By Richard McCormick By October, the garden has usually taught us a few things. Some plants thrived, others struggled, and a few projects may not have turned out as planned. Before putting away your tools for winter, taking time to reflect on the growing season could benefit your future gardening endeavors. Gardeners spend plenty of time planning what to plant, but less time recording what actually happens. A few notes about harvests, watering, pests, and weather can make nex

By: Elizabeth Johnson Master Gardeners Jan Holland Hailey, Tami Sipos, and Vicki Lane at the 2026 CMGA Plant Sale. Photo by Elizabeth Johnson. I fell in love with plants and gardens in my early 20s and have nurtured that love for several decades. My experiences range from gardening to small-scale farming, from native plants to plant evolution. I know I’m not alone in my love of plants. As the program coordinator of the University of Arizona’s Coconino County Master Gardener p

By Laura Huenneke A path invites garden visitors to explore new garden vistas in The Arboretum at Flagstaff. Photo by Laura Huenneke. For many people, their gardening efforts focus on outcomes. How soon can I harvest tomatoes, and how many will I get? Are my squash large and beautiful enough for the County Fair? Does my yard match the landscape of my dreams? But gardening is also a process, with long lead times and lots of work before any harvest comes in. Which part of garde

A third generation of mahogany red marigold seeds from the author's garden will go to the Cooperative Extension Seed Library. Photo by Laura Huenneke By Laura Huenneke Fall signals the fading of wildflowers, garden blossoms, and bountiful garden produce. But it’s also a wonderful time for appreciating the magic of seeds, collecting them, and planning for a next generation of beloved plants. Seeds are nature’s way of conveying a plant’s genetics across time and space, disper

by Nate O'Meara ‘Autumn brilliance’ serviceberry is a great ‘fallscaping’ plant as its leaves turn a brilliant orangey-red! Photo by April O’Meara Tuesday was the autumn equinox and the official first day of fall. The equinox is a special time as day and night, warmth and cold come into balance before the light gives way to the darkening days that take hold for the remainder of the year. The start of fall feels like a “second spring” as several plants come into bloom while m

By Laura Huenneke Daffodils offer a dazzling range of flower colors, shapes, and sizes. Photo by Laura Huenneke. As crisp fall mornings arrive, my thoughts turn to planting bulbs whose blooms will brighten the late winter and spring. Here in Flagstaff, I’ve become a huge fan of daffodils. They offer long-lasting benefits year after year, including pest resistance, tolerance of dry and hot summers, and early cheerful color. Narcissus, the genus name, comes from a Greek myth.

By Jan Holland Hailey An olla buried in a large washtub of zinnia plants provides deep moisture support. Photo by Jan Holland Hailey An olla [oy-yah], Spanish for “pot”, is a low-fired, unglazed and porous clay pot or vessel used since ancient times in gardening. When filled with water, it provides a slow release of moisture into the soil as an alternative or supplemental watering system. Ollas are believed to have originated in China or North Africa between 2000 and 4000 yea

by Monica Coplea Sacred Datura opens its large, showy flowers in the late afternoon and evening, and is often pollinated by sphinx moths. Photo courtesy of Monica Coplea Night gardens are made up of plants that bloom and attract pollinators after dark. And no, they have nothing to do with “night soil”—that’s a whole other topic! We often hear about conserving daytime pollinators like bees, but pollination doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. Nearly two-thirds of flowering pl

by Susan Lamb Seth Watkins and his fabulous crevice garden. Photo by Tom Bean. Imagine creating a miniature mountain range in your garden, a tiny world of cliffs and clefts to care for and explore. In the 1970s, gardeners in the Czech Republic started doing just that. They built crevice gardens: waist-high imitations of their country's craggy mountaintops. Today, crevice gardens are found all over the world. Every crevice garden is a work of art. Rocks can fan out on a slop

By Cindy Murray If you plant more edibles than your family can possibly eat, you may have been bitten by the Coconino Garden Bug. Photo by Cindy Murray. One mid-summer a number of years ago, as I was showing my daughter our garden, a giant grasshopper alighted upon a corn leaf. In the blink of an eye, I swiped it up, threw it to the ground and stomped on it. Appearing horrified, Carrie exclaimed, “Ewww Mom, that’s disgusting!” I replied, “Oh sorry!” I was following what see

