Page 2 – Watters Garden Center

03/08/202403/08/2024

Blooming Beauties Early Flowers for the Garden

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

The crispness of early spring and autumn holds a unique charm for gardeners. While many focus on perennials, cool-season annuals offer a stunning display, filling empty winter containers and adding vibrant color to the garden. These “perennial performers” bloom from fall through early summer, bringing life to the cooler months.

Hardy Choices for Early Spring Gardens

Bachelor’s Buttons & Cornflower: Effortless growers, these beauties readily reseed, adding a touch of the quintessential cottage garden feel. Sow them directly in the garden for blooms in spring and fall.

Calendula (Pot Marigold): Rich golds shine even brighter later in the season. Established plants can even withstand light frosts. Enjoy continuous blooms with self-seeding, and use them in your herb or vegetable garden for their edible flowers and pest-deterring properties.

Diascia: This newcomer boasts abundant trailing blossoms, perfect for containers. Under ideal conditions (Zone 8+), it can even become perennial.

Larkspur: Where delphiniums struggle, larkspur thrives. Spring planting and diligent deadheading can revive them for a fall spectacle. Their stunning blooms also make exceptional cut flowers.

Lobelia: While summer heat may dampen its spirit, cooler temperatures bring it back to life. Trim it back by half in spring to encourage vigorous regrowth and reblooming.

Nasturtiums: Keep blooming through summer and into fall, their crisp autumnal colors adding cheer to the cooler months. Direct seeding is recommended, as transplanting can be challenging. Remember to water them well during the summer heat. Bonus: their seed pods are easily collected and saved for next season!

Nierembergia ‘Mont Blanc’: Revitalizing the appeal of nierembergia, this Zone 7-hardy gem is easy to grow from seed and can overwinter indoors. Look for the blue-flowered varieties alongside the award-winning ‘Mont Blanc.’

Petunia Remember to consider this classic bedding staple. They thrive in cool temperatures, offering various options, including the deadheading-friendly Wave series and the petite calibrachoa petunias for a delightful textural accent.

Snapdragons: Introduce vibrant colors and varying heights with these beauties. The new trailing snapdragon varieties, like the Luminaire series, are perfect for containers. Hardy to at least Zone 8, with some protection, they might survive in Zone 7, too.

Viola and Pansy: Look for lingering pansies from last spring, which can bloom for weeks with regular deadheading. Newer varieties even withstand slight freezes for a prolonged display.

Watters Garden Center is hosting Its 62nd Spring Open House!

Spring is in full swing! To celebrate this magical season, Watters Garden Center is hosting Its 62nd Spring Open House the weekend of March 15th -17th. Meet the growers that produce Watters plants as they travel directly from the farm to share their insider tips and tricks of the trade. This year’s newest fruit trees, roses, and flower baskets with unusual perennial colors are unveiled for the 2024 planting season.

“It’s been fun growing up in the family business and watching the nursery grow with the community.” McKenzie Lain, 3rd generation owner.

Friday, March 15, starts off the celebration with a 3pm Happy Hour only with plants. This special Friday afternoon garden class kicks off our 2024 Spring Open House by showcasing the first blooming colors of spring many have just seen: salvias, pansies, gaillardia, and more. “We are excited to introduce the 2024 newest introductions at this year’s start of the season,” said Lisa Watters-Lain, owner.

Saturday, March 16, features a free, fun, information-packed class and demonstration at 9:30am. Participants learn directly from the growers in the know about the newest plants, local favorites, and tricks of the trade for a more successful garden this spring. Experts are on hand all weekend to help with container gardens, local pest issues, roses, and vegetable questions!

Sunday, March 17 – Ken and Lisa Watters-Lain, Mountain Gardener radio show, live at the garden center and share their secrets from 10 to 2 pm. Join us!

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

03/01/2024

Lush and Lasting: 15 Evergreen Shrubs to Transform Your Landscape

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Autumn colors are spectacular. The colors and textures are unique to the four seasons of the mountain west. As we wrap up the last Autumn leaves, the landscape can feel naked and bare. Deciduous plants, which lose their leaves through winter, often expose you to prying eyes, vehicle glare, and a yard that feels empty. Evergreens take center stage for the next few months, and you can feel when the landscape doesn’t have the right mix of evergreen trees and shrubs.

Not to worry, you will find the best selection of winter evergreens at Watters Garden Center now, and it’s an excellent time to plant one of your own.

Here are the Top 15 most popular evergreen shrubs planted through winter.

1. Blue Star Juniper – This is strictly a foliage plant. If you like the look of a blue spruce tree but lack the space for something that big, merely scale down and grow a Blue Star Juniper. With its short blue needles, it looks terrific when planted next to shrubs with golden

2. Boxwood– is a small, rounded evergreen that forms tufts of growth resembling clouds if left unpruned. This slow-growing dwarf form is ideal for edging borders along pathways or around flower beds. Well-suited for topiary and containers and resistant to boxwood leaf miners.

3. Euonymousis the most popular of the hedge plants. Although its bright year-round foliage appears almost festive, this plant is tough as they come. An ideal hedge can be sheared or left to grow into a natural form dense enough to make an excellent visual and sound barrier. For long hedgerows, a combination of the two varieties creates a more exciting entity.

4. Gilt Edge Silverberry – A splendid Arizona native, this shrub sports a combination of golden-yellow margins on bright green foliage that provides incredible year-round landscape interest. It’s superb as a hedge or low screen that tolerates heat and wind and requires little maintenance. Tiny, fragrant, silvery flowers followed by ornamental red fruit. Impervious to both javelina and deer.

5. Heavenly Bamboo is evergreen with bright red highlights through winter. Bamboo-shaped foliage is graced with clusters of white flowers in spring that form red berries as summer heat arrives. Think versatility with this 3-foot tall plant, as it is happy in any amount of sun, most soils, and tolerates any amount of cold or heat.

6. Holly is a broadleaf evergreen that usually grows 6′ x 8′ feet tall. The holly leaves develop a darker color that contrasts nicely against the bright red berries. Perfect for north-facing borders, screens, hedges, and for foundation plantings. Easy to grow and impervious to mountain wildlife.

7. Indian Hawthorn – This easy-to-grow evergreen produces vast clusters of fragrant, pearl-pink flowers. Perfect for planting along driveways and parking medians where reflected heat is an issue for many other plants. This spring-blooming evergreen loves Arizona heat!

8. Mint Julip Juniper– is an improved juniper is a crisp wintergreen perfect for large hedges, privacy screens, and specimen plantings. It is so tolerant of salt, it can be used near sidewalks, driveways, and roadways. It is rarely damaged by animals, such as deer, javelina, elk, and packrats.

9. Mugho Pine – with its dense, symmetrical growth and compact, rounded form, this dwarf pine is perfect for confined spaces. Stunning green foliage takes on a golden hue during colder months. Its slow habit makes this evergreen an ideal specimen in smaller gardens or massed to make a bold statement in more significant landscapes.

10. Oregon Grape Holly is the perfect mountain evergreen often mistaken for holly. Solar yellow flowers cover the entire plant in spring, followed by a summer berry that is attractive and edible. Heading into winter, the leaves turn a mixed cranberry and orange color that remains until spring blooms. This plant loves sun, heat, wind and requires less water than many natives

11. Privet has the same look as photinia but may be a better choice for a residential landscape. Growing to only six feet high, it forms a thick dark green hedge. The waxy leaves retain moisture within the plant’s structure. The result is a lower maintenance hedge with lower water needs and fewer bug problems than its red-tipped counterpart.

12. Red Cluster Berry Cotoneaster has white flowers in spring, evolving to red berries that remain on the plant through winter. It is a welcome food source for feathered friends hanging around after welcoming in the new year. Growing 10′ feet tall and wide, it loves the sun and is easy to grow.

13. Spreading Yew has rich green needles that border on black. The 4′ x 6′ foot spread is used as a hedge, screen, or border in a shaded or dapple sunspace. Scarlet berries show off against all the wintergreen and are highly attractive to birds.

14. Winter Heaths– first-time growers of these alpine evergreens are impressed by their long blooming period. Winter heaths, Erica darleyensis, live up to their name, putting out flowers in the most unlikely season: Winter. If the climate and conditions are suitable, they flower from late winter right through spring

15. Yucca– Massed together, yuccas form an impressive display during their bloom period. ‘Garland’s Gold’ and ‘Golden Sword’ are bold choices with or without remarkable flowers.

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners plant the best evergreens here at Watters Garden Center.

02/22/2024

Spring To Do List for Better Gardens

By Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Serious gardeners are in the garden on the first warm day of spring. While there is no harm in cleaning up fallen branches and debris, wait until the soil is no longer wet enough to form a ball in your hand before walking on it and compacting. But start your cleanup quickly. It’s much easier to cut plants back before the old growth gets tangled up in the new growth. Here are the insider tips for a gorgeous garden this springs.

#1 Remove Mulch and Prune Your Perennial Flowers

The first task is removing and composting dead annual plants that remain through winter. These will not return, and any self-seeders will already have done their job.

The perennials look pretty ugly as spring approaches. Herbaceous perennials hibernate underground through winter. Look closely. Once you see new growth at their base, it is time to remove winter mulch and prune them back to ground level.

#2 Prune Woody Perennial Flowers

Shrubby plants with woody stems, like artemisia, butterfly bush, caryopteris, and lavender, must be cut back before spring; they only bloom on new branch growth. Most of these woody perennials send signals when it is time to prune, showing open buds on the lower portion or base of the plant. Pruned then to encourage the plant to grow tender new flower branches.

#3 Trim Evergreen & Semi-Evergreen Perennials

Some perennials partially go dormant and need cleaning. Plants like Epimedium, Hellebores, Heuchera, and bearded Iris retain their leaves through winter. Spring is the time to trim the tattered foliage and encourage new growth.

#4 Prune Ornamental Grasses

If you left your ornamental grasses up for winter interest, cut them back as soon as possible. Don’t wait for new growth to show. Cut grasses to within a few inches of the ground. They will grow back when ready.

#5 Care for Your Roses

Prune, clean, and fertilize roses as soon as new buds grow. Generally, this is the end of February through March. Most shrub roses appreciate pruning down to knee height with 3 to 5 young canes remaining. Pick off all remaining leaves and rake the area clean. Spray what remains with Horticultural Oil and feed with a Systemic Rose Food.

#6 Prune Trees and Shrubs

Most spring-blooming trees and shrubs set their flower buds last summer and fall. You prune off their spring flowers by pruning now. Wait until after they bloom is the best time to cut them back. Focus pruning on summer blooming shrubs like Rose of Sharon, Potentilla, Russian, and Autumn Sages. These are safe to prune now. Vines like honeysuckle, ivy, and trumpet vine are safe to prune now. Maple, aspen, oak, ash, and the rest should all be pruned now.

