Garden & Landscape

Plants are a go-to decorating tool. Whether it’s an erupting Schefflera that offsets a boxy sofa or an English Ivy that softens the doldrums of a desk, greenery can bring a much-needed life into your home’s décor. Why. not extend that soul-soothing effect of houseplant foliage to the bathroom?

Plants communicate with us through chemical secretions and physical signals. We feel better after forest bathing in nature. Plants know we need them. While we can’t presently communicate with plants, past gardeners found ways to use plants to communicate and share. Besides their medicinal use, plants have been used as symbols for years. The Victorians used a ‘Language of Flowers’ or ‘Dictionnaire du langage des fleurs’ to communicate via coded flowers representing different emotions and messages.

Not every home has room for the showy plants gardeners obsess over, like Monstara, Fiddle Leaf Figs, and Alocasia. There are so many adorable little plants that are perfect for tiny spaces. Grow miniatures when you have limited room in your home for large, towering houseplants.

Having only giant plants in your house can be overwhelming. Little houseplants are fantastic options. They are cute and easily placed on shelves, little tables, and anywhere you need more cuteness. Create a pretty indoor jungle by layering them together in different sizes. Here are the top five cutest of all houseplants for local homes.

Lavenders grown in the mountains of Arizona are grouped into six main types: English, French, Spanish, Sweet, Fern leaf, and Lavandin. There are others, but these are the most robust and popular varieties found seasonally at Watters. You will find many types at Watters now, but more detail, photos, and purchase options are linked to each variety.

The colors stun gardeners in their tracks. Thousands of roses are offered at Watters Garden Center in dozens and dozens of fragrances. Choosing the perfect one can be overwhelming, but not after this read.

Plant experts are hard at developing new hues and colors while improving the vigor and brilliance of garden roses. From the calm vibes of an all-white garden to the contrast of the color wheel to the free-spirited look of a cottage garden, there is a rose color to suit everyone.

Spring trees begin to bloom this issue. Trees are noble works of nature, and we are humbled by their greatness while walking through the redwoods of California or admiring the massive structure of a Texas oak. Often, inspiration is as simple as pulling under the cool shade of an eastern tree-lined street. We are amazed at the majesty of the trees. We feel this every spring and wonder if everyone feels the same.

If you ever feel as if prying eyes are looking right into your home, and you’d love to enable hot tub sessions with maximum privacy from that too-close-for comfort neighbor, this is for you.

The solution to these unwanted invasions is not rocket science. Simply plant a wall of living trees and shrubs to block an undesirable view and create the privacy you desire! Now is the time to plant strategically placed evergreen privacy screens for maximum growth and seclusion in spring. Fall planting encourages fast-growing trees and shrubs to grow maximum autumn roots crucial for a lush wall in the spring.

Many mountain trees offer spectacular autumn colors, but glowing fall leaves light up only one of our four seasons. The best landscape trees shine in every growing season. Maples provide some of the best fall colors. Several are outstanding shade trees through summer, others a great source of sap for syrup, and the smallest flame maples have exceptional drought tolerance in a desert landscape. Tiny trees for tiny yards don’t take up much space. Most offer stellar autumn foliage, and their fragrant spring flowers are an added bonus.

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 of local groundcovers grown in the brutal sun or dense shade. Many offer an evergreen solution to bare landscape plots.