by Ann at Go West Gardener | Updated: May 20, 2026 | Gardening Tips and Tricks, Western Container Gardening With Flowers
If you have petunias, you may be wondering how to keep your petunias looking good, especially when the blooms start dying.
In this week’s video, you’ll:
- See exactly where to trim your petunias, so your plants look pretty and you encourage them to keep giving you new blooms.
- Find out when you DON’T need to prune your petunia plants.
- Discover what to look for to make sure your petunias aren’t “going to seed.” When your petunias start making seeds, it takes a lot of their energy.
Click the video above to watch.
Prefer to read?
Simply scroll down for the transcript.
TRANSCRIPT:
How to Trim Petunias to Keep Them Looking Pretty
Are you wondering, “How do I maintain my petunias?”
“When the petals die, what am I supposed to do?”
That’s what we’re going to talk about in today’s tip.
Hi, I’m Ann with Go West Gardener.
[music]
Inspiring new western gardeners to find their green thumbs with flowers.
I love that you’re wondering how to maintain your petunias because taking a few small steps can make a big difference between colorful, showy flowers versus having stringy, kind-of-boring looking petunias.
Let’s dig in.
Petunias can go through a cycle of blooms.
They flower, that flower bloom dies, and then new flower blooms show up on your plant.
On many petunias, though, you need to manually remove the dead blooms in order to encourage new ones.
This is known as deadheading.
And yes, it’s more than just picking off the dead petals.
Here’s what I mean.Think of your petunia bloom as a torch holding a flame.
This little stem is the torch, and your petal is the flame.
So, when petal dies, people often do one of two things.
One, they remove the dead petal (the flame), but they leave the little stem (the torch).
Or two, they may just wait for the dead petal to fall off.
Here’s the problem.
You may create a little seed pod where the flower was.
It looks like a green kernel.
Do you see it here? It grows in the center of the torch.
This is known as “going to seed.”
And while going to seed sound like a great thing, it means your plant could stop giving you new flowers.
And we want colorful blooms.
So, here’s what you want to do instead.
You want to cut off the entire torch, trimming back to the nearest main stem.
Right here.
Now, some petunias have been bred, so that they can’t go to seed or they mostly deadhead themselves.
Like the “tidal wave” variety.
You’ll see this name on the plant tag when you buy it.
In theory, this means you don’t have to remove the dead blooms.
When you look at the little torch, you SHOULD see a brown center.
But if you see a green center, Mother Nature has found a way to go to seed, and you may want to trim off that torch down to the stem.
Please click subscribe below [on YouTube] … and share a little love while you’re at it.
See you next time!
[music]
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by Ann at Go West Gardener | Updated: Jun 20, 2025 | Best Flowers for Colorado, Utah & Similar States, In-ground garden, Waterwise Gardening in the Intermountain West, Western Container Gardening With Flowers
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.
The butterflies and hummingbirds love Lantana, though!
Lantana is an “annual” in western states like Colorado and Wyoming.
This means it blooms all summer, but it doesn’t return next year.
Add this flower to your flowerpots or in the ground for a BIG pop of color.
Here’s why to add this colorful beauty to your summer garden…
- Lantana can take the heat, so it’s a good flower to try in your garden hot spots.
- It’s easy going. Lantana grows well in sunny locations, as well as partly shady spots.
- You’ll find it in many colors, from vibrant oranges and electric pinks, to calming yellows and purples.
- It tolerates drought, which is good in our semi-arid climate.
- Lantana attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Yay!
- This plant is deer resistant, so it isn’t the first choice of deer for munching.
Do you live in another region of the country?
If you live outside the Rocky Mountain region (like in the Southeast or Southwest), ask at your local garden center whether Lantana can be grown where you live.
There are some places where it isn’t allowed.
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by Ann at Go West Gardener | Updated: May 20, 2026 | Gardening Tips and Tricks
There is no perfect gardener, no matter what your neighbor up the street with the pristine landscape wants you to think.
So, if you have a flower that looks sick, is struggling or is dying, take heart. It happens to everyone.
(Yes, even to your neighbor. Though, she may not admit it!)
Flowers can get stress, weather issues, disease, insects…
And that’s just the beginning.
The tricky thing is that sometimes the issues you see AREN’T the primary issue.
They’re signs or symptoms of an underlying problem.
Insects, for example, are known to show up when a plant is stressed and something else is going on.
