Western Gardening Blog

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

The latest flower tips

VIDEO: How to Trim Petunias to Keep Them Looking Pretty

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...

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...

“My Flowers Look Sick. What Do I Do??”

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...

When’s the Best Time to Cut Back Perennials in Colorado and Similar States?

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...

Pre-Planned Gardens for Colorado and the West: Beautiful Gardens for Less Work

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....

“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...

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...

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 Can You Tell If a Perennial Is ‘Marginally Cold Hardy?’

It was a winter week to make a gardener shudder. In February 2021, an arctic blast covered the western United States like a frosty ice pack from the kitchen freezer. Where I live in Colorado, the high temperature for several days was a not-so-balmy zero degrees. The...