Mountain West Regional Reports

  • Mountain West Regional Reports

    Plants Providing Winter Forage for Seed-Eating Birds

    Of all the time I spend in my gardens, the moments I find most memorable and meaningful are when the garden is enjoyed by others. Though typically brief, the moments—like…

  • Mountain West Regional Reports

    Aggressive Weeds to Look Out for in the Rocky Mountain Region

    One of the most important tenets of effective weed management is quick action, both in identifying possible weeds in your garden and acting promptly to manage their spread by seeds,…

  • Mountain West Regional Reports

    Cool-Season Ornamental Grasses for Mountain Gardens

    Resplendent and easygoing, cool-season grasses are those that begin to grow with vigor during temperatures of approximately 60°F through mid-70°F. In our region, they green up in mid-spring, appearing as…

  • Mountain West Regional Reports

    4 Tips for Getting the Garden Through Drought Sustainably

    On a recent hike in the foothills just southeast of my house, I couldn’t help but notice crisped, curling leaves on big flower cinquefoil (Drymocallis fissa) and the drought-tolerant mountain…

  • Mountain West Regional Reports

    Tips for Designing a Meadow Lawn

    I’ve designed, installed, and continue to manage two meadow lawns to date. Through these gardens, as well as my own study in nature and research in references, I’ve learned a…

  • Mountain West Regional Reports

    Native Plants for Summer Interest in the Mountain West

    Firecracker penstemon  Penstemon eatonii  Zones: 4–9 Size: 18 to 36 inches tall and 10 to 15 inches wide  Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; dry, well-drained soil   Native range:…

  • Mountain West Regional Reports

    Annuals for a Cut Flower Garden in the Mountain West

    Annuals are a topic that elicits strong responses from many gardeners. With the word come visions of manicured plantings, most frequently including foliage obscured by a lavish floral display. While…

  • apple flea beetles
    Mountain West Regional Reports

    How to Manage Flea Beetles: The Cutest Pests You’ve Never Heard Of

    Late spring sees me watching and waiting, breath not quite bated—and certainly not baited—to find out my fate for the season with one garden critter in particular: the flea beetle.…

  • Mountain West Regional Reports

    Guidelines for Building a Rock Garden

    Last fall, this column featured Showy Native Plants for Rocky Soils. Not included in that plant palette were rock gardens. While similar in that the plants for such spaces require…

  • Five Petal Cliffbush
    Mountain West Regional Reports

    Plants That Take Sun and Shade for the Mountain West

      1. Creeping Oregon Grape Name: Mahonia repens syn. Berberis repens Zones: 5–8 Size: 1 to 2 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide Conditions: Full sun to full…