Help to create a waterwise yard that is dog-friendly

Question: I would love to create a beautiful yard that people and dogs enjoy.  Currently, my grass is dead but the weeds are alive and well.  I've been spraying the weeds with a mixture of vinegar, salt, and dish detergent but I don't know if it's working.  The yard gets sun and shade.  I would really appreciate suggestions on 1.) preparing my yard, 2.) fast-growing ground covers, 3.) plants that could be used for borders to create separate areas, and 4.) plants that grow between flagstone.
I know I'm asking a lot but I hate to buy plants, water them, and watch them die because they weren't good choices.
Thank you for your time and ideas.

responder: Colorado Master Gardener, Denver County Replied September 14, 2024, 3:17 PM EDT
response: As you’re likely already aware from your varied questions, a yard overhaul has many facets to consider and cannot be answered simply. You might want to only tackle a portion at a time, or do everything at once. You may want to get professional / paid help, or you may want to do it all yourself. You should consider what you’d like to see in your yard, how you’d like it to function, and what’s appropriate for your yard (in terms of sun vs shade, how much water is required or available, soil conditions, etc.). You know your yard best in terms of the sun, shade, and moisture, and you know what you are willing to do (watering practices, money you feel comfortable spending, etc.).   Here are some starting points for thinking about what you’d like to do with your yard:  https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/design/1103-design-considerations/ https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/design/1107-selecting-designer/  There are also a ton of more specialized articles, depending on what strikes you as interesting, including a couple about ground covers and pet-safe plants: https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/design/ https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/gardening-resources/online-garden-publications/landscape-design/ https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/ground-cover-plants-7-400/  https://arapahoe.extension.colostate.edu/2021/05/01/the-dog-friendly-yard-and-gardens/  https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/dogs-plant-list  https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/xeriscaping-ground-cover-plants-7-230/   Light conditions and soil are good starting points to evaluate your garden design – they play a big role in what will work for your yard. Here are a couple resources for those topics and some recommendations about preparing your yard:  https://landscapeforlife.colostate.edu/soil/ https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/design/1112-water-considerations/ https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/soils-amendments-composting/1605-soil-preparation/  https://plantselect.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/WesternBestPracticesFlyer-2022.pdf  https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/411.pdf   Weed identification will help you figure out the best methods of control – all weeds are not impacted the same by methods of control. There are many types of weeds we see here in Colorado, so here are some starting points in the links below. If you need help identifying anything, you can send in another request for information – including pictures that are both close (so we can see leaf arrangement and other characteristics) as well as overall pictures (so we can see where / how it is growing).  https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/gardening-resources/online-garden-publications/weed-management/  https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/351.pdf  https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/weeds-cultural-problems/2117-landscape-weeds-control/   Lastly, if you’ve analyzed your yard and are feeling ready to make some plans, or just want use these as guidelines for talking to a landscaper / designer, there are some templates available for designs based on environmental conditions. There are good recommendations in these templates for plant choices based on the environmental conditions. You will need to evaluate what plants will be suitable based on the conditions in your yard.  https://plantselect.org/design/downloadable-designs/  https://www.northernwater.org/sustainablelandscapetemplates https://plantselect.org/design/garden-ideas/   If you’re interested in seeking paid, professional help, here are some of our recommendations, but also feel free to reach out to any of the local garden centers to see if they have recommendations for designers or landscapers. Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado – Association" class="redactor-autoparser-object">http://www.alcc.com Association of Professional Landscape Designers - https://www.apld.org/ GreenCo – https://greenco.org/about.html Colorado American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Chapter – https://www.aslacolorado.org/landscape-architects-resources/find-a-landscape-architect/

responder: The Question Asker Replied September 16, 2024, 12:08 PM EDT
response: Thx for the info and suggestions. Lots of work ahead!  On Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 01:17:17 PM MDT, Ask Extension wrote: