Whether you are 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 … [Read more...] about Insider Secrets Your Landscaper Won’t Share
Ken Lain
Vegetables You Can Plant in September
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 your summer plants fade. Plant seeds deeper in the fall than in the spring. Typically, … [Read more...] about Vegetables You Can Plant in September
Exploring Seven Yavapai Medicinal Plants with Herbal Uses
Arizona is all grown up and well past its 100th anniversary as a state. Pioneers to the territory needed to be resourceful, work hard and figure out how to work with the land, including its healing powers. Much of this knowledge came from those before and the indigenous people who knew the land well. Without access to pharmacies on the wagon trails, these trailblazers needed to survive on wild plants. Below are the Top 10 medicinal plants used by Yavapai County founders and their use. Agave … [Read more...] about Exploring Seven Yavapai Medicinal Plants with Herbal Uses
Twelve Low-Maintenance Landscape Tips, Tricks
Every landscape needs some upkeep. Many are labors of love for the outdoors, nature and all plants that grow in the yard. Water by hand and mowing take up large amounts of time and resources. Weeding and pruning require seasonal time and energy as well. Many ornamental plants need care to keep them looking vivacious and their best. Low maintenance landscapes have many of the same traits. Here are time-tested techniques that save you time and energy while still having a stunning yard. … [Read more...] about Twelve Low-Maintenance Landscape Tips, Tricks
Top Ten Sedums Recommended as Groundcover Plants
Most gardeners remember their grandmother’s tall Autumn Joy growing in the hottest parts of the garden. Their joyous cousins spread and creep with the same sizzling blooms that make Sedum the ideal plant for gardeners that want less water and responsibility but still want the same beauty of a cottage garden. Sedum is basically like cacti without all the thorns. There are close to 500 species known as Sedum or Stonecrops. Although all Sedums flower, they’re usually grown for their foliage, … [Read more...] about Top Ten Sedums Recommended as Groundcover Plants
Identifying Best Smelling Plants for Outdoor Gardens
Arizona is famous for outdoor activities. When all this activity brings the party to your deck, patio or pool’s edge, the fragrance of the garden should be positive and uplifting to the friends that gather. This is the perfect place to add sweetly scented plants for ambiance. Forget the candles and citronella. The right plants remind us why the mountains of Arizona are meant to be enjoyed outdoors. The fragrance of many plants intensified at night are yet another reason to relax under the … [Read more...] about Identifying Best Smelling Plants for Outdoor Gardens
Prescott Food Forest Gala Marks a Major Victory for Gardening Education Programs
On Tuesday Feb. 21, at The Club at Prescott Lakes, we hosted a Victory Garden Gala to raise awareness and funds to support the Gardeners Of Destiny (GOD) gardening education training program at B Organic Farm, Chino Valley. The evening was a total success. More than 125 people from all sectors of our community came to support our mission to empower people to grow food for health and self-sustainability. I am grateful for the support from our sponsors, donors, friends and neighbors. I want … [Read more...] about Prescott Food Forest Gala Marks a Major Victory for Gardening Education Programs
Identifying Nine Vegetable Blunders
As we progress into the vegetable planting season, the potatoes, garlic, kale and lettuce are already planted. The summer edibles will take center stage with the last frost quickly approaching. Garden success often depends on things out of our control, including rainfall, temperature and soil type, to name a few. Here are the personal mistakes I wish readers to avoid as we plant the spring gardens. Mistake #1: Starting Too Early Gardener and impatient are used in the same sentence. The … [Read more...] about Identifying Nine Vegetable Blunders
Are Fruit Trees a Good Investment?
You used to need a lot of land to grow fruit trees. Dwarf and semi-dwarf fruit trees have allowed growing them in just about any yard. Most standard-sized fruit trees mature at a height and width of between 18-25 feet. Not only will this require a big chunk of your yard, but it also makes them tall to prune and spray without using a ladder. Even with smaller trees, growing fruit is a long-term investment. Fruits can take anywhere from two to 10 years to bear fruit. If you plan to be … [Read more...] about Are Fruit Trees a Good Investment?
Top Seven Spring Cleaning Tasks Every Garden Needs
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 spring. #1 Remove Mulch and Prune Your Perennial Flowers The first task … [Read more...] about Top Seven Spring Cleaning Tasks Every Garden Needs