Good Gardening in Colorado
Colorado is beautiful in so many ways in the summer. We get to enjoy the beautiful backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, breathe in the crisp mountain air, enjoy lots of sunny days, and appreciate our Colorado gardens.
Colorado Invites Good Gardening
Colorado's unique weather makes room for good gardening. We have great sunshine for photosynthesis, due to the high plains and advantage of the mountains, we have low humidity that minimizes plant disease, and the water plants receive is controlled by our adequate precipitation. Coloradans get to enjoy a plethora of gardening options because we have many plants native to the West and adapted plants are also being introduced from the semi-arid areas of Africa, Asia and South America. We are lucky that so many rich plants flourish in our Colorado climate.
Good Plants for Gardening
It's easy to get overwhelmed with all the plant options. Here is a short list of some good options for beginning gardeners and even expert gardeners alike. Keep in mind, each plant has different seasons of growth and different seasons to plant. Also, you have to consider the zone you are in. It's always a good idea to talk to a local gardening expert on your particular garden needs.
Perennials
- Rocky mountain columbine
- Liatris
- Purple coneflower
- Sedum
- Russian Sage
- Oxeye Daisy
- Firewood
- Rocky mountain penstemon
- Dianthus
- Poppy mallow
Bulbs
- Dahlias
- Begonias
- Lilies
- Gladiolas
Evergreens
- Pine
- Spruce
- Cedar
- Juniper
- Fir
- Magnolia
- Hollies
- Scotch pine
- Wichita blue
Vines
- Trumpet honeysuckle
- Flowering clematis
- Euonymus
- English ivy
- Silver lace
- Scarlet runner bean
- Hyacinth bean
Groundcovers
- Plumbago
- Big leaf periwinkle
- Spiderwort
- Creeping grape holly
- Bishop's weed
Aquatic Plants
- Lotus
- Water hyacinth
- Cattails
- Reeds
- Rushes
Shrubs
- Apache plume
- Winnipeg Parks shrub rose
- Fernbush
- Carol Mackie
- "Strawberry Sundae" hydrangea
Ornamental Grasses
- Indian grass
- Little bluestem
- Prairie dropseed
- Feather reed grass
- Foerster's feather reed grass
- Japanese blood grass
- Moor grass
Cacti and Succulents
- Prickly pear cactus
- Agave utahensis
- Brittle cactus
- Chasmatophyllum musculinum
- Dagger cholla cactus
- Eastern prickly pear cactus
- Fendler’s hedgehog cactus
- Mountain ball cactus
- Porcupine prickly pear cactus
- Red-flowered hedgehog cactus
- Starvation cactus
- Yucca baccata
A valuable booklet to learn more about gardening is available by Plant Select.