For houseplant lovers, one of the most fun projects you can do is create a little miniature “garden under glass,” better known as a terrarium. We’ll be holding a terrarium workshop later this month, but I wanted to give you a preview of what goes into creating this beautiful item that can add so much to your décor – or be a terrific gift.

Simply put, a terrarium is a container, typically made of glass, that is fully or partially enclosed and filled with small plants. A fully enclosed terrarium will essentially create an ecosystem that’s self-sustaining, but some plants (like succulents) require a container that’s at least partially open to allow for airflow.

These mini-gardens can be quite creative, featuring decorations as well as plants.

What Do You Need for a Terrarium?

First off, you need a container to hold your plants. There are specifically designed containers for terrariums, but you can also use any clear glass container with a wide mouth, from a goldfish bowl to a cookie jar. You’ll also need to select small plants that don’t grow too fast to populate your terrarium. African violets, pothos, small ferns, lucky bamboo, club moss and creeping figs are all good choices. And, of course, succulents, but again we’d suggest not fully sealing the container if you do.

You’ll also want some gravel or crushed stone, a little sheet moss, potting mix and – to make it really fancy – some decorations.

Putting Together Your Terrarium

Terrariums don’t have drainage holes, so you’ll want to build up your terrarium to create a drainage layer that keeps water away from the plants’ roots. That’s where your gravel or crushed stone comes in, to give water a place to go.  Then you’ll want to use a little moss to create a layer between the stone and your potting soil. 

Add damp potting soil next – at least two inches. You don’t want to put too much soil in, however, because you need to leave room for your plants to grow without touching the top of a closed terrarium.

Now the fun part – start planting. Think about what you want the finished product to look like. Arrange your taller and shorter plants so they are visually interesting. Contrast colors and leaf shapes to make them stand out – much like you do for your outside garden beds!

When you take your plants out of their containers, tease out any roots that have become rootbound. You also might want to trim the roots a bit (this retards the growth of the plant, but be careful not to cut too much back). Create holes for each plant and place the plants in the terrarium, gently patting the soil down to keep them secure and eliminate any air pockets.

Once your plants are in, you can add fun decorations to your terrarium to truly make it your own.

Terrarium Workshop

Terrarium building is even more fun when you get to do it with other plant enthusiasts. That’s why we’ve scheduled a terrarium workshop for Saturday, Feb. 19. You’ll get all the materials you need to create your terrarium, plus complimentary coffee, tea or wine. Learn more about it here.

Happy Gardening, 
Misti

With cold days and snow ahead of us, it might seem a little early to start thinking about this year’s vegetable garden, but now is the perfect time to start planning so that you can start preparing for the garden you want this summer.

Northern Arizona Gardeners have two big challenges every year as they work to get their veggie gardens growing. The first is our high elevation and the second is a shorter-than-average growing season. We barely have 100 days where it doesn’t dip into freezing temperatures overnight.

The good news is that with a little prep work outside and some seed starting indoors, you can still enjoy the whole range of cool- and warm-weather veggies.

Getting the Ground Ready

First off, identify and prepare your planting space. It doesn’t have to be huge, but for vegetables, you want a spot with at least five to six hours of full sun.

You also need good soil. Rich soil that drains well and has a proper mix of nutrients is crucial to successful gardening. Unfortunately, bad soil is rampant throughout northern Arizona, but the only way to be sure is to test your soil. (We have DIY kits here at Warner’s). The tests will let you know what amendments you might need to improve your soil.

If your soil won’t support a garden, however, consider creating a “raised” garden bed. You’ll want to fill the bed with a mix of topsoil, compost and other organic materials like manure to give your plants that nutrient-rich environment that is so important for their growth.

Note for condo/apartment dwellers: Just because you don’t have a yard does not mean you have to give up on dreams of home-grown goodies. Container gardening will work but we’d recommend choosing varieties that are bred to grow in small spaces. Anything with the words patio, pixie, tiny, baby or dwarf in their name is a good bet. And just because a plant is bred to be small doesn’t mean the fruits will be small or the yield will be less. 

