Western Gardening Blog

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

The latest flower tips

“Should I Buy Big or Small Flower Pots?”

If I could go back in time and tell myself one thing as a new gardener... I would say it's worth finding pretty flower pots. They're like a good pair of shoes or a nice piece of jewelry. They can really elevate the look of your container garden. But how do you choose?...

“Hardening” Flowers: How to Get Flowers Ready to Plant Outside

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....

Pansies: A Colorful Flower for Your Spring Flowerpots in Colorado

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...

What Plant Hardiness Zone Is Colorado?

Colorado has 5 plant hardiness zones: 7, 6, 5, 4 and 3. If you're new to plant hardiness zones, they tell you whether your flower plants are likely to survive the coldest winter temperatures that are expected in your area and come back next year. (For the full scoop...

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...

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...

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...

Red Birds in a Tree: A Drought-Tolerant Flower That’s a MAGNET for Hummingbirds

During the spring of 2020, my husband and I re-worked part of our yard with new garden beds. (Any other weekend warriors out there?) I wanted to include drought-tolerant red flowers that would grow well in Colorado’s poor soils and hot, dry climate. And that’s when I...

Jupiter’s Beard: A Long-Blooming Perennial That Attracts Butterflies

Would you like a long-blooming perennial... ... that attracts butterflies and interesting moths, gives you color all summer AND is drought tolerant? Yes, pleasssssse! I can’t wait to introduce you to Jupiter’s Beard (aka, Red Valerian). Its botanical name is...

A Simple Flowerpot Design Tip: Take Your Flowers From “Meh” to “Wow!”

Looking for a design tip to make your flowerpots look prettier this summer? Combine flowers of different heights! Planting flowers of different heights can help you create a lot of visual interest. Think of a city skyline or a beautiful mountain range. There are...

3 Popular Spring Gardening Questions (for Colorado & the West)

This article was first published in March 2023. Enjoy! We’ve entered that time of the year in Colorado and the intermountain west when we tend to bounce between seasons, like animated 5-year-olds jumping around wildly in an inflatable bounce house. Winter! Spring!...

How Frosts and Freezes Affect Your Flowers

When I was first learning how to garden... I used to think that 32 degrees was the temperature I needed to keep an eye on for my flower plants. 32 degrees is when water freezes, so that must be the point when my flowers will freeze too, right? But over time, I've...