Category: Fall

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Burning bush, Euonymus alatus, is a neat, well-behaved shrub prized for its blazing red foliage in Fall. Looks great when planted with autumn gold natives like sumac, lilac, and gold euonymus. Growing to head…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener The extreme growth of 3 feet or more each year. The fall color glows like embers in a blazing hot fire, thus the name. There is no better maple to plant in Arizona. It…

By Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Mums are as ubiquitous in Autumn as pumpkins during the fall harvest. You find them everywhere and anywhere from supermarkets, gas stations to the garden center. You need to know mums are incredibly easy…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Many gardeners ask if it is necessary to rake leaves off of lawns or out of the gardens.  Some leaves, such as those from red maple trees, are stunning lying on the ground and…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Many plants are hardy enough to bloom right through winter. Garden Centers are stocked full of these winter bloomers like Kale, pansy, viola, snapdragons, and more. Kale in the Garden Frosty nights does not…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener October is famous for its autumn colors, and some mountain plants show their bright hues better than others.  I took this photo of a group of my favorite fall companion plants.  I think they…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Autumn leaves are a wonderment of the season. Although dropped leaves make for extra work, I really enjoy the seasonal change.  When most of the leaves have dropped, we pile them high and play…

By Ken Lain, the mountain gardener It definitely feels like Autumn in the Lain gardens. We haven’t lit the pilot light on the fireplace, but there is a chill in the air every morning. There are a few things I…

By Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Not all trees are created equal when it comes to autumn colors, and this is their season. Autumn is also the ideal planting window for trees and tall shrubs. Increased garden success is had…

By Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Many of us have gardened in places where the soil is rich, its pH perfectly balanced, the climate blessed with consistent rainfall, gentle sun, and plant-coddling humidity.    Mountain soil and climate present the opposites…