#7 Clean & Fertilize Evergreens

Most evergreens require little spring care other than basic cleanup. Spring is an excellent time to fertilize evergreens before they actively flush new growth. Feed with Watters 7-4-4 All Purpose Plant Food for rich green growth this spring. This is an excellent time to feed evergreen hedges of Red Tip Photinia, Euonymus, Cotoneaster, and Juniper. All benefit from spring feeding of 7-4-4.

#8 Spring Weed Prevention

Early spring is the time to take action against weeds. Damp soil makes it easy to pull young seedlings. Do not compost weeds. They come back to haunt you. Clean the gardens up, then apply Watters ‘Weed & Grass Stopper‘ to keep the area weed free. This granular weed seed killer prevents weeds from germinating and is worth the extra step.

#9 Feed all Your Plants

Plants enjoy being fed in the spring when they have their initial growth spurt. Watters 7-4-4 ‘All Purpose Food‘ is the ideal granular plant food. Feed everything in the yard by using a hand spreader. The soil will look ‘salt & peppered’ when complete. Another benefit of this natural plant food is the margin for mistakes. It is much harder to burn plants with slow-released organic plant food. This food is also excellent for vegetables and container plants inside and out.

Spring + ‘Soil Sulfur‘ is the secret to the best Spring gardens ever. Our mountain water works against you because of the high pH. Soil Sulfur – counteracts high pH, so plants grow richer greens and brighter colors. Apply once to the entire landscape with the Spring feeding for maximum beauty, silvery blue from spruce, holly, and hydrangea, larger roses, and taller perennials. Even grasses benefit.

#10 Mulch and Edge

Mulch does many beautiful things for your garden. Mulch conserves water, cools roots, feeds the soil, and smothers weeds. There is no question that every garden deserves a 2-3″ inch layer of mulch. Wait until the soil dries a bit. Keep it away from the stems and crowns of your plants.

Learn more at a free garden class. The spring class schedule is up, and next week, we will go deep into tips, tricks, and local garden hacks, so join the garden fun. Here’s the 2024 Garden Classes lineup and the following few classes.

February 24 @ 9:30 am: Evergreens that Bloom in Early Spring

March 2 @ 9:30 am: Spring To-Do List for Betters Gardens this Year.

March 9 @9:30 am: Evergreen Landscapes

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners plant healthier fruit trees here at Watters Garden Center.

02/16/202402/16/2024

Joyful Blooming Evergreens of Spring

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

Evergreen shrubs with fragrant spring flowers are timeless favorites when creating a vibrant and inviting garden landscape. These local favorites provide year-round foliage and burst into captivating blooms when spring arrives, infusing the air with their delightful scents. Whether you aim to add charm to your outdoor space, attract pollinators, or simply indulge in the pleasures of a fragrant garden, the top 10 evergreen shrubs on our list offer an array of colors, shapes, and fragrances to suit any landscape.

Top 10 Evergreen Shrubs of Spring

#1 Azalea, Rhododendron spp, offers a dazzling display of blooms in various shades of pink, red, purple, and white. These compact evergreen shrubs are easy to care for and thrive in partial shade. They are ideal for adding color to shady spots in the garden, patio containers, and covered entrances.

#2 Camellias are famous for their elegant, waxy flowers in pink, red, and white shades. These evergreen shrubs bloom profusely in early spring, providing a stunning focal point in the garden and attracting pollinators with their nectar-rich flowers.

#3 Daphne is cherished for its intoxicating fragrance and delicate clusters of pink or white flowers that bloom in early spring. These compact evergreen shrubs are perfect for small gardens or containers near outdoor seating areas, where their sweet scent can be enjoyed up close.

#4 Gardenia offers an irresistible combination of fragrant, creamy-white blooms, glossy green foliage, and all-season interest. With its elegant appearance, the gardenia lends an air of sophistication to any garden or landscape. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the intoxicating fragrance of its blooms creates a captivating sensory experience, making it a favorite for outdoor enjoyment or indoor cut flowers.

#5 Heath, Erica, first-time growers of these alpine evergreens, are impressed by their lengthy bloom period. In most seasons, they flower from late winter through spring.

#6 Heavenly Bamboo, Nandina, is evergreen with bright red highlights through winter. Bamboo-shaped foliage is graced with clusters of white flowers in spring that form red berries as summer heat arrives. Think versatility with this 3-foot tall plant, as it is happy in any amount of sun and most soils and tolerates all mountain cold and heat.

#7 Holly, Ilex, is a broadleaf evergreen that usually grows 6’+ feet tall. The holly leaves develop a darker color, contrasting nicely against the bright red berries. Perfect for north-facing borders, screens, hedges, and foundation plantings. Easy to grow and impervious to mountain wildlife.

#8 Indian Hawthorn, Rhaphiolepis, produces vast clusters of fragrant, pearl-pink flowers. Perfect for planting along driveways and parking medians where reflected heat is an issue for many other plants. This spring-blooming evergreen loves Arizona heat!

#9 Lily of the Valley, Pieris japonica, also known as Andromeda, is prized for its graceful clusters of bell-shaped flowers that emerge in early spring. These evergreen shrubs feature glossy foliage that adds year-round interest to the garden, making them a versatile choice for borders, hedges, or container planting.

