Garden Scentsations

Garden Scentsations Landscape Design and Coaching Business Small garden design firm specializing in teaching homeowners and businesses how to improve their gardens and landscapes.

Using classic design principles and applying it to our challenging climate, we can create a beautiful, practical landscape that saves time, energy and money.

Hello friends and clients. I am announcing my retirement. I am grateful to have collaborated over the years with many ho...
10/10/2025

Hello friends and clients. I am announcing my retirement. I am grateful to have collaborated over the years with many homeowners, business owners, landscape crews and the wonderful nurseries in the Grand Valley.

It has been very rewarding designing gardens and landscapes, and then seeing them grow and mature. Over the years, water-wise landscapes and native plants have become a priority in western Colorado. I am glad to have been a part of it.

Thank you and remember we all have the ability to encourage native pollinators and wildlife through our landscape choices.
Kathy Kimbrough Heath

Join us for the 2nd annual Grand Valley Garden tour. Find out what "sown meadows" are! You'll be amazed.
06/06/2025

Join us for the 2nd annual Grand Valley Garden tour. Find out what "sown meadows" are! You'll be amazed.

Colorado Native Plant Society – Plateau Chapter Meeting: Presentation: Turf to Native: How to remove grass and create a...
01/06/2025

Colorado Native Plant Society –
Plateau Chapter Meeting:
Presentation: Turf to Native: How to remove grass and create a native low water garden

Speaker: Susan Carter
January 8, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm, in-person meeting
Mesa County Library central branch “The Classroom” downstairs
Our Plateau chapter is active from Montrose to Grand Junction and throughout the Grand Valley. Our Plateau chapter arranges botany talks and hikes, and native plant gardening events! Monthly Chapter Meetings the first Wednesday of the month, unless there is a holiday. Summer hike dates to be determined.
Please reach out to Kathy Kimbrough, Susan Carter, or Steph Griggs Plateau Chapter Co-Chairs if you'd like to assist in the planning: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Thank you Pam Penick - Digging for your post on SummerHome garden in Denver. We made a trip from Grand Junction to see ...
10/24/2024

Thank you Pam Penick - Digging for your post on SummerHome garden in Denver. We made a trip from Grand Junction to see this garden in addition to visiting friends and taking the California Zephyr train for the first time. How inspiring! A creative mix of natives and low water plants perfect for Colorado.

Colorado Native Plant Society is hosting the first Native Plant Garden Tour in the Grand Valley. Saturday June 22nd9am t...
05/20/2024

Colorado Native Plant Society is hosting the first Native Plant Garden Tour in the Grand Valley. Saturday June 22nd
9am to 1pm
Register at CoNPS.org
$10/members $20/non members
6 gardens on the tour
Tour participants get a plant discount coupon at Bookcliff Gardens

03/28/2024

We are all looking for a solution to reduce w**ds! Like many, I tried landscape fabric as a new gardener and it sure seemed to work great…until it didn’t! Much cursing is involved in trying to remove it. Additionally it harms plants, soil, and insects. More here:

-Woven w**d barrier fabrics initially allow some minor oxygen and water exchange to the soil, but eventually become clogged. Lack of oxygen and water to plant roots and soil microbes significantly reduces plant growth.
-Weeds easily germinate on top of the fabric and root into or through it making w**ding more, instead of less, challenging.
-Woven plastic fabrics disrupt the life cycles of many pollinators and other soil invertebrates who need access to bare ground for nesting.
-Eventually falls apart making removal difficult.

For information on CSU recommended mulching options, read more here: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/mulches-for-home-grounds-7-214/

CMG Kelli, March 2024

Post #4 My favorite native perennialsChocolate Flower• Hardy groundcover • Grows 1’x18”• Blooms all summer long• Chocol...
03/13/2024