Growing from Seeds in Early Spring

While you are getting your soil ready in your yard or building your raised bed, you can start your plants off inside your home from seed.

The first step is to get the right supplies. In addition to the seeds, you’ll need containers, soil and eventually, fertilizer. Seed trays are probably the easiest and most convenient way to start off your garden.

Resist the temptation to repurpose houseplant soil or just get dirt from your garden. Instead, invest in a “seedling mix” that is specifically formulated to help grow seeds and is typically a lighter soil, which makes it easier for seedlings to break through the soil once they germinate.

When you see the first true leaves appear, you’ll want to add some fertilizer to provide nutrients and make sure they are getting the sunshine (or lighting system) they need to grow.

Transplanting

As we get further into spring, watch the weather and look for a period with no frost in the forecast, probably around late April. This is a good time for “cold-season” veggies, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, lettuce and spinach to move outside. You’ll want to wait until May to transplant warm-season vegetables like eggplants, tomatoes, peppers and squash.

Here’s a trick you might want to try as you transplant your vegetables: expose your seedlings to the elements gradually before moving them to their final container or garden bed. One way is to leave the seedlings out during the day and bring them back in at night so they can adjust and “harden” to the elements.

Remember that northern Arizona weather is changeable. You might need to cover your newly planted veggies with frost cloth on certain nights. Or you can use season extenders, tubes of water that surround an individual plant. The water in the tubes heats up from the sun during the day and keep the soil beneath the plant and the air around it warm.

While we are talking about protecting your veggies, another important aspect is keeping our wildlife friends out of your garden. If you think the deer love your flowers, imagine how all the members of the woodland community will feel about your vegetables. So when planning out your space, leave some room for a protective fence. 

Watering

Finally, once those beautiful plants are in the ground, please remember to water them regularly.

Without regular water, vegetables will not fill out and some, like tomatoes, will crack open if they suddenly plumped up with water after struggling without.

The main point here is that you can’t always rely on rain. So part of your planning process is to think about the best way to water regularly. We are big fans of drip irrigation. The newer component systems are really quite easy to install and cost a lot less than most people think. Plus, you’ll save money on water, because unlike handwatering, drip irrigation goes directly to the plant’s roots. You lose less water to runoff and evaporation.

We wish you the best of luck as you start planning your garden this year. If you have any questions, please stop by the nursery or give us a call. We’d love to help.

Happy Gardening, 
Misti

Next week, we’ll be busy doing our inventory and planning for a new season of gardening for our customers. But January is not only a time for restocking, it’s also a time for reflecting on the journey that brought Warner’s to northern Arizona and the four generations of family who have worked here.

Our family saga begins out of state. Our grandparents were raised in Ceres, California, just north of Modesto. Bill Warner worked for Sears Roebuck and was in the Navy Reserves, and his wife Dottie inspected chicken eggs.

Moving to Page

The family moved to Arizona when a friend, who was the construction project manager for the Glen Canyon Dam, convinced them to join the new community of Page in 1957. Bill started a hardware store and both our grandparents became community leaders.

Although Page boomed during the dam construction years, it went bust when construction was completed. The hardware store closed, but our grandfather held on to the building, which ultimately would house three different businesses run by the Warner family – an insurance company, a liquor store and a nursery, where our grandmother ruled!

All of this happened as the town was cycling into another boom season with the construction of the Navajo Generating Station. My father and his two brothers returned to Page to help my grandparents with their three businesses and then launched a new one – Warner’s Landscape Co.

Flagstaff Bound

One year, Warner’s Landscape Co. had contracts with Flagstaff’s three high schools and the City for landscaping services. Our family decided we needed a physical location in Flagstaff. We started at a location on North Highway 89 near Empire in 1990, but it soon became apparent that we needed a larger home, and in the spring of 1995, we moved operations to Butler Avenue.