#10 Oregon Grape Holly, Mahonia, is the perfect mountain evergreen, often mistaken for holly. Solar yellow flowers cover the entire plant in spring, followed by an attractive and edible summer berry. Heading into winter, the leaves turn a mixed cranberry and orange color that remains until spring blooms. This plant loves sun, heat, wind and requires less water. A true Arizona native in the landscape.

Bonus: Red Cluster Berry Cotoneaster has white flowers in spring, evolving to red berries that remain on the plant through winter. It is a welcome food source for feathered friends hanging around after welcoming in the New Year. Growing 10′ feet tall and wide, it loves the sun and wind and is impervious to all animals, including the javelina.

Ridiculous: Rhododendrons are renowned for their stunning clusters of vibrant flowers that add color to any garden in early spring. These evergreen shrubs offer a wide range of sizes and colors, from delicate pinks to bold purples, making them a versatile and captivating choice for any landscape.

See the Entire List of Evergreen Shrubs available to plant now at Top10Shrubs.com. Buy online or pick up in-store.

February 24 @ 9:30 am: Evergreens that Bloom in Early Spring

March 2 @ 9:30 am: Spring To-Do List for Betters Gardens this Year.

March 9 @ 9:30 am: Growing Better Landscape Evergreens

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

02/07/202402/07/2024

Gardening for Newcomers to Mountain Landscapes

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 in other parts of the country! The high country of Arizona is unique, from how its soils respond to water or lack thereof. If you’ve moved from the deserts or low country of Southern California, you really, REALLY need to read on to learn how to be a successful gardener in these conditions.

Readers Digest Condensed Version of this Article
Zone 7 defines our Mountain Gardening – buy plants labeled for Zones 1-7

Low winter temperatures are ideal to grow apples, peaches, cherries, grapes, berries, lilacs, forsythias, butterfly bushes, and more.

Mild weather allows gardening 12 months of the year.

Winter-blooming flowers include pansies, snapdragons, violas, dusty millers.

Never underestimate the Arizonasun, wind, and dry air at these upper elevations.

Mountain soils change throughout the yard and you need to adjust each garden project accordingly.

Animals to manage in the garden are javelinas, deer, antelope, rabbits, squirrels, and gophers.

Companion plants that grow best in February are pinion, lily of the valley, peony and carpet juniper.

Free garden classes held at Watters Garden Center, 9:30 a.m., February 10 and 17.

Our local USDA garden zone is 7 with a definite influence from zone 8. This defines our area as mild, with a distinct winter of nightly freezing temperatures. The secret when buying plants is to look for those that grow in zones 7 and lower. Stay away from growing desert plants meant for zones 10 and 11.

Low winter temperatures provide the chilling necessary to grow all the deciduous fruits and perennials that thrive in colder climates. The list includes apples, peaches, cherries, grapes, and berries. This climate also is conducive to blooming deciduous shrubs such as lilacs, forsythias, hardy camellias, rose of Sharons, butterfly bushes, and Russian sages.

We garden 12 months of the year because of our mild seasons. Broccoli, spinach, lettuces, cabbages, and Brussels sprouts are available at the garden center now and should be planted late winter to early spring with expected harvest before Mothers Day. Warm season crops are planted in May. Few places in the country allow these two-season harvests. Local Vegetable Planting Calendar.

Our best winter-blooming flowers include pansies, snapdragons, violas, dusty millers, Johnny-jump-ups, and ornamental kale. Our mild cool season is a boon for gardeners who grow for color. A splash of flowers blooming through the snow is an oasis of cheer during our winters. All are available at the garden center now and can be planted right away. I fully expect my garden to provide brilliant color every month of the year.

Never underestimate the Arizona sun, wind, and dry air at these higher elevations. They are major influences in determining which plants do well in our landscapes, and which don’t. Informed selectivity is essential when choosing plants for an Arizona mountain landscape. This region does best with plants that have thick, leathery leaves because they allow plants to retain extra moisture and to be less prone to tearing during the area’s fierce windstorms. This is when it pays to talk to a gardening expert with experience dealing with local landscapes; it can save you a whole lot of time, energy, and expense in creating your landscape.

Mountain soils change from home to home, even on the same street. In many landscapes, the soil in the front yard is different from that in the backyard! You need to learn how plants react in each new garden location. Local soils typically are either sandy or heavy clay with very little organic material. Therefore, soil preparation for planting is of extreme importance. It demands the addition of organic mulch to your soil to either hold in the moisture for granite soils, or to keep clay soils from compacting. Our soil is alkaline, so don’t add either lime or wood ashes as they increase its already high pH. Instead, local gardens benefit from Soil Sulfur that lowers the soil’s pH.

National Forest lands surround us, so mammals can be an issue for local gardeners. javelinas, deer, antelope, rabbits, squirrels, and gophers all have the potential to devour portions of a carefully planned landscape. Garden here for more than a season, and you quickly find local gardeners that either gave up because of the critters or have found ways to garden with them. Local Deer and Rabbit Resistant Plant List.

