Page 10 – Watters Garden Center

10/20/2022

Insider Secrets Your Landscaper Won’t Share

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Readers Digest Condensed Version of this Article

Plants look best when planted together in odd numbers.

Add garden interest by planting smaller plants in front of taller ones.

Hardscaping is everything non-living, like irrigation and retaining walls.

Use a mower strip and mulching mower saves time.

Autumn feed your yard with 7-4-4 All Purpose Plant Food.

Protect trees and evergreens with Watters Plant Protector.

Whether it’s having hardscape features installed, performing chores, or selecting plants for the yard, it’s helpful to understand the insider secrets landscapers won’t share. Thinking like a professional saves lots of money, time, and frustration. Best of all, unlocking these pro tips help transform your plantings from a mere collection of plants into a sophisticated landscape design.

Hardscaping is everything non-living, like irrigation, raised beds, ponds, and retaining walls. Hardscape features are captivating, but not all are equally necessary. Some types of hardscapes are exceedingly expensive; it is essential to prioritize landscaping on a budget. Give priority to those projects critical to your enjoyment. Everyone gets excited over the idea of having an elite terrace complete with an outdoor kitchen. You may not enjoy it much when baking in the sun though. A straightforward patio roofed with a covered pergola is often a better investment. It offers a permanent, shaded retreat for dining, chatting with friends, or simply enjoy the flower beds planted nearby

Save time with these lawn-Care hacks

Lawn care can be a chore. Here are some hacks those in the know use to save considerable time by laying down a mowing strip and using a mulching mower.

After you lay down a mowing strip and see how much time it saves, you’ll kick yourself for not discovering this landscaper’s secret sooner. It consists of a row of pavers separating the grass from an adjacent area or structure. You run the wheels on one side of the mower on top of this strip, giving you a clean cut along the border. No need to go back later to edge and touch up.

Save additional time by using a mulching mower rather than mowing with a bag attachment. No more emptying those dirty grass clippings. The finely mulched grass acts as lawn fertilizer, saving the time required to buy more fertilizer.

Strike a Balance Between Monotony and Variety

Every homeowner prefers variety in a landscape. A way to add style to your design is to vary the viewer’s sightline rather than keeping everything flat on one plane. A landscape berm is the easiest, but so will intelligent plant selection. Grow a variety of different plants in terms of height. Provide transitions between them for a smooth flow.

Let’s say a row of landscape trees line the northern property line. To bring the viewer’s eye level down a notch, plant shrubs in front of them. Complete the three-tiered design with an edging of ground cover plants at the front.

A secret landscape designers swear by here at Watters Garden Center is planting a group of plants together in odd numbers and repeating this grouping elsewhere in the yard. This could be three Gold Star Potentilla grown together in a flower border at the driveway, complemented by a group of five more in a foundation bed. Each group achieves a more significant impact than a solitary shrub, while the repetition brings unity to the design, bringing different parts of the yard together.

Keep your plants healthy.

The best Autumn advice I can give you is to feed and care for the plants you do have. The most important feeding of the year is applied in the fall. Feed everything in the yard with Watters 7-4-4 All Purpose Plant Food for better autumn colors and healthier plants next spring. Second, treat your evergreen pine and spruce with Plant Protector. This easy-to-use plant drench keeps the bugs out of your trees and larger evergreens for the year to come.

Feed and Prevent at the same time or over several weekends. The two easy chores make for better gardening this fall and into next year.

Until next week, I’ll be helping locals design better landscapes here at Watters Garden Center.

Throughout the week, Ken Lain can be found at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Plants.com.

10/14/202210/14/2022

Fertilize Everything in the Yard Before Halloween

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Walk down any aisle of your local garden center, and you can’t help but notice the dizzying array of plant foods. You’ll see bags, bottles, powders, granules, sprays, and concentrates. Furthermore, you’ll discover more organic and “earth-friendly” plant foods. Which one is best for a healthy landscape? You must first make sense of a few plant nutrients to pick the best plant food.

Complete Plant Food

A complete fertilizer is necessary to supply plants with the three major elements they require to thrive: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash. A balanced fertilizer or plant food is best served in spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Nitrogen (N): Promotes healthy foliage and leaves.

Phosphorus or Phosphate (P): Stimulates root systems, bud, and vegetable growth.

Potassium or Potash (K): Promotes stronger stems and aids in flower (and fruit) formation.

The fertilizer label will list the nutrients in the order of NPK, with numbers representing the percentage of nutrients compared to filler ingredients. For example, Watters 7-4-4 All Purpose Plant Food contains 7% nitrogen, 4% Phosphorus, and 4% Potassium. Filler ingredients are inert materials that add weight and volume to make the plant food easier to spread. For example, limestone, sawdust, and clay are used in powdered formulas, and water enhances liquid fertilizers. Fillers also add micronutrients like iron and sulfur to the mix for increased plant health and increased color.

Healthy flowers start with a vigorous root system, and a phosphate boost ensures your flowers get a good start. Flower fertilizers like Watters Flower Power, 12-48-8, have a significant percentage of phosphorus than other ingredients. The increased middle number also increases flower size and count and enlargers vegetables.

Chemical Fertilizers are inexpensive and widespread, but what are they?

