Category: Winter

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Bedrooms are meant to be a haven to recharge your battery, and greenery goes a long way in achieving a sense of serenity. Whether your home is illuminated with natural light or relies on…

By Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Those new to the four seasons of Northern Arizona: Autumn is a time of intense transition in the yard. Leaves fall off deciduous trees, and flowering perennials bloom one last time before fading underground…

Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Today’s ultra-efficient homes seal outside air from penetrating their interiors, thus recirculating inside air without added freshness. A three-month-old air filter cleans only so many particles before choking on its own dust. We won’t mention…

By Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Much of my garden is dedicated to attracting birds into our landscape. I firmly believe that a landscape cannot have enough birds . . . except ravens; my gardens can have too many ravens…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener We all know 2020 has been a wild ride physically, mentally, and emotionally. Being outdoors in the garden, on a trail, or simply watching a sunset on the back patio has been a stress…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Find your garden’s hardiness zone by Zip Code Gardeners rely on USDA Hardiness Zone Maps to tell us which plants survive and thrive locally. The USDA released updated Plant Hardiness Zone Maps for the…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Gardeners are some of the “tough customers” on our annual gift lists; it’s hard to know what they like/need. Here are a couple of suggestions: Wildflower seeds for the gardener in your life will…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener This week’s column is an extensive resource of perennial flowers that should be cut back now. Local gardeners have given each a commonly used name rather than the scientific Latin name, so this list…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener The practice of using living trees over fresh-cut trees to decorate the holidays continues to increase in popularity. Over half of Watters’ local Christmas Tree sales are for living trees that will be planted…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener The days grow short as we move into the last of the 2019 gardening season. This is a time to relax, sip tea while warming our feet by the fire, and reflect on our…