Mark your calendar!

On Sunday, June 9th from 1 PM to 5 PM The Evergreen Garden Club will be holding their Annual Garden Tour and we are honored to be a part of it. You will be able to visit 5 gardens for only $5, ours being one, and enter a drawing to win a $50 gift certificate for Silver Heights Nursery. Tickets are available at Silver Heights Nursery, The Silver City Farmers' Market, Alotta Gelato, AmBank and Mimbres Farms. The Evergreen Garden Club is a nonprofit group founded in 1951 and they support many community projects including:
* Adopt a Highway
* Habitat for Humanity
* Local Community Gardens
* Earth Day
* Flower Show
* Annual Garden Tour
* Water Conservation
* Harvest Festival
Their past monthly programs have been:
* Beneficial Herbs
* Floral Design
* Troublesome weeds
* Butterfly Gardening
* Community Gardens
* Garden Pests
* Planning Your Next Garden
* Container Gardening
* Native Plants and Xeriscaping
The Evergreen Garden Club is always seeking new memebers. Annual dues are $15.00 and meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month. For further information please contact Lequita Lett at (575) 538-3216 or Ginna Heiden at (575) 388-1843.

So get out and support this great organization and we'll see you at our house on Sunday, June 9th between 1-5 PM!

Stop and Smell the Roses!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Only two days left at 10% off.

Too many choices.

'Ketchup & Mustard' was new in 2012

'Rio Samba'

Classic 'Peace'

The very fragrant 'Mister Lincoln'

'Ebb Tide'

New for 2013 'Sparkle & Shine' a non-fading yellow

MAY 2013

THINGS TO DO:
Plant an herb garden. Chive butter for baked potatoes, fresh cilantro for salsa, sage chopped for stuffing and basil to make pesto are all possible if you start an herb garden. With more and more people growing their own vegetables and fruit, planting an herb garden seems like the next logical step. A small plot will keep you in fresh herbs all summer long while a larger area will yield enough to dry for future use. Certain herbs like sage, oregano and parsley can even be harvested fresh in winter. If possible choose an area that is easily accessible to the kitchen. The spot should receive at least 6 hours of sunlight per day and the soil should be amended with compost to provide good drainage. Choose the herbs that you use most often or find attractive. Plant perennials and reseeding annuals, leaving space for tenedr annuals like basil and marjoram that you will replant every year. Begin at the back of the garden, or the middle if it is a round space, with tall herbs. (P = perennial, A = annual, R = reseeding annual or biennial)
In the 3'-5' range are:
Lovage (P), celery flavored leaves for soups, sauces & stews.
Fennel (R), great in seafood stews & salads.
Upright Rosemary (P), use in beef, pork, lamb and chicken dishes. Very drought tolerant, often used as an evergreen shrub and it is deer resistant.
Lavender (P), grown for fragrance, tea, and Provencal cooking. An evergreen, deer resistant shrub. There are also 12''- 15'' lavenders.
2'-3' tall would include:
Dill (R), use the seeds and leaves in fish dishes, pickles, salads and dressings.
Sage (P), used to flavor stuffings, sausages, poultry and pork. Pretty lavender-blue flowers.
Greek Oregano (P), essential in Italian, Greek and Mexican cooking. The best flavored oregano in my opinion.
Moving out from the center, or away from the back, plant shorter herbs. 1'-2' tall are:
Parsley (R), Use in clam sauce, tabouleh, soups, salad and sauces.
Basil (A), lots of varieties that can be used in Italian and Thai cuisine.
French Tarragon (P), leaves are anise flavoed and a must in French cooking.
Savory (A), great for flavoring beans and cabbage.
Marjoram (A), good in salads soups and vegetable dishes.
1' tall would be:
English Thyme (P), leaves for stuffing, gravies, sauces and soups.
German Chamomile (A), flowers used for tea.
Chives (P), flavor potatoes, cottage cheese, salads and pickles.
Cilantro (R), Use in salsas and many Mexican and Thai dishes. It bolts when it's hot but will reseed and germinate when it cools down.
Stevia (A), used as a sweetener in place of refined sugar.
Epazote (A) sometimes (R), another Mexican cooking essential.
Groundcover plants that you would plant near the edge include Roman Chamomile (A), Lemon Thyme (P) and Creeping Thyme (P). Allow some of your herbs to bloom since many of their flowers have the added benefit of attracting beneficial and pollinating insects as well as butterflies and their larvae. Letting them go to seed will encourage them to germinate and grow when conditions are ideal for that particular herb. Feed your herbs during the growing season with a fertilizer such as Chickity Doo Doo, Yum Yum Mix, Fox Farm's Happy Frog Tomato & Vegetable or liquid Grow Big. We have many of these herbs in stock now and receive weekly deliveries of other varieties.

