Hello from Zone 4 - sigh - Garden Plants and Gardening Forum

Mountaingarden · 03-12-2008, 10:22 AM

Hello everyone. I moved up to the mountains near Steamboat Springs, CO last year. I'm in a new zone (zone 4) and we get LOTS of snow in the winter (over 400 inches this year). It's March and I'm starting to get spring fever, but we still have around 4 feet of snow on the ground. On top of the cold temperatures and short season, there are lots of hungry deer around my house.

I'm looking for any and all information and suggestions for gardening in the mountains. I will be planting only zone 4 deer-resistant plants. We also get lots of hummingbirds in the summer, so I'll be looking at planting hummingbird attracting flowers. I like flowers, vegetables and herbs.

Farthest out on my wish-list...I've always had koi ponds with aquatic plants in the past. I'm checking to see if that is remotely possible where I am now.

Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks!

lspichkin · 03-12-2008, 12:02 PM

Hi there mountaingarden,

Welcome to the forum! I'm sure it must be tough around this point of the year when spring is just around the corner but you're not quite there. I must say that i've gotten spoiled living in southern california....

I've read that some good options for deer resistant plants in your zone are:
Rocky Mountain Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea)
Lavender Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Rocket Larkspur (Delphinum ajacis)
Purple Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Keep us updated with how things work out for you in your new garden

GREEN THUMB · 03-13-2008, 06:18 PM

Hi!
I'm also in zone 4 but I'm in Massachusetts and most of the plants that grow here aren't exactly what I would recommend. However, I'm not sure if there is a type of Cardinal Flower that grows there but I grow that here for the hummingbirds. Good luck!

Mountaingarden · 03-15-2008, 11:52 AM

Thanks for the suggestions! I found a good cateloge of plants for my conditions, High Country Gardens out of New Mexico. I put in a big order of some to try. I'll post on how it turns out. I did order some Columbine and Agastache. I love Cardinal Flower but I think they only recommended it for zone 5 and I didn't want to risk it.

weedme · 03-19-2008, 06:11 AM

I dont know if this is any help, but i have had 4 buckets of water lillies over winter in the back garden some mornings they had a 2 inch deep layer of ice on them, and they have come back and flowered every year!

Mountaingarden · 03-19-2008, 09:40 AM

Thanks weedme! I will be on the look out for hardy water lillies. I think I have seen some in some of my catalogues. I think I am going to have to do some kind of de-icing though. Temperatures get down to 40 degrees below zero and the nearby lake has ice about 4 feet thick right now. I'm not sure if traditional pond de-icers will work or if I'm going to have to heat the whole thing. Ideally, I'd like to put my fish in the pond, but I'm wondering if I'll need to bring them indoors in the winter or if I can figure out a way to keep them out all winter. I wasn't planning to dig a HUGE pond.

03-12-2008, 10:22 AM	#1
Mountaingarden Green Gardener Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Clark, CO Posts: 7	Hello from Zone 4 - sigh Hello everyone. I moved up to the mountains near Steamboat Springs, CO last year. I'm in a new zone (zone 4) and we get LOTS of snow in the winter (over 400 inches this year). It's March and I'm starting to get spring fever, but we still have around 4 feet of snow on the ground. On top of the cold temperatures and short season, there are lots of hungry deer around my house. I'm looking for any and all information and suggestions for gardening in the mountains. I will be planting only zone 4 deer-resistant plants. We also get lots of hummingbirds in the summer, so I'll be looking at planting hummingbird attracting flowers. I like flowers, vegetables and herbs. Farthest out on my wish-list...I've always had koi ponds with aquatic plants in the past. I'm checking to see if that is remotely possible where I am now. Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks!

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03-12-2008, 12:02 PM	#2
lspichkin Administrator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: West Hollywood, CA Posts: 199 Images: 88	Hi there mountaingarden, Welcome to the forum! I'm sure it must be tough around this point of the year when spring is just around the corner but you're not quite there. I must say that i've gotten spoiled living in southern california.... I've read that some good options for deer resistant plants in your zone are: Rocky Mountain Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea) Lavender Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) Rocket Larkspur (Delphinum ajacis) Purple Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) Keep us updated with how things work out for you in your new garden

03-13-2008, 06:18 PM	#3
GREEN THUMB Green Gardener Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 5	Hi! I'm also in zone 4 but I'm in Massachusetts and most of the plants that grow here aren't exactly what I would recommend. However, I'm not sure if there is a type of Cardinal Flower that grows there but I grow that here for the hummingbirds. Good luck!

03-15-2008, 11:52 AM	#4
Mountaingarden Green Gardener Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Clark, CO Posts: 7	Thanks for the suggestions! I found a good cateloge of plants for my conditions, High Country Gardens out of New Mexico. I put in a big order of some to try. I'll post on how it turns out. I did order some Columbine and Agastache. I love Cardinal Flower but I think they only recommended it for zone 5 and I didn't want to risk it.

03-19-2008, 06:11 AM	#5
weedme Green Gardener Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: kettering, northants Posts: 7 Blog Entries: 1	I dont know if this is any help, but i have had 4 buckets of water lillies over winter in the back garden some mornings they had a 2 inch deep layer of ice on them, and they have come back and flowered every year!

03-19-2008, 09:40 AM	#6
Mountaingarden Green Gardener Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Clark, CO Posts: 7	Thanks weedme! I will be on the look out for hardy water lillies. I think I have seen some in some of my catalogues. I think I am going to have to do some kind of de-icing though. Temperatures get down to 40 degrees below zero and the nearby lake has ice about 4 feet thick right now. I'm not sure if traditional pond de-icers will work or if I'm going to have to heat the whole thing. Ideally, I'd like to put my fish in the pond, but I'm wondering if I'll need to bring them indoors in the winter or if I can figure out a way to keep them out all winter. I wasn't planning to dig a HUGE pond.