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Ken Lain

Growing Peppers: Hot, Hotter, Extreme

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I’m a salsa gardener, and proud of it! The bulk of my gardens are dedicated to tomatoes, tomatillos, cilantro, onions, chives and peppers.

The most exciting, tastiest, most versatile of new plants for a kitchen garden are peppers. Sweet or spicy, too hot or soothingly mild, peppers can be used for salsa, savory jelly, and for my favorite dish…stuffed and grilled.

Because Prescott and its surrounding area have a limited growing season for peppers, they should be started indoors eight to 10 weeks before our average last spring frost, around May 8. They can be transplanted to garden soil or containers when daytime temperatures are at least 70°F, and nighttime temperatures are at least 55°F. Peppers can be sown directly into the garden two to four weeks after the risk of frost but will be slow to start without the help of a greenhouse. With a bit of protection, most of our summer fruiting plants can be started now.

Helpful Idea

I start my first crop of summer vegetables with the help of plant protectors, also called “Wall of Watters.” These mini-greenhouses are filled with water and warm the soil around plants to prevent damage from frost. We have them here at Watters Garden Center, and for less than Amazon’s price. 

From personal experience, here are some of my tips and tricks on sowing and growing the best peppers:

Fertilizer

Fertilize if your seed-starting medium does not contain fertilizer. However, no fertilization is needed until seedlings develop the second set of leaves, known as “true” leaves.

Use Watters “Flower Power 54”  at two-week intervals and your peppers will be larger and overly abundant. Fertilize regularly and your plants will develop sturdier stems and large numbers leaves. Not only do large plants have more fruit-producing potential, the luxuriant leaves provide shade for the fruit, preventing sun scald.

Color Change

Most peppers start out one color, often green, and ripen to another color. As peppers ripen to their second color, the flavor sweetens, and the nutrients increase. By picking some fruit early, in the first color stage, you send a signal that the plant should create more seeds, which guarantees the continuation of the process of flower, fruit and seed maturity.

Hot, Hotter and Extreme

A class of compounds called capsaicin gives chili peppers their spiciness. Capsaicin occurs mostly in the light-colored ribs inside the pepper. The seeds contain very little or no capsaicin but are often hot because they come in contact with the capsaicin in the ribs.

Capsaicin has several health benefits. Studies show that it can increase metabolism, support appetite suppression, decrease heart disease, reduce pain perception. Oh, and cause heartburn (believe it or not)!

Like your peppers hot? The more mature the fruit, the hotter the pepper. Stress, such as drought, will also make peppers hotter. You can cause stress to the plant by cutting back on watering after fruits have started to develop. Just withhold enough water so the soil stays dry. Don’t allow your peppers to wilt or yields will be reduced significantly.

Aqua Boost prevents milder fruits from wilting. I created this special soil polymer that retains moisture at the plant’s roots in order to reduce wilt, decrease water needs and eliminate stress for sweeter vegetables. Visit the garden center for exact details.

The Scoville Scale, named for its creator Wilbur Scoville, measures the heat of peppers and other spicy foods. Some peppers such as bell peppers are sweet with almost no heat, while others, like the banana pepper, have mild amounts of heat.

Want to kick up the zing? Then go for peppers that are REALLY hot, like the cayenne and the habanero peppers. Peppers grow so well in the summer garden that it’s fun to mix the heat levels and their signature flavors. Guinness World Records regularly ranks the world’s hottest peppers, at over 2,000,000 Scoville units!

Hot Pepper Idea

Dry your hot peppers and then grind them. Place the grind in a shaker and use to spice up pizza, pasta, burgers, etc.

All of the peppers, herbs and vegetables sold at Watters are completely organic with no genetic modifications.

  

Until next issue, I’ll be here at Watters Garden Center helping gardeners grow better organic peppers. QCBN

By Ken Lain

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his web site at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter

Five Herbs Best Grown in Mountain Gardens

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Many herbs are perennial, meaning they can be planted once and left to grow for many years. Perennial herbs take some of the heavy lifting out of garden design by returning year after year. They are comfortable and always look attractive. A perennial bed also allows you to divide and expand your herbal plants as they mature. When designing your garden, plant these herbs for a long-lasting, fragrant garden.

Echinacea is useful for healing, but it is also a beautiful accent for any garden. Echinacea, also known as Coneflower, grows in virtually any garden situation. From moist, fertile soil, to dry harsh arid conditions, echinacea finds a way to thrive like a wildflower.

To help your flowers spread through the gardens, wait until the coneflowers completely dry out in autumn. Remove the dried seedhead and separate the pointy black seeds left behind; gloves are recommended because they are sharp. Cast your seeds anywhere in the garden more plants are wanted.

