south-facing slopes lose their white before the rest of the world does.
Why is late winter the planning season?
This is the season for planning. By the time the ground softens, the design must already be drawn. Every plant on the schedule, every stone selected, every irrigation line plotted. Spring moves quickly here, and a garden that is not ready cannot keep up.
We are at the drawing board finishing details for our 2017 installations. The drawings are out, the orders are placed, the team is getting ready. In just over two weeks we will be back on the land, and the cycle begins again.
Welcome back, Spring. We have missed you.
Common questions
When does the planting season start in Aspen, Colorado?
Most planting in the Aspen area begins in late May or June, once the frost risk fades at our elevation of nearly 8,000 feet. The season is short, roughly June through September, which is why design work happens over the winter.
When should I contact a landscape architect for a summer garden project?
The fall or winter before. Design, permitting, and material orders take months, and installation crews in the Roaring Fork Valley book up early. A project planned in winter can break ground the moment the season opens.