The Calendar

A few hours a season. That’s all it takes.

Designed for the Rocky Mountain calendar — where spring comes late, summers are short and dry, and fall cleanup matters more than anywhere else.

Winter

Dec – Feb

The structural season. Prune deciduous trees and shrubs while you can see the architecture. Limb-up oaks. Renew gravel beds. In Wyoming and Colorado, this is also planning season — order materials now before spring rush hits local quarries. Gravel and decomposed granite delivery books up fast in March.

Limb up trees to 6 ft clear trunk
Renew DG and gravel mulch in Zone 0
Inspect roof, gutters, vents
Plan plant additions for spring

Spring

Mar – May

Plant. Establish irrigation early so new plants are deep-rooted before drought. Light pruning to shape.

In the Rocky Mountain West, soil doesn’t fully thaw until late April. Target planting window is late April through late May — before summer heat hits but after hard frost risk passes. Check your local last frost date: Cheyenne averages May 11, Denver May 7, Bozeman May 22.
Pressure-test drip lines
Mulch all beds (mineral, never bark within 5 ft)
Shear lavender and santolina lightly

Summer

Jun – Aug

Vigilance. Deadhead, hydrate, and edit anything that looks tired. This is the season your garden earns its name. In Wyoming and Colorado, fire season peaks July through September. This is when your Zone 0 maintenance matters most — a weekly walk of your 5-foot perimeter takes 10 minutes and catches problems before they compound.

Deadhead salvias, yarrow, lavender
Remove all dead material weekly in Zone 0–1
Mow native grasses in Zone 2 to 4″
Confirm 100 ft defensible space is clean

Fall

Sep – Nov

Cleanup, then rest. The single most important season for ember resilience. Fall is the most critical maintenance season in the Mountain West. Leaves in gutters + November wind = serious ember risk. Complete your full cleanup before the first hard freeze — typically October in most Rocky Mountain communities.

Deep clean gutters and roof valleys
Cut perennials back; haul away cuttings
Move firewood 30+ ft from any structure
Photograph the garden for next year's plan

The 10-Minute Weekly Walk

July – September

During fire season (July–September), walk the 5-foot perimeter of your home once a week. Look for: dead material blown against the foundation, mulch or debris in corners, any plant that has crept into the ember zone, gutters starting to fill. This single habit — 10 minutes, once a week — is the most impactful thing you can do during fire season. It costs nothing.