I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to the upcoming winter holidays that make this time of year so special.

Of course, when we say holidays, most minds turn to Christmas. Christians account for about 64% of the U.S. population, and according to the Pew Research Center, most people who don’t affiliate with any religion plan to celebrate Christmas as a cultural event.

But there is a wonderful wealth of other holidays and cultural observances that occur between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

Probably the best known of these is Hannukah, the eight-day festival of lights that will begin this year on the evening of December 18. Hannukah (which can also be spelled Chanukah, Chanukkah, or Hanuka) means “dedication” in Hebrew and the holiday commemorates the recapture and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE.

When the Jewish fighters known as the Maccabees defeated the Greek army that occupied Jerusalem, they went to light the Temple’s menorah, only to find that most of the purified ritual oil used for the menorah had been ruined. The story goes that although there was only enough purified oil to keep the menorah lit for one day, it miraculously burned for 8 days. This is the inspiration of the tradition of lighting menorah candles each night. Much of the food associated with the holiday, like potato latkes, are fried in oil as another reminder of the Hannukah miracle.

Earlier this month, Buddhists will observe Bodhi Day, also known as Rohatsu. Celebrated each year on December 8, it commemorates the day that the Buddha, Siddharta Gautama, achieved enlightenment or spiritual awakening (bodhi) after meditating for 49 days straight under a Banyan fig tree. Buddhists honor the day by meditating, chanting Buddhist texts known as sutras, and performing kind acts towards others.

Many cultures will mark the longest night of the year, the winter solstice, which is also the first day of winter. From Iran to China to England to here in the States, many societies in the northern hemisphere celebrate the solstice as the return of the sun, since the days begin to get longer.

In fact, there is one solstice celebration that is right in our back yard. On December 21, the Hopi begin the Soyal ceremony. Hopi tradition says that on this day, the Kachinas (or Katsinam), the spirits that guard over the Hopi, come down from their home in the San Francisco Peaks to bring the sun back to the world. Gift-giving to children, prayers for the coming year, singing, and storytelling are all part of the festivities and kachina dolls are often made in preparation for the celebration.

A relatively new holiday is commonly celebrated in the days between Christmas and New Years. Kwanzaa (the Swahili word for “first fruits” of the harvest) is a weeklong celebration first held in 1966 to honor African heritage in African-American culture. Central to Kwanzaa is its seven principles, known as the Nguzo Saba: unity of family and community; self-determination; collective work and responsibility; cooperative economics; purpose; creativity; and faith. Among the symbols of the holiday are the seven candles (three green, three red and one black) lit on a kinara; fruit and nuts to symbolize work; and an ear of corn to represent fertility and the idea that, through children, the future hopes of a family are brought to life.

Whether you are celebrating a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Joyous Kwanzaa or any of the other winter observances that make this season so special, all of us at Warner’s wish you the happiest of holiday for you and your family.

One of the joys of houseplants is that often if you have one, you can easily turn it into two. It’s the magic of propagation.

There are three basic ways to propagate your houseplants – by literally dividing them at the root, by cutting off a stem, or by transforming a single leaf from your “parent” plant and using it to grow a whole new one.

Dividing

The best time to divide your houseplants is spring because that’s when plants emerge from their winter rest and start growing again.

You’ll start by gently removing your plant from its pot and taking a look at the root ball. Determine the best area to divide – essentially an area with a nice, healthy section of roots.

With a sharp, clean knife, cut a section off the original plant. Make sure that the roots stay intact during this process.

Replant the divided plant as soon as possible into new potting soil and make sure to water and place the plants in a warm location with bright, indirect light.

Good plants to propagate by dividing: Sansevieria, ZZ Plant and Peace Lily.

Leaf Cutting

Rooting a new plant from a leaf requires that you get a clean cut from the parent plant. You’ll need to let the leaf dry out and scab over, otherwise it will absorb too much moisture, leading to root rot.

Take the leaf and dip the “raw” tip of it – where you separated it from the main plant – in a rooting hormone. You’ll want to place about two thirds of the leaf into fresh potting soil. You’ll also want to make sure you are planting it in the same direction it was growing in before it was cut.

Again, keep your new plant warm and water according to the plant’s normal requirements.

Good plants to propagate by leaf cutting: Jade, Snake Plant and Pepermonia.

Stem Cuttings

You can typically grow a new plant from stem cuttings in either soil or water. You’ll see the progress your plant is making more easily if you propagate in water and that can be fun!

This is probably the most common method of propagation, using a healthy shoot of new growth about five to 10 inches long as the starting point of your new plant.

You can cut it off with shears or scissors at an angle, preferably just below a leaf joint. Clear away young foliage at the bottom that could inhibit the stem from actually developing roots. If you are propagating succulents, let them dry for a few hours to seal off the edge and reduce the likelihood of rotting.

After your cutting(s) have grown an adequate root system (usually a couple of months) you can repot.

Good plants to propagate by stem rooting: Dracaena, Pothos, Monstera

If you have any questions about caring for your houseplants, or using propagation to increase how many you have, please stop by and ask – we’d be glad to help.