February’s Plant of the Month is the perennial beauty blooming with others in the gardens are still sleeping. Introducing Ice & Roses Lenton Rose, a captivating addition to any garden landscape. With its delicate, snow-white blooms contrasting against deep green foliage, this resilient perennial brings a touch of elegance to even the coldest winter days. Ice & Roses thrives in challenging conditions, from frosty winters to scorching summers, making it a reliable and low-maintenance choice for both novice and seasoned gardeners alike. Its compact size and bushy habit make it ideal for borders, containers, or as a focal point in mixed beds. Whether adorning a quaint cottage garden or a modern urban landscape, Ice & Roses Lenton Rose is sure to enchant with its enduring beauty and enduring charm, making it a must-have for every garden enthusiast.

Learn more at a free garden class. The spring class schedule is up, and next week, we will go deep into tips, trick and local garden hacks,so join the garden fun. Here’s the 2024 Garden Classes lineup and the following few classes.

February 10 @ 9:30 am: Top 10 Trees for Fresh Fruit

February 17 @ 9:30 am: Gardening for Newcomers

February 24 @ 9:30 am: Evergreens that Bloom in Early Spring

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners plant healthier fruit trees here at Watters Garden Center.

02/06/202402/06/2024

How to Grow Lenton Rose Hellebore

by Ken Lain, the Top10Gardener

Introducing a captivating addition to any garden landscape. With its delicate, blooms contrasting against deep green foliage, this resilient perennial brings a touch of elegance to even the coldest winter days. Ice & Roses thrives in challenging conditions, from frosty winters to scorching summers, making it a reliable and low-maintenance choice for both novice and seasoned gardeners alike. Its compact size and bushy habit make it ideal for borders, containers, or as a focal point in mixed beds. Whether adorning a quaint cottage garden or a modern urban landscape, Ice & Roses Lenton Rose is sure to enchant with its enduring beauty and enduring charm, making it a must-have for every garden enthusiast.

Botanical name Helleborus

Common name Lenton Rose

Size at Maturity Fast-growing reaching 18” inches tall x 22” inches wide

Bloom Time Late winter through early spring

Deciduous/ Evergreen Evergreen

Flower Attribute Showy Flowers

Flower Color Red, Pink to pure white

Foliage Color Evergreen

Garden Styles Asian/Zen, Containers, Contemporary, Rustic, Woodland

Growth Habit Compact

USDA Zone 4 to 9, USDA

Landscape Use Border, Containers, Firescaping/Fire Wise, Hedge, Mass Planting, Specimen, Woodland Garden

Light Needs Filtered sun, Partial shade, Partial sun

Special Feature Dramatic Foliage, Year-round Interest, Compact Form

Water Needs Moderate

Key Feature Sensational Flowering Perennial in Late winter

Lenton Rose Hellebore Care

Provide organically rich, moist, well-drained soil; site where it will remain undisturbed for years. Water regularly in first growing season to establish root system; once established, tolerates dry spells in cool, shady settings. Apply acid fertilizer after bloom. Protect roots with a thick layer of mulch. Remove old, faded foliage in spring.

Light Needs

Filtered sun, Partial shade, partial sun

Water Needs

Water regularly – weekly, or more often in extreme heat or containers. This plant prefers consistently moist but not soggy soil. Water whenever the soil begins to dry out due to a lack of rainfall and/or hot weather. Soil that is too dry will impede the plant’s growth and flowering.

Soil

Hellebore prefers organically rich soil with good drainage. But it can grow in a range of soil types, including clay soil. It likes neutral soil pH but can tolerate slightly alkaline soil.

Temperature and Humidity

Hellebore prefers mild conditions with average humidity. Temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees are ideal with cool mountain nights.

Fertilizer

Keep this evergreen perennial happy by feeding 3x times per year with 7-4-4 All Purpose Food (March, July, and October).

Toxins

Wild animals avoid the hellebore, especially deer, antelope and rabbits. Hellebore is moderatly toxic if eaten in significant proportions.

Fortunately, suppose you need to work with the hellebore in your garden. In that case, you don’t have to worry about experiencing symptoms via skin contact from handling the plant.

Better Together: Companion Plants for February

Peony

Your grandmother would fall in love with these larger varieties with so many colors to choose from. There’s nothing like the enormous flowers to add vibrant stunning pops of color. Endearing springtime blooms are more than fragrant with luscious double flowers. Perfect for cut flowers in a spring bouquet. These hard mountain varieties take the brutal sun, wind for decades of perennial enjoyment. Deer are Javelina will ignore these peony beauties.

Lily of the Valley – This gorgeousshrub loves growing in the summer shade of a Pinyon Pine. This bold winter evergreen delights with dramatic firey growth in spring, producing clusters of fragrant flowers. Exquisite wedding cake layers of white flowers hover on graceful, arching stems most of winter and spring. The easy-care rounded form stands out with shiny foliage all winter, opening to white bell-shaped blooms in spring. This knee-high shrub is utterly detestable to all deer and Javelina.

Calgary Carpet Juniper

Rich green mounds of juniper beauty only grow ankle-high for the perfect mountain ground cover. An ideal choice for low water, low care erosion control on natural banks where monsoon run-off is a problem. The perfect green nestled between boulders or soften the top edge of a masonry retaining wall. Ideally used to add color and style next to a barren rock lawn through the winter months. Junipers are always naturally welcome in Japanese gardens or pruned into creative bonsai forms.

Pinyon Pine – Thick, evergreen needles provide year-round beauty with summer shade to dry mountain landscapes but blend in equally well a modern or Mediterranean garden style.

01/31/202402/01/2024

Experience the Joy of Growing Your Own Fruit Trees for Better Health

Master Gardener looking up at an Apple Tree

By Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

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

Fruit trees are easy to grow in the Mountains.