Fertilizer manufacturers like Scotts, Miracle-Gro, Vigoro, and Ironite create artificial fertilizers by combining inorganic chemicals to form compounds like ammonium nitrate or magnesium sulfate. Chemical fertilizers are advantageous because rapid-growing plants take up their nutrients quickly, sometimes too fast.

Earth Friendly organics are better for plants and far safer for you, your pets, and your plants. Worms and other garden beneficials are killed by these synthetic fertilizers. Chemicals have a negative potential for drinking water as well. They release so rapidly that they can taint your drinking water and wells. Additional disadvantages include the risk of over-application, which causes burning, and the absence of any soil-improving qualities.

Springs, Summer, and Fall are the best seasonal dates to apply plant foods to the landscape. Local gardeners use Easter, July 4th, and Halloween as timely holiday markers for the best application dates. Evergreens benefit significantly with an additional application at New Year.

Foliar Fertilizer & Flower Power

Foliar fertilizers are liquid nutrients plants absorb through their leaves. Not all vegetable and flowering plants feed this efficiently because the wax and hairs on their leaves are a barrier to nutrient uptake. As a result, the plant cannot receive the needed nutrients. However, some nutrient deficiencies are addressed quickly by using foliar fertilizers. Potassium is one readily absorbed nutrient in a foliar feeding application, so foliar fertilizers are appropriate for treating potassium deficiencies.

If your flowers exhibit chlorosis or yellowing of the foliage, your plants may have an iron deficiency. Another situation is where the rapid results achieved by foliar plant foods are helpful.

Two-week intervals are best when using liquid or water-soluble plant food in the garden. This pattern brings out the fragrance and color of blooming plants.

Organic Fertilizer Benefits

Organic fertilizers come from living things like barnyard manure, fish emulsion, leaf mold, and non-living material like rock phosphate and greensand.

Fertilizers from organic matter supply essential nutrients to your plants and improve soil strength and texture. Even gardeners who don’t eat what they grow still appreciate organic plant foods because they: Don’t burn plants, Strengthen your plants’ immune systems, Are non-toxic to beneficial insects and wildlife, and Remain active in the soil for extended periods.

Simple Fertilizer

Suppose a soil test reveals a deficiency of one primary nutrient. In that case, you can purchase a pure fertilizer containing only nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium as a standalone ingredient. Simple fertilizers can be chemical or organic in makeup, like organic bonemeal 0-10-0.

Best Advice – I believe in organic plant foods because they are safer for humans, pets, and wild animals entering our landscapes. Feed everything in the landscape three times per year with Watters 7-4-4 ‘All Purpose Food,’ including container gardens and raised beds. The best application holidays to apply by are Easter, Independence day on July 4th, and Halloween. Halloween is the most important feeding of the entire year.

Ask for my free handout here at Watters Garden Center for those that want to go deeper into the 4 Steps of Proper Plant Food.

Until next week, I’ll be helping gardeners with plant foods here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Plants.com.

10/05/202210/05/2022

Cocktails in the Garden

Raise the bar with garden-fresh ingredients that transform cocktails into signature drinks

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Cheers! Drinks made with just-picked herbs, fruit, and vegetables as flavorings are the toast of the party season, whether made with alcohol or not.

As cocktail gardeners have grown more adventurous, the happy-hour repertoire has expanded beyond the classic sprig of spearmint for Juleps and Mojitos. The newfound art of mixology now included homegrown blackberry cocktails and drinks garnished with edible dianthus petals and frilly marigolds. When the ingredients are within easy reach of an imaginative bartender, every cocktail becomes a signature drink.

Cocktail gardens are designed to fit in a standard 2′ x 8′ foot bed with herbs and plants needed for custom cocktails. Above all, a cocktail garden should be pretty and in a comfortable spot. Good design comes first. The recipe for a successful cocktail garden follows. You need a flat place for a table and chairs where you can park wine or cocktail mixes and backup glasses. If you have a seating wall instead of a lot of furniture, you earn an A+. Built-in seating is charming, so people simply perch.

Cocktails Herbs to Grow

Lavender
- Rosemary
- Orange mint
- Cuban mint
- Spearmint
- Thai basil
- Basil
- Lemon thyme
- Lemongrass
- Lemon verbena
- Cilantro
- Rose-scented geranium

Cocktail Fruits & Vegetables to Grow

Gherkin cucumber
- Red currant
- Hot pepper
- Strawberry
- Watermelon

Never underestimate the flavors of fresh produce in a cocktail. A Pimm’s Cup made with cucumbers from your backyard dramatically differs from what you get at a grocery store. You’ll be blown away by how something so simple can be so good, with a delicate and complex flavor.

Pimm’s Cup started as a health drink in 1840s London. The blend of mid-proof spirit with lemon, ginger, and fruit is as revitalizing as cocktails. Its charm is lovely on a hot day.

2 ounces Pimm’s No. 1
1/2 ounce lemon juice
Ginger ale
Garnish: cucumber slice
Garnish: mint sprig
Garnish: strawberry
Garnish: lemon wheel
Garnish: orange wheel
Add Pimm’s No. 1 and lemon juice into a highball glass over ice, then top with ginger ale and stir.
Garnish with a cucumber slice, mint sprig, skewered strawberry, and optional lemon and orange wheels.