The move allowed us to become more engaged with the community. Now in addition to nursery and landscaping products and services, we had the space to start some events, like our Easter Egg Hunt and the Fall Family Festival. We stepped up our educational offerings as well, with classes and workshops to help gardeners achieve their dreams. We even began to offer yoga classes in our tropical greenhouse in winter.

Although Dottie remained in Page the rest of her life, she was still a major force behind Warner’s Nursery in both its locations. She continued to run the gift shop within the Page nursery and would attend all the trade shows. She would go on trips and load up her minivan with “payloads” of antiques and other items that she would then dress up in her unique way to make her “Dottie’s originals” for the gift shop.

Honoring Dottie

Dorothy Morgan Warner died in 1999, but her spirit remains the heart of Warner’s Nursery.

My sister and I now lead the team that runs the businesses and my husband, Dan Andersen, is the head of the landscape company. During the summers, my three boys help out, which makes them the fourth generation of the family to work at Warner’s.

But even as we move forward, you don’t have to look far to find the influences of my grandmother who started it all. Nestled inside the nursery is “Dot’s Back Porch,” a gift shop that carries on her legacy, and a few years ago, when we started a coffee shop inside the nursery, there was no doubt what the name would be – Dottie’s Garden Coffee Shoppe.

We hope that when you come visit us you’ll see these little bits of our history and know how many generations of work have gone into the company that is so proud to be your go-to garden center in northern Arizona.

Happy gardening,
Misti

As 2021 winds down and we look forward to a new year, I wanted to talk about resolutions. Not your personal plans to eat better or exercise more in 2022, but your ambitions for your garden next year. Now is the perfect time to think about what you want to do in the new year and make a plan, so that when spring rolls around, you are ready to act.

To help out, here’s my list of 10 resolutions for the new year.

1. Have a bird feeder. Actually, this is one you can do right now. Birds are even more reliant on us right now than during the warmer months, so outfit a nearby tree with a bird feeder and keep it well stocked.
2. Buy or make a compost bin. You can purchase a composter for anywhere from $50 to $500, but it’s also easy enough to make one for about $20 or less. Good for the environment and good for your garden.
3. Learn to prune properly. Invest in good pruning shears (we have plenty at Warner’s) and learn how to take care of your trees. We have pruning guides for both deciduous and conifer trees.
4. Ask your relatives what they planted in their gardens. During your holiday get-togethers, compare gardening notes with your nearest and dearest. Find out what they planted this past season. It might just inspire you!
5. Plant a fruit tree. Been envious of your neighbors with their fresh pears, peaches or apples? Try your hand at planting a fruit tree this year. Not only will you get delicious eats, you’ll increase the value of your property.
6. Test your soil. If you haven’t before, soil tests will help you amend your garden beds and get fuller, healthier plants.
7. Explore native and naturalized plants. Native and naturalized plants evolve with the local climate and typically require less upkeep. For those of us in the high desert, this means plants that usually require less watering than non-native species.
8. Invest in a rain barrel. One of the blessings of our region is the annual monsoon season. Having a barrel to capture rainwater is a great way to be more water wise in 2022. 
9. Take care of bees and other pollinators. Absolutely essential in our ecosystem, pollinators account for about a third of the food we eat. Think about a bee condo or put in plants that are loved by birds, bees and butterflies. Here’s our suggestions for bees and another for butterflies and hummingbirds.
10. Make plants your gift of choice in 2022. It could be a rose bush for Mother’s Day, mums in the fall, poinsettia at Christmas or houseplants anytime of year. Plants are a lovely, living gift that your recipients will enjoy for a long time to come.

And there you have it – my top 10 New Year gardening resolutions. If you have any questions or need any help as you plan for the new year, please give us a call. The nursery will be open every day until 1 p.m. on December 24. Then we are taking a break between Christmas and New Year’s Day weekend, returning on Jan. 3, 2022.

Happy holidays and happy gardening,
Misti

It’s a question I get asked all the time at the nursery: Do you need to water your garden in winter?

