If you’re yearning for spring color, take a break from the cold and find inspiration from the Colorado State University (CSU) flower trial gardens.
The trial gardens evaluate plants for their performance in our unique Rocky Mountain environmental conditions. Their recommendations can help you find plants that will do well in our sometimes-challenging growing conditions.
One plant stood out among the others and was named best of show in CSU’s 2018 trials. Salvia ‘Big Blue’ from PanAmerican Seed, pictured above, is described as “a later bloomer that is worth the wait.”
Salvia is a drought-tolerant, pollinator-friendly plant that attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. It has large flower spikes that are showstoppers in the garden and look as beautiful as a cut flower in your vase.
In fact, salvia is such a reliable and beautiful plant that The National Garden Bureau (NGB) chose Salvia nemorosa as a plant of the year for 2019.
An added bonus: NGB noted that the leaves are not on the preferred forage list of deer and rabbits. So this plant could be a great garden addition if animals are a nuisance in the yard.
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Look for all of CSU’s “best of” flowers at http://www.flowertrials.colostate.edu and start planning for spring.
Becky Garber is director of the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado, of which Neils Lunceford is a member. Neils Lunceford Inc. can be reached at 970-468-0340 and at https://www.neilslunceford.com.
