Welcome to ‘The Top 10 Gardener Podcast’ with Ken and Lisa Lain!
In this episode, we’re exploring the wonders of gardening in Arizona’s unique mountain regions. Whether you’re just starting to cultivate your green thumb or you’re a seasoned gardening veteran, we’ve got insights and tips that will enrich your gardening journey. Join us as we delve into the specifics of mountain gardening, from selecting the right plants to mastering care techniques suited for our distinctive climate. So grab your favorite brew, settle in, and let’s embark on an adventure of growth and discovery right in your own backyard. Let’s grow together!
Included in this week’s episode:
• What Happens When Plants are Dormant
• Dealing with Plants that Block a View
• Winter Gem Boxwood Combination Plant of January
• Fun Fruit Trees for a Better Spring Harvest
• 8 1/2 Steps for Better DIY Landscapes
• Why Gardening Makes me Happy
Ken and Lisa will also answer listener questions about gardening in Arizona’s high country.
Get ready to catch Ken and Lisa’s gardening bug! They’re bursting with knowledge and passion for growing beautiful things, and they’re ready to share it all with you. Don’t miss out on this chance to level up your gardening game! Subscribe to The Top 10 Gardener Podcast today and get your hands dirty with their expert tips and tricks. You’ll find it on all your favorite podcast platforms.
#WattersGardenCenter, #WattersGardencenterAZ, #Top10Gardener, #GardeningTips, #MountainGardenerPodcast,
Welcome to the top 10 Gardener with Master Gardener Ken Lane gardening can be challenging but with Ken’s tips tricks and top 10 advice you’ll reap huge rewards now welcome your garden host Ken Lane so I’ve been cleaning up my yarts all the last year’s vegetables are all
Pulled out the soil is open I’ve added some manure some fertilizer kind of getting the soils ready I pulled last year’s um annual flowers They’re they’re coming out some of the perennials like panies and your eonia some of these other perennial great summer blooming flowers i’ I’ve
Cut back so clean up and so I I just thought I’d touch on real quick what happens when a plant goes dormant what are they doing under underneath the ground this is basic gardening 101 but a lot of these spring blooming plants they are it takes tremendous amounts of
Energy for Foria that’s one of the first plants to shrubs to bloom golden yellow in spring so usually sometime in March they’re going to they’re going to ignite with new new growth new flowers they always flower first then then get their foliage it takes a lot of energy to pull
That off well some of these plants need to rest in between Bloom Cycles this can this could be hard you folks from tropical climates you’re used to Green I want it to bloom all year round I can’t believe they take a rest well you don’t you can’t grow Lilac or for Ros of
Sharon or or Foria or peonies in in a tropical climate they like to grow in this Four Season climate they need a rest period they need short days cold nights they kind of they’re they’re they’re in they’re in stasis they’re growing but they’re not growing very quickly they’re just kind of taking a
Break getting their energy ready and then when they take off in Spring they just ignite with new growth now if so perennial and annual what’s the difference and this gets my new customers new to the area that confuses them some number one that confuses them is a red fountain grass it
Grows so well in Phoenix so great in the Palm Springs the the the tropical climates this beautiful red grass great plumes gets about hip high looks great in the landscape looks great in containers rais beds but it’s an annual it does not take the cold so it looks so the top died back
Like all the other perennial grasses it died back uh but the roots are actually dying now too so this coal is really permeating killing off every square inch of this plant whereas pampus grass Deer Grass fescues zebra grass these are all perennials they’ve got the same top
Growth is kind of brown and straw colored but the roots are just resting they’re taking the cold they’re fine they get plenty of antifreeze to protect them they’re not they’re going to come back uh but they need to rest underneath before they start erupting with brand
New growth and then covered in plumes so if you want to know the difference take an irrigation flag or or a popsicle stick something where you can mark that plant just kind of go oh there was a plant here there’s a plant here there’s a plant there and the ones that come
Back those are the perennials the ones that just never seem to come back from the ground those were annuals from last year that can happen with grasses it can be flowering plants shrubs so Bogan via that’s a famous plant down in Phoenix um that is a hardcore annual here it will
Not come back unless you bring it in doors or you cheat it somebody or have a greenhouse but out in the landscape that is not going to come back whereas honeysuckle it will honeysuckle needs to rest a bit so you see it’s it’s it looks a little rough right now it’s still got
Some foliage no flowers really but honeysuckles is very fast growing vine that’s very easy to care for great plant for here every yard needs at least one I mean honeysuckle is just so robust here that’s the one where as a kid used to pull out the steam in the the stem
Inside the flower and suck the nectar it it smells very fragrant that’s honeysuckle that’s a perennial it’s going to come back I know it may look a little rough with some foliage rubing off I call it semi deciduous that is it’ll hold some foliage but it’ll drop
Some too whereas a silver La Vine chatus Wisteria these are all perennials as well but they truly lose all of their foliage in the winter they R underground then they’re going to come back with fresh new growth usually in March you’ll see brand new growth coming then Wisteria starts blooming in April
Sometime so just this progression but plants need to rest these really fast Growers need to rest uh fruit trees if they didn’t get to rest you would have tiny little putsy apricots little itty bitty pears you wouldn’t get very many grapes you berries you just wouldn’t get
Any so they need to rest to kind of get their energy back and then take off the new growth again pine trees your Evergreens they’re the same way they need they grow really fast in Spring they’re going to take off here in a couple months sometime into February
