Gardening in Summit County Colorado
The Summit County Garden Club will have its annual garden tour July 21, 2007. I joined the Garden Club a couple of years ago, but I am afraid that I just don’t have the time required to be a good member. 
I love having a nice garden, but am not particularly fond of pulling weeds and the two really go hand in hand. The number of flowers that do well in our zone is somewhat limited, but best are Delphiniums, Pansies, Primroses, Lilies, Poppies, Bleeding Heart (mine are blooming now, in July) and of course, Columbine. Annuals also do well, and I like to use them to fill in around the perennials. Tender plants like Begonias should be put out late and you will lose them early. I plant my Begonias in pots rather than the garden so that I can take them indoors when we get frost. The local garden centers are a wealth of information and can tell you which plants do best. I tend to buy one, and try it out before buying 5 or 6 of something. I often plant a variety of perennials and the next year, buy more of whatever survived. 
As for vegetables, cool weather veggies do best, but our growing season is so short and our nights are cool enough, that vegetables are harder to grow than flowers. Tomatoes are best bought from somewhere else (like Kansas!)
Below is information about the garden tour the club has every year. They truly have some wonderful gardens on the tour. One thing that makes gardening at this altitude so rewarding is that as our season is so short, many flowers bloom a the same time, making for a spectacular display of flowers! You will see the best of the best on the garden tour.
The Garden Tour: July 21st, 2007
Registration for the garden tour will be held at Summit County Community/Senior Center, 0151 CR 1004 Peak One Blvd., Frisco from 8:30-10:30 on Saturday, July 21.
Advance tickets: please send a check, before July 14, payable to Summit County Garden Club, $10 per person attending the tour, to PO 2525, Silverthorne, CO 80498. Only checks are accepted for preorder via mail. The cost for the tour, the day of the tour is $15, payable as check or cash.
http://www.summitcountygardenclub.org/index.htm
July 8th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Joanne, Whenever I visit Summit County in the summer, the flowers are amazing. A garden tour would be great fun. I get excited about gardening in the early summer and by late summer, my plants are wilting a bit. It is one of those things you have to stay on top of or the weeds take over.
July 11th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Hi Jennifer, my biggest problem is watering everything, and I am sure when you have watering restrictions in Denver, it really hurts the flowers. They are just so pretty in Colorado though!
July 29th, 2007 at 9:44 am
Joanne, I grew very fond of gardening and left if by the wayside as life took over. It does require time, but the rewards sure are beautiful. What lovely pictures!