

Stop Guessing. Start Growing. Welcome to the Ultimate Garden Blueprint.
Body Copy: Most big-box store advice will get your plants killed. The intense sun, the heavy wind, and the local wildlife require a completely different set of rules.
I'm Ken Lain, "Top 10 Gardener," and every week, I share the exact "un-killable" strategies we use to cheat the heat and build vibrant, blooming sanctuaries in USDA Zones 5–8.
Don't waste another season on generic advice. Hit that '+ Follow' button right now to get your weekly dose of mountain gardening success. Let's put some roots in the ground together.
Whether you are trying to force your mountain roses into non-stop blooms, figure out why your evergreens are dropping needles, or reclaim your patio from summer pests, we give you the hyper-local science to make it happen.
When you tune in, you'll discover:
- The Overlooked Truths: Fast diagnostics and 10-second pruning tricks that flatlander gardeners know nothing about.
- Seasonal Urgency: Exactly what to plant right now to guarantee roots get established in our Prescott soil.
- Insider Access: First dibs on our custom plant arrivals and premium garden kits before they sell out on our online store.
Don't waste another season on generic advice. Hit that '+ Follow' button right now to get your weekly dose of mountain gardening success. Let's put some roots in the ground together.
Stop Guessing. Start Growing. Welcome to the Ultimate Garden Blueprint.
Body Copy: Most big-box store advice will get your plants killed. The intense sun, the heavy wind, and the local wildlife require a completely different set of rules.
I'm Ken Lain, "Top 10 Gardener," and every week, I share the exact "un-killable" strategies we use to cheat the heat and build vibrant, blooming sanctuaries in USDA Zones 5–8.
Don't waste another season on generic advice. Hit that '+ Follow' button right now to get your weekly dose of mountain gardening success. Let's put some roots in the ground together.
Whether you are trying to force your mountain roses into non-stop blooms, figure out why your evergreens are dropping needles, or reclaim your patio from summer pests, we give you the hyper-local science to make it happen.
When you tune in, you'll discover:
- The Overlooked Truths: Fast diagnostics and 10-second pruning tricks that flatlander gardeners know nothing about.
- Seasonal Urgency: Exactly what to plant right now to guarantee roots get established in our Prescott soil.
- Insider Access: First dibs on our custom plant arrivals and premium garden kits before they sell out on our online store.
Don't waste another season on generic advice. Hit that '+ Follow' button right now to get your weekly dose of mountain gardening success. Let's put some roots in the ground together.
Episodes
Aug 19, 2025
Aug 19, 2025
10 min
Aspens and Birches are two similar trees that add beauty to your Central Highlands landscape. Master Gardeners Ken and Lisa Lain help you to pick the best for your landscape, and why, along with other garden questions received this week.
Not already a Garden Club Member? Click Below to Join and be notified of Plant Preorders and other Special Offers!
https://wattersgardencenter.com/pages/garden-care-advantages
🌹Ken & Lisa Lain, The Mountain Gardeners
#WattersGardenCenter, #GardeningTips, #TheMountainGardener, #KenLain, #AspenTrees, #BirchTrees, #TreeCare
Aug 18, 2025
Aug 18, 2025
10 min
The heat, wind and monsoons can wreak havoc on gardens in the Central Highlands, creating some real challenges for those who love colorful, healthy gardens. Master Gardener Ken Lain shares the most beautiful, colorful, hardy flowers to brighten your summer garden, and how to best care for them.
https://themountaingardener.podbean.com/
🥕Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener
#WattersGardenCenter, #GardeningTips, #TheMountainGardener, #KenLain, #SummerFlowers #HotWeatherBlooms, #BestPerennials
Aug 17, 2025
Aug 17, 2025
52 min
🎙️Welcome to Episode 25 – 29 of The Mountain Gardener Podcast with Ken and Lisa Lain!
Hey garden enthusiasts, Ken & Lisa Watters Lain, The Mountain Gardeners here!
Get ready to catch Ken and Lisa's gardening bug! They're bursting with knowledge and passion for growing beautiful things, and they're ready to share it all with you.
Don't miss out on this chance to level up your gardening game!
Included in This Week’s Show:
🐛Why Grubs Attract Death into the Gardens
🌿Q and A: Monsoon Weeds and Erosion Control
🌺 Top Plants with Really BIG Flowers
🌳 Pretty Blooming Trees Best Planted in Summer
🪴Euphorbia in the Easy to Grow Perennial Garden
Subscribe to The Top 10 Gardener Podcast today and get your hands dirty with expert tips and tricks. You'll find it on all your favorite podcast platforms. To Watch the Entire Podcast Show, Tap or Click on the Link Below Subscribe for Top 10 Gardener updates!
https://themountaingardener.podbean.com/
🎙️Ken & Lisa Lain, The Mountain Gardeners
#WattersGardenCenter, #WattersGardencenterAZ, #TheMountainGardener, #GardeningTips, #KenLain, #OrganicFertilizer&DiseaseControl, #GardenPestControl, #PerennialFlowers, #LargeSummerBlooms, #Euphorbia, #WeedControl, #ErosionControl
Aug 16, 2025
🛜 See the Gardens Live through Social Media
Aug 16, 2025
Aug 16, 2025
5 min
If you want to learn more about gardening in our unique Central Highlands climate, all you have to do is access your favorite social media – Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, PodBean, and the Watters Garden Center website – and you’ll find podcasts, videos, photos, columns and announcements – all to help you have the best garden experience with the best plants, the best products, and the best advice! Tune in today so you don’t miss out!