Lavender is used for everything from cooking to healing. Try growing this elegant herb alongside your showiest flowers. Flowers cover the grey foliage in shades of purple, blue, pink and white; lavender is genuinely a gorgeous perennial herb. Be sure to plant lavender with room to grow. You will be shocked at how large the plants become after just a few years.

If the struggle is all you’ve known when growing lavender, try finding a specimen that is better suited for your garden zone. There are many from which to choose, and you may not have planted the right variety. If in doubt, the hardiest mountain lavender would have to go be Munstead English Lavender, but you’ll find a dozen varieties grown at the garden center through the year.

Mint can be invasive if planted in the wrong place, but it’s an essential addition to any hard-to-cultivate garden space. It spreads anywhere you allow it and many places you don’t. Try to plant your mint in a bucket that is buried part way as a means to control the spreading habit. This should do a reasonable job in containing your mint plant.

Mint is a refreshing, herbal tea and a beautifully scented plant. Try growing a greater variety of mints if you’re really interested in using them in tea. You should avoid allowing mint varieties to mingle, so allow plenty of room between each flavor. This helps ensure your bees and butterflies do not cross-pollinate each plant. You will find at the garden center the obvious peppermints and spearmints, but also consider chocolate mint, or orange, strawberry and pineapple mint for a fresh, new flavor in your gardens.

Sage is a wonderfully versatile herb for gardens. It comes in many colorful varieties and growth habits. Try using it as a decorative filler around other tall garden plants. Sage grows for many years, returning after even the harshest of winters.

The only drawback to sage for years is that it often becomes woody to the point its leaves only grow on the end of each stem. Avoid this by keeping it pruned back to encourage new growth. You will find leaves grow closest to the cuts that result in a fuller, more beautiful specimen. There are so many varieties of sage – you might just want to switch things up and grow a new variegated, or pineapple scented, or tricolored sage as your next new specimen.

Thyme is one of the herbs that grows anywhere. It’s perfect for gardeners who aren’t particularly hands-on because the less you fuss with this perennial herb, the healthier it becomes. There are many varieties from which to choose in both upright and trailing habits, so there’s one to fit almost any situation and style.

Use thyme as a filler between stone walkways. It offers a lovely scent when stepped on and easily handles modest traffic. Thyme grows well in areas that are just too dry and conditions that are too poor for other plants.

Garden Alert 
Flowers are being overrun by one tiny insect that sucks the life out of roses or anything in bloom. They damage trees like pears and redbud with curled leaves, or blackened tips that resemble fire blight. Also known as “No-See-Ums,” this insect makes a plant look terrible to the point of death if left unchecked. This alert is all because of the spring rains and cooler than average temperatures. 

Multi-Purpose Insect Spray is the spray of choice that obliterates this dangerous pest. Thoroughly soak every leaf of your plant until dripping wet, and reapply this same bug spray in 10 days and you will have a healthy, happy plant that thrives the rest of the season. 

Until next issue, I’ll be helping local gardeners with their herb gardens here at Watters Garden Center. QCBN

By Ken Lain

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter.

Planting the Hardiest Perennials in Local Gardens

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Gardening may be one of America’s favorite hobbies, but it does have a downside. Imagine investing dozens of hours and hundreds of dollars redecorating your bedroom, only to have it crumble to ashes in less than a year! That is a good analogy to planting and nurturing a garden that withers away after one season. Fortunately, not all plants will go belly-up each fall/winter. By choosing those vigorous perennial plants that tolerate a wide range of growing conditions, you can be assured that your investment of time and money will bring you pleasure repeatedly for many growing seasons.

Bee Balm Much is made of the drought tolerance of plants, but a wet place in the garden can be just as difficult to cultivate. Bee balm is one answer to the soggy garden dilemma. Three-foot-tall clumps feature blue, pink, red or white flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. As a member of the mint family, bee balm is an assertive plant, but those plants that spread out of bounds are easily pulled out to maintain control. New varieties boast superior mildew resistance.

Butterfly Bush Gardeners who make room for a Buddleia in their landscapes will soon discover that it’s a one-stop, non-stop buffet for many species of butterflies. The long flower panicles are comprised of many individual blooms, each filled with a rich store of nectar. That’s why numerous butterflies are observed lingering around the shrub on warm, sunny days. Flowering happens on new wood, so frigid zone 5 winters have no effect on the summer show. Plant butterfly bushes in full sun in average soil and cut back plants in early spring to encourage strong branching.

Catmint More than just a little herb for the cat to frolic in, catmint gained permanent cult status when the “Walker’s Low” variety was named the 2007 Perennial Plant of the Year. Lovely grayish-green foliage complements, and bees delight in, the nectar-rich violet blooms that appear throughout the summer months. Plants grow to about two feet tall but have a prostrate habit that looks attractive at the edge of a wall or path.

