
Mountain Gardener with Ken Lain
Gardening season is year-round with Watters Garden Center's Ken Lain. The Mountain Gardener shares his secrets on how to have the most beautiful, blooming Prescott landscape.
Episodes
759 episodes
H2-Whoa! A Guide to Quenching Your Garden's Summer Thirst
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, shares a gardener's guide to quenching your garden's summer thirst. He gives practical advice emphasizing plant maintenance and common summer plant issues. He also addresses two major summer pro...
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10:07

Preventing Green Tomato Worms in the Gardens
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, discusses preventing green tomato worms in the gardens. Learn the lifecycle of the tomato hornworm and the sphinx moth, while a beneficial pollinator, lays eggs that hatch into these destructive...
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4:16

Gardening with Javelina and other Backyard Animals
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, discusses gardening with javelina and other backyard animals. Javelina can bring a challenge to caring for a healthy garden. They root around seeking out roots, grubs, and other subterranean foo...
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9:42

Best Fall Plants for Autumn Long Flowers, Color, and Blooms
In this episode, Ken and Lisa of Watters Garden Center share the best fall plants for Autumn long flowers, color, and blooms. Fall is fast approaching, and the gardens are getting ready to sleep away the winter! But take heart, there are plenty...
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9:30

How to Save Money at a Garden Center
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, chats about how to save money at a garden center. Garden centers offer significant discounts on plants during seasonal transitions, specifically in late summer and early fall, as they clear out ...
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6:04

What's Better as a Privacy Screen Arizona Cypress or Deodar Cedar?
In this episode, Ken and Lisa of Watters Garden Center discuss whether the Arizona Cypress or Deodar Cedar makes a better privacy screen. A green and healthy living screen can add beauty and privacy to your landscape. Master gardeners Ken and L...
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10:02

Late Summer Pruning for Winter-Long Beauty
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, shares info on late summer pruning for winter-long beauty. Late summer garden maintenance is important for your garden's health. Not just for now, but also going into the next season. Late summe...
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9:49

From Newbie to Garden Pro in Arizona
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, shares how to go from newbie to garden pro in Arizona. Watters Garden Center offers some wonderful classes all summer long, and in August, those classes continue, where you can learn all the bes...
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4:43

Four Garden Blunders to Avoid at All Cost
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, shares four garden blunders to avoid at all costs. There are four common mistakes that gardeners often make, including overwatering and incorrect composting practices. What are the other common ...
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9:41

The Biggest Perennial Flowers of Summer
In this episode, Ken and Lisa of Watters Garden Center share the biggest perennial flowers of summer. Hear all about some beautiful bloomers, including the fragrant Saffron Echinacea, the hummingbird-attracting Salvia, and the vibrant Rudbeckia...
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9:33

The Cost of Travel to Your Gardens
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, discusses the cost of travel to your gardens. After returning from a business trip, Ken recounts that some of the costs of travel are the inevitable stress or loss of plants at home, despite pre...
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5:58

Which is the Better Tree Aspen or Birch?
In this episode, Ken and Lisa of Watters Garden Center in Prescott answer the question: Which is the better tree, Aspen or Birch? They also chat about common plant issues, emphasizing the importance of consistent care and targeted treatments. T...
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9:32

Hot Weather Blooms for Vibrant Prescott Gardens
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, discusses hot weather blooms for vibrant Prescott gardens. He shares timely advice for maintaining vibrant gardens, emphasizing the importance of removing heat-stressed plants that are no longer...
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9:54

See the Gardens Live through Social Media
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, reflects on the significant shift in marketing from traditional methods like magazines and large corporate events to the influence of social media. He reflects on how the rise of social media ma...
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4:19

Euphorbia in the Easy to Grow Perennial Garden
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, chats about euphorbia in the garden. Euphorbia is a remarkably robust and easy-to-grow perennial plant that is ideal for various garden settings. It brings its own natural defense that is pest-r...
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9:45

Pretty Blooming Trees Best Planted in Summer
In this episode, Ken and Lisa of Watters Garden Center discuss pretty blooming trees best planted in summer. From ornamental pears to crabapple and redbud, there are so many trees that bring beautiful blooms and love to be planted in the summer...
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9:47

Top Plants with Really BIG Flowers
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, chats about the top plants with really big flowers. Rose of Sharon, crepe myrtle, smoke bush, and other great plants bring huge blooms to the garden. They offer different benefits and colors, br...
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6:00

Monsoon Weeds and Erosion Control
In this episode, Ken and Lisa of Watters Garden Center in Prescott discuss monsoon weeds and erosion control. So far this year, the monsoon hasn't been very active, but there is still the possibility of monsoon rains and with the extra moisture...
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9:43

Why Grubs Attract Death into the Gardens
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, shares why grubs attract death into the gardens. Grubs can pose a significant problem for the garden as they eat plant roots, which can severely stress or kill plants by inhibiting their ability...
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9:45

Plants for the Lunchtime Special
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, chats about plants for the lunchtime special. Hear about the "Sip and Shop" event success and the positive feedback received. The event featured specialty plants like pitcher plants and rare mon...
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4:09

Fast Growing Groundcovers for Hills and Rock Lawns
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener of Prescott, discusses fast-growing groundcovers for hills and rock lawns. It is important to understand the soil type you have in your yard for irrigation purposes. An inch of rain can penetrate...
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10:07

Slim Sentinels: The Elegance of Narrow Trees
In this episode, Ken and Lisa of Watters Garden Center chat about those Slim Sentinels and the elegance of narrow trees. Listen in as they focus on specialized plants for unique garden needs. There are some amazing tall, slender trees that work...
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9:43

What to Do When Plants Die in the Garden
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, shares what to do when plants die in the garden. Do you have a persistent problem with plants dying in a specific garden spot despite efforts like replacing soil and clearing roots? You might fi...
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6:25

Shady Shrubs for Shady Gardens
In this episode, Ken and Lisa of Watters Garden Center in Prescott discuss shady shrubs for shady gardens. There are great evergreen shrubs for shady garden corners, including holly, spreading yew, daphne, gardenia, hydrangea, and hostas, just ...
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9:17

Javelina to Hornworms: Your Guide to a Pest Free Garden
In this episode, Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener, shares a guide to a pest-free garden. In this segment, learn about pest management, specifically addressing an aphid infestation on his watermelons and cucumbers, as well as whiteflies on a sage...
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9:41
