This is an aspirational list of things that support climate resiliency and wellbeing, we do not expect each landscape project to meet all of these criteria.

Projects should:

  • Include a strong majority (>75%) of plants which are native, regionally appropriate (adapted to Boulder’s climate) or edible/food-producing
  • Include a diversity of plants in terms of species, type, and/or height
  • Include enough plants to cover most of the ground
  • Include plants which are properly placed according to their needs (sunlight, water availability, elevation)
  • Provide habitat/food to support local pollinators, insects, birds and other animals (such as flowers, deadwood, berries, appropriate water features)
  • Minimize surfaces that cannot absorb water such as concrete/asphalt
  • Maximize continuous areas that can absorb water such as planting areas
  • Not use pesticides (including herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, etc.)
  • Protect and improve soil health and structure
  • Use water wise practices (such as hydro-zoning, watering only in early morning or evening, using a smart controller) if irrigation is active
  • Meet City of Boulder landscaping for wildfire resilience ordinances (such as maintaining a five foot area free from organic material around structures and no junipers within 30 feet of structures) if located in the Wildland-Urban-Interface (WUI)
  • Consider bear safety around food producing plants (such as fruit trees) if located in areas with bear activity

It’s great if projects also:

  • Include plants with cultural, medicinal, edible, or fiber value
  • Include keystone plant species
  • Include a community gathering space
  • Use reused/recycled materials
  • Use locally sourced materials
  • Currently provide or will provide overhead shade at maturity/full growth
  • Use only rainwater after establishment (no irrigation needed after 1-3 year establishment period)
  • Use techniques to absorb rainwater, such as directing downspouts to plant areas, creating swales, or using a rain barrel
  • Include educational components such as informational signs
  • Involve collaboration between multiple households/groups
  • Include accessible paths or other wheelchair accessible features
  • Include art
  • If located in the WUI, use best management practices to limit the spread of fire (such as creating space between plantings)
  • Include play features or child-friendly aspects
  • Include benches or resting places for people
  • Involve community members in stewardship
  • Have a long-term maintenance plan
  • Use permaculture or agroecological principles
  • Provide habitat elements through management choices (such as leaving leaf piles and hollow stems for overwintering insects)
  • Are replicable
  • Do not use weed barrier
  • Use self-grown material from seed