So, wouldn’t it be awesome to have a plant detective to help you figure out what’s going on?
Good news, you DO have a local resource if you need plant help.
But you may have never heard of it before!
It’s called an agriculture extension office or a cooperative extension.
The lingo can vary slightly from state to state.
These offices are usually associated with a state university.
They’re staffed with horticulturalists and trained volunteers who are there to help you figure out what’s going on with your plants.
Pretty cool, right?
You can reach out to them by email or phone. Some have locations you can visit.
Usually, they’ll ask questions to help you identify what’s going on with your plants. If there are solutions, they’ll help you understand what to do. And it’s all based in research and science.
This service is typically free or available for a very small fee.
So, how do you find your local extension office?
Here are links to the cooperative extension offices in western states:
If you don’t see your state listed above, search for: [your state] agriculture extension office.
When you open your state’s website, look for the extension office for the county you live in. Generally, it’s best to start with your county’s office.
If you don’t see your county, look for a nearby community.
Before you reach out, you may want to collect a few pieces of info.
1) Take clear photos of what you’re seeing on your plant.
Include a close-up photo, a slightly wider shot and a very wide shot of your yard.
Sometimes the issue on your plant is related to something else that’s going on in your garden environment.
Plus, photos can be helpful for identifying your plant, whether it’s a flower, vegetable, shrub or tree.
2) Make notes about what you’re seeing.
This makes it easier for someone who isn’t there by your side in your garden to understand what’s going on.
For example:
- What are you noticing?
- When did you first notice it?
- Did it happen suddenly or gradually?
- Where is this plant growing in your landscape?
- Have you noticed the issue on any other plants?
- Has anything happened recently in this area?
- Have any fertilizer, weed killers or other products been used around this plant? If yes, what kind?
- How are you watering this plant? How often?
- When was this plant planted?
Thinking through these questions in advance can be helpful.
And if you aren’t sure what the name of your plant is or you don’t know some of the answers, don’t worry! That’s okay.
3) Collect a sample.
If your plant looks diseased or like it has insects, take a sample and immediately seal it in a plastic bag.
For example, it may look like your plant has diseased leaves. Trim off a section of that plant (some leaves and stem) and seal it in a bag.
Why a sealable bag?
If you have insects, those lil’ critters move quickly. If you put your sample in a paper bag or something open, many will turn into escape artists.
Do you need to pull this info together before you reach out?
Nope! But if you’re chatting with your extension office through email, this can eliminate the need for a lot of back-and-forth messages.
You’ll make more efficient use of your time.
Plus, this background information can help your local extension office give you a more accurate diagnosis of what’s going on.
Don’t hesitate to contact your local extension office.
You don’t have to be a gardener with tons of experience to contact your local extension office.
If you have flowers that look sick or are dying OR you have another pressing plant or yard question (for example, you’re having a hard time getting rid of a weed), it’s 100% okay to reach out.
Your extension office should be there to help you without judgment.
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by Ann at Go West Gardener | Updated: Mar 20, 2026 | Gardening for Pollinators, Gardening Tips and Tricks, In-ground garden
It’s tempting to want to get out early in the fall and tidy up your western garden for winter, especially if you’re having a mild fall. But is it too early? When’s the best time to cut back perennials in Colorado and similar states?
In this article, you’ll get the scoop on:
- Why it helps to wait to trim down plants
- Whether it’s better to cut back perennials in the fall or spring in Colorado (hint: it depends!)
Let’s start with your garden in the fall…
No need to rush it. Put your feet up. Enjoy the fall color!
Your plants will thank you for it.
On autumn days, it may look like your perennials aren’t doing much. But they’re doing A LOT… under ground.
In the fall, soil temperatures are still warm, and air temperatures are cooling off. For most plants, these are ideal conditions for growing roots. And healthy roots are the secret to bigger, stronger plants next season, which is so important in our gotta-have-some-moxie West.
So, don’t cut back your perennials too early, especially if they’re still green.
Instead, let them gather as much energy as they can for their roots, so they can come back strong and showy in the spring. Wait until you’ve gone through several hard freezes before you get out your pruners. (A hard freeze is when temperatures drop to 28 degrees or below.)
When temps start dipping and dancing their way into the mid-20s, you’ll likely see the leaves on your perennials wither, brown, curl or drop. That’s your cue to prune IF you want to cut back your perennials in the fall.
