Now is the time to plant privacy screens for maximum growth and seclusion in spring. Without strategically placed evergreens in the yard, it can feel as if prying eyes are looking right into your home. Not only does your privacy seemingly disappear, but that neighbor’s debris pile can be on display! Enable enjoyable hot tub sessions without prying eyes from that too-close-for-comfort neighbor. The solution to these unwanted invasions is not rocket science. Simply plant a wall of living trees … [Read more...] about Privacy Trees That Screen Fast
Watters garden Center
Exploring the Perfect Ground Cover for Desert Landscapes
Ground cover plants are beneficial in so many ways. The foliage provides visual interest across hills, between boulders and down slopes. They also reduce yard maintenance by fighting erosion and suppressing weeds. Here is the definitive list for local groundcovers grown in the brutal sun or dense shade. Many offer an evergreen solution to bare landscape plots. Creeping Juniper Juniperus horizontalis performs best in full (six or more hours) of sun. Creeping junipers resist drought once … [Read more...] about Exploring the Perfect Ground Cover for Desert Landscapes
Moves from Big Cities are Changing Local Gardening
We have experienced some interesting trends over the past year as more people are attracted to plants and gardening. Hashtags like #PlantParenthood are common. Fast-forward to 2022, and the magnetic draw to gardening has grown stronger. Many folks who visit the garden center this spring are seeking their first experience with plants. I’ve asked these new gardeners what compels them to the garden. They say the current economic and health scare turned them into wannabe gardeners ready to try … [Read more...] about Moves from Big Cities are Changing Local Gardening
Six Healthy Reasons to Grow More Food This Spring
When Lisa and I were just married and struggling to keep fresh food on the table, a saint of a neighbor came to our rescue. Harry lived across the street and his entire backyard was filled with edible plants. His passion was vegetables and he purposely grew extra to share with family, neighbors and the local food bank. Fresh tomatoes, peppers, squash and other bounties from his garden were delivered to our door. Believe me, we consumed every piece of fruit he gave us! He was a lifesaver. A … [Read more...] about Six Healthy Reasons to Grow More Food This Spring
Watters Garden Center Founder Loved Making His Community Beautiful
On Tuesday, Feb. 15, the Quad Cities lost Harold Leroy Watters at age 84, the man who founded Watters Garden Center and added life and beauty to the area. Harold was born in Wellington, Ohio, to doting parents Richard and Edna Watters, on March 17, 1937. Reportedy, his mother often said, “Harold has ‘ants in his pants,’ describing the amount of energy he had and always being in motion. He grew up playing the saxophone, hunting and fishing and playing ball. He did landscaping for the neighbors … [Read more...] about Watters Garden Center Founder Loved Making His Community Beautiful
Planting Fresh Fruit for a Healthier You
Early spring brings a sense of rejuvenation, vitality and renewal. Gardeners witness the revitalization from the fresh leaves and flowers in the gardens. The season also generates activity in plants that produce edibles, especially those fruit trees that flourish in the higher elevations of Arizona. But there is more to fruit trees than just a bountiful harvest; they bring seasonal changes of colors and textures that provide fascinating diversity in our landscapes. Fruit Trees Spring fruit … [Read more...] about Planting Fresh Fruit for a Healthier You
Growing Edible Plants
It’s the start of a new year, with new plant deliveries already arriving for the season. This is a rather interesting list of plants used to dress up and decorate the garden - and they are surprisingly tasty. Indigenous people have known many of these plants since the beginning. Here is a listing of some edible perennials that may surprise you and favorites for the backyard. All are available at Watters Garden Center or are being shipped in a few weeks. Bamboo Panda bears enjoy munching … [Read more...] about Growing Edible Plants
Eleven Fall Tips for Better Gardens
Autumn gardening is a great time to look back on garden successes and disappointments. There’s still plenty of time to do some garden maintenance. Fall gardening takes advantage of cooler temperatures and fewer weeds and insects. Putting the garden to bed is not as hectic as waking it up in the spring. You’ll have time to really see how your plants are doing. Here are some tasks to do now, to make next year’s garden brighter and better. Enrich garden beds with Watters Barnyard Manure. … [Read more...] about Eleven Fall Tips for Better Gardens
Insider Secrets Your Landscaper Won’t Share
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 will 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
Enjoy a Brighter Fall Garden in Five September Steps
August is the hottest month in the gardens. Vegetable and flower gardeners delight in the bounty the heat and monsoon rain offers. Others long for the calm, cool autumn nights for which Arizona is so famous. September is a transition month with some critical garden needs at hand. Keeping up with fall maintenance assures both the health of your garden in spring and a shorter maintenance list later. September starts a season of change with the most pleasant mountain weather. The hot summer days … [Read more...] about Enjoy a Brighter Fall Garden in Five September Steps