If you have room, a fountain adds to the glamour of a cocktail garden, and in the evening, candlelight moves the mood. People take 2 1/2′ feet to stand in the garden and drink a cocktail. Don’t be afraid to over invite friends, they like to be crowded. Guest figure it out.

Grows grapes on a trellis and raspberries or blueberries in containers. Something is intoxicating about the very idea. Nasturtiums and daylilies are beautifully mixed with fresh peaches in champagne for a festive Bellini. The atmosphere of the garden itself is part of the cocktail. Providing ambiance, fresh air, sunlight, and songbirds in the garden. Drink it all in.

Bellini are sparkling Italian cocktails made with two simple ingredients: Prosecco and peach purée. They’re fizzy and refreshing, with more body than your average cocktail.

4 medium ripe peaches, plus a few peach slices for garnish
1 bottle Prosecco, chilled
Make peach purée. Place halved peaches in a blender until the purée is smooth. Place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to cool.
Pour 1/4 cup chilled purée into a Champagne flute. Pour in chilled Prosecco. Gently stir with a spoon to combine.
Top off the drink with another splash of Prosecco and garnish with a peach slice.

English Garden cocktail combines the classic pairings of St-Germain Elderflower liqueur, gin, apple, lime & cucumber and is filled with quintessential English flavors.

5 mint leaves, bruised
1 oz gin
2 tsp elderflower cordial
2 tsp lemon juice
handful of ice
cloudy apple juice
1 long strip of cucumber
Mix the mint leaves, gin, elderflower cordial, and lemon juice together in the bottom of a tall glass using a long spoon.
Add a large handful of ice, then top with the apple juice. Stir well, then drop in the strip of cucumber.

Whiskey Beet Cocktail – That’s right: a beet cocktail! The cocktail is too pretty to drink and starts with homemade beet and sage. Muddle fresh sage into your shaker for even more herbal flavor.

4 medium beets
1/4 cup rye whiskey
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 bay leaf
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Peel the beets cutting each into eight wedges, and add to a 1-quart jar along with the ginger, mustard seeds, and bay leaf.
Combine the vinegar, maple syrup, and salt with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour enough liquid into the prepared jar to cover the beets and let cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate for 12+ hours and up to 2 weeks, shaking the jar every few days to distribute the flavors.
Add rye whiskey for a cocktail kick.

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners plant cocktail gardens here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com orTop10Plants.com.

09/29/202209/30/2022

The Trick to Healthier Houseplants

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Repotting is an essential part of healthy houseplants. Signs you need to repot your plant are: Roots protrude from the bottom of the pot. The plant stops growing or becomes limp. The plant is root-bound or pot-bound.

Most houseplants like to be tight in their container. These plants are found in tropical jungles and used to competing for limited soil space, so don’t feel rushed to repot them. An over-potted plant will focus on root growth at the expense of new foliage and flowers. A container the next size up is best practice.

Steps for Repotting a Plant

If a plant is too large to repot, you can top dress it by carefully removing the top few inches of soil and refreshing it with new potting soil. Here are the steps for transferring smaller plants into larger containers.

Prepare the Plant

Yanking young plants out of their pot by the stem is not a good idea. Lightly water the plant, let it dry for an hour and gently remove your plant from the container. Turn the plants container over and gently pull the pot up and away from the root ball.

Message the Roots

It is okay to gently loosen the root ball with your fingertips, careful not to damage the roots. Root prune plants if you plan to use the same size container as its previous pot.

New Containers

A good houseplant rule is to upsize your plant by the next size container; careful not to give your plant too much room to grow roots. An example is transplanting a 4″ inch plant to a 6″ pot, resisting the urge to go larger. Moving up in size too quickly slows the plants’ foliage and flower formation. Ceramic and clay containers allow roots to breathe better and are healthier for houseplants. Pebbles or other drainage media to the bottom of the pot is not required nor desired. They reduce soil quantity for roots and hastens the decline of the potting soil by paradoxically reducing aeration. Add fresh potting soil directly to the container. Use potting soil from the bottom of the container to the top.

Plant Transplant

Gently set your new plant in its container and backfill with fresh potting soil. Ensure the top of the plants soil is still exposed when transplanted. A leading cause of plant stress is planting too deep. Ensure your newly potted plant is no deeper than it was in the original pot. As you fill around the roots, press the soil firmly, so air pockets are eliminated from the soil.

Water & Irrigation

Verifying moisture consistency with a moisture meter is always a good idea. Fresh potting soil is difficult to hydrate. Soaking your newly potted plant in a sink of water 1″ inch deep for an hour is ideal. Larger plants should be watered until they are physically seeping from the bottom of the container. Top dress with more potting soil if the soil seems to sink a bit during the first few water cycles.

Proper Food & Transplant Shock

Newly potted plants go through what gardener’s call ‘Transplant Shock’ as your plant transitions to a new container, room, and environment. They are going to ‘Freak Out,’ so to speak. ‘Root & Grow‘ prevents this; a compost tea houseplants enjoy and reduces plant stress and the shock that follows. Add Root & Grow to your irrigation water at two-week intervals until the plant sets new growth and is out of danger.