Daylily Stella D’ Oro daylilies have become an office park landscaping staple, but everblooming daylilies have much more to offer than this popular gold variety. Although the color spectrum is limited to the warmer side of the color wheel, exciting color patterns and flower forms take the available cultivar numbers into the thousands. Full sun is best, although darker varieties may benefit from afternoon shade to prevent sunscald. Fertilization isn’t necessary, but an occasional deep watering during summer dry spells is beneficial.

Feather Reed Grass Ornamental grasses belong on every lazy gardener’s wish list. Many of them originate from the prairie so are accustomed to surviving a range of pests and demanding weather conditions. The deep roots of feather reed grass make it adaptable to wet and dry soils, and it grows just fine in lean soils, requiring no fertilizer. The six-foot flowering stalks make a beautiful vertical accent that endures well into fall.

Lamb’s Ear This a plant for the fifth sense of a garden, as it is a physical plant like few others. More than just fuzzy, the silvery leaves are downright woolly and hold up to stroking more than a silky flower petal would do. The lavender spikes don’t look like much, but bees love them. Lamb’s ear plants grow in full to partial sun and are quite drought tolerant. The clumps that spread each year provide pass-along plants for friends, or can be added to enhance the volume of foliage in containers.

Sedum Sometimes tough plants have a reputation for being invasive, but drought tolerant sedum plants always mind their manners. Also called stonecrop, this plant can survive for years without any watering, dividing, mulching or deadheading. The diverse genus offers tall and creeping varieties, all with succulent leaves that shrug off insects. Gardeners new to sedums should start with the wildly popular, dependable and nearly maintenance free “Autumn Joy,” which at end of summer produces nectar-rich pink flower clusters.

Russian Sage In neighborhoods with new construction, topsoil is stripped away, and the rubble that’s left behind hardly qualifies as soil. What to plant in such a harsh environment? Start with this tough-as-nails perennial that features a cloud of sky blue flowers for three months in its first season. The one factor Russian Sage can’t live without is full sun, as it’s essential for healthy bloom production. As we all are aware, “full sun” is bestowed very generously upon our local area gardens!

Until next issue, I’ll be helping local gardeners here at Watters Garden Center. QCBN

By Ken Lain

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through her web site at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter.

Planting the Hardiest Perennials for Local Gardens

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Gardening may be one of America’s favorite hobbies, but it does have a downside. Imagine investing dozens of hours and hundreds of dollars redecorating your bedroom, only to have it crumble to ashes in less than a year! That is a good analogy to planting and nurturing a garden that withers away after one season. Fortunately, not all plants will go belly-up each fall/winter. By choosing those vigorous perennial plants that tolerate a wide range of growing conditions, you can be assured that your investment of time and money will bring you pleasure repeatedly for many growing seasons.

Bee Balm Much is made of the drought tolerance of plants, but a wet place in the garden can be just as difficult to cultivate. Bee balm is one answer to the soggy garden dilemma. Three-foot-tall clumps feature blue, pink, red or white flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. As a member of the mint family, bee balm is an assertive plant, but those plants that spread out of bounds are easily pulled out to maintain control. New varieties boast superior mildew resistance.

Butterfly Bush Gardeners who make room for a Buddleia in their landscapes will soon discover that it’s a one-stop, non-stop buffet for many species of butterflies. The long flower panicles are comprised of many individual blooms, each filled with a rich store of nectar. That’s why numerous butterflies are observed lingering around the shrub on warm, sunny days! Flowering happens on new wood, so frigid zone 5 winters have no effect on the summer show. Plant butterfly bushes in full sun in average soil and cut back plants in early spring to encourage strong branching.

Catmint More than just a little herb for the cat to frolic in, catmint gained permanent cult status when the “Walker’s Low” variety was named the 2007 Perennial Plant of the Year. Lovely grayish-green foliage complements, and bees delight in, the nectar-rich violet blooms that appear throughout the summer months. Plants grow to about two feet tall but have a prostrate habit that looks attractive at the edge of a wall or path.

Daylily Stella D’ Oro daylilies have become an office park landscaping staple, but everblooming daylilies have much more to offer than this popular gold variety. Although the color spectrum is limited to the warmer side of the color wheel, exciting color patterns and flower forms take the available cultivar numbers into the thousands. Full sun is best, although darker varieties may benefit from afternoon shade to prevent sunscald. Fertilization isn’t necessary, but an occasional deep watering during summer dry spells is beneficial.


Feather Reed Grass Ornamental grasses belong on every lazy gardener’s wish list. Many of them originate from the prairie so are accustomed to surviving a range of pests and demanding weather conditions. The deep roots of feather reed grass make it adaptable to wet and dry soils, and it grows just fine in lean soils, requiring no fertilizer. The six-foot flowering stalks make a beautiful vertical accent that endures well into fall.