By Rita Greenwell A reserve of Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon strictus). Photo by Rita Greenwell There are many great reasons to plant many types of plants in containers, but plants native to the region often get left out of the picture. This could be because native plants often do really well in the ground, but planting perennial natives in containers can have advantages for everyone from non-gardeners to experts. For beginners, planting in pots can be a much easier wa

By Jan Holland Hailey Arizona native wild grapevine tunnel in a "fairy garden". Photo by Jan Holland Hailey. In mid-June I joined a group of Coconino Master Gardeners to preview four of the eight gardens to be featured on our August 8th Garden Tour. Those of us on the preview tour are members of the Tour Committee and this allows us to meet the Garden Hosts and learn more about their gardens in advance of the event we are planning. After a brief monthly planning meeting

By Sarah Edmonds Marie’s garden entrance. Photo courtesy of Sarah Edmonds. Flagstaff locals may remember Robert (Bob) Dalegowski, a watercolor artist famous for depicting scenes of Northern Arizona, especially the Grand Canyon. He also constructed his primary residence, creating a whimsical house and garden in the Doney Park area that is now owned by his daughter, Marie. The garden will be featured in the August 8th Garden Tour sponsored by the Coconino County Master Gardener

By: Kate O’Neill The Murdoch Friendship Garden welcomes community members as they visit the historic Murdoch Center and community fridge. Photo courtesy of Kate O'Neill. For generations, communities cared for one another by sharing food. Extra produce from a garden, eggs from a backyard flock, a loaf of bread, or a meal at the table helped neighbors through hard times and strengthened the relationships built on mutual care and belonging. Today, those traditions are being rei

by Carol Chicci A ladybird beetle eating aphids on a rose bud. Photo by Dave Chicci. Rose pests arrive early, about the end of April, when we are occupied with planning our gardens. By that time thrips and aphids are already on some of the rose varieties in both my garden and in the Olivia White Hospice Garden. Thrips, especially, are very destructive, so you must act quickly to control them. The common thrips in our region is the Western Flower Thrips. Thrips (which is both

By Laura Huenneke Gina Goeghan, nursery manager at The Arboretum, shepherds hundreds of native plants from early life in the greenhouse to suitable size for sale and planting in home gardens. Photo courtesy of Gina Goeghan and The Arboretum at Flagstaff. Many local gardeners look forward to the annual native plant sales hosted by The Arboretum at Flagstaff. This year those gardeners may have been wondering whether the Pocket Fire would disrupt the early-monsoon tradition. Bu

By Jan Holland Hailey Jan Holland Hailey tending her garden. Photo courtesy of Jan Holland Hailey Jan Holland Hailey and Eric Hailey bought a forested property in Flagstaff as their retirement home in 2016. The views and scenic setting bordering the national forest attracted them to the home situated on the southeast slope of Mt. Elden. After a decade of loving attention, Jan’s mountainside backyard garden will be included in the August 2026 Garden Tour sponsored by the Coco

By Lauren Vanier Mule deer, like this doe in Yellowstone National Park, are iconic wildlife throughout the western US. The penstemons in my front yard were developing flower buds, thrown up on stalks two feet tall. I was anticipating watching bees disappear into their cavernous flowers and hummingbirds bury their long beaks deep into the blossoms. Instead, on one recent morning, I found them chewed off so cleanly, they appeared to have been cauterized. The deer had made their

By Nate O’Meara Sunflowers grow and track the sun through a process called heliotropism. (photo credit: April O’Meara) A honey bee visiting a sunflower with pollen on its legs is a true wonder to watch. (photo credit: April O’Meara) In the cool darkness of a recent summer morning, I stared in wonder at the bright faces looking back at me. My young sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) in the grove were standing like soldiers waiting to salute the rising sun. During the previous

by Richard McCormick Spicy peppers come in a wide diversity of shape, color, size, and heat. They are well suited to growing in warm, sunny Arizona summers. Few crops are as closely tied to Southwestern cooking as hot peppers. Whether roasted for green chile, chopped into fresh salsa, or blended into homemade hot sauce, peppers bring flavor and heat to some of the region's most recognizable dishes. They're also well suited to backyard gardens throughout Arizona, where warm te