Flower Gardening Log 2022-2023
In the front of our home, we have a 10,000sqft flower garden that was built by the previous owners. It was a game changer for me when we were looking at homes in Boulder. Most of the plants have become overgrown and need to be replaced, but the infrastructure of the garden is there, and ready to be updated. In 2021, I was only focused on removing the plants I wasn’t proud of, and redesigning the space to evoke a connection to our planet. Over time, I plan to evolve the space into a sanctuary, for pollinators and humans alike, to find peace and solitude.
In 2022, I started to plant new flowers and reign in what’s been growing already, and in the S/S of 2023, we had so much rain, a lot of plants sprung up unexpectedly. In the spirit of the New Year, I’ve broken down the basics of what’s been growing in my garden so far. I defined the list by locations around the property, mainly because the growing conditions are somewhat different. Overall, I grew 28 different flowers this last year. (YAY!) My goal for 2024 is to successfully grow 50 different types of flowers and native pollinators. Although my emphasis is on native plants, and the additions to the garden are mostly natives, many flowers growing in the garden were already here. As I continue to iterate on what is here, my plan is to remove non-native plants to make way for the best options for native species to thrive.
Each of these flowers contributes unique characteristics to my garden, providing a variety of colors, fragrances, and forms. Understanding each of their requirements takes a long time, but the process is interesting, and I’ve been learning a lot along the way. When considering plants for a garden in Colorado's arid regions, it's important to prioritize native species and choose plants that are well-suited to the specific microclimates and soil conditions of your location. Additionally, practicing xeriscaping, such as using mulch and selecting plants with low water requirements, can help conserve water in these dry environments and prime your garden for a future with less water needs.
Coreopsis growing in my vegetable garden. My husband snapped this pic as the sun was rising over the garden.
Flowers in the front rock garden: The front garden is almost entirely in full sun and is built on a slope for well-draining soil. About 5,000 sqft of it is a boulder garden with rock pathways and small stairs.
Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa): Apache Plume is a deciduous shrub native to the arid regions of the southwestern United States, including Colorado. Known for its distinctive appearance, it features delicate pink to white, feathery seed heads that resemble plumes, giving it its name. The shrub blooms from late spring to early summer, and its fine-textured foliage adds to its ornamental appeal. Well-adapted to xeriscaping, Apache Plume thrives in sandy or rocky soils, which is perfect for my front rock garden. Mine is a bit overgrown, and these are best hard pruned in late winter, before buds start to form. If you wait too long and buds are present, you can still prune it but you’ll miss a year of flowers. I waited too long last year, so I am going to hard prune it in February 2024.
Blue Giant Hyssop/Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum): This is a native to the midwest and it’s exceptionally cold hardy, dontcha know! It’s fragrance smells a lot like anise and it’s well-loved by pollinators, especially bees. I have one small plant that did quite well during the summer months. I hope it’s happy enough to grow larger next year and produce more blossoms for my local bees.
Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea): The Colorado Blue Columbine is the state flower of Colorado and is known for its distinctive blue and white petals. It’s a native flower, so I planted pink and blue shades on both sides of the house. I grew some in pots outside the front door for most of the summer until the heat became too intense for them. Next spring, I’m going to plant more in the front garden to give some height variety.
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus): Cornflower, or Bachelor's Button, produces vibrant blue flowers with a distinctive button-like appearance. It’s great for bouquets, because of it’s long stems. I planted it for it’s shape, because I tend to veer towards spiked shapes, so I’m always trying to add in other shapes and colors. They’re also very easy to grow in Boulder.
Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus): Cosmos features feathery foliage and vibrant, daisy-like flowers in shades of white, pink, and magenta. Well-suited for Boulder's sunny conditions, cosmos thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. It's a great choice for adding a pop of color to gardens and attracting pollinators. Violet is basically obsessed with Cosmos and they’re her favorite flower. I didn’t trim them back enough in 2022 and the grew taller than expected. We also made the mistake of planting them on a windy day, so almost all of them sprang up in a different location than what we had planned. Luckily, they’re still in a good spot, so we didn’t mind too much.
Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus acris): Creeping Buttercup is a low-growing plant with bright yellow flowers and bright green stems. This species prefers moist conditions and can adapt to partial shade. I first found it near our well house in some tall grass. It’s spread over a small area near our creek and is really quite adorable. I’m planning to plant more under some pine trees I have near the front of my property.
Desertbells (Phacelia campanularia): Desertbells are a wildflower native to North America. They’re not considered native to the Front Range, but they’re great for xeriscaping, because they thrive on low water levels and arid climates. They’re happy in full-sun, and I like them because they add variety for the size and shape of the flowers in my garden. They’re very dainty so I added them to my vegetable garden.
Larkspur (Consolida ajacis, formerly Delphinium ajacis): Similar to Lupines, it's an excellent choice for adding vertical interest to your garden. Larkspur has more of a US Western feel in my opinion, perfect for a cottage garden on a ranch instead of an English garden feeling. They can be lots of different colors. I added some in light pink, dark purple, and light blue. I have them in the vegetable garden in between pumpkins, tomatoes, and eggplants.
Liatris (Blazing Star or Gayfeather): This perennial plant is celebrated for its tall spikes of vibrant, fluffy flowers. Native to North America, it blooms in mid to late summer. I planted 50 bulbs, but only had one strikingly vibrant purple flower. The flower spikes attract pollinators like butterflies and bees, which I saw a lot of this year. I’m hoping I get more blooms in the following years.
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum): These flowers are edible! They make an adorable garnish for salads or drinks. I’ve grown them successfully indoors on my hydroponic system for a couple years, but I also planted them in my Boulder garden. They have vibrant orange and red colors and I loved having them pop up this last year. I originally got the seeds from a seed swap in Phoenix, and the first year they did not sprout in Boulder. Thankfully this last summer they did pop up and I got to enjoy them before they got too hot.
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea): These flowers caught my eye in the original photos of our home before we bought it. They were growing everywhere on the property and I do really enjoy them. I don’t think they liked the rainy summer we had this year because they didn’t bloom nearly as much. They are not as drought tolerant as others in my garden, but too much water can also cause root rot. They prefer air circulation, which I think is why some of my plants died this last year. They were basically overcome by black-eyed susan in my vegetable garden.
Phlox (Phlox paniculata): Phlox features clusters of fragrant, five-petaled flowers and can be creeping or upright. They come in lots of different colors. I planted some in pink in both front and back gardens. The front (full sun) plants didn’t make it through the summer, but the plants in the garden boxes were happy all year long. I have more in white that are also thriving and they’re in an area that is mostly shaded.
Salvia (Salvia): My salvia was another plant I thought was a goner before it popped back the following year, but I actually thought it died over the summer heat. Most Salvias prefer full sun and well-drained soil, making them suitable for Boulder's climate, but they are not considered a native plant in Colorado. To my delight, salvias are popular for attracting bees and butterflies.
Snap Dragons (Antirrhinum): Many colors of Snapdragons were already growing in the garden when we moved here. As I transition the space, I will remove some colors that don’t match the aesthetic I imagine, but so far I’ve been letting them grow. Snapdragons are a favorite of mine for their unique appearance and versatility. They make for nice garden additives because of their pointed, spiky shape. I prefer this look in corners of the garden between shorter, rounder shapes. Last year, I planted more in bright fuchsia, light pink, and white, which turned out to be very tall and perfect for cutting.
Speedwell (Veronica): I bought 2 veronicas from Finding Nectar Nurseries during the same visit I bought my lavender, to be honest—they were impulse buys. I planted them in my front rock garden and they actually bloomed before the weather turned too cold. I’m excited for their bright pink blossoms in the spring.
Rocky Mountain Iris (Iris missouriensis): This iris species produces striking blue to purple flowers. I haven’t actually counted, but if I had to guess, I have about 600 of these on the property. They need to be dug up and separated (probably a topic for it’s own blog!), but I haven’t mustered up the energy yet to start on that. This year we had so much spring and summer rain, some of the irises rotted and will need to be removed.
Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon strictus): Known for its tubular violet flowers, is native flower will expand profusely. The seeds actually sort of explode from the pods, and due to it’s resilience in most environments, those tiny seeds have some good odds.