Yes, you do. While your garden has gone dormant, your plants still need water to fuel basic metabolic functions. Unless we have an unusual amount of winter precipitation, you’ll need to water your trees, shrubs and perennials.

THIS YEAR’S RAIN AN EXCEPTION AFTER VERY DRY YEARS

Arizona’s historic rainfall this monsoon season made the news several times this summer. (Who can forget the videos of the car floating down streets due to flash floods?) But that came after two back-to-back “nonsoons” in 2019 and 2020. Technically, our state is still in a drought.

Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a La Niña winter. That means drier conditions and less snow. 

Add to that the cold and wind of winter in Arizona’s high country and you have a perfect storm of conditions leading to very dry soil and a lot of drought stress for plants.

HOW OFTEN (AND HOW MUCH) DO I NEED TO WATER?

You should plan on watering once or twice a month during the winter. Because that watering schedule is so infrequent, you might want to put it in your day planner. And, of course, you’ll be watering by hand since you should have winterized any drip irrigation system you have.

Another question we get a lot is how much water is enough during the winter. It depends on the size of the tree, shrub or perennial plant and whether it is new or well-established.

As a general rule, you’ll need about 10 gallons of water for each diameter inch of the tree. For example, a two-inch diameter tree needs 20 gallons per watering. The trick is to water slowly; you can’t just dump 10 or 20 gallons of water all at once, as it will run off instead of soaking down to the roots.

Newly planted shrubs require about twice as much water as an established shrub needs. You should be looking at 5 gallons each time you water a new shrub and 2.5 gallons for shrubs planted at least a year ago. Make sure they are surrounded by mulch to help them retain the water.

Perennials vary, but know that those planted late in fall will not have had as much time to establish their roots as the ones you put into the ground this past spring. Winter watering is highly advisable for late-planted perennials and ones located in windy or southwest exposures.

WHAT ABOUT FREEZES?

It’s a good idea to make sure that temperatures are going to hit about 40 degrees on the days you are watering, and you’ll want to water by midday to make sure it’s been absorbed before any nighttime freezes.

You’ll also want to try to water when it isn’t windy out. A drying wind could wind up carrying off the moisture you are trying to get to the roots of your plants.

By watering your garden in winter, you are increasing the chances that your garden, trees, shrubs and perennials will be lovely and lush next spring.

Happy gardening (and watering!)
Misti

It’s a question we often get this time of year at the nursery – should we get a cut tree or a potted tree?

Each has its positives and negatives and most have to do with timing. You can have your cut tree up and in your house longer. On the other hand, even though your potted tree can only be in your house for about a week, it will soon become part of your garden landscape.

No matter what type of tree you get, it will be a little harder and a little more expensive this year. Between wildfires in the northwest, extreme drought, and supply chain and labor issues that have beleaguered most businesses, trees will be more scarce this year than in recent memory.

Warner’s Nursery has been lucky enough to secure both cut and potted trees from our suppliers. Live (potted) Austrian and Colorado Spruces are already available, and we’ll be getting Douglas Fir, Noble Fir and Nordman Fir cut trees shortly before Thanksgiving.

Here are our guides to caring for both this holiday season:

Cut Trees

While you can bring your cut tree inside earlier than a potted tree, there’s often a fear that it will dry out before the holiday arrives. Here’s a few tips that will keep your tree fresh. 

Before you bring your tree indoors, spray it with Cloud Cover to preserve the needles and help them keep their moisture. Make sure you make a fresh cut of at least half an inch off the trunk to allow the tree to take up water. However, remember you need to set up your tree immediately after making the cut (get it in water within 15 minutes at the most!) If you don’t, the cut area will seal off and not be able to take up water.

Once the stand is mounted and your tree is properly situated in its place of glory for the season (far away from heater ducts and/or fireplaces!) fill the water tray with lukewarm water. Add Keeps-it-Green liquid to the water, to help keep the tree fresher longer. Check the water level in your tree stand daily. Always keep the trunk immersed in water. 

