Local service guide
Gardening in Colorado Springs: Hiring and Planning
Arrange Gardening in Colorado Springs by agreeing on a written task list, a spending limit, and who waters between visits. Separate initial cleanup from ongoing care. For Colorado Springs Utilities customers, choose the watering method before planting: the utility treats drip irrigation and specified handheld methods differently from sprinkler watering. [1]
Define the work before comparing gardeners
Walk the garden with each candidate or send photographs with marked boundaries. Identify beds to weed, edges to maintain, shrubs to trim, and plants to retain. Ask the gardener to check with you before removing an unfamiliar seedling or dormant plant. Describe the result you want in each area.
For overgrown beds, request an initial cleanup quote and a separate maintenance proposal. Agree on what the gardener will finish during the cleanup and what you want maintained on later visits. Specify whether the gardener will bag debris, leave it in an agreed location, or haul it away.
Ask who will perform the work, request proof of liability insurance, and review examples of comparable garden care. Discuss gate access, pets, parking, hose connections, and material staging. Ask the provider to identify irrigation repairs, large tree work, and chemical treatments as separate tasks, with a named person responsible for each.
Compare the full quote
Request a fixed total or an hourly rate with a spending limit. For hourly work, ask whether the rate covers one worker or a crew and whether the gardener charges for travel, loading, or disposal time. Agree that the provider must seek approval before exceeding your allowance.
List plants, mulch, soil amendments, delivery, and hauling apart from labor. Specify plant names, quantities, sizes, and who approves substitutions. For mulch, identify the beds and agree on material and depth. Decide who keeps unused supplies and removes packaging.
Ask about payment timing, cancellation terms, and approval of extra work. Choose how you will review completion, such as a walkthrough or photographs of the agreed areas. If the provider offers plant replacement, request the terms and your care responsibilities in writing.
Set the watering method before installation
For properties served by Colorado Springs Utilities, customers choose up to three sprinkler-watering days within Sunday through Saturday. From May 1 through October 15, customers must water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. They must prevent pooling on hard surfaces and gutter runoff, and repair leaking sprinkler systems within 10 days. [1]
The utility allows watering at any time with drip irrigation, a handheld hose with a shutoff nozzle, or another handheld watering container. Agree on the method for beds and containers, then name the person who will check plants between gardening visits. Request written care instructions for the plants and site. [1]
Colorado Springs Utilities offers a free establishment permit that allows more frequent sprinkler watering and daytime watering for new grass and landscape plants. The permit lasts four to six weeks. Customers using drip irrigation, watering cans, or a hose with a shutoff nozzle do not need it. Assign the application and establishment care before installation. [2]
Agree on planting timing and autumn care
The National Weather Service's Colorado Springs observation summary, current through 2025, lists May 8 as the mean last-freeze date and October 2 as the mean first-freeze date. It records June 18, 1912, as the latest last freeze. Use the historical dates to discuss timing, then check the forecast before scheduling tender plants. [3]
For autumn work, identify plants to retain, containers to move, and material to remove. Ask the gardener to explain the proposed pruning timing for each plant. Include placing frost covers or moving tender containers in the scope if you want the gardener to handle those tasks. Agree who responds between visits.
Historical mean freeze dates: May 8 and October 2
Local details that affect your job
Collect establishment-permit paperwork before buying lawn materials
Colorado Springs Utilities requires soil preparation for new sod or non-native grass seed under its establishment-permit process. Applicants provide approved soil-amendment receipts or soil-test results, plus receipts showing the grass mix or species. The utility exempts native grass projects, overseeding existing lawns, flowers, shrubs, and trees from this soil-preparation requirement. If the job includes a new lawn, assign receipt collection and the application before purchasing materials. [2]
Request scheduling flexibility for complex irrigation
Customers with large landscapes, complex irrigation systems, or other conditions that prevent compliance with the three-day rule can apply to Colorado Springs Utilities for a water allocation plan. The utility permits flexibility in watering timing without allowing additional water. If a gardener proposes extra watering days because of system complexity, discuss the application before changing the schedule. [1]
Assign the utility-location contact before digging
Colorado Springs Utilities states that customers must contact 811 before digging anywhere, including home projects. For planting that involves digging, agree who will make that contact before the gardener begins. [2]
Choose an arrangement for your garden
| Your situation | Arrangement to discuss | Detail to settle |
|---|---|---|
| Overgrown beds | Initial cleanup plus a separate maintenance proposal | Retained plants, completion scope, and debris removal |
| Routine bed care | Recurring visits with a written task list | Tasks per visit and approval of extra work |
| New plants using drip or specified handheld watering | Planting with written establishment care | Who waters between visits; these methods do not require the utility's establishment permit |
| New planting needing extra sprinkler watering | Coordinate installation with an establishment-permit application | Applicant, care schedule, and four-to-six-week permit duration |
| Complex irrigation preventing three-day compliance | Discuss a water allocation plan with the utility | Scheduling flexibility without an additional water allowance |
Your hiring checklist
- Photograph the beds and mark plants to retain and areas excluded from work.
- Separate initial cleanup from recurring maintenance.
- Confirm the workers covered by hourly pricing and set a spending limit.
- List materials, delivery, hauling, and disposal in the quote.
- Assign watering between visits and request written plant-care instructions.
- Name the person handling any establishment application and supporting receipts.
- Agree on access, pets, material staging, and completion review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my gardener water beds on a non-sprinkler day?
Colorado Springs Utilities allows watering at any time with drip irrigation, a handheld hose with a shutoff nozzle, or another handheld watering container. Agree on the method and who waters between visits. [1]
Do new flowers need an establishment permit?
Customers using drip irrigation, watering cans, or a hose with a shutoff nozzle do not need the utility's establishment permit. For new landscape plants needing sprinkler watering beyond normal limits, discuss the free permit before installation. [2]
Can I treat May 8 as a safe planting deadline?
Use the forecast and discuss protection with your gardener before choosing a date. The NWS lists May 8 as the historical mean last freeze for Colorado Springs in its summary current through 2025. It also records a last freeze on June 18, 1912. [3]
How should I arrange plant replacement?
Ask whether the provider offers replacement terms, which plants qualify, and what care you must provide. Put watering and problem-reporting responsibilities in writing. Keep plant receipts and care instructions with your quote.
Sources and scope
This guide combines the sources below with practical planning guidance. Figures apply to the stated geography and period; request a written quote for your property.