Dogs and great designs bring a lot of joy to our lives. 

Your Pup Deserves A Space to Enjoy
We at Arterra believe that homeowners deserve to come home to (or in these times, staycation in) an outdoor space that offers you relaxation, rest, and peace.

​This belief holds especially true for our fellow dog lovers. We take great pride and joy in designing landscape spaces that are dog friendly, beautiful spaces for your four-legged friend to frolic in without destroying plants and flower beds. 

Arterra’s owner and principal, John Majeski, is a long time dog lover and owner. He understands it can be challenging to create a space that is both beautiful and suited to the needs of your canine companion. Your four-legged friend probably needs to enjoy the freedom of taking a few rowdy laps around the yard, chasing a ball, and playing freely without causing worry that he or she could destroy delicate landscape elements or accidentally escape your yard for a neighborhood adventure. 
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Conceptualizing and designing a landscape that truly considers your dog’s behavior and needs is something we delight in. In fact, we’ve brought joy to a number of our furry friends and their humans throughout the Denver metro with our unique designs. 

In general, dog friendly landscape designs tend to include turf grass, well built fences, trees and pergola structures to create shade, discreet places okay for your pup to dig in, and protection built around your plants and garden beds. 

Home Sustainability Solutions
So many of us make resolutions at the beginning of the year to make better choices around our health, finances, relationships and living our best life. But how often do we consider the opportunity to make improvements that benefit our finances, quality of life, and environmental impact through our home and its surrounding landscape? 

If finances and sustainability matter to you, Xeriscape renovation should be a top consideration for homeowners in Colorado's the Front Range.  

What Is Xeriscaping?
Xeriscaping, also sometimes called “smart-scaping” or “drought-tolerant landscaping,” is a set of landscape design principles to benefit areas susceptible to drought or concerned with water conservation. This style of landscape utilizes water conserving techniques such as the inclusion of drought-tolerant plants; ground covers such as bark, mulch, or rock; and efficient irrigation to create sustainable beauty that also lowers water bills. 

Designs can range from rustic alpine to vibrant xeriscape garden to minimalist zen meditation aesthetics and anything in between. 

Rooted In Colorado
Did you know that the Water Department of Denver is credited for coining the word “xeriscape” back in 1981? Really! Denver Water combined "landscape" with “xeros” (the Greek word for “dry”), to make it easier to talk about a style of landscaping suited to the Front Range and other semi-arid regions. 

How It Works & What To Use 
Ask your landscape designer to select plants adapted to the Denver metro’s general weather patterns. (If you have lived near the Mile High City for at least a season or two, you’ll notice how quickly the weather can turn from 70 degrees one day to snowing or below freezing the next!) Your plants need to be adapted to withstand these extremes. 

A skilled landscape architect will create a beautiful plan for you that is aesthetically pleasing with more than just a sea of sand or rocks replacing your lawn. Ideally you want to enjoy a beautiful space that is designed to require minimal water consumption and minimal maintenance. 

Arterra owner, John Majeski, approaches xeriscape designs considering your area’s average rainfall and what grows indigenously in your area. Instead of expansive sod lawns, he incorporates natural materials like turf grasses, native plants like deciduous shrubs or pine trees, and wildflowers that are hardy enough to sustain the varied temperature swings seen in our region.

Some of John’s favorite plants to work with include roses, ornamental grasses, boxwood, and certain cacti. 

When Should I Install A Xeriscape?
While spring is always the most ideal time to install and renovate gardens and lawns, you can generally install xeriscapes anytime throughout the year (weather permitting).

Work With Us
Arterra is now booking landscape design and construction projects for the spring and summer on a first come, first served basis. We give you accurate, fair, and custom quotes based on a site visit to your property with your personal lifestyle and home’s features in mind. 

We specialize in custom landscaping design. 
Great landscaping starts with intentional and creative design work. At Arterra, our licensed landscape architect takes great care in the process behind envisioning your outdoor oasis. John Majeski visits your space to assess things like the land’s grade, existing structural features or trees, weather elements, irrigation needs, and more. 

How do we imagine a space?
First we connect with you to learn more about how you want to use your space. Need a dog-friendly patio, low maintenance space, outdoor sanctuary to read books in the cool mornings and evenings, or want to entertain family and friends while you cook and dine outside? All of this factors into how we conceptualize your landscape design. 

We also consider the style of your home and any challenges or factors (such as privacy from bordering property lines, sloping grades, soil type, sun exposure and wind factors) for your unique location. 

After talking about your dream vision and ideal outdoor space, we assess your property, and chat about your budget before creating a custom, hand rendered landscaping design with built and natural elements. Many of our renovation and new construction projects include hardscapes such as stamped concrete walkways, patios, pergola shade structures, garden beds, water features, fences and, of course, automated irrigation systems (less work outdoors equals more relaxation in it, right?).