Be sure to save the date for the upcoming Grapes 4 Good event on September 28. Guests are treated to a festive garden party, delectable hors d'oeuvres catered by Chef Barry Barbe of El Gato Azul and Torme restaurants. and a wide and exciting selection of 12 different wines and artisan beers to sample. The event also features silent and luxury live auctions, with various golf and vacation experiences up for bid. Proceeds from this year's auctions benefit local school programs and provide college and vocational scholarships for Prescott area youth.
Not already a Garden Club Member? Click Below to Join and be notified of Plant Preorders and other Special Offers
https://wattersgardencenter.com/pages/garden-care-advantages
#WattersGardenCenter, #GardeningTips, #TheMountainGardener, #KenLain, #WattersGardenWisdom, #BestPlantsforLocalGardens, #FreeGardenClasses, #Sip&Shop, #BestPlantingAdvice
Aug 15, 2025
🪴Euphorbia in the Easy to Grow Perennial Garden
Aug 15, 2025
Aug 15, 2025
10 min
You may not know what euphorbia is, much less how to pronounce it! Master Gardener Ken Lain will give the lowdown on this great shrub that will add easy-to-care-for
interest, texture and color to your perennial gardens.
🌺 Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener
Subscribe for The Mountain Gardener updates!
https://themountaingardener.podbean.com/
#WattersGardenCenter, #GardeningTips, #TheMountainGardener, #KenLain, #Shrubs, #PerennialGarden #Euphorbia
Aug 14, 2025
🌳 Pretty Blooming Trees Best Planted in Sum
Aug 14, 2025
Aug 14, 2025
10 min
You may have noticed trees around the area with gorgeous spring and summer blooms, and wondered which varieties thrive here and when to plant them. Master Gardeners Ken and Lisa Lain share what varieties of blooming trees thrive in the Central Highlands, and how to care for them. Great news! You can plant them now so when blooming time comes around, the results will be spectacular!
🌺Ken & Lisa Lain, the Mountain Gardeners
Not already a Garden Club Member? Click Below to Join and be notified of Plant Preorders and other Special Offers!
https://wattersgardencenter.com/pages/garden-care-advantages
#WattersGardenCenter, #GardeningTips, #TheMountainGardener, #KenLain, #BestBloomingTrees, #OrnamentalTrees, #PlantingTreesinSummer
Aug 13, 2025
🌺 Top Plants with Really BIG Flowers
Aug 13, 2025
Aug 13, 2025
7 min
Have you seen gardens with giant, colorful flowers and wish you could grow them in your own garden? Master Gardener Ken Lain shares which plants will bear those giant, vibrant blooms and how to care for them! Learn about dinnerplate dahlias, huge hibiscus, giant rudbeckia and so much more!
Subscribe for The Mountain Gardener updates!
https://themountaingardener.podbean.com/
Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener
#WattersGardenCenter, #GardeningTips, #TheMountainGardener, #KenLain, #GiantFlowerBlooms, #BigBlooms, #BestSummerBlooms, #Hibiscus, #RoseofSharon, #Dahlia, #CrepeMyrtle
Aug 12, 2025
🌿Q and A: Monsoon Weeds and Erosion Control
Aug 12, 2025
Aug 12, 2025
10 min
The monsoon rains are welcome replenishment for our gardens and relief from the heat, but the not so welcome side effects are weeds and landscape damage from downpours! Master Gardeners Ken and Lisa Lain share a variety of ways to keep monsoon weeds under control, and avoid damage from heavy rains.
Not already a Garden Club Member? Click Below to Join and be notified of Plant Preorders and other Special Offers!
https://wattersgardencenter.com/pages/garden-care-advantages
🌹Ken & Lisa Lain, The Mountain Gardeners
#WattersGardenCenter, #GardeningTips, #TheMountainGardener, #KenLain, #Monsoons, #SummerFloods, #SummerWeeds, #WeedControl
Aug 11, 2025
🐛Why Grubs Attract Death into the Gardens
Aug 11, 2025
Aug 11, 2025
10 min
You work too hard to have a thriving garden to surrender your plants to destructive pests like grubs, which lurk beneath your plants and love to munch on your garden! Master Gardener Ken Lain shares how to spot and keep those summer garden pests at bay with organic pesticides that won’t harm the soil, you or your pets.
https://themountaingardener.podbean.com/
🥕Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener
#WattersGardenCenter, #GardeningTips, #TheMountainGardener, #KenLain, #Grubs #GardenPests, #OrganicPestControl
Aug 10, 2025
Aug 10, 2025
51 min
Hey garden enthusiasts, Ken & Lisa Watters Lain, The Mountain Gardeners here!
