What happens when Plants are Dormant

01/19/2024 Ken Davis

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…

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Flowers, Herbs, and Veggies You Can Plant in January

01/04/2022 Ken Davis

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…

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What Happens when Plants are Dormant

12/30/2020 Ken Davis

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…

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Top 10 Houseplants for a Healthier New Year

12/23/2020 Ken Davis

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

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Winter Landscapes that Attract More Birds

12/18/2020 Ken Davis

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

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Perennial Plants You Should Cut Back Now

12/05/2019 Ken Davis

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

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Winter Greenery Best Planted in Cold

01/18/2019 Ken Davis

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

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Preparing Garden Soils for Spring Planting

01/09/2019 Ken Davis

By Ken Lain, the mountain gardener Once you’ve tried digging the first planting hole in a mountain garden you learn that our native soils are HARD ! !  Skimp on spring soil preparation to “soften” the ground and a mountain…

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Ten Most Popular Houseplants!

01/03/2019 Ken Davis

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

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10 Most Popular Houseplants!

01/02/2019 Ken Davis

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

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