Waxflower (Jamesia americana): Over the summer, I planted native waxflower, which I bought from one of the best nurseries in Boulder called Harlequin Gardens. It was a little too hot when I planted it, so I’m eager to see if it comes back in the spring. It’s a woody, shapely shrub with clusters of small white flowers.
Zinnia: Zinnias are annuals with bright, solitary, daisy-like flowers in a variety of colors. They are easy to grow and add a splash of color to gardens throughout the summer. I bought 2lbs of the cut and come again seed mix from American Meadows when we first moved in. I was a little underwhelmed with what actually bloomed, but I don’t think I watered them nearly enough. I ended up with around 50-60 blossoms in two different areas of my rock garden, but I expected significantly more. Learnings for next year!
Lupine (Lupinus):
These were some of the first seeds I planted when we moved here, because they are one of my all time favorite flowers. (I even have a tattoo of one!) The first year, they didn’t do much with only one blossom all spring. I wasn’t sure if they’d be back, so I was very excited this last spring when I saw them peeking up.
They are perennial plants, so it’s really not too surprising, but I’m still learning about cold-weather gardening. Lupines have spiky flower clusters in various colors, including blue, pink, and purple. Mine are a blue violet shade, and I actually have them in my vegetable garden. Lupines have a tolerance for full sun, which makes them a great addition for Boulder's garden spaces. It's an excellent choice for cottage gardens and attracts pollinators.
I seeded these at the end of their season and replanted them into my front garden as well. I’m very optimistic about more blossoms popping up in this spring and can’t wait to see them grow year after year. Lupine is the one of the flowers I will likely try to add 100 of over the years until they over take my entire property someday.
Flowers growing in the vegetable garden: The back garden, or what I refer to as my vegetable garden, consists of 5 garden boxes. When we first moved in, the boxes were filled with tall native grasses. While I do think there is a time and place for native grasses, I removed them from the garden boxes, so that I could replant with vegetables and some pollinator-friendly flowers.
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudibeckia): Which type of flower can never be polite? Rudibeckia! That’s a joke I made up while I was removing some of these bright yellow, daisy-like flowers. Although I do like them, my vegetable garden was overrun with them, and after such a rainy summer the stalks were weak and folded over the pathways around the garden. It was so dense, I couldn’t walk between the beds and had to remove quite a few. I seeded a lot of them to spread near the road along the fence, which I think is a better placement for them in the long run.
Blanketflower (Gaillardia pinnatifada): This sunflower-like plant has bright yellow to orange-red petals and is common in dry, open areas. Also a native to Colorado, which I added into my vegetable garden as well. Although I don’t tend to be a fan of red and yellow together (honestly, it reminds me of McDonalds!), I did enjoy these little beauties adding a cheerful touch to my vegetable gardens.
Borage (Borago officinalis): Borage is a hardy herb which features vibrant blue, star-shaped flowers and is valued for its culinary and medicinal uses. Borage is well-suited to Colorado's dry climate, but appreciates regular watering. Borage readily self-seeds, so consider its placement in the garden. With its adaptability and attractive blooms, Borage can be a delightful addition to Colorado gardens and is known to attract pollinators such as bees.
Coreopsis (AKA Tickseed, Calliopsis): Coreopsis belongs to the Asteraceae family, commonly known as the aster or daisy family. These plants are renowned for their bright and cheerful daisy-like flowers. I have a variety that blooms continuously from spring until the first hard frost. I really enjoy adding them to my arrangements for my dining table or for friends. Violet also really enjoys them because their petals are so soft. I seeded a ton last fall and replanted more this year. I’m hoping to be successful doing the same thing again this year and to grow them all along the front fence by the road.
Golden current (Ribes aureum): This deciduous shrub, with clusters of yellow, tubular flowers, is a native to Colorado. I have a handful that grow in various areas of the yard. My goal is to keep all of them in the same spots and prune them for maximum health. One is very large and produces a lot of berries, while the 3-4 others that I have are still just sprouts. I plan to add more to my vegetable garden and actually focus on cultivating them.
Pincushion (Scabiosa): I bought a few light purple and blue scabiosas in early summer and then again later in the year to plant in pots outside the front door, along with a handful of other delicate flowers.
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa L.): Some wild bergamot also made an appearance in and around my vegetable garden. The insects seemed to really like them so I left them alone. Hopefully, I have a few more this year as well.
