A Springtime Fish Story
By Ken Lain, The Garden Guy

I love gardening, but as many of you know, my other passion is deep sea fishing. This past week I flew down to Loreto, Mexico
with some guys from the Heights Church. I just had to share this picture because it shows the size of several large fish we caught.
The yellow tail I'm holding took 20 minutes to get into the boat, and was the highlight of our trip.

Loreto is half-way down the Baja peninsula, facing the Sea of Cortez. The whales, porpoises, hammerhead s;harks, sea lions, and other really large fsh all create a wilderness mystique that keeps drawing me back to this part of our world. This time the humpback whales were feeding.
It was an unusual, truly memorable treat for me to have a front row seat to watch these majestic giants.

The guys I went down with are an exceptional bunch and the fishing is the best, but for me the icing on the cake of this trip was one exceptional kayak ride. A buddy and I went out late one afternoon when the water was really smooth (just the way I like it).
We were still out right at dusk when the largest sea lion I have ever seen popped up beside the kayaks to say hello. The totally unexpected close encounter with such a spectacular beast was an exhilarating thrill! My dream is to be out at dusk in a kayak on smooth water and have a similar intimate encounter with a whale.

I come back to Prescott this week and find that spring is here. The apricot tree in our front yard is in full bloom, daffodils are open, and the willows are covered in leaf buds. All are sure signs that our winter is over.

Since my return I've been asked the following question at least a dozen times : "Are those greenhouses you're building at the back of the garden center?" My answer is that for the past three years greenhouses on the premises have been my dream . However, I didn't dare spend that kind of expansion money until I was sure we could survive the construction on Iron Springs Road. Well, as it's no secret that the road is almost complete, I decided it was time to launch the greenhouses expansion project.

My goal has been that by the first day of spring there would be two new side-by-side greenhouses totaling 5,000 square feet of climate-controlled space. The side walls can be rolled up on nice days, creating more of a cabana than a greenhouse. Shade cloth will extend automatically
on hot summer days, making it downright comfortable for both customers and plants.

My thanks to all of you who noticed our construction activity. Being one of the few businesses to weather the two years of upheaval on Iron Springs Road, I really am looking forward to seeing our customers back this spring. I'm thinking we'll have to throw a party of some sort to celebrate completion of the greenhouses as well as the 45 years that our family has operated a garden center in Prescott. Hmm, sounds like a good idea.

One of my favorite early spring evergreen plants is the Oregon Grape Holly, Mahonia. This plant grows wild on the hilltops surrounding Prescott. Many mistake it for holly until it shows its bright yellow flowers, like it's doing now at the garden center.

This valuable western native is at home under the high canopies of our pine forests as well as in exposed valley locations. Tall and thin, it is perfect in tight, narrow spaces to flank gateways and in side yards with limited space. It is often planted hedge-style against fences and walls, but it works well as a freestanding hedge in those narrow spaces often found between driveways. This plant is handy for filling odd spots in the garden such as covering water pipe valves and utility boxes. It also looks great in Japanese gardens. Those of you living near forest lands will be glad to know that it is reliably deer resistant.

Because of the thick, almost leathery foliage, the plant stands up well to blistering heat and wind. As its common name suggests, it bears a small, delicious, grape-like fruit. Unfortunately, most of us rarely enjoy these berries because birds LOVE these tasty morsels and get to them before we do! This versatile plant is available now at garden centers, as this is the time to plant it.

Besides your input about this column, I also would like to hear some of your fish stories. Submit them to me at Watters Garden Center, 1815 Iron Springs Road, Prescott, AZ 86305, or through my website, wattersonline.com

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

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