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Gardening in Colorado
Plan to Overcome many Challenges |
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Having grown up in Texas, and learning all about gardening from my Daddy, I was not prepared for gardening in Denver. Over time, I learned to overcome certain obstacles: |
The temperatures vary a lot. The weather can change within the day. It is common, in the Spring, to wake up to a snow-cover landscape only to have all the snow melted by mid-day. In the winter when temperatures drop to below freezing, the air feels
warm because the sun is shining. Then sometimes in the Winter we get blasted with blizzard. See Big Snow Photos.
- Denver has a relatively low humidity
- Gone is the "fluffy" black soil of Texas. It is replaced with clay and alkaline soil. It is important to amend the soil with compost, peat or aged manure. The red color soil is due to high amounts of iron.
- The growing season is short, compare to Texas
- Plants that grow well in Texas' zone 8 won't grow here in zone 5
- Even the grass varieties are different here
- Although Denver is classified as Zone 5; those living in the mountains garden in Zone 3; and those in the foothills garden in Zone 4. I have had limited success with plants for Zone 6.
- Denver is called the "Mile High" city. The altitude in Denver is 5280 feet.
- We don't get much rain. For several years we were on a restrictive water-usage schedule.
- The sun shines 300 days a year. The intense sun causes strong-stemmed plants and flowers with extra brilliance. That's a good thing.
- The low temperatures range from -20F to -10F
- Spring is generally from April 15-June 15
- Fall is generally from September 1-October 15
- We, reportedly, have an average of 155 frost-free days
- It has been known to have snow in Denver as late as May and as early as September
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In my time here, I have experiment with plant location until I found spots where the plants were "happy." I found that the north and east sides of the house are much cooler than south and west sides. Not all plants are happy being bathed in the hot afternoon
sun on the west side of the property. |
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My neighbors, at my house in Littleton, CO, used to watch with amazement as every spring, I rearranged by gardens. They commented that I moved plants around like other people rearrange the furniture. As an artist, I place plants to be pleasing, just
like placing watercolors on paper. |
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As much as I love them, I can't seem to grow broadleaf evergreens like rhododendrons. I have had good luck growing lilacs, Oregon grape holly, junipers, and several different varieties of potentilla. |
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It is a given that garden soil in Denver will have to be amended. The Colorado State University Cooperative Extension office has soil sample bags with directions to have soil tested. The results of the soil test will tell you what kind of
amendments are needed. The soil needs to amended to a depth of at least 12-18 inches. |
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Experiences in Colorado Gardening: |
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For more information on native plants: |
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Links to Gardening Resources & Ideas |
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