‘FlowerPower‘ is the best plant food for all other plants and times of the year. Use every 6-8 weeks for impressive plant growth and better blooms from the plants that like to flower. This includes succulents and cacti in the house.

Garden Thank You! Lisa and I hosted ‘Grapes 4 Good‘ last week at Watters Garden Center with record attendance and generosity. The community gathered with pre-pandemic zeal. Maybe we are past the scare of Covid and the stigma. 412 community leaders, neighbors, and friends gathered and raised $100,000+ for local children, all in three hours. The folks that live in the central highlands of Arizona are amazingly generous . . .Thank You!

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners pot better houseplants here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his web site at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Houseplants.com.

09/19/202209/19/2022

Two Steps for Blockbuster Fruit Harvest in Spring

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

On the Go Answer – Readers Digest Condensed Version of this Article

Before Halloween, fruit trees should be fed with 6-4-4-7 Fruit & Veggie Food and sprayed with Horticultural Oil. Again in April.

October is the ideal planting season for the central highlands of Arizona.

Garden Alert! Powdery Mildew spreads dangerously through gardens!

Powdery Mildew looks like powdered white splotches covering the leaves.

Spray the entire plant from top to bottom with ‘Copper Fungicide.’

A unique opportunity awaits fruit trees in spring. Berries, Grapes, figs, and the rest of the summer fruits rejoiced with monsoon rains with a record harvest. An April frost did not allow this blockbuster harvest from local fruit trees. Let me explain.

Fruit trees like apple, pear, peaches, plum, apricot, and cherries produce heavy fruit every other year. Trees set fruit heavy one year and rest the next. That is not to say they don’t have fruit yearly; the harvest is heaviest every other cycle. 2022 is a no-fruit season, and your trees spent the year sending deep roots with increased top growth. Next spring will produce a HUGE fruit crop, but you need to prepare your trees.

Here are two easy garden tasks you should take to maximize next year’s fruit harvest, both in size and quantity of fruit. Before Halloween, feed all your spring blooming and fruit trees with Watters 6-4-4-7 ‘Fruit and Vegetable Food.’ This organic food has 7% Calcium for increased fruit size and deeper flavors. Apply now and again in March for a blockbuster harvest next spring.

Local fruit trees are deciduous; they lose their leaves in Autumn. When the last fall leaves have dropped from your trees, spray the bare branches with Horticultural Oil. This fruit-friendly pest killer cleans your tree of insects and diseases for bug-free growth next spring. Repeat this spray in April. This one-two punch will increase next year’s blossoms and fruit for a heavy harvest.

Thursday’s Autumnal Equinox, the Sun is exactly above the Equator, and day and night are of equal length. It is the start of the fall planting season, especially for larger shrubs and trees like aspen, maple, spruce, and pine, but I would extend the season to other plants for the central highlands of Arizona.

October is the ideal planting season for Autumn mums, snapdragons, pansies, and so many other fall and winter blooming flowers. Autumn vegetables are best planted before Halloween as well. Autumn hardy broccoli, spinach, lettuce, kale, and all hard herbs are planted by the end of October.

Garden Alert! Powdery Mildew spreads dangerously through vegetable and flower beds, killing plants. This disease is circulating quickly, taking over entire gardens. Waves of diseased samples are flooding the garden staff, enough to sound the alert to gardeners.

Powdery Mildew is one of our most prevalent and recognized plant diseases in the rainy season. Virtually no plant is immune, but some are more susceptible than others. Lilacs, crabapples, phlox, monardas, roses, grapes, squashes, and cucumbers are likely targets for this powdery pest.

Recognizing Powdery Mildew – Take a close look at the photo of a squash leaf in my garden. Powdery Mildew looks like powdered white splotches covering the foliage and stems. There are several types of powdery mildew fungi, but they all look the same.

Photosynthesis is impaired if enough of the leaf surface becomes covered. It stresses plants, and severe infections weaken a plant’s health. Infected leaves often drop prematurely. It is a particular problem for edible crops since insufficient photosynthesis diminishes the flavor of the fruit or vegetable. If buds become infected, they do not open or mature at all.

Mildew is Host Specific – Powdery Mildew fungi are Host-specific, meaning the different powdery mildew fungi will not infect other plants. The Powdery Mildew on your lilacs will not spread to your grapes or roses.

Cause and Effect – Powdery Mildew seem to be everywhere. All Powdery Mildew thrives in the same conditions. They overwinter in plant debris and produce spores in spring carried by the wind, birds, insects, and splashing water. The growth and spread of powdery Mildew are encouraged by dampness, high humidity, poor air circulation, and crowded plants in the garden. All these conditions appear in the mountains of Arizona through our monsoon season.

Controls – First and foremost, choose healthy plants from your garden center. Healthy plants are less likely to become diseased and can better fend for themselves once an attack happens.

Infected Plants – Just a little work fends off pesky Powdery Mildew. Remove and destroy all infected plant parts, especially yellow leaves and those covered by white spores. Spray the entire plant from top to bottom with ‘Copper Fungicide.’ Try to water infected plants at ground level to keep leaves as dry as possible.