Get ready to catch Ken and Lisa's gardening bug! They're bursting with knowledge and passion for growing beautiful things, and they're ready to share it all with you.
Don't miss out on this chance to level up your gardening game!
Included in This Week’s Show:
🐜 Your Guide to a Pest Free Garden
🌳 Q and A: Shady Shrubs for Shady Gardens
🌿 What to Do When Plants Die in the Garden
🌲 Slim Sentinels - The Elegance of Narrow Trees
🌺 Fast Growing Groundcovers for Hills and Rock Lawns
🍷 Sip & Shop Success and August Free Classes
Subscribe to The Top 10 Gardener Podcast today and get your hands dirty with expert tips and tricks. You'll find it on all your favorite podcast platforms. To Watch the Entire Podcast Show, Tap or Click on the Link Below Subscribe for Top 10 Gardener updates!
https://themountaingardener.podbean.com/
🎙️Ken & Lisa Lain, The Mountain Gardeners
#WattersGardenCenter, #WattersGardencenterAZ, #TheMountainGardener, #GardeningTips, #KenLain, #OrganicFertilizer&DiseaseControl, #GardenPestControl, #DwarfPerennialFlowers, #WattersHotNewPlants, #HardtoKillTreesShrubs&Plants, #Bumblebees, #Pollinators
Aug 9, 2025
🍷 Sip & Shop Success and August Free Classes
Aug 9, 2025
Aug 9, 2025
5 min
The July Sip & Shop at Watters Garden Center was such a hit, we’re planning another! Stay tuned for the details, and don’t miss out on the free Saturday Garden Classes in August. You’ll learn how to grow a spectacular garden in our Central Highlands area!
Not already a Garden Club Member? Click Below to Join and be notified of Plant Preorders and other Special Offers
https://wattersgardencenter.com/pages/garden-care-advantages
#WattersGardenCenter, #GardeningTips, #TheMountainGardener, #KenLain, #WattersGardenWisdom, #BestPlantsforLocalGardens, #FreeGardenClasses, #Sip&Shop, #BestPlantingAdvice
Aug 8, 2025
Aug 8, 2025
11 min
If you have a hill on your property that needs some soil stabilization, or a rock area that could use some easy care, drought tolerant beauty, many vines and grasses will fit the bill. Master Gardener Ken Lain shares all the plants, some you may not have thought of, that will fit the bill on the hills and rock areas in your landscape.
🌺 Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener
Subscribe for The Mountain Gardener updates!
https://themountaingardener.podbean.com/
#WattersGardenCenter, #GardeningTips, #TheMountainGardener, #KenLain, #Groundcover, #Vines, #GroundcoverPlants, #GroundcoverGrasses
Aug 7, 2025
Aug 7, 2025
9 min
If you have an area of your landscape where you would like a tree, but space is limited, you might like to look at trees that have a tall, narrow growing habit. The choices are surprisingly abundant, and Master Gardeners Ken and Lisa Lain share what varieties thrive in the Central Highlands!
🌺Ken & Lisa Lain, the Mountain Gardeners
Not already a Garden Club Member? Click Below to Join and be notified of Plant Preorders and other Special Offers!
https://wattersgardencenter.com/pages/garden-care-advantages
#WattersGardenCenter, #GardeningTips, #TheMountainGardener, #KenLain, #TallNarrowTrees, #ItalianCypress, #Aspen, #Juniper, #YewTree, #Arborvitae
Aug 6, 2025
🌿 What to Do When Plants Die in the Garden
Aug 6, 2025
Aug 6, 2025
7 min
What do you do if you’ve tried everything to save a plant in an area of your garden? You use the best soil, fertilizer, watering techniques and more but nothing works. Master Gardener Ken Lain knows what that’s like! He shares what you can do to have a thriving plants in the most difficult areas of your landscape!
Subscribe for The Mountain Gardener updates!
https://themountaingardener.podbean.com/
Ken Lain, The Mountain Gardener
#WattersGardenCenter, #GardeningTips, #TheMountainGardener, #KenLain, #DifficultLandscape, #PlantsThatDie, #RescuingPlants
Aug 5, 2025
🌳 Q and A: Shady Shrubs for Shady Gardens
Aug 5, 2025
Aug 5, 2025
10 min
You love colorful, full shrubs, but you have a shady landscape, or areas that you would like to beautify but lack sunshine. Master Gardeners Ken and Lisa Lain share a variety of evergreen and blooming shrubs that will elevate the shady areas of your landscape to spectacular!
Not already a Garden Club Member? Click Below to Join and be notified of Plant Preorders and other Special Offers!
https://wattersgardencenter.com/pages/garden-care-advantages
🌹Ken & Lisa Lain, The Mountain Gardeners
#WattersGardenCenter, #GardeningTips, #TheMountainGardener, #KenLain, #ShrubsforShade, #Cotoneaster, #Gardenia, #Hydrangea, #Camellias