Western Gardening Blog

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

The latest flower tips

Planting a Perennial Garden in Colorado? Here Are 5 Counterintuitive Tips

Let's say you’re thinking about planting a perennial garden in Colorado or a similar western state, so you can enjoy colorful flowers year after year. Yesssss! Before you head to the garden center, here are a few things to know to get your western garden off to an...

“Where Can I Learn About Plants for Waterwise Flower Gardening?”

If you've been wondering, "Where can I learn about plants for waterwise flower gardening?", you're in the right place. It's dry in the West, which means we need to be strategic about the flowers we grow in our gardens. Where I live in Colorado, we're lucky if we get...

Creating a Native Pollinator Garden in Colorado

I first published this article in 2022. I hope you find it helpful! I would love to introduce you to Ann Winslow. (Yep, another Ann!) She spent time creating a native pollinator garden in her Colorado yard during the Covid shutdown in 2020. She wanted to attract more...

How to Protect Flowers From Hail Damage

9 ways to prepare for hail to minimize damage to your western garden Hail can leave you wanting to yell, “WHHHHYYYYYYYY?????” to Mama Nature. Sometimes, thunderstorms pop up so suddenly, there's very little that can be done except for cleaning up the damage. But other...

“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...

“Hail Destroyed My Garden. What Do I Do Now?”

In my opinion, there is nothing that will suck the soul from your gardening body like hail You can have your flowers looking SO DARN GOOD ... And after a few minutes of hail, your Instagram-worthy flowers have become a sloppy, shredded mess. Ugh. Mama Nature doesn’t...

5 Helpful Things to Know About Garden Centers in Colorado, Utah & Similar States

So, you walk into your local western garden center... And you see row after row of flowers. You may find yourself thinking one of two things: "Ahhhh, I'm in my happy place." You feel like a kid in a candy store. Or ... "HOLY. CRAP." There are sooooo many choices. You...

5 Western Garden Trends to Inspire Your Garden (in Colorado, Utah & More)

Reader note: I first published this article in January 2022, but the content is still relevant and timely! I feel strange saying, “garden trends,” because it implies a fad. Here today, gone tomorrow—like paint colors in a home or trendy flower colors. I’m not here to...

Why Bees and Butterflies Are Like Puppies and Kittens

I originally published this article in 2022. Enjoy! Have you ever gotten a puppy or kitten? Chances are, you did a few things to get your home ready: Bought special food... Stocked up on toys... Rolled up rugs... Shut bathroom doors, so Buddy (or Mittens) didn’t turn...

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. The...

VIDEO: 4 Proven Tips to Pick Flowers for Planters (That Last!)

So, you walk into your local garden center ... You're all ready to pick 3-5 flowers for your planters, but suddenly, you see HUNDREDS of flower choices. You're looking at row, after row, after row of flowers. How are you supposed to know which flowers to pick?? No...

“Why Aren’t My Ornamental Grasses Growing?”

Have you noticed... ... that some of your plants are overachievers in the spring—eager to emerge from the ground in all their leafy glory? Meanwhile, other plants don't seem to be doing much AT ALL. As plant lovers, it’s natural for us to look at the latter and...