Spray weekly until new leaves emerge clean and disease free. At this stage, feed your plants, and they will take off with new growth. If you aren’t sure, consult one of the plant experts here at Watters Garden Center.

Please – Powdery Mildew spreads quickly to other plants. If you bring a leaf sample with you, place samples in a ziplock bag or jar to contain the spores and prevent spreading here at the garden center. Thank you.

Pinterest board set up with local examples of Powdery Mildew. I trust it helps:) Follow our board for local updates.

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners grow better gardens here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Plants.com.

09/16/202209/16/2022

Top 10 Yellow-Flowering Plants for Your Garden

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Yellow flowers bring sunshine to a landscape, even on a cloudy monsoon day. There is room in virtually any garden for the many shades of yellow from spring bulbs, showy shrubs, and perennial wildflowers. Here we put together the ‘Top 10’ showiest plants that elevate any landscape to gorgeous shade to gold.

Agastache brightens the garden with bright yellow flowers on dense, 24″ flower spikes. Provides a profusion of summer color for warm, dry regions. Great in blistering flowerbeds and containers.

Arizona Sun Blanket Flower, Gaillardia aristata, is a carefree wildflower that blooms nearly nonstop all season. Perfect for hot, windy borders and cutting gardens. An actual hummingbird and butterfly attractor that is both javelina and deer resistant.

Columbine, Aquilegia caerulea, shows delicate flowers that hover on sturdy upright stems perfect for cutting gardens. So tough it takes intense mountain sun but seems to bloom longer with mid-day shade. The sweet fragrance is ideal for mixed flowerbeds, containers, and rock gardens.

Dakota Gold Black-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta, is the biggest flower you can find on a truly hardy Rudbeckia, stretching 6″ inches wide! The golden blooms continue all summer on long stems, perfect for cutting. Wonderful en masse or in a striking perennial display of color in containers.

Daylily, Hemerocallis, offers many yellow cultivars, but ‘Stella d’Oro is the most popular for its long bloom period and autumn repeat-bloom. Blooms last just a day, thus the name, producing so many flowers they are in continuous color from late spring to early summer. ‘Stella’ is even more productive because of the repeat blooms in early fall. This knee-high perennial is drought-hardy, needs minimal care, and is both rabbit and javelina resistant.

Forsythia heralds spring in the mountain garden. Growing anywhere from two to ten feet tall. The upright arching branches are covered with bright yellow blooms around Easter before showing deep green foliage. It loves sun, wind, tough soils, and deer, rabbit, and javelina resistant. Every yard deserves at least one.

Goldfinger Potentilla is the most versatile shrub covered in cheery buttercup flowers all season long. Mounds of feathered green foliage show off each and every flower. This knee-high deciduous shrub requires little pruning and loves the hot sun and wind that animals will not bother or eat.

Iris, especially bearded varieties, are famous in mountain landscapes. You will also find Dutch, Crested, Siberian, and Japanese iris at the garden center in spring. Iris comes from the Greed goddess of the rainbow and the messenger of the Olympian gods. A reference to the vibrancy of the flowers and the vast array of floral colors found in the genus. Iris have pointed sword-like leaves, from which taller flower stalks emerge in early spring to early summer.

Japanese Rose, Kerria japonica, boasts a long flower period. The delicate arching branches make it easy to identify this deciduous shrub that is unmistakable when covered with yellow chrysanthemum-like blooms in early spring. This plant flowers on previous year’s wood, pruning it like a lilac. Pruning is best done right after its spring bloom.

Sombrero Lemon Coneflower, Balsomemyim, offers bright lemon blooms with broad overlapping petals that add bold summer color! A must-have for a cutting garden, this drought-tolerant, sun-loving perennial has a neat, compact form with prolific blooms over an exceptionally long time.

St Johns Wort, Hypericum inodorum, sunny cupped flowers produce clusters of showy rose-colored berries on handsome dark green foliage. Stems full of fall berries are a wonderful accent in cut flower arrangements. A fuss-free deciduous shrub ideal for sunny borders and containers. Use as a knee-high hedge or plant in showy drifts.

Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, has long been used as a medicinal herb. A true wildflower in Arizona where the flat top flowers bloom from June to September. An easy care plant that needs lots of sun and little water and spreads like other native flowers. Rabbit, deer, and javelina resistant.

Yellow Hot Poker, Kniphofia, shows off Lemon-yellow blooms that delight gardener and hummingbird alike summer through autumn. Shorter than a classic Red Hot Poker, this compact variety is the perfect perennial for containers or smaller gardens. Grass-like foliage remains neat all summer.

Yellow Yucca, Hesperaloe parviflora, is a magnificent Southwestern native producing 4′ wands of bright yellow trumpet flowers irresistible to hummingbirds. Bloom’s tower above the mound with sword-shaped blue foliage. A must-have for sunny Waterwise gardens used in a showy evergreen planting.

September is the start of our third planting season, and the ideal time to plant large trees, shrubs, and evergreens like spruce and pine.

FUN GARDENING CLASSES are coming up that are sure to green up the thumbs of even novice gardeners. Classes are free and are held at Watters Garden Center at 9:30 on the following Saturday mornings.