Apple, pear, peach, plums, apricot, nectarine, grapes, and blueberries all grow locally.

Plant late-blooming varieties for the best frost protection

Native plants with edible fruits are Manzanita, Mahonia, and Currants

As the Spring planting arrives, it brings a sense of rejuvenation, vitality, and renewal. Gardeners witness this revitalization through the emergence of fresh leaves and blooming flowers in their gardens. The season also ushers activity among plants that bear edible fruits, especially fruit trees that thrive at higher elevations in Arizona. However, fruit trees offer more than just a bountiful harvest; they bring about seasonal changes in colors and textures, adding fascinating diversity to our landscapes.

Now is the ideal time to plant new fruit trees for a burst into vibrant colors, ranging from pure white and delicate pink to robust reds this Spring. Apart from their visual beauty, the fragrances emitted by these trees add a sensory delight to any landscape style. In autumn, fruit trees dazzle with intense shades of red, glowing orange, and radiant yellow, showcasing some of the best mountain colors. Edible fruit trees have it all, even if you never harvest a single fruit!

If you’re selecting fruit trees primarily for their harvest, opt for varieties that bloom later in Spring. Late-blooming trees reduce the risk of frost, which affects the fruits. Don’t hesitate to seek assistance when choosing the perfect pair of trees. Watters garden experts possess valuable personal experiences and closely monitor which varieties perform best in mountain landscapes. Here are my top recommendations:

Gleason Elberta Peach: Renowned worldwide for its abundant flavor and attractive color, these trees produce giant, high-quality peaches. Additionally, consider Redhaven, Ranger, and Rio Oso Gem peaches.

Granny Smith Apples: Among my favorites, these bright green apples are ideal for desserts and cooking. The thought of picking and savoring a freshly harvested apple in the shade of these magnificent landscape trees is truly mouth-watering. This late-blooming variety consistently bears fruit locally. Also, consider Honeycrisp, Yellow Delicious, and Gala apples.

Moorpark Apricot: This is the finest apricot, boasting a rich and luscious flavor. These large, firm apricots are beloved for their exceptional taste. The delicate pink blossoms give way to red-blushed fruits that can be harvested as early as Independence Day. Consider Harcourt, Chinese, and Tilton apricots as well.

Stella Cherry: Notably cold-hardy, this tree produces dense clusters of fruit reminiscent of Bing varieties but with a sweeter taste. Its magnificent blossoms make it a showstopper during Spring. A majestic Stella cherry tree adorned with spectacular blooms is breathtaking. Also, consider Bing, Van, and Utah Giant cherries.

In addition, Pear, Nectarine, Plums, Almonds, and Walnuts also thrive in the mountains of Arizona.

Grapevines also thrive surprisingly well in local landscapes. While the fruits may be slightly smaller than their California counterparts, they are sweeter in taste. The vines’ long tendrils provide excellent shade cover as they climb arbors, decks, and covered patios. The most prolific grape varieties are Flame and Thompson, but pay attention to vineyard wine grapes as well.

Blueberry plants are well-suited for ground cultivation, although they produce the best fruits in containers. They make delightful additions to full-sun areas near patios.

For a touch of authentic southwestern crops, delicate Manzanita blossoms give rise to dark, melt-in-your-mouth fruits. Other native fruits to consider are Mahonia and Currants.

Regardless of which edible plants appeal to you and your landscape, consider planting an extra tree or shrub to share with family, friends, and even your local food bank. You may be surprised by how appreciative they are of your healthy harvest.

Learn more at a free garden class. The spring class schedule is up, and next week, we will go deep into fruit trees and join the garden fun. Here’s the 2024 Garden Classes lineup and the following few classes.

February 3 @ 9:30 am: Soil Preparation for Growing Success

What we do to prepare a garden in winter means a healthier garden in Spring! When properly prepared and cared for, soil can be improved each year and will continue to grow plants forever. Students learn best practices to get our mountain soil prepped for planting, such as soil amendments, adding nutrients, fertilizer, and more.

February 10 @ 9:30 am: Top 10 Trees for Fresh Fruit

Learn insider tips from pros who know varieties, planting techniques, food, and more. We cover local success stories and best practices for healthy, happy fruit trees that produce your best harvest! Our Fruit Tree Experts will be on hand to explain when and how to prune your trees to stimulate more robust, vigorous growth with more fruit this Spring.

February 17 @ 9:30 am: Gardening for Newcomers

Are you new to Arizona or just new to gardening? This class is Gardening 101 for everyone hoping to turn a brown thumb green. Learn the mountain secrets to local garden success, from soil preparation and planting to water and fertilizing. This information-packed class is guaranteed to increase garden blooms and fruit this spring. This year, you’ll know exactly what to do to make your garden envy the neighborhood!

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners plant healthier fruit trees here at Watters Garden Center.

01/24/202401/25/2024

Garden Soils Best Prepared in January

By Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

On the Go Answer Condensed Version of this Article

January is the month to amend garden beds

Turn 2” layer of organic Manure & Mulch in one shovels depth

Spread Fruit & Veggie Food, Sulfur, and Gypsum before double-digging soil

Let sit for a month or deep water before planting

Don’t walk on garden soil after turning

Gardeners know the better the soil, the larger the harvest, the brighter the flowers, the easier the gardening. Once you’ve tried digging the first planting hole in a mountain garden, you figure it out. Our native soils are HARD! Successful gardens always come down to soil quality. Skimp on spring preparation to “soften” the ground, and a garden’s production drops close to zero.