Of course, then the question becomes…
Is it better to cut back perennials in the fall or spring in Colorado and similar western states?
The short answer is: It depends.
Mama Nature likes to keep us on our toes!
Let’s assume you don’t live in an area that’s at risk for wildfires. If so, there are LOTS of good reasons to wait until late March, early April or even later to clean up leaf litter and cut back most perennials. For example, you’ll:
But there are a few instances when it helps to clean up some plants in the late fall. For example, it’s a good idea to cut back:
- Diseased plants or plants with pesky insects, so the problem doesn’t carry over to next season.
- Plants that spread seeds like a fairy godmother tossing pixie dust, assuming you don’t want more plants next year.
- Dried out leaves and stems if you live in a wildland-urban interface and your home has some wildfire risk. (The Colorado State Forest Service has a helpful PDF on how to clean up your plants to reduce wildfire risk.)
There is no one-size-fits all approach to western garden clean-up.
What I do in my Colorado perennial garden
When I first moved to Denver, I used to cut back my perennials in the fall. I left my flowerpot clean-up until the spring.
Now I do the opposite.
I tackle my flowerpots in the fall. (Here’s why.) And I wait until April to cut back the majority of my perennials. I wait until I see new spring growth appearing from the ground. I try to wait until late April to clean out the leaf debris in my garden.
Because native bees often nest in the pithy plant stems (like rose canes), I set aside those types of plant stalks once I trim the plants down. Some bees don’t emerge until later in the spring.
Why not clean up the garden earlier, like in the late fall or in February?
Two reasons:
- Unpredictable Colorado weather. I’ve learned the hard way that we tend to bounce back and forth between winter and summer. Big temperature swings in February, March and April can be tough on our plants. I leave last year’s growth on the plants as long as possible to give them as much protection as possible.
- Pollinators. Many bees that are nesting in plant stems and under leaf debris aren’t ready to emerge that early. Plus, our big temperature swings are hard on overwintering insects. The leaf litter helps insulate them.
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by Ann at Go West Gardener | Updated: May 20, 2026 | Best Flowers for Colorado, Utah & Similar States, Gardening for Pollinators, Gardening Tips and Tricks, In-ground garden, Waterwise Gardening in the Intermountain West
Buying flowers for western gardens can feel like a lot of work.
Especially when you live in the semi-arid, gotta-have-some-moxie West — like Colorado and Utah!
This isn’t a place where you a dig a few holes, plop in some flowers and watch them grow into a lush jungle. Nope, our growing conditions can be tough on plants (and on our water supply), so we need to be smart in the flowers we choose.
Let’s say you’d like a beautiful, drought-tolerant garden, but you want to skip the hassle of figuring out flowers.
You may want to explore pre-planned gardens for Colorado and Utah instead. They’re also known as gardens in a box.
In this article, you’ll get the scoop on:
- What a pre-planned garden is
- Why they can make creating a western flower garden much easier
- Beautiful examples of pre-planned gardens that are drought tolerant
- An important tip for choosing a pre-planned flower garden
Pre-planned flower garden in Colorado. Image courtesy of Resource Central.
What is a pre-planned garden?
Typically, a pre-planned flower garden is a collection of beautiful flowers for a specific theme, like:
- Drought-tolerant flowers for a sunny portion of your yard
- Heat-loving flowers for tough, hot spots in your yard
- Pollinator gardens, like butterfly or hummingbird gardens
- Native plants that attract pollinators, like bees or birds, or
- Good plants for dry, shady spots in your yard
You receive the flowers and a suggested garden design, or you get flower seeds and guidelines on how to plant them. Then, you get the satisfaction of planting the flowers and enjoying the gorgeous results.
But you don’t have to research which flowers grow well together.
Many pre-planned gardens also take care of the plant shopping for you too.
You get the beauty without the headaches.
Think of a pre-planned garden like a dinner meal kit.
You get a chef-inspired recipe and fresh ingredients, so you can focus on the joy of cooking and enjoying every bite. But you don’t have to waste your time on meal planning or grocery shopping.
Pre-planned flower gardens usually work the same way.
Here are perks of a pre-planned garden:
- You’ll save time.
- You’ll enjoy a professionally-designed garden without the expense of a landscaper.
- Your flowers will look beautiful together. (Get ready for neighbors to stop and admire your garden!)
- You’ll often get color all season because the flowers have been specially selected to bloom at different times.
