Turn on the Waterworks

Lisa and I have witnessed that friends really do wish friends success. We thank you for the many kind words in regard to winning the ‘Most Revolutionary Garden Center’ award. It is the pinnacle of achievement in the nursery world, the industry’s highest recognition of merit, and a plain ol’ huge honor.

Of course, Lisa and I didn’t earn it by ourselves. It never would have been possible without our marvelous staff. Truly, we have been blessed with a tremendous team that is fun to work with, enjoys coming to work every day, and thrives when connecting our customers with the right plants for positive gardening experiences.

From Lisa and me to our exceptional staff: We thank you for making our jobs so enjoyable and our garden center an exceptional place to work. You have been a major factor in winning this prestigious award.
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Once again the spring planting season is in full swing. As the plants go into the ground the question most asked at the garden center this week has been: “When do I turn on the water?” My answer always is accompanied by the caveat to never believe anybody who proclaims to know EXACTLY how to water and offers an EXACT schedule to follow for each season. All yards are different and so are their watering demands.

I'll give you the watering guidelines I have used over the years. They seem to work well with heavy soils, but you might need to increase the frequency if you live in areas out towards Granite Mountain that have fast-draining soils. Because watering requirements are contingent upon the soil bands going through each yard, these are only general guidelines. Ultimately, your yard will be slightly different from anyone else’s. When I gardened in Prescott Valley I even found that the back yard was very different from the front yard!

Starting sometime in mid-April I will be watering once every 7 to 10 days. Getting into June, the weather heats up so that's when I will increase the watering frequency to every 5 to 7 days. The key to efficient, effective use of water is a long, deep watering rather than a more frequent shallow one. A drip system should run for 2 - 3 hours to properly penetrate the entire root zone.

As I said, these are just guidelines but they provide a good jumping off point. For years now, I have been in the habit of taking a morning stroll through the garden just to keep tabs on how things are growing and to monitor the soil to adjust my watering schedule accordingly.

Many times we can’t tell from the soil's appearance if it's time to water. The soil surface can be dry and crusty, but the soil a few inches down can be wet. A water meter is a handy means to test soil moisture five inches below the surface. I found a really good digital moisture meter by Rapidtest that I use for my houseplants and landscape. It’s battery operated and very easy to use. Although it’s a simple tool it is a specialty tool, but most garden centers carry this particular digital model.

I have an excellent water guide that is perfect to tape inside the cover of an irrigation timer. It is a simple guide with both the summer and winter suggested waterworks schedules. It's at the garden center free for the asking to anyone who wants to water smarter.
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Pictured is my plant of the week, the Silver Cloud Redbud, Cercis canadensis, a newcomer to Yavapai County. It is the familiar mountain redbud, but with a twist. The twist is the creamy white and pink variegated foliage. The heart shaped leaves are stunning, but the flowers are the real attention getters. They go from a rosy pink that opens fully to lavender pink in early spring. The 15-foot umbrella shape creates a perfect showpiece for anywhere in the landscape whether used as an ornamental accent, in raised beds, or as a fire wise plant of only moderate water use. This truly unusual tree is rarely offered at garden centers and is available only in early spring when it is about to bloom.
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Lisa and I love animals and are loyal supporters of our local Yavapai County Humane Society. Because like most non-profits it has felt the sting from the current economy and is desperately struggling, we felt the need to help. So, we offered the garden center at the height of the color season to throw a party to raise money for our needy furry friends. On Sunday April 25, from 3 to 6 pm the 'Pets4Vets' fundraiser will be held at Watters Garden Center. The afternoon’s goal is to raise $20,000 for the Humane Society. I hope that you will bring some family or friends and join us at this fun garden party. The garden center will be gloriously in full bloom and we hope that animal-lovers’ generosity will be, too!

The $45 tickets include lots of great food, the finest wines from around the world, and an auction where yours truly will be the auctioneer for the evening. Tickets can be purchased either at the garden center or from KayAnne Riley, at the Yavapai Humane Society, 928-445-2666, ext 12. Can't make the date? Consider making a donation directly to the Humane Society, or purchase a ticket for a neighbor, friend, or valued employee.

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