Art of the Yard Blog

Within the pages of our landscaping blog you’ll find helpful articles and interesting insights about everything that’s related to landscaping.

How We Design Swimmable Natural Ponds (Step by Step) - Art of the Yard

How We Design Swimmable Natural Ponds (Step by Step)

There’s something magical about swimming in water that feels alive, surrounded by plants, dragonflies skimming the surface, and not a single whiff of chlorine. At Art of the Yard, we’ve spent over 30 years helping Denver homeowners transform their backyards into natural retreats, and swimmable natural ponds remain one of our most requested projects. But…
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Lighting a Contemporary Yard: Lines, Washes, and Shadows That Transform Your Space - Art of the Yard

Lighting a Contemporary Yard: Lines, Washes, and Shadows That Transform Your Space

Contemporary landscape design thrives on precision. The clean geometry of modern water features, the sharp angles of architectural planters, the deliberate restraint of a monochromatic palette, all of it demands lighting that understands the assignment. We’re not talking about flooding your yard with generic illumination. We’re talking about using light as a design tool, one…
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Koi Pond Plants That Thrive in Denver’s Elevation - Art of the Yard

Koi Pond Plants That Thrive in Denver’s Elevation

Koi Ponds
Growing aquatic plants at 5,280 feet isn’t quite like tending a pond at sea level. Denver’s unique combination of intense UV rays, dry air, and dramatic temperature swings creates a challenging environment that can stress or outright kill many common pond plants. But here’s the good news: with the right plant selection and care strategies,…
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Koi Pond Maintenance Checklist: Denver Homeowners’ Guide - Art of the Yard

Koi Pond Maintenance Checklist: Denver Homeowners’ Guide

Koi Pond Maintenance
Owning a koi pond in Denver is one of those rare pleasures that combines natural beauty with genuine tranquility, until maintenance issues creep in. Between the Mile High City’s unpredictable weather swings, intense UV exposure, and temperature extremes, keeping your koi healthy and your pond pristine requires a bit more attention than it might in…
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Landscape Lighting Ideas for Water Features in Denver - Art of the Yard

Landscape Lighting Ideas for Water Features in Denver

There’s something almost magical about a beautifully lit water feature after dark. The way light plays off moving water, the reflections dancing across the surface of a koi pond, the gentle glow illuminating a cascading waterfall, it transforms your Denver backyard into something truly special. At Art of the Yard, we’ve spent over 30 years…
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Best Koi Pond Filtration Systems for Denver Yards - Art of the Yard

Best Koi Pond Filtration Systems for Denver Yards

Koi Pond Maintenance
If you’ve ever watched koi glide through crystal-clear water on a crisp Colorado morning, you know there’s something almost meditative about it. But here’s what most Denver homeowners don’t realize until they’re knee-deep in pond ownership: keeping that water pristine at 5,280 feet elevation is a whole different ballgame than it is at sea level.…
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Koi Pond Design in Denver: What To Know Before You Build - Art of the Yard

Koi Pond Design in Denver: What To Know Before You Build

Koi Ponds
There’s something undeniably peaceful about watching koi glide through crystal-clear water, their vibrant colors catching the light as they drift beneath the surface. If you’ve been dreaming of adding a koi pond to your Denver property, you’re not alone, these living water features have become increasingly popular across the Front Range. But here’s the thing:…
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Koi Health Basics: Water Tests Every Denver Owner Should Run - Art of the Yard

Koi Health Basics: Water Tests Every Denver Owner Should Run

Koi Ponds
Keeping koi healthy isn’t just about feeding them quality food or making sure they have enough space to swim. The real foundation of koi health? It’s all in the water. And here in Denver, our unique climate and water conditions mean local pond owners face challenges that folks in other parts of the country simply…
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