September 17 @ 9:30 am – Easy to Grow Mountain Plants – Rock landscapes without these core plants tend to look strange, immature, and lacking. Learn how to garden with these simple but effective planting combinations for a design that WOWs all four seasons of the year.

September 24 @ 9:30 am – Privacy Screens and the Secret Garden. Tired of looking at the neighbor’s RV? This class shows off the best, fastest-growing plants that create privacy screens! You can screen unsightly neighbors, enhance your view, or block pesky traffic and cut noise and light pollution.

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners plant more yellow and gold in the gardens here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Plants.com.

09/09/2022

Best Vegetables to Grow in a Fall Garden

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

There are lots of vegetables that grow well through the cool autumn weather. Some plants need longer days and a bit warmer soil to really get started, but all produce through the end of the year. You can start seed in August by growing your starts in a cool shady spot in the garden. We also have seedling starts ready for transplant here at Watters Garden Center through October. Plant them in the garden as space as your summer plants fade.

Plant seeds deeper in the fall than in the spring. Typically, the ground is warmer, having just come off the hot summer months. By planting your seeds, a little deeper than the package suggests, you’ll be able to get them down to where the soil is cool and moist.

Best Vegetables to Grown in an Autumn Garden

Beets, Beta Vulgaris, are best grown from seed without disturbing their roots once sprouted. Although beets grow in the summer heat, they are often bitter and woody. Late summer to early fall is the best time to resume succession planting at two to three-week intervals. Beet bulbs keep growing in the garden until a deep freeze. Even the tops handle frost.

USDA Growing Zones: 2–11
- Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade

Broccoli, Brassica oleracea, grows best in cool weather. Fall planting has two big advantages over spring planting when it comes to broccoli. There is no risk of early spring frost that often stunts the growth of young broccoli plants, so plants get off to a strong start. As your florets form, the cool autumn air keeps them from bolting into flowers, giving you more time to harvest. Broccoli does take several weeks to mature, so transplant a quick-grower, like Waltham, for a timely fall harvest.

USDA Growing Zones: 3–10
- Sun Exposure: Full sun

Cabbage, Brassica oleracea, Autumn is the perfect growing weather for cabbage. While plants can grow in warmer weather, they need cooler temperatures to form a head. Cabbage needs anywhere from 90–120 days to mature, so a fall crop will be most likely if you transplant seedlings in mid-to-late summer. Most varietals in the cabbage family are hardy enough to handle light frost, so, with any protection, you can harvest them well into winter. Though they won’t continue to grow when it’s cold, they’ll retain their freshness and get even sweeter.

USDA Growing Zones: 1–9
- Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade

Cauliflower, Brassica oleracea Jimmy in the garden

Cauliflower, Brassica oleracea, fall is typically a better time to grow cauliflower than in the spring, as the cool weather keeps the heads tight and tender. Cauliflower is a slow grower, often taking 2-3 months to mature. Plant them in early Autumn for best results. Pluck the cauliflower when its head reaches the desired size and its buds are still tight.

USDA Growing Zones: 2–11
- Sun Exposure: Full sun

Kale, Brassica oleracea, is probably the easiest cold crop to grow. The seeds quickly germinate in warm and cool soil. As Autumn turns to winter, kale leaves maintain their great leaf texture with a flavor that only sweeter and deepens with every cold night.

USDA Growing Zones: 7–9

Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade

Lettuce, Lactuca sativa, can be planted pretty much all season. Most varieties take less than 50 days to mature, so you can start planting the seed in mid-August and succession plant into the fall months. Due to shorter days and lower temperatures, the plants may grow slower than spring lants, but the flavor will be sweeter and crisp. Because lettuce has shallow roots, it will require some protection against frost. Suppose you plant your fall lettuce in pots. In that case, it’s effortless to move it indoors to protect it from freezing temperatures. Otherwise, you can cover it with burlap or another netting if frost is expected.

USDA Growing Zones: 4–9
- Sun Exposure: Partial shade

Spinach, Spinacia oleracea, often bolts in teh summer heat. You are going to love growing spinach in the fall. Spinach only takes about 30 days to mature, even less if you like smaller tender leaves. You can get in several successions of spinach throughout the fall months. Spinach seeds are also perfect for winter sowing.

USDA Growing Zones: 2–9
- Sun Exposure: Full sun

Swiss Chard, Beta vulgaris, if you’ve already harvested your swiss chard as cut-and-come-again, you won’t need to reseed in Autumn. The plants have slowed down during the summer heat. With just a bit of cool air and water, they’ll ramp back into production come fall. They may even survive the winter but harvest them quickly in spring before they start to bolt to seed and get harsh and bitter.

USDA Growing Zones: 3–10
- Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade

Other popular mountain vegetables to plant now are Arugula, Bok choy, Brussels sprouts, Carrots, Collard greens, Leeks, Mustard greens, Radishes and Turnips.

September is the start of our third planting season. Plant, eat and enjoy:)

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners extend their garden enjoyment here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his web site at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Plants.com.

09/02/202209/02/2022

Plants with Fun Fragrant Foilage

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Woman smelling the flowers in her Fragrant Garden

Surprises abound in the gardens when it comes to uplifting scents. Brushing up against a Scented Geranium as it fills the patio with the taste of citrus. These plants not only smell great but also repel mosquitos and flies; most are javelina and animal resistant. That’s asking a lot from this list of aromatic plants.