March they’re going to just ignite with brand new candle growth this new Evergreen conifers are things with needles basically so this conifers are going to grow and then you only get one shot at it and then it starts to solidify it starts to take that new
Growth then it gets thicker it starts to build up wax over it so it gets real robust very drought Hardy you’ll take on The Heat Of Summer and then it just locks in and that’s all you get till the following Spring right now they’re hying and they’re starting to force their new
Buds or buttons at the very end of their of their branches from last year they’ve got new buttons coming out and that’s going to be the new growth the bigger you can get that button or the bigger you get that new nodule the the the more the growth is
Going to come out your fruit trees the more flower buds the buds you see up and down that stem those are flower buds more than likely those are flower buds that’s going to be next Spring’s a growth that’s going to be next Spring’s fruit whatever that happens to be so up
Here in the mountains we tend to grow apples pears apricots nectarines uh let’s see cherries peaches plats and we need late bloomers so we want things to be late blooming fruit trees if you get a desert variety it will grow up here but it it blooms
Too early and so it’s exposed to frost and so the frost will take the flowers if it frosts while that plant is blooming it’s going to not kill the plant it just takes that flow and doesn’t allow it to fruit whereas late blooming we have certain varieties there’s certain varieties of apples that
Bloom later than others you want that one there’s certain varieties of of apricots that bloom later than others that’s the one you want and so those are plants that will come out of that dormy and take off so perennials come back every year annuals just live for one
Year and they’re they’re done so and that get it gets kind of tricky for folks another one that a lot of folks make make mistakes with these are Big in Southern California your succulents so succulents are this a huge family of plants so your grandparents grew uh hens
And chick that’s probably the oldest variety that we have but we will sell I don’t know 50 varieties here at any given time the ones we focus in on are perennials ones that grow here at higher elevation but so many folks bring their collection from Southern California or
That more tropical climates and then they they go they grow great during the season but then come winter they just get vaporized they turn black mushy they just fall over and they die the Phoenix folks they bring their cacti out or folks in the midwest I’m moving to
Arizona I want a Saro I’m G I’m gonna have a cactus garden well not up here you’re not gonna have very many because there’s not many that grow outdoors Here We Grow pine trees at this elevation the the true collections of cacti they’re going to start at Black Canyon City and lower
Where it’s really hot you can actually see the line as you come up I 17 you can see the line where oops too cold Saros no no longer grow at this level and Beyond we’re at that level and Beyond we’re up there so they’re just not going
To grow here but if you were to plant it it would do fantastic until January then it’s going to get cold and get get just die it’s going to turn black get mushy fall over get wilty and just not come back so that’s the different perennials come back year after year but
They need a rest period annuals just bloom bloom their heads off they’re just fantastic and then they’re done they can’t do this anymore and they have no antifreeze in them so that’s that’s what’s happening right now if you want to maximize the growth fertilize feed your plants of spring so spring Bloomers
Lilacs for cyia uh flowering Jasmine I would say Wisteria these are heavy feeders they need a rest period and they need a lot of food to produce that new flow for next spring fertilize it all of your Evergreens it’s going to keep them Greener and it’s going to maximize that
New candle growth next spring it’s gonna make be a game changer I know it seems kind of weird fertilizing in in spring or in Winter it it makes a difference you’ll get better growth next spring especially if you got a new landscape you just need something bigger I want
That neighbor to be block locked like next after next Spring’s growth fertilize it make a big difference use the 744 allpurpose plant food all right we’ll be right back with more after this as the days get longer and brighter house plants can struggle and Scorch but we have the solution at Waters we’ve
Organized our house plants from A to Z for the brightest of Sunny locations many even Bloom with experts at know plants and how to make them grow shipments of the freshest house plants in town town have just arrived from A to Z and ready for a bright new home Waters
Garden Center where people who love bright Greenhouse plants they love to shop found in Prescot you’re listening to Garden Master kin Lane owner of waters Garden Center in presc join his daily podcast for timely Garden advice seasonally right for the gardens K can be found throughout the week at Waters Garden
Center in Prescot or through his website at top 10 gardner.com your listening to Garden Master Ken Lane and the top 10 Gardener podcast welcome to the top 10 Garden Show and we are back with Lisa Waters Lane she comes each week with your garden questions just what are your
Neighbors what are fellow gardeners fellow is that even it what are what are other gardeners talking about you want to be male female any adjectives that promote anything so um anyway what what are other gardeners talking about welcome to the studio Lisa thank you any great questions going on and what’s what
Are people talking about some of the gardeners are coming in the the real gardeners are coming in they’re they’re Recon researching what’s in so new potteries here trees are starting to show up a few plants are starting to see some growth not a lot mainly still winter Evergreens yeah and lots of new
People just going okay I know planting season’s coming right and I want to do my homework and so they’re in just researching what does a juniper look like in the dead of winter and it truly is a good time to come and talk to a garden center because
We’re we’re we’re doing stuff but we’ll drop the paintbrush and talk to you about what trees you want what G what fruit trees are you looking for when did you start your garden so this is a great time to come in and talk to people um because we’re like the May tag repair