- You should have a happy garden because your flowers prefer similar growing conditions, like how much sunlight and water they need.
- You’ll likely lower your water bill and do some good for Mama Nature if you pick a garden with waterwise plants and native plants.
- You can skip trial and error and wasted money, if you feel like you’re guessing which flowers to plant and hoping they’ll grow. (Fewer dead plants!)
Check out these examples of pre-planned flower gardens for Colorado and similar western states:
1) Pre-planned flower gardens from High Country Gardens
High Country Gardens is an online garden retailer. Think of them like Zappos for plants.
They have beautiful, pre-planned gardens, in addition to selling individual plants. And many of their pre-planned gardens have been created with our tough, western growing conditions in mind.
The Summer Dreams Pre-Planned Garden, planted in New Mexico. Used with permission from High Country Gardens. You can find the plant list on their website.
High Country Gardens specializes in native and waterwise plants. They’re a good source for flower plants if you want to create a sustainable, low-water landscape. They also carry a lot of unique plants that you can’t find at local garden centers.
You can order their pre-planned flower gardens for delivery in the spring or in the fall. They often sell out, so plan ahead. Don’t wait until the last minute to order.
Check out the pre-planned flower gardens from High Country Gardens here >>
2) Gardens in a Box from Resource Central | Colorado
Resource Central is a nonprofit in the Front Range of Colorado. They help homeowners conserve natural resources, like water. They have a special, waterwise garden program called “Gardens in a Box.”
Illustration of the native Colorado Oasis garden. Image courtesy of Resource Central.
Gardens in a Box are drought-tolerant, pre-planned flowers gardens. They were designed for Colorado’s semi-arid climate and tricky growing conditions. You can choose from a variety of waterwise flower gardens — like native flowers, colorful flowers for shady areas, flowers for mountain gardens, etc.
Each “box” comes with plants and a professional design.
Pre-planned flower garden in Colorado. Image courtesy of Resource Central.
Gardens in a Box are available for planting in the spring or fall. They go on sale during the winter (for the spring) and the summer (for the fall). They’re popular and sell out, so if you’re interested, sign up to be notified when the Gardens in a Box go on sale. When you buy a Garden in a Box, you’ll choose a pick-up location along the Front Range of Colorado, so you can easily pick it up. The gardens are not delivered to your home.
Check out Gardens in a Box from Resource Central >>
If you live outside the Front Range of Colorado, check with your city or local water agency to see if they offer a similar program.
3) Seed mixes from Botanical Interests
Botanical Interests is an online seed company that started in Colorado. They offer a range of flower seed mixes with beautiful flowers. In their mixes, you often can get both annuals (the one-summer-only flowers) and perennials (the flowers that return every year). And yes, they have a waterwise garden mix too, as can see below.
Image courtesy of Botanical Interests
Growing flowers from seeds has its perks:
- One, it’s rewarding to see your plant babies come up from the ground.
- Two, it’s economical. You don’t need fancy indoor growing equipment for these mixes. You just spread the seeds directly in the ground. (Don’t worry, the seed packets come with instructions!)
Depending on the flowers you’re growing, you may plant your seeds in the spring, fall or late winter.
If Botanical Interests is sold out of the seed mix you want, you can sign up to get an email when the seeds become available. You also can find their seeds at local, independent garden centers in Colorado.
Check out the flower seed mixes from Botanical Interests here >>
Image used with permission from Botanical Interests
4) Free, downloadable garden designs from Plant Select
Plant Select is a non-profit collaboration between Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens and the professional green industry. This non-profit helps bring unique and sustainable plants to market that are inspired by the Rocky Mountain region.
They have free, downloadable garden designs available on their website. Many of their designs are waterwise gardens (beautiful flower gardens that need very little water).
In this case, you have to go to a garden center to buy the plants yourself, but the professional designs are done for you.
Check out the downloadable garden designs from Plant Select here >>
Before you pick a pre-planned flower garden for Colorado (or a similar state)…
Just make sure the plants work well for your growing conditions
For example, if you’re buying a pre-planned garden from an online retailer, make sure the garden is well suited for the semi-arid West.
A pre-planned garden with flowers that thrive on the East Coast or in the Midwest (where they have fertile soils and lots of moisture) may not be the best fit for your it-hasn’t-rained-in-2-months garden in Colorado, right?
If you’re ever in doubt, you can always chat with the company you’re buying from. Typically, they’re happy to help.
