Our Favorites
the Story
Cory-Merrill
Sometimes the most powerful transformation comes not from growth, but from thoughtful reduction.
This original Cory-Merrill residence had good bones and an excellent location, but its original exterior struggled to find coherence. A prominent turret at the front of the home felt unresolved—neither functional nor architectural—leaving the house visually disconnected from its surroundings. Overgrown for more than 15 years, the traditional garden began to compete with the architecture it was meant to support—blocking light, compressing sightlines, and obscuring the home’s carefully considered façade. To owners, Tyler and Katie, this just couldn’t continue. Located in one of Denver’s most desirable and architecturally attentive neighborhoods, this house deserved more.
First, the owners enlisted architect Steve Barsh to reimagine the home entirely. Rather than starting from scratch, Barsh undertook a complete re-skinning of the façade alongside a full interior overhaul. The resulting masterpiece presented a cohesive and streamlined exterior, blending modern Spanish and Mediterranean influences. The design balanced warmth and elegance with clear, understated elements, achieving an expressive quality without embellishment— a sweet home that would reward being seen from the street.
Then, it was time for High Desert Landscapes to step in. Letting go of a long-established landscape is never easy. But as with many properties of this era, the overgrown traditional garden had completely overtaken this beautiful home. Our work on Fillmore Street was not about adding more, but about removing with intention. Selective demolition, thinning, and rebalancing allowed light, air, and proportion to return. Key plantings were preserved where appropriate, while others were edited back or removed entirely to reestablish hierarchy and clarity.
What emerged was not a new landscape, but a corrected one — one that once again allows the architecture to lead, supported quietly by structure, rhythm, and restraint. The house can now breathe. Its warmth, materiality, and subtle drama are visible again from the street and throughout the property.
High Desert Landscapes helped the Cory-Merrill homeowners restore balance between their home and its surroundings by thoughtfully editing an overgrown front yard that had begun to block light, obscure architecture, and feel visually disorganized. Through a detailed site survey, custom design, and precise installation, the team selectively removed and reshaped existing elements to improve daylight, reestablish clear sightlines, and reinforce the home’s architectural character. The result was a low-maintenance outdoor environment that dramatically improved curb appeal, enhanced livability outside the home, and added lasting value to the property.
Project Highlights:
Low-maintenance outdoor environment that dramatically improved curb appeal, enhanced livability outside the home, and added lasting value to the property.
Over the years our front yard landscape had become overgrown and jumbled. The inside of our house was so dark from all the shade, and the whole yard lacked cohesion. We saw the exceptional work that High Desert Landscapes was doing for other homes in our neighborhood and hoped they could help us with a design and installation proposal.
We gave Joe a call and he could not have been more enthusiastic or friendly. After extensively surveying our property and carefully listening to our goals, Joe created an impressive, customized design that not only captured our aesthetic and maintenance preferences, but fit perfectly with the architectural style of our home. He has such a great eye for design! The budget and proposal process was straightforward and sensible.
Joe and his install team were highly attentive and responsive during the installation process and worked hard. They stayed on schedule and never missed a work day.
We were completely blown away by the end result! What a complete and fantastic transformation of our house! We love our new landscape and the curb appeal it provides. We are confident it adds meaningfully more value to our home than the cost. In addition to giving us joy, it is a great investment! We’ve received so many compliments.
We enthusiastically endorse High Desert Landscapes! These guys are talented. Give them a call.
Tyler & Katie
the Story
Park Hill
Project Highlights:
The land now behaves the way it always should have — quietly, predictably, and without drawing attention to itself.
Natural sod plays a deliberate role here. Far from being ornamental, the grass provides contrast — cooling the space visually, softening stone, and grounding the warmth of the surrounding materials.
The Glencoe Street residence occupies a quiet but important place in Denver’s architectural history. Once home to Edward Hawkins, the house is considered one of his case study residences — a proving ground for ideas that would later appear across other significant modernist homes in Denver and beyond. Hawkins’ work was defined by restraint, clarity of form, and a deep sensitivity to site — qualities that set a high bar for any intervention, especially in the landscape.
Current owners Aaron and Dasha undertook a thoughtful interior and exterior restoration of the home, approaching the project with the same respect for material honesty and proportion that Hawkins championed. The landscape needed to meet that same standard — not as decoration, but as an extension of the architecture and the land it sits on.
At first glance, the success of the landscape is difficult to reduce to any single decision. Like the house itself, it works because everything works together.
Beneath the surface, however, the transformation was substantial. Longstanding drainage issues were corrected by excavating and relocating roughly forty tons of soil to reestablish proper grade and water movement across the site. The land now behaves the way it always should have — quietly, predictably, and without drawing attention to itself.
From there, the landscape was shaped to respond to exposure, scale, and long-term performance. Large Colorado moss rock boulders establish mass and permanence, while a predominantly low-water plant palette reinforces a high-desert sensibility appropriate to the Front Range climate. A weeping snow cherry tree — an important client priority — was carefully integrated as a counterpoint, adding softness and seasonal movement without disrupting the overall restraint of the composition.
Natural sod plays a deliberate role here. Far from being ornamental, the grass provides contrast — cooling the space visually, softening stone, and grounding the warmth of the surrounding materials. It reinforces the idea that even in a water-conscious landscape, selective comfort and clarity can coexist with discipline.
The result is a landscape that doesn’t announce itself, yet feels undeniably complete — one that honors Hawkins’ architectural legacy while supporting how the house is lived in today.
Working with High Desert Landscapes was hands down the most pleasant and rewarding project of our entire home renovation journey. The work they did truly makes coming home a pleasure, each and every day. The reflexive smile that still comes to our faces whenever we look out on their handiwork says it all.
Before we began working with High Desert, our front yard was an uninspired dirt patch. We didn’t really know where to begin, but after meeting with Joe, we quickly realized that his vision for a sustainable, low water, native landscape perfectly aligned with our goals and philosophy. He worked with us to create a bespoke design that not only aligned with our shared ethos but also complemented the existing architecture in a way that truly transformed our home beyond what we thought was possible.
Once we settled on a design and the team broke ground, they were punctual, respectful, and communicative about what they were doing and when, keeping us in the know at every step along the process. And to say something about their work ethic, it is truly indefatigable. By the end of the first week, they moved around 5 tons of dirt to properly grade the yard, and there is no telling how many thousands of pounds of boulders got schlepped.
Seeing the design come to life with a riverbed, grasses, trees, and boulders was so rewarding. They were incredibly thoughtful, down to the very last detail. Every angle was thoughtfully considered, and every plant, boulder and pebble was placed with great and exacting care from Joe and Skip. When it came time to add lights, they would come back in the evening to make sure each spotlight was perfectly placed—true artists in their element, and the end result speaks for itself.
The yard looked impeccable when they completed the job in May, but as the plants established themselves, it looked better and better every day, through every season since. Once they finished the job, their quality didn’t end there. Joe would come check on the yard to make sure plants were adapting well, watered at the right drip speed, and taking care of things as needed.
High Desert Landscapes comes with our highest recommendation. Working with them is an experience that we will never forget. Their art—and that’s exactly what it is, ART—is the kind that will endure long after all of us are gone. Let High Desert create a landscape that leaves a lasting legacy, not just for you, but for Denver, for many years to come.
Aaron & Dasha