Top 10 List of the Most Fragrant Herbs

Bee Balm, Monarda didyma – is another member of the mint family, along with Yarrow. It has one of the showiest herbal flowers that drives butterflies wild like catnip does for cats.

Catnip, Nepeta, is a member of the mint family famed for its effect on our feline friends. The fragrance drives them wild, affording humans fun entertainment. Catnip is one of the catmint plants found here at the garden center.

Lavender is virtually synonymous with fragrance. Perhaps the best-known aromatic herb is a potpourris staple; its flowers and leaves, especially after dried, have a fabulous smell. Lavender thus bridges the gap between plants with aromatic foliage and those with strongly scented flowers.

Plants with lavender-like fragrances are Daphne, Lilac, Viburnum, Lily of the Valley, Peony, and Roses.

Russian Sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia, is similar to lavender used in the landscapes as a subshrub. This one is not used in the kitchen, but with such a long blue bloom from summer through fall, few plants can match. Complete animal-proof from javelina and deer and very drought-hardy.

Sage has many uses, one being culinary and commonly used in stuffings. Tricolor Sage is not only used in the kitchen but highly prized for its garden beauty, boasting three colors of leaves on the same fragrant plant.

Sagebrush, Artemisia, is more closely related to wormwood. Silver Mound is short, tidy, and compact, making it useful as an edging plant. Silver King is a taller, wispier plant; the branches are dried in fall for use in wreaths.

Sweet Woodruff, Gallium odoratum – functions as a ground cover in landscape design. Its whorled leaves and star-shaped flowers bring cheer to shady areas of the gardens. The aromatic foliage intensifies when dried, making sweet woodruff herbs a natural for potpourris.

See All 75 Locally Fragrant Plants Here

Thyme – Creeping varieties are most famous as a groundcover. It also comes in taller upright forms that are even more fragrant. We have dozens of types throughout the year so take a sniff at the garden center before buying.

Yarrow, Achillea millefolium,has a fern-like appearance in the garden. Often thought of as another perennial flower, it is considered an herb. It’s not coincidental that the name sounds like the Greek God Achilles. He used Yarrow and an herb to staunch wounds, so botanists gave his name to the plant.

3 Unusual Plants With Aromatic Leaves

Bayberry Shrub, Myrica pensylvanica, should not be confused with bay laurel, which also has fragrant leaves. The berries of bayberry are naturally appealing but included here because its leaves give off a pleasant aroma when brushed against.

Bluebeard,Caryopteris, is another sweet-smelling plant growing to knee height with bright blue flowers. It loves growing in the windiest parts of the garden.

Lantana grows as a spreading shrub in the hottest parts for the yard. It is not always included with aromatic plants but should be. Many find the citrusy fragrance intoxicating.

September 3 @ 9:30 am – Top 10 Trees and How to Plant them – Privacy, shade, color, evergreen, and blooms. We cover trees from every angle. With so many choices, picking the perfect tree can seem overwhelming, but not after this class. Our horticultural team will be on-hand after the course to help with individual tree situations. Free tree planting guide to all attendees.

September 10 @ 9:30 am – Climbers & Covers in the Landscape. Vines quickly climb fence posts, pergolas, barbed wire, walls, and trellis. They block, screen, and shade better than any other plants in the nursery, but not all vines are created equal. Learn local favorites, sun, shade lovers, and all the advice to get these bloomers climbing.

September 17 @ 9:30 am – Easy to Grow Mountain Plants – Rock landscapes without these core plants tend to look strange, immature, and lacking. Learn how to garden with these simple but effective planting combinations for a design that WOWs all four seasons of the year.

Until next week, I’ll be here at Watters Garden Center helping local gardeners’ with funner fragrant plants.

Ken Lain can be found at Watters Garden Center throughout the week, 1815 Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Plants.com.

08/17/2022

How to Grow Clematis

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

This Vine Is Known for Its Bold, Richly-Colored Flowers

With its big, richly-colored flowers, The President clematis offers great aesthetic value for its looks, alone. But as a fast-growing vine that can be trained to grow up various structures in the landscape, it has many uses that give it even more value. Like other types of clematis, it has some specific care requirements that you must learn so that you can keep your plant happy and healthy. Plant your clematis in late spring, late summer, or early fall. The President is a medium-sized vine.

Botanical Name Clematis ‘The President’

Common Name The President clematis

Plant Type Deciduous, perennial, flowering vine

Mature Size 8-10 ft. tall

Sun Exposure Full to partial sun

Soil Type Well-drained loam

Soil pH Slightly acidic to neutral

Bloom Time May—primary blooming period—till frost

Flower Color Violet-blue

Hardiness Zones 4-8

Native Area North America, Central America, Europe, Asia

Toxicity Toxic to humans, pets, and livestock

Clematis ‘The President’ Care

This climbing vine is a large-flowered variety (6-8 inches in diameter). Showy, spherical, puffy seedheads succeed the blooms in this genus. As a result, you have fall interest long after the blooms have passed.