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by Ann at Go West Gardener | Updated: Mar 20, 2026 | Flower Garden Basics, In-ground garden
You’re at the store this spring, and colorful flowers catch your eye. It’s natural to want to drive straight home and plant them. Bring on the curb appeal!
But hold up…
Before you plant your flowers, it’s a good idea to help them adjust to outdoor conditions first.
In garden lingo bingo, this is known as “hardening off” or “acclimating” your plants. Many flower plants have been growing inside in greenhouses. They’ve had spa-like conditions indoors. And they’re all soft and tender from these comfy conditions.
Gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions helps toughen them up to wind, sunlight and outdoor temps. For example, their cell walls grow thicker. And they can better resist the stresses of being outside.
Think of this like preparing for the start of ski & snowboard season.
Sure, you could hit the slopes without getting your legs ready. But if you haven’t been working out, your legs are going to be ON FIRE after your first day out. You may be too sore to ski or ride for the rest of the week.
If you cross-train first, your muscles will be in much better shape. You’ll have more endurance.
Cross-training your flowers gives them more toughness too.
What happens if you don’t harden off your plants?
It can be a shock for young plants.
(And shock is not what we’re going for!)
Plants that haven’t been hardened off can struggle in multiple ways, says the University of Nebraska Extension. For example, these plants:
- Are vulnerable to sunburn, windburn (moisture loss and tissue death), and dehydration from freeze damage.
- Can break or shred easily.
- Can become stunted or die.
I see sunburn on a lot of newly-planted flowers around the Denver area in the late spring. It looks like their leaves have been bleached.
You’ve paid good money for your flowers. You want healthy plants—not flowers that look like they’re struggling, right?
Here’s how to gradually harden flowers to the outdoors:
Put your flowers outside in a protected spot for a few hours. What’s a protected spot? Look for someplace that doesn’t get direct sunlight and is sheltered from the wind, like a covered porch right up next to your home.
Then, bring them back inside or into an attached garage.
Give them a little more exposure to wind and sunlight each day. Add a few hours each day. You’ll build up their endurance, so they’re ready for planting. If your flowers like sunlight, start with shade… then morning sunlight… then work your way up to afternoon sunlight. Also work them up to staying outside overnight by the end of your hardening off period.
Try to keep your flowers from getting dried out and wilting. It’s easy for flowers to get dried out in their small nursery pots. If you pick them up and they feel light in your hand, they may need water. But if you see a few leaves turning yellow and they feel heavy when you pick them up, they may be getting too much water. Slowly reduce the amount of water you give them—but not so much that they look droopy.
Keep your eye on temperatures. If temperatures are dipping down near freezing, keep your plants inside.
Don’t fertilize them. Hold off on encouraging new growth.
Worth noting: Some flowers and veggies like warmer air and ground temperatures. They won’t do well if temps drop below 50-55 degrees. If you aren’t sure what your plants prefer, just ask at the garden center.
How many days should you harden off plants?
Some agriculture extension offices say 7-10 days. Others say 5-7 days. And some say 10-14 days.
I usually go about a week for the plants I’m buying from the store.
Ways to make it easy, peasy to harden flowers:
Make your plants easy to carry. Put your plants in a laundry basket, an open Amazon box or another container, so you can quickly move them inside and outside.
Roll, baby, roll. I have a neighbor who puts her plants on a small wagon that she wheels in and out of her garage each day.
Schedule reminders or set an alarm on your phone. That way, you’ll remember to take your flowers out. More importantly, you’ll remember to bring them back inside. (An alarm can be so helpful!)
Get creative if you head to a job every day. Maybe you want to start cross-training your flowers on the weekend. Then, if you’re going to leave them out all day during the week, start with protected spots.
What kinds of flower plants should you harden off?
- Flower plants that have been growing inside. This includes annuals (the one-season-only flowers) and perennials (the flowers that come back each year). Even some of our toughest plants in the intermountain west need to adjust to outdoor conditions. If you’re buying plants at an indoor nursery, it helps to harden them off. If you see plants outside at a store and you aren’t sure when they arrived from the greenhouse, I’d err on the side of hardening them off.
- Flowers you’re planting in the mountains. According to the Colorado State University (CSU) Extension, many mountain plants are grown in nurseries below 6000 feet. These plants may not be ready for mountain conditions yet, so it helps to harden off these plants. If your flower plants have been locally grown and they’re growing outside, they’re likely hardened off already.