Lamb’s Ear This a plant for the fifth sense of a garden, as it is a physical plant like few others. More than just fuzzy, the silvery leaves are downright woolly and hold up to stroking more than a silky flower petal would do. The lavender spikes don’t look like much, but bees love them. Lamb’s ear plants grow in full to partial sun and are quite drought tolerant. The clumps that spread each year provide pass-along plants for friends, or can be added to enhance the volume of foliage in containers.

Sedum Sometimes tough plants have a reputation for being invasive, but drought tolerant sedum plants always mind their manners. Also called stonecrop, this plant can survive for years without any watering, dividing, mulching or deadheading. The diverse genus offers tall and creeping varieties, all with succulent leaves that shrug off insects. Gardeners new to sedums should start with the wildly popular, dependable and nearly maintenance free “Autumn Joy,” which at end of summer produces nectar-rich pink flower clusters.

Russian Sage In neighborhoods with new construction, topsoil is stripped away, and the rubble that’s left behind hardly qualifies as soil. What to plant in such a harsh environment? Start with this tough-as-nails perennial that features a cloud of sky blue flowers for three months in its first season. The one factor Russian sage can’t live without is full sun, as it’s essential for healthy bloom production. As we all are aware, “full sun” is bestowed very generously upon our local area gardens!

Until next issue, I’ll be helping local gardeners here at Watters Garden Center. QCBN

By Ken Lain

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through her web site at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter.

Eight Fragrant Shrubs for Mountain Gardens

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What is the most fragrant plant? Which flower has the best smell? What is the most fragrant flower in the world? What is the most fragrant lavender? What is the most fragrant rose?

Shrubs have many uses in the landscape, but gardeners who appreciate sweet-smelling plants will be especially drawn to the most fragrant of these shrubs. Whether cold-hardy or tropical, bushes in this group are valued for scenting the air and thereby diversifying the enjoyment of your yard. The blooms on many of these also boast great beauty.

Daphne is a must-have plant for gardeners who like scented plants or for perfume lovers. The flowers have an orange + lemon + honey + molasses scent and fill a 15-foot space bordering a partial shade garden.

Purple-Leaf Sand Cherry has sweet-smelling blossoms in spring, but this ornamental cherry has value throughout the growing season thanks to its purplish, almost black, foliage. Purple-leaf sand cherry can reach a tree-like 8 feet tall if allowed, but many choose to keep it pruned down to more of a shrub size of 5 to 7 feet. This plant thrives in blistering sun locations and looks great skirting a mountain deck.

Gardenia is easily one of the most fragrant shrubs, and it offers glossy evergreen foliage to boot. I have several that winter over in large pots for us. They are sultry as a summer evening and as intoxicating as an exotic perfume. The blossoms are just as enticing. Buds shaped like seashells unfurl into velvet soft flowers. Several locally hardy shrubs are available at Watters Garden Center this spring.

Korean Spice Viburnum is such a fragrant shrub that one of its common names is “fragrant spicebush.” It smells like the color pine, clove-like with a hint of sweet berries and musk. The best flowers are produced in full sun growing to head height.

Lilacs have a new appreciation. Growing up in Prescott, playing in the small town in the weight of their scent, lilac now has new meaning and remembrance in the garden. In full sun, few shrubs rival their beauty and fragrance. Traditional varieties grow into mini-trees, but several new dwarf varieties reach only hip high and bloom several times a year. Grandma would be jealous.

Mock Orange takes us by surprise every year. Stepping through a doorway walking along as the moon begins to rise, the scent of honey and orange is suddenly everywhere, sweet and floral and strong enough to lie down on. The white flowers are guaranteed each spring with minimal care. It grows naturally to 6 feet tall and blooms best in full sun gardens.

Roses are practically synonymous with fragrant shrubs in the minds of many gardeners. The spectrum of rose aromas is large. They vary from pleasant to sheer delight. The fragrances are described as green tea, honey, vine, moss, fruit or like other flower species. Roses grow better in high, dry gardens. In March, you will find the latest introductions here at Watters, with 700 roses all in bloom arriving the last week in April.

Fragrance Does Not Come from Flowers Alone

Lavender plants smell sweet like flowers with herbal notes and balsamic undertones. Watters specializes in mountain hardy varieties often dried and used in potpourri. The beautiful thing about fragrant foliage is the leaves stay in the garden a lot longer than do flowers. Lavender grows in the ground and looks spectacular in large containers.

Celebrating the 57th Spring Open House March 16, 17

It was 57 years ago this month that Watters Garden Center opened its doors as the first nursery in Northern Arizona. This year, we introduce new plant varieties, new flower colors and a vast selection of cold hard blooming baskets specially grown for the event. Meet our growers and talk directly to the plant breeders that have made Watters Garden Center famous all these years.