Man we’re just look we’re looking for something to do in the last half of February it starts to take off yeah and then we have less because you’re just sheer volume starts to happen soon that nice nice day in the first daffodils bloom it’s it’s it’s full court press
That point but now until then I want to talk I’m bored I want to paint another wall uh build another table fix another shade structure so come in and see us definitely um so yeah but there are still stuff going out in the garden right now our first question
Is from Janine um she has some type of plant she thinks it’s an Agave yeah that really took a beating in that last cold it’s kind of turned brown and mushy and she wants to know do you think it will come back or is it a goner brownman
Machine that’s never good for agab yakas those cacti my guess is the heart of it froze now you don’t truly know until next spring so I would say never say that hold off because plants want to live if you give it even a remote chance but
Agave are a huge family of plants and my guess is you’ve got more of one of those desert varieties like Blue Agave the one they make tequila out of some of that stuff we want the Utah gens the one that grows up on the canyon the Perry eyes
The one that grows on top of the bradshaws these are the super Hardy Agave or centry plant would be another name they go by that’s one of that great big flower stock that just goes to the moon all in one year that’s what we’re talking about and all agab do that my
Guess is Janine I hate to tell you this it’s a goner just kind of prepare yourself for that but then leave it until next spring and you’ll know by April 1 you’ll know it’s it’s either a goner or I just can’t I can’t live with
This mush in my bucket I need a new one and then come talk to us we’ll help you get the right one or do your research top 10 plants.com that’s a website we set up all of our inventories right there on our site or Waters Gardens center.com the shop button at the top
You can it’s there to really research we just had someone buy a mugo pine okay that’s most Mugo Pines are sold in the garden center but you research it tells you how tall it gets here how wide it gets how it grows how much sun how much
Wind we’re trying to put that site together it’s not generic it’s put together for our plants and how they grow here at the higher elevations of Arizona so that’s a great resource for you anyway Janine sorry to tell you that hold out hope you never know always
Hope uh this question is from Ally she moved from we’ll call it a warmer climate Okay welcome don’t say California out loud we love California come on we do we love them um but she used to plant quite a bit of be root be Ro roses fruit trees that type of thing
She wants to know can be root be planted in this area and when would you look to plant it so you’re seeing bear root show up in January February that’s when you put it in the ground so when it’s still dormant you can still do it here’s the
Reason we don’t sell be root roses or fruit trees here at Waters Garden Center is because in an alkaline soil which we’re extremely alkaline it’s really hard to get those roots to start to form and grow so the loss rate is Extreme on
Be root uh so I what we do is we plant our be root fruit trees last year we’re now harvesting those now so we’ve had a full year of root growth and now we’re bringing those into the garden center and you can plant that so you’re a year
Advanced but the main reason have virtually a 100% chance of success whereas be root generally I would I would discourage I would only have neighbors I don’t care for plant be root but everyone El all my friends plant a rooted plant you have much better success faster growth more even it’s
Just going to be better for you less frustration so stay away from be root I would say just sit it aside Ken and I love all our neighbors oh yeah Sor I don’t have any of our neighbors plant be root no they all give advice I give
Advice I go here let me help I’ll pick one out for you personally right yeah we love our neighbors second thing is as far as roses we do get our fiber pot roses which are um they’re dormant the the rose itself is dormant but it has
Been rooted out in the fiber pot we get those usually about the second weekish February yeah um and those are great uh to plant because they’re usually a little less expensive um plus you’re getting them in um when they’re still dormant so they Leaf out at the appropriate time just less stressful on
Them um you just have to Envision what this Rose is going to look like because it it won’t look like anything too special you do get the new varieties with that but they’re fully rooted that’s thing not so be root is they rip them out of the ground they they they
Farm them in rows and they rip them out of the ground they put them in a bag with some sawdust and here you want this right and so it’s they just aren’t rooted yeah and so if you’re to take that same be root at a farm setting put
It in a fiber pot then root it out for a year and then bring it to the garden center now you’ve got a fully rooted full it will Bloom for you this year whereas a bear root Rose yeah they just aren’t G to bloom that first year it’s
Really hard on in the mountain this area definitely okay make sure you get that warranty from that box store because you’re gonna need it I’ll let that one go the next question is from Chris he needs to know if he can top a large deodor Cedar that
Is blocking part of his view yeah and is now a good time to do that so who is that Chris who’s that Chris so Chris univers Ceder this is a monster it’s 80 foot actually Lebanese Cedar it’s where they grow native so this is what they
Made the Arc of the Covenant out of it’s a famous famous Old Testament type of tree fast growing it’s going to eventually get to 200 feet we just aren’t we’ve only had some in a few Dozen Years here so it’s it’s not done so it’s going to be nothing but a
Struggle for you if it’s blocking your view I think you just got to make the call power up the Chainsaw cut it right back to the ground because you are not it’s going to be a constant thing always for you it’s always going to want to
Block your view yes you could top it top it now this is your best time it’s going to look hideous you’re neigh will mock you going what’s he doing he topped it he didn’t plant ahead just just s plant a shorter one get get a get a a juniper