Clematis in the side yard climbing upp a trellis

The cupped flowers of this fast-growing cultivar are a dark violet-blue color. There are typically eight overlapping sepals, which have hints of silver on their undersides. Reddish anthers (part of the stamen, where the pollen comes from) stick out from the center.

Clematis ‘The President’ is considered a “repeat bloomer.” While it is still young, it may bloom in early July and again in September. But a mature plant should start blooming in May and then flower again periodically until the first frost.

Light

At the southern end of its range, filtered sunlight is preferred, lest the rich color of the blooms be cooked off. Full sun is fine in the North, but always keep the roots shaded.

Soil

Locate clematis ‘The President’ in a well-drained loam enriched with compost.

Temperature and Humidity

This popular perennial variety does well in many climates, in most of the United States, coming back every spring and summer after cool or even freezing winters.

Water

Be sure to water when the soil is dry, but do not overwater. Clematis performs best when the soil around its roots is kept evenly moist.

Fertilizer

Non-organic growers supplement (or replace) compost with applications of a commercial balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 in spring and summer.

Even in the North, mulch the base of the plant (or otherwise shade the ground from which the plant springs) to keep the roots cool.

Is Clematis ‘The President’ Toxic?

The ASPCA lists clematis as being toxic to pets and livestock. It is also poisonous for humans, according to North Carolina State University. Clematis leaves, flowers, and roots are toxic, and this may be the reason why the vines are deer-resistant plants. Clematis is also one of the rabbit-proof flowers, meaning the furry creatures aren’t interested one lick.

Symptoms of Poisoning

Contact with skin can cause dermatitis for people and animals. Ingesting clematis ‘The President’ can cause stomach upset, vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, and mouth ulcers. Contact either poison control, or your veterinarian, immediately.

Pruning

Clematis ‘The President’ should be pruned right after the first flowering. It is best to prune it every other year.

Propagating Clematis ‘The President’

Clematis ‘The President’ can be propagated with cuttings made from new, green growth. With clean gardening shears, cut a length 1-inch above and below a leaf node. Your cutting only needs one leaf stem, so trim off extras. Dip stems in rooting hormone, shake off excess. Fill small pots with potting mix, and lay the cuttings on top, horizontally. Lightly cover with soil, sprinkle the top with water, and place in a clear plastic bag. Set in bright but not direct light, check for rooting in four weeks by gently tugging on stems.

Rooted cuttings need their own pots, and should be slowly acclimated to the outdoors. It will take a year of light watering and sunlight till they’re ready to be planted in your garden.

How to Grow Clematis ‘The President’ From Seed

According to the International Clematis Society, clematis can be grown from seed but it may take three years for those seeds to germinate. If you insist, collect seeds in the fall and plant in sterile seed mix in plastic containers—like zip top bags—that can be sealed. Water lightly. Place in a cool shady spot, or even your fridge, to mimic seasonal cooling. Then place in the sunlight in warm weather.

Potting and Repotting Clematis ‘The President’

Clematis ‘The President’ can be potted in containers, but they will require more attention than their relatives already in your garden: Plant in large pots, the extra soil will keep the roots protected. Use lightweight potting mix, and attach or install a trellis from the get-go. Water regularly, fertilize in spring and once or twice during the growing season.

Overwintering

Mulch will also help shield your plant from winter’s cold, a fact especially important to remember if you are growing the vine in a container where winters are bad. Some who experiment with growing Clematis ‘The President’ in a pot forget to mulch for winter, and they pay the price, finding out, in spring, that their vine had died over the course of the winter.

Common Pests/Diseases

Slugs are a major pest for clematis, just as they are for hosta. Earwigs can also be a problem. Just as you can trap slugs with beer, so you can trap earwigs with vegetable oil. Simply sink a shallow container into the ground, then add the vegetable oil. The earwigs are drawn to it, tumble in, and drown. The usual advice for dealing with yet another bug problem, spider mite, is to hose down the vines with a strong spray of water, which knocks them off.

But the interaction between these plants and the animal kingdom is not all bad news. For example, they will draw hummingbirds to your yard.

08/12/202208/15/2022

Rare Houseplants Attract New #PlantParents

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Prescott, Arizona has experienced a garden renaissance of new gardeners hungry for local content and an ever-diverse choice of plant options. #Plantparents of the rarest houseplants lead this new generation of gardeners.

“We find the best introductory plants to gardening are houseplants. First-time home buyers, college students, and apartment dwellers are leading the way,” says Ken Lain, Watters Garden Center owner. Houseplants sales have doubled since the pandemic began with ever-increasing interest. “It’s difficult to keep up with the expanding demand, with even more interest in heirloom, rare and exotic houseplants.”

Common plants like Pothos and Dracaena are perennial favorites, but gardeners are clamoring for more. “When the Rare & Exotic houseplants arrive each month, locals are clamoring to be first as the truck unloads.” Say Lisa Watters-Lain, owner. “It’s fun, but it reminds me of the Beanie Babies fad from 15 years ago.”

A hybrid approach allowing gardeners to preorder while the plants are en route to the garden center has spread demand. Shipping exotic plants through the mail is problematic for these plants. “Customers snag plants from the delivery before arriving at the garden center. They love it,” says McKenzie Lain, houseplant manager.