French Tarragon, Sage, English Thyme and Lavender thrive in an herb garden.

PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Koelreuteria paniculata. The Goldenrain Tree is the tree you see blooming with fragrant 10" long golden flower clusters at Pinon Plaza. It is a moderate grower that will reach a mature size of 25' tall by 15'-20' wide. The blue green leaves are 15" long divided into several toothed leaflets. Due to its open habit the shade it produces is dappled. In fall the seed pods persist looking like buff colored Chinese lanterns. This tree adapts easily to cold, heat, wind and alkaline soil. The smaller size makes it a good patio tree or an anchor in a perennial bed. It is drought tolerant once established.

Fruit, Shade, Roses and the winner is.

I know this should be our May blog but time is short and I will be sending a real monthly blog out this Sunday. Just wanted everyone to know that we have received our fruit & shade trees and beautiful Weeks roses. Here is the list of the fruit and shade trees we are stocking this year. We also have a few surprises. 

ALMOND

ALL-IN-ONE: Soft shelled with sweet kernels. Usually about 15 feet tall. Ripens late September to early October. USDA zone 7.

APPLE

GALA: Medium, golden yellow with reddish blush, firm, crisp, sweet, juicy. Stores well. Ripens late August to early September. Semi-dwarf & standard. USDA zone 7.
GRANNY SMITH: Large, bright to yellowish green, firm, tart. Good for eating, cooking, sauce. Ripens late August to mid September. Semi-dwarf & standard. USDA zone 7.
RED DELICIOUS: Large, bright red, crisp, juicy. Bears more heavily when pollinized with Yellow Delicious. Ripens September thru October. Semi-dwarf. USDA zone 4.
YELLOW DELICIOUS: Medium to large. Golden, crisp. Stores well. Eating and cooking variety. Excellent pollinizer for most apples. Ripens September to October. Semi-dwarf. USDA zone 5.

APRICOT

TILTON: Large, light orange, firm, flavorful. Excellent for freezing, canning and drying. Resistant to late frosts. Ripens mid to late June. Semi-dwarf and standard. USDA zone 4.

CHERRY

LAPINS: Large, dark red, firm, sweet. Known as a “self fertile Bing”. Ripens late June. Semi-dwarf and standard. USDA zone 6.
STELLA: Large, dark red, firm, sweet, good flavor and texture. Tree bears at a young age. Ripens mid June. Semi-dwarf and standard. USDA zone 5.

MULBERRY

PAKISTAN RED: Fruit is ½ to 1 inch long, red, sweet. Ripens June to July. Standard. USDA zone 4.

NECTARINE

FANTASIA: Very large, freestone, bright red with yellow under-color, sweet, juicy, good quality. Ripens mid to late July. Standard. USDA zone 6.

PEACH

ELBERTA: Large, freestone, golden yellow flushed red where exposed to the sun, rich, sweet. Good all around peach for desserts, canning, freezing and jam. Ripens late July. Semi-dwarf and standard. USDA zone 4.
STRAWBERRY: Medium, light skin with a pink blush, flesh is white, firm, aromatic, sweet, juicy. Old favorite of those who like white peaches. Ripens early July. Standard. USDA zone 7.

PEAR

BARTLETT: Large, smooth, waxy, yellow skin with white, sweet, juicy flesh. Good for fresh eating, canning and preserves. Ripens August. Semi-dwarf and standard. USDA zone 5.

PLUM

GREEN GAGE: Medium, round, greenish yellow skin, very sweet, candy-like flavor. Fresh eating, jams and good home canning variety. Ripens July. Standard. USDA zone 5.
SANTA ROSA: Large, oval, purplish red skin with blue blush, firm flesh, yellow to dark red near skin, rich, pleasing, tart flavor. Ripens mid June. Semi-dwarf and standard. USDA zone 5.
SATSUMA: Large, dark red skin, firm, rather juicy red flesh. Excellent for jams and jellies. Ripens late July to early August. Pollinize with Santa Rosa. Standard. USDA zone 6.

POMEGRANATE

WONDERFUL: Extra large, blushed red skin, flesh is rich, red color, juicy with sharp flavor. Good for jellies. Ripens September. Grow as a fountain shaped bush or tree, 10‟-20‟ tall. USDA zone 7.