Or or an Arizona Cyprus put a pine tree they grow half the size of a de cedar because if it’s blocking your view it’s going to continually want to block your view I would say that’s strategizing your views before you landscape is critical fact we got a
Garden class on that I think that’s the 20th we got a class on how to landscape we’ll cover how to there’s ways to use plants to Accent or frame a view so I like to use columnar plants like like Aspens classic put them on either side
Your eye is just drawn from that back patio just drawn go look I can see Granite Mountain it’s spec there’s thumb but spectacular I love the sunsets here we just frame it just like that well we’d never put I know it looks innocent when you put it a six foot deodor Cedar
In but then it quickly turns into this 40 50 60 80 foot giant that blocks your view I would say you just got the wrong plant in the wrong place probably wasn’t even you Chris I’m not putting you down it’s probably your previous owner of
That house put it in the wrong place at the wrong time and it’s GNA keep luck on your view it’s time to just get it out of there I hate to tell you that but it’s just a plant it’s not a puppy dog you’re allowed to kind of remodel every
Once in a while go well it’s good been good for 10 years now it’s no longer good start over true all right so Ken and Lisa Lane the mountain gardeners we’ll be right back after this not everyone can grow wild flowers but we’ll make sure you’re not one of them at
Waters we know which wild flowers Sprout Thrive and Bloom with success we’re wild about wild flowers with many of our own Arizona Blends like our Arizona native mix butterfly and hummingbird mixes and all are big bold and beautiful at Waters we know wild flowers and Winter’s a
Season to spread new seed wat’s Garden Center where people who love their flowers wild they love to shop for seed you’re listening to Ken Lane aka the top 10 Gardener Ken can be found throughout the week in presc at wat’s Family Garden Center listen daily as he
Answers the top 10 questions of the week streaming on Apple Google Spotify or wherever you download your podcast you’ve tuned in to the top 10 Ken Garden Show with Garden expert Ken Lane join the conversation daily as he answers timely Garden questions email Ken a question directly from your phone
To his desktop through the web at Waters Garden center.com that’s Waters with 2garden center.com or visit face to face throughout the week where he can be found at Waters Garden Center in Prescot now welcome your host Ken Lane every month I put together a a combination of plants that look fabulous
Together that month and so January can be it’s obviously going to be far more skewed towards the Evergreen things because they just look good you know Twiggy so I’ve cleaned up my Russian sage H but basically they’re just Twigs growing out of the ground there’s not much Salvia or Autumn Sage they’re just
Twigs out of the ground penies I cut right back to the ground all I have are Nubs coming out of the gardens and some little eyes starting to show they don’t look that good they look you know pie look fantastic in May June July not right now and so this month boxwood is
The feature oh it just looks so incredible so boxwood look the same year round they have beautiful Rich glossy green I I especially personally like the winter gem boxwood a couple reasons it’s got a thick waxy Leaf so it makes it very drill hearty or efficient on its water
Use animals don’t eat it it’s got a sap that deer rabbits they just they aren’t they’re not going to bother uh your your boxwoods boxwoods are these green Hedges uh typically you’ll see them in English Gardens like coming up to the front door they’ll align the driveway with them or
Around the patio they look great in containers around the pool in glossy you know aqua colored uh containers that’s where you use those they’re actually pieces typically a little smaller we do have three or four varieties some of them prob get a little bigger some of
Them more pencil like with a pencil um boxwood but they all grow the same they’re winter Evergreen hearty plants and so they’re just super easy to grow and you don’t have to do much with them there’s not a lot of pruning to keep their shapeliness maybe give them a
Haircut like early spring and that’s all you ever do they’re just so consistent so that’s that’s why I care for them so I’ve got them in pots in our back we have this huge back patio it’s got hot tubs and fire grills and K outdoor kitchens and entertainment areas it’s
Made for bringing family and friends over and just enjoying well you need it’s so big it needed some it’s too much Hardscape it is things that don’t live in your backyard like like patios and grills and all the things I just said it needs greencape living plants that help
It just build it up and so boxwoods are perfect with that another companion that goes with here’s the combo of January so boxwood we start with that that’s the feature it’s just easy to grow winter Evergreen plant uh every yard needs at least one and so it goes with red
Clusterberry katoni Aster this is a bigger plant so boxwoods are typically about knee high this one’s head high so it’s got um kind of a Bluer foliage instead of break green Kelly Green so they they go together red clusterberry keton AER gets a white flower in Spring
And then it turns into these clusters of red berries that they’re they have on them right now and so red cluster I think that’s a harder plant than even red tip fenia which is the number one Sellar katoni Aster there’s there’s two varieties of native Katon aers just grow
Wild here so it’s it’s related to those so you know that they are tough they don’t get the disease animals don’t eat them it’s just a good companion plant for for January they go with mint julip uh Juniper mint julip Juniper junipers this is a female so it doesn’t
Put the Polland on but it has this great kind of chest tie texture it’s a texture thing you know it’s you got a robust easy to grow takes the Sun the wind the brutal soils and just grows well even you don’t have to do they they junipers just grow but it’s a
Good companion your the companions grow in the same kind of of soil they grow together but they complement that’s a good companion plant uh Arizona Cyprus number one that’s that’s the that’s the number one selling big upright I want screening plant that’s it I try to get folks to plant