- New seedlings you started inside your home and are transitioning to the outdoors. These plant babies are more likely to need more time to harden up. I’d give them 10-14 days.
If your flower plants have been growing outside already, you should be good.
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by Ann at Go West Gardener | Updated: Mar 20, 2026 | In-ground garden, Western Container Gardening With Flowers
Are you feeling adventurous this spring? Want to add a splash of color to your flowerpots?
Get to know pansies — a type of viola! These early spring flowers can add a BIG pop of color to your Colorado garden, especially if you’re ready to kiss winter goodbye.
You may be thinking, “Wait, can I plant flowers in pots in March? It seems a little early.”
You can plant pansies in March, April and May in most of Colorado, even though we can still get snow and yo-yo temperature swings. (Weird, right?)
If you live someplace else in the West, your timing may vary just a little, but timing aside, all these tips apply.
Pansies can handle cool temperatures.
Pansies are in their happy place when temperatures are in the 40s to 60s, and they’re surprisingly tolerant of our wacky spring weather.
Typically, March and April are good times to start planting pansies at our lower elevations in Colorado.
In my garden in the Front Range, I find that late March is often an ideal time to plant pansies. We’re usually past all those arctic temps. (More on this below!)
If you live in the mountains, I may wait a bit longer, depending on how cold your temperatures are and how much snow you have.
What growing conditions do pansies like?
Pansies grow well in dirt (or “soil” in garden lingo) that drains well and is rich in nutrients.
Many of us don’t have rich, well-draining soils in the intermountain west. But no worries! You can plant your pansies in pots with a good potting soil.
Western states (like Colorado) get intense sunlight, so it helps to plant your pansies someplace that faces east, whether it’s a patio, front porch or garden. These spots get morning sunlight, which isn’t as hard on pansies as afternoon sunlight.
If you’re planting pansies in afternoon sunlight, you may want to find a spot that gets “dappled” light (sunlight through tree branches) or a little shade (like a western-facing porch that gets some cover).
Can you plant your pansies directly in a west-facing or south-facing spot?
Sure!
Just know that as soon as temperatures heat up, your pansies may start looking stressed. You’d likely get a little more mileage out of them in an east-facing garden.
What kind of care do pansies need?
Pansies benefit from “deadheading” (trimming off dead blooms) and fertilizing. This keeps them looking good.
Look for a mild flower fertilizer with a 5-10-5 ratio. Those are the numbers you’ll see on the container. This ratio helps support root growth and encourage new flower blooms.
What to do when you bring your pansies home
It’s tempting to plant your pansies right away.
You got them to enjoy them, right?
But chances are they’ve been growing in a cozy, warm greenhouse. They’ve been living large in spa-like conditions, and they’re tender. Gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions can help them toughen up. In garden lingo, this is known as “hardening” your plants.
Otherwise, they may struggle.
You can find out how to harden pansies here.
Pansies can handle cold temps, but they DO have their limits.
Pansies that are healthy and have been planted a while can usually handle quick dips into the teens and single digits.
But newly-planted pansies can be more sensitive.
After a warm, sunny day in Colorado in the early spring, it’s easy to forget how cold it can get at night, so watch those nighttime temps.
While newly-planted pansies can usually tolerate a light frost, it helps to protect them (keep them warm) if your temperatures are going to drop below freezing.
You can find 6 ways to protect your flowers from frosts and freezes here.
PRO TIP: Keep your eye on the temps BEFORE you plant your pansies. If the weather forecast shows multiple days when temperatures are going to dip well below freezing, just hold off on planting them until you get through that cold spell.
Pansies don’t like hot weather.
Let’s say you live someplace with blazing hot summers, like our lower elevations in Colorado and Utah.
When temperatures start to rise, it’s a good idea to replace your pansies with flowers that are happier in the heat. Think of this like changing out your wardrobe from your spring clothes to your summer clothes.
For example, when summer arrives, I replace the pansies in my western-facing flowerpots with flowers that can handle the hot afternoon sun.
Do you have to replace your pansies?
Nope … but they’ll probably stop blooming in the heat, and they may look stressed.
Translation: They won’t look very good!
Pansies are treated as “annuals” in states like Colorado.
This means you’ll enjoy them for one growing season, but it’s unlikely they’ll return next year.
