Fall in Love With Flower Gardening
Hi there, I’m Ann. I help budding western gardeners learn flower gardening without the endless guessing and overwhelm, so they can get results QUICKLY.
Get ready to find more joy outside, while you grow flowers that have your friends saying, “Wow!”
If you’ve ever admired your neighbors’ gardens and thought, “I wish I could do that,”
you’re in the right place. 🌻
Get showy color in just one summer — with flowerpot gardening
Dig into these free tools to shorten your learning curve
What’s your flowerpot personality? Find out here! You’ll get flower suggestions that match.
Get flowerpot tips and tricks you can put into action during this fun, 30-minute podcast.
Discover the top 5 mistakes in flower container gardening and how to EASILY avoid them.
It’s not you …
It’s flower gardening in the West
You know those parts of the country where you dig a few holes, plop in a few plants and watch them grow into a lush jungle?
All the while, you sip chilled cocktails and laugh about how easy flower gardening is.
That isn’t Colorado, Utah or the interior West. 🙂
Located in the semi-arid, high steppe of North America, we have unique conditions for growing flowers. Throw in the Rocky Mountains, and well, it’s an adventure!
More like Patagonia than Pittsburgh
Did you know that our growing conditions are often more like parts of Patagonia, South Africa and Central Asia than other parts of the U.S.?
(Explains a few things, doesn’t it?)
Here’s the good news …
You CAN grow colorful flowers in western states like Colorado & Utah even if:
- You’re new to gardening at elevation … in a semi-arid climate … with 60-degree temperature swings … and wait, is that an ELK in your yard?
- You don’t have endless hours to spend in your garden
- You don’t have a mind like Martha Stewart (nor should you have to!)
But when learning how to garden, it helps to have a guide to skip over the bumps that surprise rookie gardeners here. 🌻
If we haven’t said hello on a Colorado hiking trail …
Hi there, I’m Ann
Certified Colorado Gardener, Dog Mama, Midwesterner-Turned-Colorado Girl
I grew up in a family of gardeners, but when I moved west, I quickly discovered that gardening in our high-altitude, dry conditions is an adventure.
I became a Certified Colorado Gardener through the Colorado State University Extension, and God knows, I’ve learned A LOT through 18 years of hands-on practice too.
When flower gardening clicks, it’s such a fun way to relax and reconnect with nature. I created Go West Gardener to help budding western gardeners — like you — find your confidence, so you can create an outdoor space you LOVE.
“Growing flowers is so much more rewarding”
“Because of Ann’s awesome gardening tips, my annuals are lasting much longer, and my flowers are thriving. Growing flowers is so much more rewarding.”
Ana Zellars | Golden, Colorado
Western flower gardening is an adventure
Where would you like to begin?
Go from, “I hope this grows,” to, “I’ve totally got this”
Get my latest flower gardening tips
Jupiter’s Beard: Long-Blooming Flowers That Come Back Every Year
Would you like pretty flowers that bloom all summer, return every year AND are drought tolerant? Yes, pleassssse! I can’t wait to introduce you to Jupiter’s Beard (aka, Red Valerian). It's official botanical name is Centranthus ruber. If you want long-lasting color, I...
“Do Some Plants Do Better in Hail Than Others?”
When you live in states like Colorado, Wyoming and Texas, you may not get hail every year, but some years, you’ll get it 2 … 3 … 7 times. (I’m not crying. I have something in my eye.) It’s like playing the lottery, except hail is a prize you DON’T want to win. In this...
Lantana: A Heat-Tolerant Flower for Pots and Summer Gardens
This cutie is known as Lantana This colorful flower reminds me of a delicious bowl of sherbet. It isn’t a flower you want to eat, though — no matter how yummy it looks. 🙂 It's actually a little poisonous. Be careful where you plant it if you have wee ones or dogs....