More pine trees or Spruce but they see they keep they keep going back to Arizona Cyprus just because it grows so fast so thick and truly native but Arizona cypress has more of that blue silvery color to it and it’s a big plant
So you got a big you got a head high you got a 20f footer a head high a chest High a knee high and then we have Austrian pine pine is just it’s a long needled Pine so we do pine trees better than anyone else in the country they
Just naturally grow we’ve live in some of the biggest Pine Ponderosa Pine Forest at least and world right here this is us we Pines love growing here well austrians are just like a Ponderosa only they hold their foliage right down to the ground so in a landscape it’s
Much prettier much more shapely a Ponderosa basically what you’re planting you’re can end up with a trunk in the yard all the folage is going to be well above your your house way up there but you’ll get to you get to enjoy this red bark that’s it uh Arizona or Austrian Pines
So much better if I’m if I’m Landscaping a design for you I’m gonna skew you towards this or Speck that in and then we’ll end with for those kind of kind of shaded areas you use grow in that Eastern uh um in the Shaded north side
Of the house you need a conifer an evergreen that just holds its folage but it will take that shade as well and you will do that so a summary boxwood katoni Aster junipers and Arizona cypress all go together and look fantastic in the month of January be right back after
This hi Lisa with the plants of the week in our Austrian pine we have instantaneous trees just in and ready for planting this Pine has the same long needles as our ponderosa pine without all the problems and these trees are really big and bold this is the fastest
Growing at the pines and lots of sizes to choose from Waters Garden Center 1815 iron Springs Road in Prescot for people who love big bold Pines they love to shop the top 10 Gardener your source for timely Garden advice seasonally correct for the garden guaranteed to make a difference in your yard this
Season you’ve tuned in to the top 10 Gardener with Garden expert Ken Lane join him daily as he answers timely Garden questions that are sure to make a difference in your Gardens now welcome your host Ken Lane and we are back with Lisa Waters Lane she comes each week and just shares her garden Insight just what is going on in her Gardens and her what’s which’s top of mind so you get different gardeners you get different ideas plus I like sharing microphone time with a
Pretty gal thank you gal your gal you look good thank you so how what you got what you thinking about this week well for us so for for gardeners especially for nursery owners spring is like Christmas to us we we just get super excited U when we know trucks are
Starting to roll things are coming in and we are expecting our first truck of the Season uh to come in I think next week I don’t I never give an exact date because is Trucking is one of those so many times a truck breaks down in Vegas
I don’t know why that is sometimes or you get a snowstorm coming in so there’s a lot of things going affect it but we’re expecting it next week which means it could be next week or the week after but hey it’s coming yeah four different Farms we’ve got hitting four different
Farms up up uh and loading different things so all kinds of stuff a mixture of things are coming uh but the main thing I’m excited about is some of the new um fruit fruit trees that we have coming in so fruit trees and and those early spring flowering trees will be
Coming in uh and they’ve really gotten creative with the fruit trees yeah which is kind of cool because you know you seen one peach tree we’ve sold thousands which is great not knocking peach trees they do wonderful here um but it’s kind of fun the new ones that they’re coming
Up with so if you’re if you’re kind of new into this environment the the what do you always call it the highlands of Arizona Central Highlands Central Highlands this higher come up the hill ctis Junction and you go to the right you got Sedona Camp birdie Cottonwood to
The left you got presc Valley Dewey mayor Humbolt you got Chino Valley Paul and all this this whole area we’re all the same Zone we’re all the same plants we’re all the same and fruit trees do really well in our environment some people are surprised at what we’ll grow
Here they can’t grow citr can’t grow off cter trees but we can grow a lot of things and they do very well so peaches plums nectarines cherries pears what am I missing apricots uh almonds PL walnuts yeah so you got a wide variety of things that
Can grow up here so and what I like about some of these newer trees that we’re getting in is that they’re they’re kind of combination trees so we’re getting excuse me so in the apples I’m sorry I got voice is trying to go it we got some really
Cool so a lot of your Apple a lot of fruit trees so we’ll start with that they need a pollinator some you know you sometimes you can put just one Variety in and it will pollinate and you’re fine but a lot of times they need a partner
And they need a partner that will pollinate with them not every Apple pollinates every other apple right uh what I love about the combo trees is they are picking for varieties that will will pollinate each other compliment so if you have a smaller yard or maybe you
Want an apple tree and a Cherry Tree um but you don’t want just one variety you can get different varieties off of there they pollinate each other so you’re saving that space um so that’s really fun so the apples we do get the threein ones um and get two different kinds with
The apples sometimes they’ll be they’ll be grafted onto that main trunk you’ll get three or four different varieties grafted on uh but we also get one that’s they call a clump so with that one you’re getting three separate tree varieties it’s almost like the Aspens when the Aspens come in absolutely so
You get three different varieties that have their own trunks yeah uh and we get those as well which is kind of cool and they’re all made to pollinate each other and the other beauty of this is another name they call these are cocktail trees because there’s a blend of different
Fruits on the same tree and so so the the other beauty of this is they get harvested at different times so you aren’t you don’t have eight bushels of honey crisp you’ve got some Golden Delicious then the then the honey crisp come off then it’s the Galas then it’s
