Plant Pansies and Annual Flowers
- To be successful with outdoor flowers and plants at this time of the year, consider plants that naturally like cool temperatures.
- Pansies and violas love our cool bright spring weather conditions. They are very cold temperature tolerant and will withstand pretty much whatever Mother Nature throws our way. Freezing temperatures, snow, rain and wind in April will not kill them. Temperatures into the lower to mid-20’s may burn the flowers, but they can be removed and new flower buds will take their place and keep blooming.
- Especially when planted in containers, pansies are the most colorful annuals to plant for the early spring season. Not to mention, container gardens can be tucked up beside the house or even pulled into the garage if an especially nasty storm rolls in (which is very possible). But generally, they can take the early spring weather conditions!
- Add snapdragons (short or tall), dianthus, alyssum, stock and dusty miller to diversify your planting design. All suitable for cool temperatures. Water and fertilize regularly to keep them growing vigorously through the spring into summer.
Plant Perennial Flowers
- Creek Side grows over 350 varieties of perennials right on site in our nice, cool greenhouses down on the creek. They are acclimated to our climate and ready to grow as soon as we plant them into their pots. And, they have been subjected to the cold cycle of winter which will allow them to bloom the first season they are planted in your garden.
- The varieties chosen at Creek Side are especially good for growing in the hot, dry Rocky Mountain region. Plants like Agastache, Echinacea, Delosperma, Penstemon, Coreopsis are available in several different colors. Check out the varieties from Plant Select, the collaboration between Colorado State University and the Denver Botanic Gardens to introduce brand new perennial varieties developed especially for our region. You will find over 35 Plant Select selections at Creek Side.
- The plants you select at Creek Side are conditioned for early spring growing conditions. The cool growing conditions helps to make them strong and ready for planting in your garden.
Plant Cool Season Vegetables
- Cool season vegetable crops should be planted in April. They will tolerate frosty temperatures and grow best when the temperatures are cool.
- This group includes lettuce and leafy greens, radishes, carrots, beets, peas, onions, potato, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and kale among others.
- Direct sow seeds into the ground for lettuce and greens, radishes, carrots, beets, peas. Read the instructions on the seed packet for information about seed sowing depth in the soil, spacing of seeds and rows or plants and time to germination.
- Cover seeds with soil and tamp down firmly. Water regularly to keep seeds moist until germination begins.
- Use starter plants for cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, rhubarb, onions sets and potato tubers. This will result in a much earlier harvest than sowing seeds for these crops directly outdoors.
- Creek Side offers a great selection of vegetable seeds and bulbs. Plus Creek Side Grown Fresh vegetable starter plants are ready to go. Choose from broccoli, brussels sprout, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, kale and peas.
