Already killed off those spring plants? Invest in more, but ask for advice

Editor s note This is part of The Know s series Staff Favorites Each week we offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining shopping entertainment outdoor sessions and more We ll also let you in on several hidden gems My pansies are pitiful the lavender is languishing and the salvia is suffering And that lovely vine Vanquished But it s only July so there s plenty of time left in Colorado s growing season to purchase more plants to kill A hanging basket with petunias lobelia and calibrachoa at Echter's garden center in Arvada Barbara Ellis The Denver Post Unless of syllabus you go to a reputable garden center like Echter s where staff can give you advice on what is hardy enough to survive your ministrations And then read the care instructions On Mother s Day my partner and I braved a huge crowd at the Arvada nursery picking up a couple of flats of annuals for pots particular crazy-gorgeous coleus the varieties were out of this world a trumpet vine I paid a little extra for the -year warranty on that one a couple of ornamental grasses and a stunning helleborus that expeditiously fried under the intense sun I left it under instead of reading the care instructions shade it stated ugh I m so sorry sweet helleborus Echter s a family-owned business in Arvada founded in by brothers Bob and Jim Echter boasts that it carries more than varieties of flowers each year sold over its square feet of display area as well as vegetables trees shrubs and houseplants It s at present owned by Dave Echter Bob s son and his wife Anne and is managed by their son Jeff A variety of coeopsis at Echter's Barbara Ellis The Denver Post Of class as a small operation Echter s can t charge the low prices that big-box stores can Can you find less costly chrysanthemum or more affordable alyssum Sure But this place has plants in varieties that I ve never seen in decades of gardening in Colorado It s enough to restore hope to any despondent gardener That amazing yellow begonia hanging basket I passed up on Mother s Day still haunts me Look at it this way You will end up saving money by getting advice from the knowledgeable staff at Echter s so your plants will last longer and you won t need to replace them so often Gracyn Gracy Staples head grower of the nursery and perennials at Echter s sympathized when I lamented about how much I ve failed over the years It s a long learning curve she reported before offering expert advice on what Coloradans can do mid-summer to perk up their gardens Gracyn Gracie Staples head of the nursery and perennials at Echter's garden center in Arvada is happy to offer advice Barbara Ellis The Denver Post At this point it s OK to purchase new annuals for pots and planters she commented but it s too late to put them in the ground Those pansies that are in the compost pile They really are quick to die off so don t feel too bad she assured me Staples demonstrated me around the grounds pointing out particular of the plants that would do well in our weather through the fall cranesbill a shade perennial plumbago perfect near pine trees since it requirements acidity and can withstand Colorado s afternoon heat coreopsis a sun-loving perennial in gorgeous colors penstemon a variety of native plant that attracts pollinators and is drought-tolerant with showy blooms coleus and lobelia Staples go-tos for shade bittens bright and hardy and the brilliant puffs of dahlias In Colorado they are annuals that need sunny locations and well-drained soil but tubers can be dug up and stored indoors over the winter to survive Echter s also has a wide variety of easy-to-grow calibrachoa another appropriate mid-summer replacement It s a sun-loving plant that I buy in a huge basket each spring and that lasts all summer despite my best efforts to harm it Next to them were dozens of baskets of impatiens shade-loving annuals in riotous colors I pulled up a photo on my phone of a vibrant ground cover that had caught my eye on the th tee box at Wellshire Golf Program Ice plants are phenomenal Staples reported You can plant them in full sun and they are drought-tolerant and there are lots of different colors I bought those same colors fuchsia and orange for my garden Is it too late to get more veggie plants to replace particular that may have just not tried hard enough and given up through lack of effort through absolutely no fault of yours Stay away from leafy greens right now Staples disclosed but we have larger plants like tomatoes that already are producing veggies that would work Vibrant ice plants on the th hole at Wellshire Golf Syllabus in Denver Barbara Ellis The Denver Post What about outdoor plants that you can grow indoors over the winter to bloom again in the spring Geraniums Staples recommended or citrus trees But be sure to feed them the correct fertilizer Really I ve made hundreds of mistakes over the years putting plants in places they don t belong planting too soon in too much sun not fertilizing not amending the soil overwatering and oh the tragedy of a mower haircut My ground is hostile to hostas Hydrangeas which I have long lusted after since I m from New England where they are prolific don t stand a chance poppies poop out bulbs seldom bring up their lovely blooms clematis refuse to climb and our state flower Columbine quit on me every time even though a neighbor two houses down has dozens of them And I won t even go into what I ve managed to slaughter in my vegetable and herb garden A up-to-date Facebook meme was directed at people like me gardeners who spend on plants in an attempt to save at the grocery store Honestly I apologize to plants for any hardship they may suffer at my hands every time I walk out of a garden center Still I remain ever hopeful that my love affair with plants and flowers will burgeon again in the spring and that the garden gods will look favorably upon those perennials that I planted so lovingly this season Yes I made sure to ask Staples for advice and hopefully put the plants I purchased on this current trip in the right places and in the right soil And then I prayed over them after planting It can t hurt right Echter s Nursery Garden Center Garrison St Arvada Open a m to p m Monday through Saturday and a m to p m Sunday but hours change according to the season so check the website before heading over - - echters com Echter s is having a summer sale through July So buy a new rose bush to baby or an ornamental grass to groom or a fruit tree to fawn over