Garden & Landscape

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.

It’s frustrating to design a new flowerbed around your favorite perennial flowers, like delphiniums, Shasta daisies, and pincushion flower, only to see them peter out after three or four years. Here is a list of perennial flowers notorious for their longevity. These are the bloomers you see in old neighborhoods, planted when the homes were first built and still blooming decades later.

The mountains of Arizona are famous for easy-care roses. Because of the dry air and alkaline soils, we grow a better, brighter, more fragrant rose without the disease and insect issues that plague gardens in high-humidity states. Every garden deserves at least one rose bush, whether in the ground, a raised bed, or a container.

The top performers virtually impossible to kill are listed. You’re going to be happy with any and all of these mountain-hardy bloomers, and spring is the ideal garden season. You might also like my companion article, Perennial Flowers that Show Off for Years.

Gardeners take a special interest in the holidays and the plants that mark the season. Pumpkins and spice start out the holiday decorating, which climaxes with Christmas and New Year plants. There is a tradition behind every plant. The stories run deep. Read on for a new appreciation of the holidays and the plants that define each.

You will find the best selection of ornamental grasses now through fall here at Watters Garden Center. Now is the best time to add new ornamentals to your garden.