BEST PRACTICES – FLOWER GARDENING IN NORTHERN COLORADO

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If you’re a Colorado resident, you likely know how unpredictable the spring weather can be. Because of this, the Colorado climate provides unique and interesting challenges to its gardeners.

Here are a few helpful tips from the experts at Detailed Landscape for how to keep your garden flourishing, no matter how the weather tries to stop you.

Soil

The most important part of any garden is planting in healthy soil. If you’re concerned about the quality of dirt in your garden bed, you can encourage the soil with manure and compost. This will increase fertility, nutrients, and drainage. You can purchase homemade compost and add it to your garden bed, but if you want to start composting on your own, learn about how to start from our blog on composting, here! Feeding your soil seasonally with compost will make all the difference in your flower garden.

Location

Based on which flowers you decide to plant, you’ll want to make sure they aren’t getting too much or too little sunshine. You should know how much direct and indirect sun your plot gets throughout the day before you make your decision.

You also need to consider wind when deciding on your location. If you live in a place that’s exceptionally windy, your garden will need protection from the gusts. Your taller flowers will be at risk of breaking during windy days if they’re not properly protected.

When to Plant

The weather in Colorado can vary drastically from the front range, through the plains, and into the mountains. Often the early spring temperatures trick gardeners into planting, but don’t fall for this! A good rule to follow is that you shouldn’t plant warm-weather plants until Mother’s Day, but even that isn’t foolproof. When in doubt – wait it out!

What to Plant

Choosing the right plants to thrive in Colorado is key to a successful flower garden! Here are a few of our favorite Colorado flowers to get your garden started.

Summer Bloomers

  • Salvia
  • Lavender
  • Poppy
  • Viola
  • Sedum
  • Pervoskia
  • Lupine
  • Geranium
  • Echinacea
  • Heuchera Varieties

Spring Bloomers

  • Tulips
  • Iris
  • Daffodil
  • Hyacinth
  • Pansies
  • Snapdragon
  • Alyssum

Fall Bloomers

  • Mums
  • Pansies
  • Millett Grasses
  • Decorative Peppers

Maintenance

An important part of keeping your plants healthy and flowering is the process of deadheading; when you prune off any dead or unsightly blooms from your plant, it helps encourage new blooms and will keep the plant flowering all season.