Category: Winter

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 . . With questions about pruning flooding into the garden center, there’s no doubt that pruning is in full swing. Some homeowners new to the area are overwhelmed with where to start on a…

Winter is the season to plant evergreens that look good no matter the weather.  Local evergreens brighten our winter landscapes, and they prefer being planted during the colder months. If your landscape needs more green showing through that rock lawn,…

By Ken Lain, the mountain gardener 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 a mountain…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener There is a seemingly cavernous void in the living room when the Christmas tree and holiday greens are taken down for another year.  There’s a simple solution to this annual letdown:  Ring in the…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener There is a seemingly cavernous void in the living room when the Christmas tree and holiday greens are taken down for another year.  There’s a simple solution to this annual letdown:  Ring in the…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardenerGenerally, the best time for planting trees is late winter through early spring.Typically this period is followed by a season of moderate weather, giving new transplants time to become established.  For gardens above 6500 feet,…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener The days grow short as we move into the last of the 2018 gardening season. This is the time when gardeners like to relax, sip some tea while warming our feet by the fire,…

By Ken Lain, the mountain gardener To those of you new to the four seasons of Northern Arizona:  Autumn is a time of intense transition in yards and landscapes.  Leaves fall off of leafy trees, and flowering perennials bloom one…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener The differences in altitude of our Northern Arizona gardens dictate the garden tasks for December. At higher elevations like Flagstaff, Williams, and the White Mountains there are few December gardens.  December at these elevations…