Post #4 My favorite native perennials
Chocolate Flower
• Hardy groundcover
• Grows 1’x18”
• Blooms all summer long
• Chocolate scented flowers
• Reseeds gently in the garden
Prairie Zinnia
• Tidy bright golden yellow flowers all summer
• Great groundcover with cacti and other shrubs
• 6” x6”
• I grow mine with Mojave sage
Desert 4 O’clock
• Bright magenta flowers from June through September
• Deep tap root, one of the last plants to wake up in Spring
• 2-3’ tall x 3-6’ wide
• Perfect groundcover for yuccas and other cacti
Winecups
• Deep green feathery foliage and bright pink flowers make this a standout groundcover
• 6-8” x 4-6’
• Blooms all summer
• No need to deadhead this lovely perennial
Colorado Desert Blue Star
• Native to Western Colorado
• Light blue flowers in May and June
• Golden foliage in the fall
• 12-18” x 12-15”
Columbine
• State flower of Colorado
• This lovely flower likes moderate water and afternoon shade
• 2’ x1’ mature size
• Short lived but gently re-seeds
• New plants may not be the same color
‘Kannah Creek’ buckwheat
• Native to Western Colorado
• Hard working groundcover
• Evergreen foliage, soft yellow flowers in spring that turn rusty in fall and deep maroon foliage all winter long
• Mature size 6-8” x 12”
Maximillian Sunflower
• Huge multi-stemmed sunflower blooms in late September and October
• 6-7’ x 1-2’ mature size
• Use 6’ t-stake and twine to keep from flopping in windy areas
• Wonderful sight in the Grand Valley when most other flowers are done for the year.
Blanket Flower and Black Eyed Susan
• Blanket flower has yellow and red flowers all summer
• 18” x 18”
• Black eyed Susan has bright gold petals surrounding a deep brown center
• 2’ x2’
• Both plants like full sun and well drained soils
Penstemons
• There are several native varieties of Penstemon
• Pineleaf has fine thread like leaves, 2’x2’
• Rocky Mountain has thicker leaves, deep blue flowers and grows 2’x1’
• Palmers is very xeric with pale pink flowers and grows 4’ x2’ and found in the Colorado National Monument and other desert areas.
Mexican Hat, Scarlet Globemallow and Prince’s Plume
• Colorful, low water native perennials
• Found naturally in desert areas in Western Colorado
• Do not overwater in residential landscape

Post #3 My favorite Native shrubsChieftain or Panchito manzanita• Native to Western Colorado• Stunning broadleaf evergr...
03/13/2024

Post #3 My favorite Native shrubs
Chieftain or Panchito manzanita

• Native to Western Colorado
• Stunning broadleaf evergreens with small pink flowers in April
• Trunk and stems turn copper color
• Panchito – 2’ x 5’
• Chieftain 4’ x 8’
• Deer proof – I have had Chieftain in my front yard for 9 years and never even a nibble from the herds of deer that visit every night.
One of my favorite plants!
Serviceberry – Saskatoon or Utah
• White flowers in spring
• Bright red fall color
• Birds love the berries
• 12’ x12’

Apache Plume
• Stunning mid sized shrub with season long appeal
• 6’ x6’ mature size
• White flowers in spring followed by pink seed heads that look like the Apache head dress
• Can be easily shaped for a more tidy look
Sand Cherry
• Low horizontal shrub for the front of the border
• 18” x 6’ mature size
• Loads of pink and white flowers in spring followed by delicious black berries in late summer
Good fall color
Golden Currant
• Sunny golden flowers in the spring and edible red berries in the summer
• Grows to 5’ tall and wide
• Maroon fall foliage
• Who needs forsythia when you can have this gorgeous shrub
Harriman’s Yucca
• Western Colorado native
• Mature size 3’ x3’
• White threads on leaves look like a cloud
Mountain Mahogany
• Curleaf variety is 20’ x12’
• Littleleaf is 7’ x 6’ (pictured)
• Great for wildlife
• Seedheads are white and wispy
Fernbush
• Also called the Desert Lilac
• 7’ x6’ mature size
• Sage green semi-evergreen leaves
• White fragrant flowers in May and June

Here is post #2 my favorite Native treesBigtooth maple• Great maple for our alkaline soils• Medium shade tree 35’x25’• ...
03/13/2024

Here is post #2 my favorite Native trees
Bigtooth maple
• Great maple for our alkaline soils
• Medium shade tree 35’x25’
• Drought resistant
• Outstanding fall color
• Better choice for your landscape than aspen

Utah Juniper and Pinyon Pine
• Utah juniper or single seed juniper is a slow grower
• Mature size is 25’ x20’
• Pinyon Pine is more upright
• Mature size is 25’ x 15’
• Pine cones look like roses, seeds are delicious

Bur Oak
• Large stately shade tree
• 50’x50’
• Slow grower
• Wildlife loves the acorns

I am condensing my PP presentation on Native Plants for all of those who asked to see it. I am highlighting my favorite...
03/13/2024

I am condensing my PP presentation on Native Plants for all of those who asked to see it. I am highlighting my favorite plants for Grand Valley's climate. We are located in the high desert, rainfall averages 8-10" per year, alkaline soils and USDA Hort Zones 5 through 7.
How to incorporate natives into an existing non native, non xeric landscape
• First take into account trees on the property. You must water for the trees
• If you eliminate lawn areas, use drip irrigation around the dripline of the tree to insure adequate water
• Know the water and sun requirements of the natives you want to plant.
My favorite native trees, shrubs and perennials
• These plants can be substituted for non native plants
• I concentrate on plants that are helpful to wildlife and pollinators
• My choices reflect one of my needs for all landscape designs – “More bang for your buck” – the plant must look good more than one season out of the year
This is Post 1 of 4.

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