The black Arkansas whatever the the combo is so you can it takes the pressure off of having to deal with all this fruit all at once it broadens it out definitely so the trees that we’re getting combos so apples definitely uh we’re getting cherry IES in the three in
One and 4 in one and we’re getting pears in the three in one four good so those that’ll be great um I can’t remember if we’re getting a peach or not I’m gonna have to look that up but we are getting what they call the fruit salad combo so
The fruit salad is it may have a peach a nectarine and a plum so all pitted fruits all pitted fruits yeah you’re not going to get an Apple in a plum or yeah can’t graft a peach onto an apple tree they’re different varieties it’d be like
A cancer just it would eject it but you can a peach and and a apricot they’re the same they’re both pitted fruits plums they kind of cross over so some you can graft and some you cannot and then we’re getting a few of the ones that are
Are are they gen so like a PL lot which is a plum and a apricot they’ve grafted a an apricot onto a peach root stock so you’re doing it that way still a graphed but they’re playing with root stocks what varieties go where and how much
Kind of fun it’s kind of getting some crosses on those so we’re getting a few of those in kind of things as well so um last year we we introduced kind of that fruit salad tree and we didn’t know it was going to be so popular big it was
Big we ran out we tried to get we ran out again so this year we we hopefully brought in a lot but I what I would tell people is do not wait if this is one you were looking at last year and couldn’t get or you’re just thinking oh that’s
Kind of a cool idea and I got a spot don’t wait too long because they do go and and like you said they’re not widgets where you can go produce 20 more what you get for the season kind is what you get for the season that’s what the
Farms have grown yeah H so you’re not going to get a lot more the average age of these trees coming in oh yeah anywhere from seven to 12 years old depend on the size what bucket size a trunk but they are they were planted you know what years ago we just now they’re
Big enough to harvest or shapely enough to to bring them in yeah and I would say our trees we really uh the vendors that we we do the farming for us that we buy from um they do an excellent job you’re you’re not going to find a little skinny
Whip it’s not going to be some tree that you’re going to wait 10 years to get fruit off of um you’re going to start getting fruit off of these pretty quickly first year and they’re healthy trees they’re well rooted out they’re not going to be bare root they’re well
Rooted out in their buckets so those are important things to think about when you’re shopping trees make sure the trunk is straight I mean trees if you get an ugly tree it never gets pretty it just gets uglier and uglier with age a beautiful tree up front just gets more
And more luscious as it grows it’s the most important thing you want to make sure you handpick your trees even if you’re having another landscap or do the work for you want to handpick your tree shrubs less important perennial flowers ah doesn’t even matter it trees you need
To handpick those so you get the right ones and then make sure if we’re talking fruit trees make sure there are varieties that are high altitude varieties because you’ll see there’ll there’ll be fruit trees in every box every grocery store they’ll be everywhere true half of them I’d say
Half of the trees you find in the marketplace not here at Waters we we cherry pick the ones that are right for here no pun intended but yeah but you’ll see desert varieties you know that that buyer’s going I got a 100 stores ship 50
Of those to all my stores and they don’t care if it’s for Flag Staff or PAC or Phoenix or they’re just ordering they just want to make a sale of a tree it’s just not I’m embarrassed sometimes but okay honey get off your my Soap Box sometimes the gardening you’re not a bad
Gardener you were sold the wrong thing don’t fall off your soap um the other thing I wanted to mention is we’re actually getting a nice selection of dwarf um nectarin and dwarf peaches so the nectarines we’re getting Arctic babe and nectar babe which are really babe in my and then in peaches
We’re getting um Garden gold honey babe and the pixie yeah um so some really nice dwarfs that are coming in we’ll also be getting our early crab apples um and Red Buds and Plum PLS ornamental plums we get that new flamethrower which is really a pretty tree yeah so definitely getting the new
Stuff in it’s good time to come in and start checking us out spring is right around the corner the the trees are the plants are in route uh we’ve actually gotten some trucks already in so it’s kind of exciting time and you can plant those whenever you’re ready best to
Plant them before they wake up before they Lea out or bloom in Spring you want to get them in the ground kenisa Lane the mountain gardeners be right back after the as the days get longer and brighter house plants can struggle and Scorch but we have the solution at
Waters we’ve organized our house plants from A to Z for the brightest of Sunny locations many even Bloom with experts that know plants and how to make them grow shipments of the freshest house plants in town have just arrived from A to Z and ready for a bright new home
Waters Garden Center where people who love bright greenh house plants they love to shop found in Prescot you’re listening to Garden expert Ken Lane owner of waters Garden Center in presc look for more tips tricks and garden shortcuts through Ken’s website additional shows of this podcast read
His weekly Garden column or follow him on Facebook Instagram at Waters Garden center.com that’s Waters with two T’s Garden center.com welcome to the top 10 Garden Show at Ken Lane listen to Ken’s tips tricks and garden shortcuts guaranteed to make your Gardens more beautiful than ever this year now welcome your host Ken
Lang so if you have a new landscape going into your yard you’re you’re going to be landscaping or or adding substantial or remodeling your landscape uh this next spring we’re coming into the season where you’ve got a lot of choices so right now we’ve we’ve gone from mainly just winter Evergreens we’ve
Been planting we plant year round here but the winter evergreens are there’s a lot of selection a lot of choice but now we’re coming into the fruit trees and the spring blooming shrubs the spring blooming trees there’s a lot more choices perennials will be right after that then the veggies and herbs so