Until next issue, I’ll be here at Watters Garden Center helping local gardeners choose just the right fragrance for their gardens.  QCBN

By Ken Lain

Ken can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd. in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter.

Planting Wildflowers is Easy

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At Watters Garden Center, we often hear questions about wildflowers: When is the best time to plant wildflower seeds? Do wildflowers grow back every year? Do wildflowers need full sun? How do you plant a wildflower garden? Do deer eat wildflowers?

Wildflowers are best planted in winter.

Plant only perennial wildflower seeds to come back in spring.

Most flowers prefer at least six hours of sun per day.

Use hydromulch, a blend of wildflower seed in Watters Premium Mulch, and spread.

Keep seedbed moist.

Watters Garden Center mixes its own Arizona wildflower blends.

This is the ideal month to start a new wildflower garden in 2019.

Few plants in the garden deliver a more natural appearance than wildflowers. However, true success with wildflowers is dependent upon timing. Adhere to these simple tips, tricks and techniques, and you can paint a swath of color across your springtime landscape.

A pure wildflower seed needs the freeze-thaw cycle of late winter and early spring to germinate properly. This is especially true for the most popular varieties like the poppy. Cold weather cracks open a wildflower seed’s hull, so it can make its way into the soil. That’s why sowing the seed now through March is the ideal planting window.

Proper seed-to-soil contact is essential to achieve an unbeaten stand of wildflowers. There are wildflower seeds that are seemingly weightless. Designed to float, they can be light as feathers and, therefore, a challenge to get down into the soil. Casually scattering these seeds on unprepared soil will bring disappointing results. A bit of work and patience is essential to a successful show of spring blooms.

A few simple steps make the difference between wildflower success and failure. Here are the specific planting techniques that guarantee a breathtaking crop of wildflowers:

Step 1: Select and prepare the planting area.

Most wildflowers need a considerable amount of sunshine, so choose an area that receives at least six hours of light daily. Planting in weed-free soil assures optimal results so pull out any growth you don’t want growing with your wildflowers. Then rake the seedbed to loosen the top 1-2 inches of soil. I find that better growth occurs when All Purpose Plant Food 7-4-4 is mixed into the topsoil. The food releases slowly, providing the specific nutrient support needed during the germination period and throughout the growing season.

Step 2: Create your own hydromulch.

Often, seeds in a mix are so small you can barely tell if you have spread them evenly across the soil. So, to avoid this drawback, buy a bag of Watters Premium Mulch, pour it into a wheelbarrow and mix in the seed. Spread this seed-mulch blend over the prepared seedbed. This simple trick helps you see precisely where the seed is placed, ensures good seed-to-soil contact, insulates the seed, and camouflages it from hungry birds.

Step 3: Keep the seedbed moist.

If sufficient moisture is present, some seeds can germinate by the end of February. Regardless of planting location, your wildflowers will require supplemental water if it does not rain enough to keep the seedbed moist. Even good snow will maximize germination.

Wildflower Caution!

Quality is difficult to spot in wildflower seeds and presents a problem because many shortcuts are taken in the industry. To keep down cost, many blends of wildflower seeds are composed of filler and cheap annual seed. You want high-quality seeds that will come back year after year, spreading their blooming joy to other parts of the landscape.

Although I’ve designed numerous local mixes specifically for our region, here, I’m only mentioning some of my pet choices. My favorite easy-to-grow blend is my Arizona Wildflower Blend. This low water, high show mix is easy to grow. It contains seeds for Indian paintbrush, California poppy, penstemon, columbine and Arizona lupine, to name a few.

The most popular blend is my Parade of Poppies. Far more than the common California poppy, this mix is comprised of seven different poppy flowers. Its different blooms deliver a truly spectacular show.

For zero care landscapes, commercial and investment properties, I suggest the Drought Tolerant Mix. For planting next to the forest and the presence of deer, try my Deer Resistant Wildflower Mixture. To bring bees back into a garden to help pollinate fruit trees and vegetables, go with Watters Pollinator Wildflower Mix.

The next time you visit the garden center, ask for my free handout, “Growing Better Wildflowers.” It offers detailed information for growing those always-beloved natural looking colorful spring flowers. QCBN

By Ken Lain

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his web site at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter .

Holiday Evergreens are Ready for Planting

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During the coldest months of the year, evergreens are the anchors that hold together our landscapes. Up to 25 percent of any mountain landscape should be allotted to evergreens. Get this ratio wrong and that winter landscape will appear bare, especially if neighboring yards have evergreens galore. This is a good time to assess the balance of your yard and, if it’s found lacking, plant new evergreens. They are at their best now through March, as the chilly months are when they show off their beauty.

