Western Gardening Blog

Inspiring western gardeners to grow beautiful flowers with less effort in Colorado, Utah & the intermountain west

The latest flower tips

9 of the Best Flowers for Late Summer in Colorado

Want to add a splash of color to a late-summer garden? Dig into some of the best flowers for late summer in Colorado—whether you live in Denver, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction or another Colorado town! These late-summer flowers bloom in August, September and some...

12 Waterwise, Blue Flowers: Perennials for Western Gardens

Confession: I love blue flowers. There’s something about them that makes my heart sing. In Colorado, Utah, and similar states, we’re lucky to have a variety of waterwise, blue flowers available to us as perennials (plants that return for multiple years). Here are 12...

3 Plants That Struggle in Western Winters (What NOT to Plant in Your Colorado Landscape)

No one wants to end up with extra garden chores and sad-looking plants But that’s what can happen if you accidentally pick plants that are known to struggle in Colorado landscapes — particularly during winter. So, in this tip, you’ll get the scoop on 3 popular plants...

How to Choose Mums That Last Longer: 3 Simple Tips

When you're strolling through the garden center or dashing into the grocery store and all those pretty flowers are smiling up at you, it's hard not to choose the showiest mums you see. "Well, helloooooo there." But if you'd like your mums to last longer, hold up!...

What to Do With Old Potting Soil (the Dirt From Your Pots)

What can you do with the dirt in your pots after your flowers have died? Good news! You have a few options for what to do with old potting soil. Let's assume, for a sec, your plants were healthy at the end of the season. If yes... Here are 4 things to do with old...

“When Should I Empty My Flowerpots?”

In the fall, one of the questions that often comes up is: "When should I empty my flowerpots?" There are different schools of thought on when to empty your flowerpots, so I'm going to share several options. That way, you can decide which makes the most sense for you....

Is It Better to Empty Your Flowerpots in the Spring or Fall?

I used to leave everything in my flowerpots until spring. The whole shebang. Dead flowers, old potting soil, all of it. And for a few years, everything was fine. But then, I lost a few flowerpots to cracking. (Ugh.) I also learned about some pesky insects that like to...

What to Do With Outdoor Pots in the Winter, So They Look Good for Many Seasons

The seasons are changing. It's time to figure out what to do with your outdoor pots in the winter. (Good thinking!) Before you start getting winter snow and freezing temps, it helps to: 1) Empty the dead flowers and dirt (or "soil" in garden lingo) from your outdoor...

Flowerpot Clean-up Tips: What to Do With Your Flowerpots When Your Flowers Are Dead

Friends, the end of the flowerpot season is like the end of a dinner party. You've had an amazing evening of laughter, stories and delicious food. (“Oh my God, that was so good! I need that recipe!”) Your heart feels so full. And then... you walk into your kitchen....

5 Drought-Tolerant Spring Flowers for Sunny, Dry Gardens (You Plant in the Fall)

Most of these spring flowers are low maintenance too! Let’s say you want to add a splash of color to your spring garden, but you live someplace dry, like Colorado or Utah. It would be nice to find spring flowers that don’t need a lot of watering, right? (Less work for...

5 Helpful Tips for Buying Spring Flowering Bulbs in the Fall

Let’s say you’d like to grow pretty spring flowers in your western garden, like tulips or daffodils. Awesome! These spring flowers grow from bulbs that you plant in the fall in Colorado, Utah and the West. Here are a few examples of spring flowering bulbs: In this...

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia): How to Tell a Biennial vs Perennial (Short-Lived vs Long-Lived Plant)

Black-eyed Susan (officially, Rudbeckia — Rude-bek-ee-uh) is an easy-to-grow flower that can add big color to your western garden, particularly in the late summer. But often, gardeners plant Black-Eyed Susan... and it doesn't come back If this happens to you, you may...