Welcome to Gardening Colorado-Style


 

Hi! Glad you stopped by! Since gardening in Colorado can be a challenge at times, I decided to relate my gardening experiences to those of you in the same gardening situation.  I could only find 2 web sites dedicated to Colorado gardening.

I live in a Denver suburb - the climate is considered semi-arid and high-altitude.  After all, this is the "mile-high" city with an elevation of 5,280 feet. The hardiness zone is 5.

Gardening in Colorado can be a challenge because of low humidity, dry summers, and mostly clay soil.  The funny thing is that my successes has been others' failures and vice versa. I'll list the successes for you to try.

I will add more in-depth information soon! I will only list those plants that are EASY to grow from seed or seedling, require little maintenance, have long-blooming times, and/or are drought-tolerant. Then, you can spend more time just enjoying the flowers and plants!



I perhaps owe it to flowers for having become a painter." - Monet

ANNUALS

You can't go wrong with these annuals. If you buy them from seed, it's less expensive and some reseed themselves (called broadcasting). I've had success with the following list of annuals that I've grown from seed. I just plant the seeds according to the seed package (time to plant and depth). (I don't prepare seedlings indoor because, frankly, it's too much work!) Sometimes I use an even more scientific method: I scatter the seeds around and cross my fingers. Not very, "gardenish" but most of the time it works!

Some of these annuals have behaved like "perennials" and returned the next year. How? Because in the fall I don't do any raking. I let Mother Nature take its course and let the garden rest till spring. Come spring, when you clear the leaves, you'll find that lots of "annuals" of reseeded and survived the winter under their warm blanket.

  • 4 O'clocks - (Maravilla Mix) Last spring was the first time I tried these annuals from seed. They grew and bloomed the same season; don't know if they will reseed. They bloom from summer to fall and need little water once established.

  • Alyssum - I used to buy grown plants but decided to try seed and was successful (with the "scientific method" of sprinkling the seeds on the top of the soil!) Great groundcover; pretty white or purple flowers. Fragrant! So easy!

  • Bachelor Buttons - (Cyanus Double Mix) I love these! Easy to grow from seed; come in many colors; full sun; make great dried plants too!

  • Marigolds - I use to buy plants but last summer I tried planting from seed and was surprised with full grown plants in the summer! These plants are great in the vegetable garden planted near your tomatoes. They DO keep away the bugs! These come in many different colors too.

  • Purple Ice Plant - this wonderful "annual" actually survives Colorado winters in my yard (under a blanket of fall leaves). They're a great groundcover and comes in a yellow variety.

  • Snapdragon - this wonderful "annual" survives the winter under leaf mulch and becomes perennial in my garden. They need full sun and kids love them to play with the Snapdragon blooms! In the fall when the seed heads dry, just shake the seeds around where you want them to grow next year and they magically appear next year! Try it!

  • Sunflower - (Giant Gray Stripe) This sunflower is so EASY to grow from seed. They need full sun and little water. My grew 8 feet tall! You can dry the heads in the fall and eat the seeds! Birds love them too!!

 

Perfect Perennials

    In my garden, these perennials are the EASIEST to grow and are low-maintenance as well.

  • Aster- fall blooming; hardy, many varieties.

  • Bleeding Heart - I love these! These are really fantastic. They die down to the ground in the winter, but return to make another grand appearance. Grow in partial shade. When you see these, you'll want more!

  • Blue Flax - these are very nice plants with blue flowers. Easy to grow, drought-tolerant, and bloom all summer.

  • Columbine - (Aquilegia Blue) The Colorado State Flower! The border background on this page is made from a photo of Columbines. These are easy to grow from seed too. Just sprinkle the seeds from the dried seed heads in the fall or just leave them and they will broadcast their seeds. Deadhead for more blooms.

  • Daylily - (Hemerocallis) 'Hyperion'; 'Stella d'Oro'; 'Red Magic' Daylilies love the sun and are easy to transplant.

  • Dianthus - 'Strawberry Parfait'; 'Telstar Picotee' These are wonderful flowering perennials! Keep them deadheaded and they'll bloom all summer long!

  • Forget-Me-Not - grew these from seed too. They have very pretty dainty blue flowers. They reseed themselves!

  • Hosta - great for the shade; need water; nice accent plants! Easily divided; watch those slugs!!

  • Pansy - My favorites! There are so many different colors! Keep them deadheaded for continuous bloom and to keep them from getting "leggy". Great for making press flowers too!

  • Russian Sage - very nice gray/green leaves with lavendar blue flowers. The dried flower heads can be cut in the fall to use in a dried flower arrangement. They like sun and dislike wet feet!

  • Sedum - 'Autumn Joy' - this plant is a breeze! In the fall, use the dried flower heads for a dried flower arrangement. Easy as can be. They like sun and need little water.

  • Yarrow - These love the sun, are drought tolerant, and make great dried flowers too! Cut back and they regrow! EASY!!


Shrubs, Roses, and such Oh My!

  • Dogwood (variegated) - (Cornus Alba 'Elegantissima') - This is very pretty and in the fall the red branches shine!

  • English Roses - 'Cottage Rose'; 'Abraham Darby'; 'Fisherman's Friend'; 'The Pilgrim' - I've successfully grown David Austen English Roses from bareroot stock. - They are the MOST beautiful roses ever!

 

Bulbs, Corms, and Rhizomes

Almost all bulbs that need a winter freeze are successful in this climate. Check the hardiness zones when purchasing. Bulbs like Gladiolus and such need to be dug up in the fall and stored. (forget those!)

  • Allium
  • Crocus
  • Daffodil
  • Irises - you can't kill these!! They multiple quickly. Just transplant and you'll have Irises everywhere!
  • Lily
  • Tulip



 

Garden Failures

Okay, I'll spill the seeds. I haven't had any luck with these plants:
  • Black-Eyed Susan
  • Delphinium - AAAAAARRGHHHHHH!! - supposed to be easy to grow here, but I don't have any luck with these beautiful flowers.
  • Any bushes I transplant - I kill! Must be more gentle and have good timing!

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