There’s there season is there’s a ramp up and so you’re coming into that planting season how do you plant in a for season climate if you’re if this is new to you you’re from let’s say a tropical area you haven’t really seen snow before well this is a Four Season
Climate and I use the 20% rule So 20% of your plant selection should be dedicated to Spring Bloomers just that’s the lilacs the fcas and all the wisterias the just the inspiration of spring oh my gosh it’s been winter and now look at that that’s amazing I can’t believe Red
Buds Bloom like that that’s crazy that’s beautiful I want more 20% should be dedicated to that 20% should be dedicated to Summer Bloomers that’s crep myrtles or Rose of Sharons even roses are that so you’ve got something going on because the spring Bloomers going to bloom and then they’re done they’re just
Green now so you’re left wanting if you want the bloom cycle to continue plant some summer blooming Things fall color that’s your Maples and Aspens uh things that just go wow I can’t believe a tree could turn that color red that’s amazing 20% should be winter Evergreen that’s
We’ve come through if you didn’t have enough Evergreens in your yard you kind of felt it know feels kind of Stark out there what what’s going on you didn’t have enough green to keep you going and then the last 20% So 20% spring 20% summer 20% fall 20% winter the other 20
Is just what tickles your fancy if this is your summer home and you winter down in Scottdale dedicated to Summer put this put more uh burning bush put more butterfly bush put those things in if this is your winter home your you you summer in Alaska we focus on the fall
And winter stuff so put it towards or if you just love spring and I like everything about blooms focus on Spring stuff that’s your plant mix that’s how you’ll get that that right rotation coming through another big mistake we we do a lot of flower beds we don’t do
Lawns here we do raised beds and when you’re when you’re layering your flowers go from tall to small so the backside should be taller flowers Snap Dragons the shorter flowers should be pansies also perennials and annuals so for me I love perennials their their anchors they come back year after year
Perennials they just don’t Bloom as well as annuals do so I’ll fill my taller uh um perennial flowers towards the backside and there’s always something rotating through a lot of your wild flowers are perennials they they bloom for a while and then they kind of fade then some something else will come out
And Bloom what I do is to get to have my cake and frosting too I tend to Anchor everything with perennials they’re going to come back every year but they may not bloom quite as well but I always interject some some annual flowers nothing blooms like a petunia oh my gosh
Geraniums Cal Kaa zenas vinas These Are Over the Top nonstop rius Bloom nothing can compare to that so I’ll sprinkle some of those in at the front edge of my containers I put annuals but I’ll have an anchoring big perennial perennial thing there excuse me so that’s some flower tricks that
Kind of kind of work out consistency so you need some color everyone wants to go all bloom but you need some other foliage plants see foliage is is as interesting so Nandina or Heavenly Bamboo it’s a great foliage plant it does have a flower but it’s not that pretty you’re planting
This for the foliage then the foliage actually es and flows so right now mine is bright red so if Nandina are in the winter are in bright Sun they turn red then that red will turn back to green uus will do that Katon eser do that it’s
Fun to play with the foliage piece of of those plants um annuals perennials we kind of touched on that there’s a difference and not just with flowers sedums this is a huge there’s hundreds of varieties of sedums dozens and dozens of varieties of of agave yakas some are
Annuals they’re not going to Winter over up here because of our elevation and some are perennial do your homework on that may make sure you’re checking you’re getting the right variety I see too many mistakes where folks bring their collection from their previous home in Palm Springs they come up here
And it dies in the winter uh uh red fountain grass frequently people go I love it I’ve grown it for years I always have it and then it doesn’t come back in the winter here at this elevation it’s an annual not a perennial everywhere else in the country it’s lower
Elevations it’s a perennial comes back so but not up here and then Hardscape and Greenscape those are two terms you’ll hear often in landscaping Hardscape is non-living landscape pieces so your patio your fences your barbecue grill your statuary the pond these are all Arbors pergolas these are all hard
Escape uh and then greencape are all the plants so trees shrubs grass flower beds and the secret is 60% you get this right and it will feel balanced and just just beautifully it will feel right you can’t put your your finger on it you go this just feels
Right 60% green plants should be covering your plot of land so that’s that’s sounds like a lot but a tree takes up a huge area so but 60 you get that right and it will feel right if you get too many plants you go to 70 80%
Plants to your to your plot plan it’s going to feel overgrown oh what they didn’t know when to do to stop oh my gosh if you get too little you know a rock a boulder sling some crushed granite around and one tree it’s GNA feel like you’re wanting like what is this a
Rental do they do they run out of money what happened they got a million dollar house and no plants what’s going on it feels luner it feels Dusty feels dirty feels like uncomplete so 60% is that is that is that marker so when we’re designing Landscapes we’re trying to go
60% we’re thinking mature size of that tree or that hedro or that uh screening plant or or or or framing a a Vista but we want 70% green plants to that to that space around you so that that’ll be a real helpful percentage for you play
With textures one that I don’t think we use often enough but just loves growing up here at higher elevations grasses we have so many Native grasses that grow here down the desert they have cacti up here we’ve got grasses and yakas so we do better with those anything else I love grass because