Many evergreens are so stately and perfectly formed that owners decorate them with festive lights and bows to bring magical holiday touches outside of their homes.

 

Don’t have a majestic evergreen in your landscape? Well, it’s not too late to plant one. Truly, the climate in the mountains of Arizona is so mild that evergreens can be planted right through winter. In fact, many of the conifer evergreens are so tough they prefer to be planted when it is cold outside. So, plant your choice of these mountain evergreens and decorate them for a little magic of your own.

 

Colorado Spruce

When customers don’t know the name of this tree, they simply refer to it as “the one that looks like a Christmas tree.” The very stiff branches swoop horizontally forming a perfect broad pyramid. Considered drought hardy, this tree prefers dry windy conditions. Size: 60’W x 25’H

 

Blue Diamond Spruce

This new spruce introduction is a real gem. A cousin to the Colorado spruce, it is considered more special because of its intensely blue needles that produce an almost silver colored tree. Dwarf in size, the tree needs no pruning. It’s happy growing anywhere in our mountain landscape, but also could be grown in a raised bed or large container without overpowering the space. Size: 10’H x 5’W

 

Austrian Pine

This long-needled pine is often mistaken for a young ponderosa, but it is far more graceful. Whereas the ponderosa loses all its lower branches as it matures, the Austrian’s rich green needles seem to flow right to the ground for balanced appeal. Its dense, stout, pyramidal growth is uniform right to the crown. It is the hardiest of the ornamental pines without the bug issues that plague many of the native pines. It makes a most effective windbreak or privacy screen and prefers winter planting. Size: 35’H x 20’W

 

Pinyon Pine

This local native is exceptionally hardy and drought tolerant. It is slow growing with a broad, rounded crown. New growth is blue to green with clusters of pinecones as the tree matures. Edible seeds from the cones are considered a delicacy, commonly known as pine nuts. Perfect for all natural landscapes, it makes an attractive grouping on hillsides or berms with other low growing perennials. It can take a starring role as a picturesque specimen in a rock garden. Size: 15’H x 10’W

 

Vanderwolf Pine

Take a close look and you will see that the top of each needle is blue with a green underside. This very handsome pine is so soft that most viewers want to hug it! Its very unusual and distinctive shape is unique to mountain landscapes. Size: 25’H x 12’W

 

Fat Albert Blue Spruce

Sporting a shape similar to that of the Colorado spruce, Fat Albert doesn’t grow as tall, so it won’t “take over” more than its allotted space. A broad, pyramidal shape with exceptional blue needles, it presents a consistent blue color. Size: 25’H x 12’W

 

Dwarf Alberta Spruce

This slowest growing of the evergreens is the easiest to maintain. Its perfect cone shape displays dense green soft-to-the-touch needles. Although it often is used to make a formal statement in a garden, it is excellent as a container plant or miniature Christmas tree. Size: 8’H x 3’W

 

Black Hills Spruce

With the deepest green of any evergreen and a density that light dares not shine through, this spruce’s perfect cone-shaped symmetry stands out in any landscape. It is so cold hardy this it prefers being planting in mid-winter. Although the tree looks delicious, neither javelina nor deer like to nibble on this evergreen. Size: 50’H x 20’W

 

Until next month, I’ll be helping locals choose just the right living evergreens here at Watters Garden Center. QCBN

By Ken Lain

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Road in Prescott, or contacted through his web site at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter .

 

 

 

 

The Secret Garden: Using Plants as a Natural Screen

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As the autumn colors drop the last of their leaves, the gardens can feel naked. Without strategically placed evergreens in the yard, it easily feels like prying eyes look right through your home. Not only does your privacy seem to disappear, but that neighbor’s debris pile can be witnessed through winter.

The solution to both of these unwanted invasions of privacy is not rocket science. November is an ideal time to plant a wall of living trees to block the messy view and to create the privacy you desire. Enjoy that hot tub once again. 

To successfully add evergreens to a landscape, there are several essential steps worth your time and energy. The most important requirement for evergreen trees to thrive is drainage. Blend one shovelful of Watters Premium Mulch into every three shovels full of native earth to pack around your plant’s roots. Feed new trees with my specially formulated “All Purpose Plant Food,” 7-4-4; the cottonseed meal in this natural food promotes better root formation while maintaining good foliage color. Finally, water your newly planted trees with a solution of “Root & Grow.” This water additive tickles the roots of a plant and helps to form a deep root system.

When you’re ready to choose the trees for your living wall of green, read through the list that follows. It is comprised of screeners that do well locally. The list contains the names of evergreens that have performed well over the years.

