Tag: gardening

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…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener The mountains of Arizona are at the peak of the planting season. The start of summer offers even brighter flowers than spring, and Watters Garden Center is fully stocked with these summer lovers. Flowers…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener January isn’t thought of as a prime gardening month in Northern Arizona. Gardeners in Southern Arizona know it’s the perfect time for cool-season vegetables and flowers. It is warm enough to direct sow much…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Happy New Year – A Prosperous New Start! There has been a 29% increase in gardeners helped here at Watters Garden Center since the pandemic, and the trend is growing. The significant increase represents…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener July is the ideal month to add a shade or fruit tree, a berry plant, summer flowering shrubs, and perennials to the Landscape. Plants root quickly in the warm summer soil. With the arrival…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Gardening ebbs and flows as a cultural topic. Since last year plants, gardens, natural and organic are part of our vocabulary. The wave is so strong you now find natural words like organic in…

By Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener Gardening Resources . . . Insider Tips to Mountain Gardening . . Fertilizer 4 Step Program . . . . Watering Guidelines . . . Vegetable Planting Calendar Planting Guide Mulch Plant Food Root…

by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener It’s my grandmother’s fault! Tomatoes warmed by the afternoon sun eaten ripe with saltshaker in hand, is how my grandmother enticed me into her gardens. Honestly, she often scolded me for leaving the kitchen…

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

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