Happy Gardening!
Misti

Misti

It’s tempting to think that once that first frost starts to arrive in fall, you are done with gardening for the year. Your bulbs are planted for next spring, you’ve harvested the last of your veggies, there’s nothing to do until it gets warm again, right? Wrong.

Although you may have to bundle up while outside in the cooler months of October and November, a little ground work – including cleaning, maintenance and planning – will save you a great deal of time and effort when gardening season rolls around next spring.

Here’s an end of year gardening check list to prepare your garden for its winter snooze and allow you to enjoy a little more time outdoors.

1. Rake up debris. In addition to making your yard and garden look tidy, removing fallen leaves and pine needles from around the base of trees and shrubs lessens the chance of their spreading damaging fungus and disease to next year’s garden. For that reason, don’t use fallen leaves or pine needles as mulch. We recommend bark mulch instead.
2. Add winterizer to trees, shrubs, perennials, flower beds, and lawn.
3. Have your irrigation system winterized by a professional. (Warner’s Landscape Company would be happy to help! Call them at 928-774-5911.)
4. If you have ponds or water features, give any fish you have the vitamins they need for hibernation; bring pumps and filters indoors; drain the excess water out of lines and clean up any debris. Protect or bring in other water features, such as bird baths and fountains, draining and cleaning them prior to storing.
5. Outside potted plants should be brought in if they are susceptible to cold weather. Pots remaining outside should be insulated. Make sure that you keep watering during the winter.
6. After you’ve cleaned out your vegetable garden, apply a layer of compost, which will break down over the winter, making your spring preparation much simpler.
7. For your garden beds, remove annuals and debris and cut back unsightly perennials to slightly above ground level.
8. Add mulch around trees (leaving some space around the trunks) and up to the cane on roses and shrubs.
9. Last but not least, give your tools some love. Clean and oil them and bring them indoors for the winter.

I hope this checklist helps as you wind down the season and this year’s garden.

Happy Gardening,
Misti

In the early spring, you’ll see beautiful displays of tulips, daffodils, irises and crocus dotting the landscapes around town. These bulb-based plants are the promise of the beautiful growing season to come, the first flowers after the chill and gray of winter.

But to enjoy this future beauty, you’ve got to plant them now.

Spring bulbs are a fantastic option for Flagstaff gardeners, because they need the cold weather of winter to bloom. And they are pretty good sports about the occasional frost (or even late season snow) after they bloom.

And when it comes to bang-for-your-buck, you cannot beat bulbs. For a very modest investment, you’ll get a plant that gets bigger and produces more blooms in the years to come.

Here in Flagstaff, late September to late October is the perfect time to plant spring bulbs for optimum spring color. Here’s our guide to giving your spring bulbs a boost now to ensure gorgeous blooms next year.

Planting
Spring blooming bulbs need well-drained soil and at least partial sun to bloom their best. If you live in an area of Flagstaff where clay is prevalent, amend your soil to a depth of about 12 inches to create a loose, well-drained soil texture. When planting, place the bulb facing upward in a hole about twice as deep as the bulb is tall, measured from the bottom on the bulb. (The top of the bulb is the pointed side, called the nose, and the flat side is the bottom, referred to as the root plate.)

Fertilize
Your spring blooming bulbs will need to be fertilized when planted with bone meal or phosphate, both of which are high in phosphorous. Either one can be added to the bottom of the hole and mixed with a small scoop of mulch before placing the bulb and filling up the hole. (Pro tip: Top dressing with fertilizer after planting will not have the same positive effects, however you might want to sprinkle a bit on top to ward off pesky animals looking to make a meal out of your freshly planted bulbs.)

Watering
Give your newly planted bulbs a good soaking right after planting. If we receive at least two inches of snow every ten days, your bulbs won’t need additional watering. When the shoots start to appear in spring, start watering bulbs about once a week with a nice deep soaking, but take care not to overwater as this can cause bulb rot.

Spring Fertilizing
As soon as you see growth on your bulbs in the spring, fertilize the area monthly until the bulbs flower. After the bulbs begin to flower, just stop and enjoy the show.

Maintenance
After your bulbs’ flowers fade, you can be left with the leaves which many consider messy and unattractive. Resist the temptation to cut them off. They are necessary for the plant to photosynthesize and produce the stored energy needed for the following year.

One easy solution to hiding the mess is to layer planting beds so that the remaining bulb foliage is hidden by emerging spring perennials. Another solution is to trim back the flower stems and leave the foliage as a green accent. Once that foliage has turned yellow or brown and died back, it can be removed.

Our days are still warm and it is still a great time to be outside. Enjoy the weather and add a beautiful spring accent to your garden by planting bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, crocus and irises now. You will be glad you did next spring!

If you have any questions about bulbs – or any other gardening issues – please feel free to ask our experts here at Warner’s Nursery. We are happy to help.

Happy Gardening,
Misti Warner-Andersen