SHADE

AUTUMN BLAZE MAPLE (Acer freemanii "Autumn Blaze‟): Fast growing to 50' high x 40' wide, drought tolerant. Spring leaves emerge with a reddish tint then turn to a rich green with a long show of vibrant red in the fall. Works well as a street or lawn tree. USDA zone 4.
MIMOSA/SILK TREE (Albizia julibrissin): Fast growing to 15'-25' high x 20' wide, drought tolerant. Umbrella shaped, tropical looking foliage with whimsical pink brush-like flowers in late spring. Use as a patio or shade tree. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. USDA zone 7.
EASTERN REDBUD (Cercis canadensis): Moderate growth to 15'-25' high x 20' wide, drought tolerant. Beautiful rosy pink flower clusters line the bare branches in spring. New foliage is reddish purple turning to dark green in summer. Patio or small shade tree that attracts butterflies, songbirds and hummingbirds. USDA zone 5.

CHITALPA (Chitalpa tashkentensis „Pink Dawn‟): Fast growth to 20'-30' high x 20' wide, drought tolerant. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies to its large pink summer flowers. This is a cross between Desert Willow and Catalpa. USDA zone 7.
RAYWOOD ASH (Fraxinus oxycarpa): Fast growth up to 25' high x 25' wide, moderate water user. Dark green foliage gives way to deep red fall color. Makes a desirable shade tree that can be used near patios or walkways. USDA zone 5.
ARIZONA ASH ‘BERRINDA’ (Fraxinus velutina 'Berrinda'): Fast growth to 35' high x 35‟ wide, a drought tolerant New Mexico native. Golden yellow fall color. Tree develops strong central leader when young requiring minimal pruning later in life. Large shade tree. USDA zone 6.
GOLDEN HONEY LOCUST (Gleditsia triacanthos inermis 'Aurea'): Fast growing to 40' high x 25' wide, drought tolerant. Adapted to a wide range of harsh growing conditions. Very hard wood makes
it strong against our winds. New foliage bright golden yellow changing to green in summer. Many small leaflets are fern-like in appearance. Late to leaf out and early dormancy make it a good lawn tree. Not good in narrow spaces nor near sidewalks. USDA zone 4.
SHADEMASTER HONEY LOCUST (Gleditsia triacanthos inermis „Shademaster‟): Faster growing than the Golden Honey Locust, can reach 45' high x 35' wide, drought tolerant. Very hardy and adaptable. Good lawn tree but not near sidewalks nor in small spaces. USDA zone 4.
CRABAPPLE ‘PRAIRIFIRE’ (Malus "Prairifire‟): Moderate growth rate to 20' high x 20' wide, moderate water use. Beautiful dark red spring buds open to reveal pinkish red flowers. Foliage is reddish maturing to dark green followed by striking fall colors. Birds will enjoy the intermittent crop of small, red fruits. This tree is very disease resistant. Good for small shade, near water features or where you can take full advantage of the various seasons of color. USDA zone 4.
FRUITLESS MULBERRY (Morus alba): The fastest growing shade tree for our area, 40' high x 40' wide, moderate water. Rounded tree with large maple-like leaves, no fruit production. Difficult to garden under due to heavy surface roots. Do not plant near your foundation, driveway, sidewalks or hard surfaced patios. USDA zone 5.
ARIZONA SYCAMORE (Platanus wrightii): Fast grower to 80' high x 50' wide, needs regular water during dry season. Classic climbing tree with graceful horizontal branching and mottled bark. These are the statuesque giants in the Cat Walk area. Winter interest from golf ball sized seed pods. USDA zone 6.
FLOWERING PLUM/PURPLE LEAF PLUM ‘KRAUTER VESUVIUS’ (Prunus cerasifera „Krauter Vesuvius‟): Moderate growth to 18' high x 12' wide, medium water use. Distinctive features include pink spring blooms backed by purple-red new leaves. Small scale, vase shaped tree can be planted in lawns, near patios or as an accent. USDA zone 5.
BRADFORD FLOWERING PEAR (Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford'): Moderate to fast grower up to 35' high x 25' wide, moderate water. Showy white spring flowers followed by glossy, dark green, roundish leaves and spectacular red fall color. Oval shaped shade or accent tree for all seasons. USDA zone 5.
PURPLE ROBE LOCUST (Robinia x ambigua 'Purple Robe'): Fast growing, tough tree to 40' high x 20' wide. Tolerant of drought and poor soil. Showy pink to purple flower clusters in late spring make it a stand out. Even with open form it makes great shade with long shadows. USDA zone 4

DON'T FORGET THAT AS ALWAYS OUR ROSES ARE 10% OFF THROUGH MOTHER'S DAY!!!

We have Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, Shrubs and Climbers. Lots of new varieties and old favorites.

One lucky subscriber has been awarded a $25 gift certificate. They were notified by email this morning. Sorry if it wasn't you but thanks so much for subsrcibing to our blog!

We hate to report that the Weather Channel is calling for 32 on Thursday, May 2nd. Cover tender plants and hope for the best. If it makes you feel any better we broke our own rule this year (wait until May 1st and then check the 10 day forecast) and planted tomatoes on April 21st.