Potted Trees

For living trees, proper care is even more important. First, you need to acclimate your tree. We suggest placing the tree outside in partial sunlight (possibly on a porch) for one week prior to taking indoors and remember to water it daily.

The day before you bring it into the house, hose it down with water to remove dust and insects. Again, we suggest also spraying the tree with CloudCover to protect against dehydration.

Once inside, set your tree in a large tray to catch overflow and protect your floors. It should be situated close to a window for light and far away from heating ducts or fireplaces that could sap its moisture.

Continue to water your tree daily, but not quite as deeply as you did when it was outside (you don’t want your living tree to be standing in a tray full of water!) Add a few ice cubes to keep the tree cool and prevent it from breaking dormancy.

As we mentioned earlier, your living Christmas tree can only remain indoors for about seven days; otherwise, it might break dormancy and then will not survive outdoors. After that week, place your tree in a shady spot and out of the wind until you’re ready to plant. We suggest the north or east side of your home, as trees can be wind-burned and are prone to sun scald if left on the south or west side of a house.

Thoroughly water the tree immediately after transferring outdoors, then water once a week. Trees may be planted any time during the winter if the soil is not frozen. It is best to plant the tree as soon as possible. If the tree is to be left in a pot, water every 3-5 days.

Happy gardening and Happy Holidays,
Misti

It’s gotten downright chilly here in the high country of northern Arizona, and for those of us that still have our gardening groove on, it’s time to shift our focus to indoor plants. But if you have pothos or spiders in every corner, you might be on the lookout for more daring or unique plants to grace your home – or to give as a holiday present.

I’ve got three suggestions for you of plants that are unique but not difficult to cultivate that you might want to explore; two of them will also make a fun project for the whole family.

Kokedama

This form of Japanese gardening involves taking the root ball of a plant and suspending it in a mud ball, which is then coated with soft green moss (the word literally translates to “moss ball”). It means that you have not only a plant but a living planter which can then be displayed in a container or hung on a string. If you hang several of these plants up, it’s often referred to as a “string garden.”

What’s wonderful is that creating a kokedama isn’t much harder than planting a regular plant. Probably the most challenging part is the soil, because you need something with enough clay so that the ball keeps its structure. However, a good bonsai type of soil will work, or you can create your own using clay and peat moss. You’ll also need your featured plant, moss, string, scissors, water in a spray bottle and perhaps a bucket (if you need to soak your moss to make it pliable). 

As for your featured plant, ferns and ivy do well, but avoid succulents and cacti, as the soil ball at the heart of your kokedama will typically be too moist for them.

Terrariums

Also known as “gardens under glass,” these displays of plants are housed in partially or even fully sealed containers, which allow heat and light to enter the container but confine moisture. This results in a little eco-system that is pretty much self-sustaining.

You’ll want to feature plants that thrive in low to medium light with a mixture of leaf sizes, texture, and color. Popular plants to include in terrariums include African violets, ferns, lucky bamboos and prayer plants. Try to make sure you pick plants that will like the naturally humid environment of a terrarium. If you are thinking about using cacti or succulents, don’t fully enclose the terrarium – these plants need open containers for air flow.

Grafted cacti

Tiny and super colorful, this is a unique plant that’s requires no work from you; the grafted or “moon” cactus has already been created out of two different plants. Grafted cacti have solid green succulent stalk that looks like a traditional cactus, but then are topped with bright, almost neon-like domes in shades of hot pink, flaming tangerine and sunshine yellow.

That bright little ball on top is a “mutant” pup from a regular cactus. In the wild, it would detach from the parent plant and ultimately die soon after because of a lack of chlorophyll the plant needs to photosynthesize. The grafting process, however, allows the base plant to provide nutrients not only for itself, but its colorful pup.

I hope you’ll consider making some room in your home for these unique plants or giving them as a gift this year. If you have any questions about these plants – including how to create a terrarium or kokedama – please stop by. We’ve got the supplies and expertise you’ll need to get started.

Happy Gardening,
Misti