It it adds motion it’s adds drama adds texture it’s always adds some something to look at even in the slightest of Breeze where most famous for a pampus grass that’s a great big one get these huge plumes it gets head high or tall taller and the plumes are above that but
There’s so many varieties and they all do well here fruit trees they all do well here so fruits kind of nice it’s got a spring Bloom it’s got summer foliage it’s got fall color and you get an ornamental fruit on it it’s kind of has a lot of different of these these
Design Elements all wrapped up into so many the other one that’s that really is tricky for my Midwestern folks um sun the sun is more intense here this elevation is brighter so you’re used to Growing let’s say Japanese maple out in full sun here in the mountains of
Arizona at this elevation they’re not going to like that I know the tag says it grows in full sun but Bo you really ought to have some protection that mid mid June 10 to two it’s not going to light growing there more shaded East Side underne the canopy of a of a of
Another tree that’s where they’re going to thrive so geraniums I know the tag says blooms in full sun and it will grow in full sun but it just doesn’t Bloom very long it blooms longer better stronger and it has a little bit of that mid afternoon shade to it so you you
You’ll play around we call this gardening getting familiar with where your things are at but do that kind of homework check top 10 plants.com that’s that’s our our our plants are located there and we describe how they grow here how much sun for here how big they’re
Going to get here not nationally okay gotta gotta go after this break be right back with more don’t go anywhere right after this not everyone can grow wild flowers but we’ll make sure you’re not one of them at Waters we know which wild flowers Sprout Thrive and Bloom with
Success we’re wild about wild flowers with many of our own Arizona Blends like our Arizona native mix butterfly and hummingbird mixes and all are big bold and beautiful at Waters we know wild flowers and Winter’s a season to spread new seed Waters Garden Center where people who love their flowers wild they
Love to shop for seed you’re listening to Garden expert Ken Lane he can be found throughout the week at wat’s Garden Center in presc thanks for tuning in to the top 10 Garden Show you’ve tuned in to the top 10 Gardener with Garden expert Ken Lane join him daily as he answers timely
Garden questions that are sure to make a difference in your Gard now welcome your host Ken Lane you know over the holidays lots of eggnog lots of turkey lots of family lots of kids lots of relaxation not as much Garden time Outdoors a few hikes around did a little
Camping over near Parker on did some of that it it was nice but you know I just feel better when I’m out in the landscape playing with plants and I just I got to thinking why is that here I’m planting a hedge R in January that’s a
Sign of a gardener if ever you heard one uh so it’s beautiful it looks great it’s Evergreen and when I got all done I went wow got my hands dirty I’m playing with worms trying to save them because they’re my digging they’re my planting H
I don’t want to I don’t want to hurt you I know if you split them in two they divide but I don’t want to I keep you whole right over here here you go nursing around the Scotty with me Outdoors kind of go hey what hole we
Digging this is great should I bring something to help you so they’re out there enjoying it with you as well um you you’ve got plants are they’re a living breathing thing out there even though they’re growing slowly they’re still living breathing in your landscape and it just feels good when you’re pruning
Cleaning things up when you’re planting something new uh pansies are they’re in bloom Jan they’re winter blooming my winter blooming jasms heavily budded it’s kind of head faking me so I’m going gonna Bloom wait wait a minute I’ll wait till the next warm cycle then I’ll Bloom
It’s getting ready Chamas buds are huge lilacs buds are huge it’s inspiring so you’re nursing I think it’s something to care for and house plants can do this some too but out in the landscape it just in the yard fresh air and birds and waterfalls and it just it’s it’s on a
Grander scale I think so I think it keeps you young I think it keeps your mind young I think it keeps your body moving my boy’s a PA he’s a army captain in uh Fort Sam Houston so if you folks that are in the Army you know where that
Is he goes motion is lotion keep moving and it keeps you going you won’t get so I’m trying to keep I need more lotion as I get older I need to had a couple back surgeries but I keep moving and it keeps me it keeps me going keeps me young
Keeps your brain going because uh I planted three icy blue Arizona Cyprus these are brand new introductions you’ve never seen them before but have a whole can have three of them down this property line and they are spectacular already once they fill in they’ll be glorious so your nurses along I’ll
Fertilize them keep them going I nurse I care for them it’s not quite like you know when you get all done throwing the ball for the Scotty or Swim you just whatever you’re doing with your dogs or cat coming in the morning and and laying
On your on your lap going hey I need some me time that’s cats always thinking me time dogs are going I need some you time uh it’s not quite that but it does make you feel better well that’s it for this show uh class is coming up we’ve got uh how
To grow wildf flower next week we’ve got how to prepare your soil how to grow better fruit trees take a look at those at Waters Garden center.com take a look and join us they’re free every Saturday at 9:30 here at Waters Garden Center Hi Elisa with the plants of the
Week and our Austrian pine we have instantaneous trees just in and ready for planting this Pine has the same long needles as our ponderosa pine without all the problems and these trees are really big and bold this is the fastest growing at the L and lots of sizes to
Choose from Waters Garden Center 1815 Iron Springs Road in Prescot for people who love big bold pins they love to shop if you want a more fruitful Garden increased success in landscape that just feels better then tune in Daily to the top 10 Garden podcast years of tips tricks and garden shortcuts are
Guaranteed to make your Gardens nicer than ever listen to this podcast or read Ken’s weekly Garden column by visiting Waters Garden center.com that’s Waters with 2garden center.com thanks for tuning in