Austrian Mountain Pine

This dense pine is easy to care for and is as cold hardy as native pines. Its rich green needles are sturdy and more numerous than those of other pines, with less needle drop in summer. Thick right to the ground and 25 feet tall, it makes the perfect windbreak while preventing prying eyes from looking in on your private hot tub sessions.

Deodar Cedar

This is the largest of the screening plants, growing to more than 50 feet tall and 18 feet wide with long swooping branches of Arizona blue foliage. Growing some two to three feet per year, it is one of the fastest growing of the screeners. As with most upright evergreens, this cedar can thrive on low water use, drought conditions and drip irrigation. Make sure to give it plenty of growing space, because this tree is going to need it!

Norway Spruce

Very cold-hardy, this spruce is the perfect symmetrically-
shaped Christmas tree. It is an excellent choice for a front holiday tree or as a semi-formal accent in large yards. It also makes a pretty evergreen background for contrasting foliage colors, flowering shrubs or to highlight an autumn leaf show in trees and shrubs. Line them up into a windbreak and they will easily hide lights and create a sound barrier along busy streets.

Arizona Cypress

My favorite native evergreen screener is the Arizona cypress. It is like a large alligator juniper in size and color, but grows faster and fills in more completely than other screen plants. Growing to more than 20 feet tall and 12 feet wide in just a few years, you can see why this is the number one choice for a planted screen. If you prefer a cypress in rich green instead of an Arizona blue, go for the Leyland cypress. Both trees grow to the same size and have the same water and soil needs.

Juniper

Finally, let’s look at the juniper family. Hillspire, blue point and Wichita are on the extensive list of junipers available at the garden center now. Juniper forests surround us, so you know that junipers are naturals to plant locally. Whichever color and height you like, all grow well here.

There are more choices, such as the larger evergreen shrubs and deciduous trees like aspens, but we’ll save those landscape tips for another time.

Book Just Published!   

“The Secret Garden: Plants as a Natural Screen” is an all-local garden book where I go into deep detail. Free copies are available for download at WattersGardenCenter.com under tips.

  Until next issue, I’ll see you in the garden center. QCBN

By Ken Lain

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or  FB.com/WattersGardenCenter.

Autumn Perennials are Helping Birds

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Birds bring beauty and sound to the garden. It’s nice to put out bird feeders with seed and suet to attract birds to your yard. But birds still like to forage and find their own food and it’s especially important to have food for them to find when the feeders are empty. There are many wonderful shrubs and trees with fruits and berries in the fall and winter months. Less often talked about are the common garden flowers with seeds that most birds seem to gobble up. Let the last blooms stay on these plants throughout the winter and wait until spring to cut them back. Along with nourishment, many provide shelter and nesting materials as well.

Sedum

We usually keep sedum up for winter interest. It seems to start re-growing as soon as the old leaves die. But even the ground hugging sedum varieties are popular with pretty much all types of seed eaters.

Coreopsis

If you thought all that cheerful yellow throughout the summer was the only contribution your Coreopsis plants make to your garden, watch for the songbirds its seeds will attract.

Asters

There are many asters and some do better than others, but they all attract some type of bird, among them: cardinals, chickadees, goldfinches, indigo buntings, nuthatches, sparrows, towhees and more.

Black Eyed Susan

Like coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, or Rudbeckia, are prairie garden staples and can remain standing through most of the winter. Birds you will find feasting on rudbeckia seeds will be: American goldfinches, chickadees, cardinals, nuthatches, sparrows and towhees.

Coneflowers

These sturdy stems can remain standing long into the wettest, snowiest winters. Among the birds seen pecking at coneflowers are the American goldfinch and the pine siskin.

Globe Thistle

Unlike the nyjer thistle used in bird seed mixes, is an attractive plant and not usually aggressive. Its seeds are especially popular with goldfinches.

Goldenrod

Goldenrod, or Saladgo, packs a double punch. Several birds, like finches, pine siskins, yellow-rumped warblers and indigo buntings munch on its seeds. But it’s also a popular overwintering site for insects. So, the birds get a well-balanced meal from one plant.

Joe Pye Weed

Birds love the seed of the Joe Pye Weed,

or Eupatorium, to eat as well, and to use the fluff for building warm nests. Look for chickadees, wrens, titmice and juncos.

Silphium

With so many common names like Cup Plant, Prairie Dock, Compass Plant, this genus of tall, daisy-like flowers can be quite a sight in the garden when the flowers bloom way at the top of their stems. But birds like finches prefer them as their seeds are drying out.

Zinnia

If you’ve grown zinnia and collected their seeds, you know how many there are in each flower. A single plant can keep sparrows or goldfinches busy for an afternoon.

Other annuals to keep around for seed include Impatiens and autumn marigolds.  Until next issue, I’ll be helping local gardeners attract more birds into the gardens here at Watters Garden Center. QCBN

By Ken Lain

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter.