January is my month to amend garden beds, turn the soil, and let the garden rest before planting begins March first. Let me share a few secrets to mountain soil prep that return bushels of produce and a season full of flowers. Any backyard garden, whether in the ground or in raised beds, requires these easy steps.

The more organic material any soil contains, the better the soil quality. Our mountain soils are challenging because they lack organics such as compost, manure, and leaf mold. Because plants use up organic resources throughout the year, your gardens must be ‘topped off’ with freshly composted material each spring. The recipe that follows will add new vitality to your soil.

I use deodorized ‘Barnyard Manure‘ that comes bagged and ready to add to the garden for my smaller garden plots. This aged poop has a mixture of mature manure, it doesn’t smell, and it isn’t slimy. This year my gardens received a generous dose of 50% Watters Barnyard Manure and 50% of Watters Premium Mulch.

The mulch and manure additives ensure proper drainage, root growth, and water retention in the gardens. Many mountain plants require calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and other minor elements, all of which should be added to your garden soil in January.

Before turning the compost additives into the planting bed, add two sources of nutrition. The first is a gypsum layer known as calcium sulfate, the most significant calcium source for plants. The second is an organic plant food I created called 6-4-4-7 ‘Fruit & Vegetable Food.‘ It also works well in flowerbeds to produce striking colors and fragrances!

Soil pH creeps up during the growing season. This is a problem that results from poor water quality and must be corrected to keep plants in the ideal 6.5 – 7.5 pH range. When your garden pH rises above this optimal range, production stops, fruit drops, the plants yellow, wilt, and finally drop their leaves. Granular “Soil Sulfur” turned into your garden soil to one shovel’s depth is the correction to wrong garden pH, and every mountain garden needs it.

In summary, here is the formula of soil amendments and additives to use this spring: Begin with a 2-inch layer of 50% ‘Premium Mulch’ and 50% ‘Watters Barnyard Manure’. On top of this organic layer, sprinkle the recommended rates of gypsum, Fruit & Vegetable Food 6-4-4-7, and Soil Sulfur. Turn these to one shovel’s depth into your garden soil, and you are ready to plant.

Freshly turned soil is light and airy, so tread carefully on your amended garden soil, so it retains this texture. Walk on predefined paths or use a wood plank to walk over the ground without compacting it unnecessarily. We should have at least two good winter storms before March first, but if not, deeply water your garden soil two times before planting. This will reduce damage if too much manure was added or if it congregated unevenly into the ground.

Exact additive amounts were not given in this column because those depend on your garden plot’s size. So visit me at Watters Garden Center for precise quantities of each additive to purchase. Remember to bring your garden measurements.

January 27th @ 9:30 AM Why January is the Month to Plant Wildflowers

February 3rd @ 9:30 AM Soil Preparation for Growing Success

February 10 @ 9:30 AM Mountain Fruit Trees and the Heavy Harvest

February 17 @ 9:30 AM Gardening for Newcomers

Until next week, I’ll be helping locals prepare their garden soils 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 FB.com/WattersGardenCenter .

01/19/2024

What happens when Plants are Dormant

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 until spring. This is when evergreens are most noticeable in the landscape.

Desert gardeners new to four-seasons are bewildered by their garden. Why do mountain plants hibernate, and what does it mean?

In garden terms, ‘dormancy’ refers to a perennial plant’s state of temporary metabolic inactivity or minimal activity. Plants go dormant in response to adverse growing conditions, such as the colder months of December through February. Grass lawns go dormant during periods of intense heat or drought in summer. It’s important to remember that perennials don’t die during this period rather in a state of suspended animation. While the outer leaves and above-ground foliage may die back, life still lurks in the plant’s core.

Spring blooming plants such as Forsythia, Lilac, Azalia, and Camellia need this winter season to rest. It requires a tremendous amount of energy to create such fragrance and beauty. These spring bloomers take advantage of Winter to form their spring flowers.

If you’re unsure which of your garden plants are annual or perennial, stick an irrigation flag or popsicle stick in the ground marking your dormant plants. Next spring, you will quickly discover which plants decided to rest through Winter and which plants died as an annual!

Plants stop growing and conserve energy during this period of dormancy until the right growing conditions present themselves in spring. This happens naturally as the seasons and weather change. This change can also be provoked artificially.

We force many perennials into bloom before their natural bloom cycle. By tricking the plants into flower, we enjoy them out of season for particular holidays. Tulip and daffodil bulbs are artificially chilled, sending them into dormancy, then brought out of inactivity at the desired time and forced to flower, say Valentine’s Day. The same technique is employed for holiday Easter lilies, poinsettias, and Christmas cactus.

This week we forced cyclamens and ornamental peppers to flower for Watters’ winter plant shop. This process is positively unnatural for living plants but fun for gardeners who enjoy them through the winter months.

Outside perennial gardens are in danger should plants break dormancy too soon. Many perennials are lost when an unseasonably warm cycle causes plants to send up new growth and subsequently killed back to the ground when the weather turns cold again. It is recommended that gardens be insulated by a 3-inch layer of Premium Mulch as protection against this thaw-freeze cycle that kills perennials in spring.

Not all plants are bothered by this winter cycle. A new crop of evergreens, spruce, and pine just arrived for the winter planting season. Each can easily be planted even on the coldest days with great success. Many are exceptionally large and heavy. You might consider having the larger specimen trees planted for you. Even this week, I had Watters planting crew install a new pine tree in my own yard. Tree planting is back-breaking work.

2024 Garden Classes are just announced. Each hour-long class is held in Watters largest greenhouse every Saturday at 9:30.

January 20 – Top Local Landscapes with Flare

January 30 – Why January is the Month to Plant Wildflowers

February 3 – Soil Preparation for Growing Success

Until next week, I’ll be helping local gardeners choose just the right winter plants here at Watters Garden Center.

01/12/202401/12/2024

5 Clever Ways to Use Coffee Grounds in Your Garden

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener

If you make a daily pot of coffee, you have a fabulous source of the organic matter right at your fingertips. Coffee grounds can make your garden happier in several ways, and not just that coffee gives you more energy for weeding and pruning. Don’t toss the grounds. You can put them to work.

On the Go Answer – Readers Digest-type Condensed Version of this Article
• Small amounts of coffee grounds have many benefits in the garden, just not around tomatoes.

• All plants enjoy brewed grounds and neutral in pH acidity.

• Worms are attracted to used coffee grounds.

• Acid loving plants like fresh unbrewed grounds.

• Large Starbuck quantities of grounds should be composted first or racked into our garden soil.

• Many gardeners say coffee ground repel slugs and snails.

#1 Coffee in Compost
Put coffee grounds in your compost bin. There are two types of compost material: brown and green. Your coffee grounds may be brown in color, but in compost jargon they are green material, meaning an item that is rich in nitrogen. Coffee grounds are approximately 1.45% percent nitrogen. They also contain magnesium, calcium, potassium, and other trace minerals. Other green compost materials include food scraps and grass clippings.

Adding coffee grounds and used paper coffee filters to your compost provides green compost material. This must also be balanced with brown compost material, which includes dry leaves and newspapers. This brown to green compost ratio should be a 4-to-1 ratio of brown compost material to green compost material. If you have too much green stuff, your compost starts to smell. If you don’t have enough, your compost won’t heat up enough. Compost for Better Gardens for more details.
#2 Fertilize With Coffee Grounds
Add coffee grounds directly to the soil in your garden. You can rake it into the top couple inches of soil, or just sprinkle the grounds on top and leave it alone. In smaller amounts, especially when mixed with dry materials, coffee grounds provides your gardens with nitrogen. Used coffee grounds are actually nearly neutral in pH, so they shouldn’t cause concerns about their acidity.

You can also make coffee ground “tea.” Add 2 cups of used coffee grounds to a 5-gallon bucket of water. Let the “tea” steep for a few hours or overnight. Use this concoction as a liquid fertilizer for garden and container plants. It also makes an excellent foliar feed spray directly on the leaves and stems of your plants.

#3 Feed the Worms
Add coffee grounds to your worm bin weekly; worms love coffee grounds. Just don’t add too many at once, because the acidity could bother your worms. A cup or so of grounds per week for a small worm bin is ideal. In addition to using coffee grounds in your worm bin, earthworms in your soil will also be vattracted to your garden when usine them mixed with the ground as fertilizer.

#4 Keep the Pests Away
Create a slug and snail barrier. Coffee grounds are abrasive, so a barrier of grounds placed near slug-prone plants may just save them from these garden pests. However, be warned that some researchers quibble with this advice and don’t think it useful. You may want to have a backup plan in mind if it doesn’t work. Many cats dislike the smell of coffee grounds and avoid using your garden as a litter box if you mix coffee grounds into the soil.

#5 Fresh Coffee Grounds for Acid-Loving Plants
While used coffee grounds are only slightly acidic, fresh (unbrewed) coffee grounds show much more acididy. Your acid-loving plants like hydrangeas, rhododendrons, azaleas, lily-of-the-valley, blueberries, carrots, and radishes get a boost from your fresh grounds. Caution, tomatoes do not like fresh coffee grounds; keep them away from this part of the garden. This could be a good use for coffee that is getting old in your pantry or a type you bought for visiting friends but isn’t your usual Cup-of-Joe.

Fresh coffee grounds still have most of their caffeine content as well as the acid. Be cautious in using fresh grounds around pets or your Wire Terrier may become extremely wired.

Dissenting Research Into Coffee Grounds in the Garden
One research study found that using spent coffee grounds in growing broccoli, leek, radish, viola, and sunflower resulted in weaker growth in all soil types, with or without additional fertilizer. The good news is that the coffee grounds improved the water holding capacity of the soil and decreased weed growth. The researchers think the poorer growth was due to the plant-toxic compounds naturally present in the coffee grounds. If you aren’t getting the results, you hoped for, with coffee grounds, you may want to try your own experiments with and without them in your garden.

Secret Mountain Recipe for the perfect garden soil – for amendments that add vitality and richness to your garden soil go deeper with Preparing Garden Soils for Spring Planting

Spring Garden Classes begin in January.

The season ahead is exciting. We have a new series of Garden Classes free to fans of this column. Here’s the roster of exciting classes starting in January. We go deep into growing better. Check out this spring’s entire class selection offered every Saturday @ 9:30 am

January 13 – Happy Healthy Houseplants with Professional Style

January 20 – Top Local Landscapes with Flare

January 27 – Why January is the Month to Plant Wildflowers

Until the next issue, I’ll be helping gardeners 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.