Alpine Gardens received an “EXCELLENCE in LANDSCAPING” award in Denver recently. The award program developed by the Assocaited Landscape Contractors of Colorado recognizes outstanding landscapes throughout the State of Colorado.

The landscape that won the award is the surround of the Copper Mountain Climbing Tower. It includes a stream with a series of waterfalls and a performance stage that overhangs a tranquil pools. There is a grass area to lounge on, and natural stone benches to compliment the extensive stonework in the stream.

Jon Harrington of Alpine Gardens Landscaping received the award in a ceremony at Mile High Station Wednesday. Harrington credits Intrawest with the vision to undertake a project of this nature. “Todd Morgan was a real help,” said Harrington. “ He gave us the leeway to be creative and put together a top quality project. We moved mature trees in that were scheduled for destruction on another project, and collected native plants from a ski slope that was being re-contoured by bulldozers.

The landscape is a multi-use area. The anchor element is a 40 ft. tall climbing tower that looks like a rock cliff. Harrington’s past experience as the supervisor of the Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX is the basis for his design changes that allow for visitors to actually move through the landscape. “You have to direct people subliminally to make an interactive landscape work. Since there were kids running through even during construction, we established corridors of movement that include a flagstone walkway, a ‘floating’ stone bridge, even boulders placed in heavy wear areas for rock hopping.”

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