Flowers that Help Sell Your Home

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Of all the ways to boost your home’s curb appeal when you put it on the market, what could be quicker or less expensive than installing some colorful garden flowers? Watters Garden Center conducted a survey to discover which flowers are most appealing to house hunters. In addition to trimming your trees and shrubs and freshening up your mulch, consider adding value to your home by adding one or more of these flowers to your perennial beds or front porch containers that add fragrance and wow potential buyers. The plants can add thousands of dollars to the selling price of your home and fuel a bidding war that sells your home fast.

1. Roses

Roses have a universal appeal to homeowners, even those who aren’t into gardening. Although old-fashioned and heirloom roses look stunning with their cabbage-sized blooms and sweet perfume, the installation of a few modern ever-blooming roses is a smart choice when preparing to sell a home. Roses like Easy Elegance series, Knock Out and Flower Carpets give sellers the most reliable rebloom. These roses are also nearly disease-proof, meaning you won’t have to worry about an unsightly mildew breakout blighting your landscape.
If you don’t have time to deal with perennial roses, plant a few containers of annual moss rose, Portulaca grandiflora. This annual bloomer shows off during the hottest, driest months of the year, and its succulent foliage shrugs off pests and diseases.

2. Lavender

Not all of us are lucky enough to live in Provence, but we can import the lavender flowers famous in the south of France to our gardens. Not only will your lavender flowers woo home shoppers with their glorious scent, but you can also tell admirers that the blossoms are edible too, lending a delicate perfume to honey and sorbet. Lavender needs little else besides full sun and well-drained soil to grow. If your plot is damp or slightly shady, pansies will provide the same purple hue and culinary value as lavender.

3. Fuchsia

The pendulous blooms of fuchsia flowers are sure to grab the attention of potential home buyers. Fuchsias like moderate temperatures, moist soil and an area sheltered from the wind. Without these conditions, the plants are prone to bud drop. If you aren’t sure about maintaining these divas during your home’s listing period, substitute a trailing begonia plant in a hanging basket. Dragon wing begonias don’t mind hot spells, and their succulent foliage won’t wilt if you miss a day or two of irrigation.

4. Tulips

These “dig and done” flowers can be your secret weapon if you have a planting window in the fall before you put your house on the market. Although tulips are a spring-blooming flower, the season can be stretched over a period of several weeks by planting a selection of early, mid and late blooming tulips. A sample of a long-blooming tulip planting would include early species tulips, midseason triumph tulips and late-blooming parrot tulips.

5. Sweet Peas

In today’s world of odorless hybrids, the fragrance of sweet peas can bring back nostalgic feelings of grandma’s garden. Might these feelings translate into a potential offer on your home, maybe two? It’s worth risking a seed packet to find out. If you’re past the cool spring weather that sweet peas crave, substitute fast growing nasturtiums for summer listing periods.

6. Lilies

True lilies look like exotic flowers, but are very hardy perennials that can survive temperatures of 40 below zero. Early summer blooming Asiatics are the hardiest, and can ever survive in Alaska, while late-blooming Oriental-trumpet hybrids require less chilling time to form blooms, and will thrive in desert conditions of the mountain Southwest. Or, substitute carefree daylilies, which don’t mind the relentless heat and drought.

7. Jasmine

The common jasmine we love for its sweet perfume is not a frost-hardy plant, but an Arabian jasmine plant will flower throughout the summer in a partly sunny spot. Grow the vine in a large pot that you can move indoors for showings, and the flowers will emit a soft perfume in your home. For a hardier specimen, plant the lookalike sweet autumn clematis, which has similar looking fragrant flowers.

8. Pelargoniums

Also known as geraniums, this favorite bedding plant is a natural choice to brighten borders, porches and pool areas. A full sun exposure with good air circulation is a must for these annuals, so if your lot is shady, substitute the perennial cranesbill geranium.

9. Hydrangeas

Plant a compact type like Bombshell by your front door or anchor the corner of your landscape with the large shrub Grandiflora. Blue varieties need acidic soil to produce blue flowers, so keep some aluminum sulfate on hand if your hydrangea flowers are pinker but equally pretty.

10. Sunflowers

A sunflower patch ties together a cottage garden the way few other flowers can. In addition to making a robust floral statement from a distance, you can use sunflowers to screen an unattractive utility box or air conditioning unit. Sunflowers grow in all climates, but you need to give these plants time to mature when starting from seed.

There you have the Top 10 bloomers that homeowners like to imagine when shopping your home. A little lipstick type fragrance and color before listing can undoubtedly result in more green for your wallet.

Until next issue, I’ll be helping local gardeners get more enjoyment and value out of their home here at Watters Garden Center. QCBN

 

By Ken Lain

Ken Lain, the mountain gardener, can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter .