I know Vail, Colorado is a popular winter destination for skiers and snowboarders, but summer in Vail is a gardener’s paradise.

I’m on a family vacation this week in Vail. I am in awe of all the colorful flowers in bloom in town and in the mountains. So many varieties of annuals and perennials are in bloom in containers and in the ground. I’m in plant heaven trying to identify everything and annoying my family by naming every plant I recognize.

I must have repeated myself a hundred times already, saying how pretty all the wildflowers. The Aspen trees, mountains, and annual containers and beds. What’s even more amazing is that cool weather flowers like pansies and poppies are in full bloom right next to hot summer annuals like petunias and begonias. How is that possible?! Turns out, in Vail, Colorado, you can have your cake and eat it too.

Every street and building here is lined with hanging baskets, window boxes, and colorful pots, all overflowing with lush foliage and flowers. Then there’s the backdrop of pristine landscaping, streets, and of course the awe inspiring Rocky Mountains. Not too shabby.

They must deadhead the flowers every day, because I have yet to see a spent bloom on any of the containers. Many of the containers are irrigated, but many others must be hand-watered, since I can’t find any irrigation tubes running to them. I think I might want to move here and be a professional deadheader and waterer in the summer. It sure beats the 90 degree summer weather and humidity in Indiana.

Container Sightings in Vail, Colorado

Many of the containers in Vail, Colorado use similar plant materials. Petunias, geraniums, and sweet potato vines are pretty common ingredients. But almost every other annual flower I can think of can be found in a container somewhere in this town. Not to mention the vegetable plants, perennials, trees, and succulents they have also incorporated into mixed containers.

There are so many gorgeous containers in Vail, it’s hard to pick the best. But so far, some of my favorite containers line the patio at La Tour restaurant, mixing annual flowers and vegetables to create a border between the dining area and the street. Other favorites in Vail Village include the fire hose wrapped planters at the fire station, the tall modern planters lining the main plaza and, in Lionshead, the wood carts lined with terra cotta pots spilling over with lush foliage and blooms.

Overall though, I have to say my absolute favorite flowers in the area are not the ones planted by humans. I love the colorful and abundant wildflowers growing in sunny meadows leading up to mountain forests of Aspen, Pine, and Spruce. If you visit the area in summer, be sure to find a hike that meanders through one of these meadows.