Colorado Gardening

With almost two consecutive weeks of eighty-degree weather (minus a spontaneous Denver hailstorm or two), it is apparent we are in the thick sweet heat of summertime. With approximately mid-June being the end of summer planting season, there is only a weekend or two left to get out there and test your green thumb!

If you’re like us and your green thumb could use a few pro tips, we have compiled some great information to help you grow a beautiful garden in our beautiful city, no matter how unpredictable the climate.

Denver, Colorado has very intense sun, quick and dramatic temperature changes, and impromptu thunder and hail storms. All of these combine to create the trifecta of difficult gardening. And yet, it is one of the most spectacular places to spend the extra time outdoors tending your high maintenance garden. It is also a great way to get exercise, soak up some much-needed Vitamin D, beautify your home, and spend quality time with family and friends. As we readjust post-quarantine and get back to some old routines, we hope gardening becomes a new routine and that these quick tips help you get started and stay on track. Here’s to lush veggies, juicy fruits, aromatic herbs, and colorful blooms.

If this is your first time gardening, do your research. Think about soil, location, sun exposure, etc. Be selective about the types of plants you decide to grow and limit yourself to start. It can be a very big, albeit worthwhile, commitment, so ease into it. You can always “grow” your garden even bigger next year! The Botanical Gardens has developed a great online resource tool, called Plant Select, to help you in deciding what to plant and where. Find the link in our source links below.

Not forever! More like start inside. Because Denver has such tumultuous weather as well as an occasional chance of frost well into June, it might be a good idea to start your plants inside in pots. This is an easy way to regulate their temperature, plus it serves as friendly and beautiful reminder to tend to your garden each day.

Water plants at their root or at the soil near their roots. Watering leaves can cause rotting.

Remember that the Colorado growing season is shorter than most. When planting your garden be conscious of this cycle and plan for plants that will have a similar or shorter cycle of maturation. It would be a shame to do all the work if you couldn’t see it through.

About an inch a week is a good rule of thumb, but more importantly just make sure you are always keeping an eye on your plants: checking if they need water, soil, more or less sunlight, etc. almost daily. Again, it is a time-consuming hobby, but a highly rewarding one. Consistency over quantity, especially when it comes to watering but even more broadly when it comes to all aspects of tending a garden.