The Big One: Rocky Mountain paradise

Company: TerraCare
Location: Aurora, Colo.

TerraCare took over this massive project at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center with some clear goals in mind.

First, crews needed to address incomplete irrigation installations that led to dead plant material across the property. To do so, they conducted a complete irrigation audit, identifying problem areas and finishing the incomplete system.

To combat the resort’s sheer amount of square footage, TerraCare appointed a full-time irrigation technician and a porter to watch over the site. In addition to those two full-time roles, an area manager walks the property weekly to check for any problem areas.

The property features 800 sprinkler zones; an artificial lawn, which requires lawn brushing once a week and before special events; 148,000 square feet of turf; 1,127,500 square feet of native areas; 285,182 square feet of rocks and mulch; and 60 annual flower beds.

Keeping maintenance work discreet was a major request from the client. To keep crews low profile, TerraCare works closely with the client to schedule maintenance during the resort’s down times.

TerraCare won a Bronze Award from the 2022 National Association of Landscape Professionals Awards of Excellence program for this project.

(Photo courtesy of TerraCare)

The resort’s entryway includes turf, mulch beds with native plants and bronze statues of a herd of horses.

(Photo courtesy of TerraCare)

TerraCare manages the property’s artificial lawn in addition to a large area of native grasses and plants.

(Photo courtesy of TerraCare)

Along the artificial lawn, TerraCare’s landscape design includes plantings that thrive in the unique Colorado climate.

(Photo courtesy of TerraCare)

A bed with annual plantings separates the artificial lawn from one of the resort’s many walkways.

(Photo courtesy of TerraCare)

The size of the Gaylord Rockies Resort keeps TerraCare crews on their toes as they’re tasked with ensuring the grounds stay trash-free.

(Photo courtesy of TerraCare)

Maintaining smooth transitions from native areas to rock beds to turf is a challenge for TerraCare.

(Photo courtesy of TerraCare)

With the property’s irrigation system in disrepair, TerraCare revamped it with drip irrigation under mulch beds over the first three months of its tenure.