Those new to gardening are surprised at the bountiful crops berry plants produce. Local berry bushes are even more consistent fruit bearers than fruit trees and are easier to grow. Simply plant them into the ground where at least six hours of bright, hot sun are guaranteed, add them to the drip system with your other trees and shrubs, and wait for the berry harvest! Even more impressive is that berry plants don’t need to be in the ground at all. Containers are a great way to enjoy berry bushes … [Read more...] about Top Ten Berries for Container Gardens
gardening
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
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
Five Amazing Privacy, Seclusion Trees that Screen
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 Five Amazing Privacy, Seclusion Trees that Screen
Best Landscape Trees for All Four Seasons
Trees are where your landscape value is. Plant them right, and your home value grows; get trees wrong, and they take over, lift patios and driveways, hide beautiful architecture, and more. Think of trees and the four seasons. Begin with trees that announce spring by blooming, then have trees that offer summer shade, autumn reds and gold, ending with visual interest through winter. The goal is not simply to collect specimens in the yard, but rather to have at least one model tree per season that … [Read more...] about Best Landscape Trees for All Four Seasons
Enjoying Pretty Plants with Daisy Flowers
A favorite flower of days gone by would have to be a daisy, Bellis perennis. This happy-face flower with radiating white petals around a yellow center is still identifiable even to non-gardeners. Daisies are so tough in the mountain garden, but too much white is boring and plain. We developed many daisy-like bloomers that offer far more color, and that are brighter and even easier to grow than their daisy cousin. Each of the following companion flowers thrives like a wild daisy. Each has a … [Read more...] about Enjoying Pretty Plants with Daisy Flowers
Featuring the Most Beautiful Mountain Flowers in the Garden
Some flowers capture the imagination like no other. Their sheer beauty makes them iconic, transporting gardeners in the remembrance of garden weddings, tropical destinations and secret forests. These flowers may seem exotic, but many can be grown right here in the mountains of Arizona. Here are the most beautiful flowers you can grow in local gardens starting in April. Bearded Iris is as tough and low maintenance as it is exquisite. Deep violets to solar yellow and everything between, these … [Read more...] about Featuring the Most Beautiful Mountain Flowers in the Garden
Nine Garden Tasks for Better Gardens This Spring
Spring weather signals the start of specific gardening tasks that are essential to maintaining a vital, healthy garden. I’m a “list” type of gardener and the following is my springtime procedural list in order of personal priority. 1) Finish pruning everything in the yard, including roses, fruit trees, and summer-blooming shrubs. Then, rake up old leaves, cut back dead growth on perennials and remove leftover annuals and vegetables from gardens and containers. 2) Apply “Crabgrass … [Read more...] about Nine Garden Tasks for Better Gardens This Spring
