Category: Garden Tips

By Ken Lain, the mountain gardener October is a critical month in landscape maintenance and should not be ignored. As we transition into Autumn and the first frosts in November, these key steps keep our landscapes healthy, weed-free, and ready…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener On the Go Answer – Readers Digest-type Condensed Version of this Article Feed your soil instead of the plants with 7-4-4 All Purpose Food Use low maintenance perennials like red salvia, Russian blue sages,…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener These hot days of Summer, which officially starts this week, may be tempting us to sit back and simply enjoy what we planted in Spring. But this is the time when we must turn…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Could nurturing a green thumb help you live to be 100? Certain parts of the world, defined as “blue zones”, are famous for their many centenarian citizens.  Although spread across the globe, these 100-year-olds…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener The ​Lain casa ​​is a respite where friends and family feel safe and welcomed both inside and out. Landscape ideas have come from traveling abroad, visiting botanical gardens, and sharing ideas with other gardeners.…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener There are lots of annuals grown for their foliage, like coleuses and caladiums, but blooming plants remain the most popular annuals. That’s because annual plants bloom repeatedly, giving undemanding joyous color throughout our warm…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener With so many students home from school and families seeking interesting things to do that are healthy, safe, and educational, this column is dedicated to you. Our family’s fondest memories are of gardening, collecting…

By Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener Spring weather signals the start of specific gardening tasks that are essential to maintaining a vital, healthy garden. I’m a list type of gardener, and the following is my springtime procedural list in order…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener High altitude gardening is different from gardening at lower elevations.  Combine our altitude with Arizona’s dry climate, bright air, and ever-present mountain winds, and you pretty much can forget what you learned from gardening…

Preparing Garden Soils for Spring Planting Once you’ve tried digging the first planting hole in a mountain garden you learn that our native soils are HARD !!!  Skimp on spring soil preparation to “soften” the ground and your garden’s production…