Related topics that may interest you:
by Ann at Go West Gardener | Updated: Mar 20, 2026 | Best Flowers for Colorado, Utah & Similar States, Gardening for Pollinators, Waterwise Gardening in the Intermountain West
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 you—and good for Mama Nature too!)
The question is: Are there drought-tolerant spring flowers? Yes!
Here are 5 drought-tolerant spring flowers that can grow well in sunny, dry gardens in Colorado, Utah and similar states. They’ll keep your watering and work to a minimum.
Most of these flowers get planted in the fall.
Crocus
Crocuses are drought-tolerant spring flowers that come in a variety of colors, like purple, white, gold, yellow and lavender.
You plant crocus bulbs (known as “corms”) in the fall, and they bloom early in the spring. Their early spring blooms are important because they can offer nectar and pollen for early emerging bees. Plus, it’s nice to see pretty color in your garden after a long winter.
These small flowers tend to look the showiest when you plant a mass of them together (“en masse” or “in drifts”). Crocuses also can look pretty when you plant them in small clumps of flowers. Just avoid planting them individually because you won’t get that showy splash of color.
Garden lingo bingo: Crocuses “naturalize” easily. This means they should increase in number and come back each year. Yesss!
Wildflower tulip
Wildflower tulips are another drought-tolerant spring flower for sunny, dry gardens.
They’re the smaller cousins of the showy tulips you’ll see in the spring. Wildflower tulips aren’t as flashy as their cousins, but they tend to be hardier, more reliable and last many more years.
These tulips are sometimes called “species tulips.” These lil’ guys are from the wild species of tulips.
Wildflower tulips have more of a natural, western vibe than their cousins. They’re a pretty addition to sunny rock gardens, front borders of gardens and natural-looking landscapes.
You can even plant them in “warm season” lawns—grass that doesn’t green up until it gets hot—like buffalo grass. Warm season lawns are usually drought tolerant and don’t need a lot of water, so wildflower tulips are a good match.
Wildflower tulips are a spring flowering bulb. You plant them in the fall, and they bloom in early- to mid-spring. They’re another spring flower that can “naturalize” in gardens. They should multiple and come back each year.
Pollinator tip! Wildflower tulips offer a good source of nectar and pollen for many hungry bees that are emerging after winter.
Muscari / grape hyacinth
First, a lil’ more garden lingo bingo…
In casual conversation, you’ll hear these flowers called both muscari and grape hyacinth. (Can you see their resemblance to small clusters of grapes in the photo above?) I suggest using the name: “muscari.” Why? Because there’s another spring flower known as a hyacinth too, but it isn’t related. It can get confusing.
Muscari are small flowers that bloom in mid-spring.
One of the most popular muscari (Muscari armeniacum) comes in a beautiful, deep blue color. Yes, blue! But you can find other colors too, including white, purple and yellow.
This is another flower that tends to look showiest when you plant quite a few of them together. I think they look pretty when they’re planted next to silver-leafed plants. I love the contrast.
Muscari are drought-tolerant spring flowering bulbs. You plant them in the fall, and they bloom in the spring. They can tolerate clay soil (the dirt that many of us have), as well as dry conditions. Very helpful for gardens in Colorado, Utah and the intermountain west!
This is another flower that will attract pollinators, like bees. They’ll naturalize too (coming back year after year).
Hybrid tulip
These are the classic tulips you’ll see in the spring. Typically, they don’t mind our dry conditions in states like Colorado and Utah.
Hybrid tulips can be short lived and a little unpredictable in the intermountain west. Some will only last a few years. But they sure are showy while you have them.
Worth noting… tulips are popular with more than just people. Critters love them too. If deer, rabbits, squirrels or other wildlife have been known to treat your garden as an all-you-can-eat buffet, you may want to skip tulips. Fending off critters may not be a low maintenance experience.
Hybrid tulips grow from bulbs that—yep, you guessed it—you plant in the fall.
Bearded iris
Bearded irises come in a full spectrum of colors—just about every color you can imagine!
They remind me of where I grew up in Michigan. I was excited to learn these late spring flowers also thrive in sunny, dry gardens in the West. I’ve seen bearded irises growing as far south as the Tucson Botanical Gardens in southern Arizona.
There are many things to like about bearded irises in semi-arid states like Colorado and Utah.
Bearded irises are drought tolerant, so they look good even with our low precipitation. You can grow them in our alkaline soils (our tricky western dirt). They’re rabbit resistant AND deer resistant, which means rabbits and deer prefer to eat other plants first. And overall, irises don’t like a lot of fuss.