Milkweed (Asclepias):
Milkweed is known for its clusters of small, intricate flowers and is essential for supporting Monarch butterflies. Milkweed adapts well to Boulder's conditions, preferring full sun and well-drained soil. It's a vital plant for pollinator-friendly gardens. When I first moved to Boulder I was over the moon about finding Milkweed in my garden, and I’ve continued to reseed it as much as I can every year. I’m trying to get more to grow near my front fence to fill in some bare areas in my landscape there.
Okay, so a few more make the list for 2023:
Alpine Forget-Me-Not (Eritrichium nanum): This low-growing plant produces small, sky-blue flowers and is adapted to high-altitude alpine environments. It makes the list because I did in fact plant some, unfortunately I haven’t seen them pop up yet. To be fair though, I’ve had a few “late bloomers” that I planted in 2021 and only started to see in 2022. I’ll be keeping an eye out for these in the spring.
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris): I have about 10 lilacs across the property. They were planted years ago and mostly uncared for. They need considerable work to get them back to their prime. I’ll make another post about my 3 year rejuvenation plan for my lilacs. Their clustered flowers are incredible in the springtime and all of mine are in shades of purple and pink. Lilacs can be planted in full sun in Boulder. I plan to add some new ones in white to both the back and front gardens in time.
Spotted Snapweed (Impatiens balsamina): These popped up in my garden as what I like to call, “volunteers”. They’re not native to Colorado, but grow well in the Eastern US. While they are quite delicate, they’re a bit too lanky for my taste. I prefer flowers with more blossom to stem ratio. I didn’t pull them from the garden this year, but I’ll be on the lookout for them to reappear this year. Depending on how far I’ve come in my mission for building a native pollinator habitat, I may remove them completely this year.
Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia): Russian sage is not native to Colorado but is resilient in the climate here. The front garden has quite a few, but I’ve read mixed reviews on growing them in this environment. It has beautiful silvery foliage and lavender-blue flower spikes. Like most sages, it is drought-tolerant once established, making it suitable for xeriscaping in our arid conditions. Pruning in early spring promotes bushier growth, and its low-maintenance nature makes it a popular choice for adding it to large gardens. I’ve also seen it planted along long driveways near my house. This is a plant that I will probably leave in the garden for now, but I wont be planting any new ones.
What to plant in 2024:
The choice of native flowers that grow best in Boulder depends on factors such as soil type, elevation, and local climate conditions. Here are some native flowers that are on my list to plant in 2024. Keep in mind, my list is tailored to Boulder’s specific growing conditions. It's important to note that Colorado offers diverse ecosystems, ranging from grasslands to alpine meadows, and supports a wide variety of plant life. Here are some native flowers that you might find in Colorado.
Crested Pricklypoppy (Argemone polyanthemos): I’d really like to add some of these large white poppies to my garden this spring. Just up the hill from us towards the mountains they are growing all over in fields. I think they’d love our microclimate on our property as well. I’m planning to add them to the front garden for some large, showy, rounded flowers as needed.
Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium): This tall, spiky plant produces bright pink to purple flowers and is often found in the Rocky Mountains’ meadows.
Pasqueflower (Western Pasqueflower, Anemone patens): This is a low height, soft-looking, bell shaped flower. It blooms early in the spring with distinctive purple blossoms. I’ve been wanting to plant this for a few years, and I hope it does well in the garden. I may plant some in a handful of spots around the property to see which areas do best.
Scarlet Paintbrush (Castilleja spp.): Known for its vibrant, tubular flowers that range in color from red to orange, Scarlet Paintbrush is commonly found in meadows and open areas. My plan is to plant this in the front garden where there is some open space. I’m going to companion plant it along with Milkweed.
Tall Fringed Bluebells (Mertensia ciliata): Found in moist mountain meadows, this plant produces hanging clusters of blue, bell-shaped flowers. This will be best in my front garden on a small hill near the road.
Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list, and the presence of these flowers may vary depending on the specific region and elevation within Colorado. If you are interested in a comprehensive and up-to-date list of native flowers to add to your garden, consider consulting local botanical gardens, native plant societies, or field guides specific to the region.