Yay for low maintenance spring flowers!
Bearded irises don’t grow from a bulb. Instead, they grow from “rhizomes” you plant in July, August or September. Rhizomes look like narrow, little potatoes. A rhizome is actually a modified stem of the plant. (Isn’t nature cool?)
When you plant your irises from July to September, you’ll give them time to establish their roots before it gets too cold.
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by Ann at Go West Gardener | Updated: Jan 28, 2026 | Gardening Tips and Tricks, Western Container Gardening With Flowers
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 potting soil:
1) You can put the soil in a sealable container. Store it outside for next season.
An old garbage can works well because the lid creates a good seal and the wheels make it easier to move. But any type of storage container that you can seal should work.
The nutritional value is gone from the soil, so you wouldn’t want to use it on its own next season. But next year, it’s possible to mix it together with fresh ingredients — like new potting soil or “compost.” Compost is a mix of organic materials used to improve soil.
This approach allows you to re-use some of your old potting soil.
Why use a sealable container?
- It helps keeps pathogens out — aka, things that could make your plants sick next year.
- It helps prevent insects from laying their eggs and overwintering in your soil. (Yep, it happens.)
- And it’s just an easy way to store it.
2) You may be able to take used potting soil to a yard waste drop-off program.
Many cities offer “leaf and yard waste drop-off” programs in the fall. They’re a great way to dispose of the materials from your flowerpots, like your dead flowers and old soils. And the materials you drop off will be used to create compost, which is good for our soils and plants.
The companies that do commercial composting have machines that can heat the soil and leaf material to very hot temperatures, so the compost can be safely used next year.
To see if your city offers this type of program:
- Look on your city’s website OR check nearby cities. Some cities only make these programs available to their own residents. But other towns make their leaf and yard-waste drop off services available to anyone.
- Search for words like, “Leaf drop-off,” or, “Yard-waste drop-off.” Often times, these programs aren’t advertised as composting programs.
- Read up on what’s allowed for yard waste. Dead flowers are usually allowed, but make sure they’ll take your used potting soil too. I usually take the potting soil with me and ask when I get there. (I’ve never had an issue, but I imagine it can vary by city.)
- Follow the instructions for the drop-off. For example, you may be asked to put your yard waste in brown composting bags. They look like tall paper bags. You often can find them at local hardware stores. Or, the instructions may say you can bring your yard waste in any type of container. They’re just going to have you dump it out — as was the case in the photo above.
3) You can add the old soil (and flowers) to your own compost pile.
Home composting is a topic for another time. But just know it’s another thing you can do!
4) You can mix old potting soil into your flower garden beds or spread it lightly across the top.
The dirt from your flowerpots isn’t adding anything beneficial from a nutritional perspective. Over the summer, all the good stuff left the soil with each watering.
But we have such tricky soils in the Rocky Mountain region — like clay and sand. The potting soil may help improve the structure of your soil in the ground. That can lead to better water drainage for your plants, so they have happier roots.
And hey, it beats putting the soil in a landfill.
Here are a few tips:
- It’s easiest to add old potting soil to areas that don’t have plants.
- But you also can spread a thin layer of potting soil on the ground near plants. Keep it away from the “crowns” of your plants. The crown is where a plant’s stem comes up from the ground. It’s where the stem and roots connect to each other.
- If you’re going to mix the old soil into the ground near existing plants like perennials (the plants that return each year), be careful where you dig. You don’t want to disturb any plant roots.
What if your flowers had disease issues at the end of the season?
Then, put ALL the contents from that flowerpot in the trash — including the potting soil.
Disease can carry over from one year to the next in both the soil AND on the flowerpots themselves. It’s possible to accidentally spread last season’s issues to next season’s flowers.
You also may want to sterilize your flowerpots, so you can keep next season’s flowers from getting sick.
Are you the extra-thorough type?
If you want to reuse some of your potting soil next year, it’s possible to sterilize your old potting soil to reduce insect and disease issues. The University of California Extension has helpful tips on how to heat up your potting soil to the right temperature. (Scroll to page 5 of their PDF.)
Full disclosure, I’ve never done this.
But it’s worth considering if you had disease or insect issues this year, and you really want to reuse your old potting soil.
Cheers to you for exploring what to do with old potting soil and finding ways to use it in a productive way!
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