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There is one plant that announces spring with the brightest of fragrant pink flowers. The Pink Dawn Viburnum, Viburnum bodnantense, just coming into bloom at the garden center. The Viburnum family of plants grows wonderfully at this altitude, but this one gives an exceptional show year round. Fragrant pink blossoms brighten the spring landscape, its rich green foliage adds a cooling touch through summer, scarlet colors appear in October, and all this is followed by a blue ornamental cool-weather berry. If you have not planted a Viburnum in your landscape yet, ‘Pink Dawn’ is an excellent consideration. Don’t wait, though; most viburnums are only available at the garden center this time of year and last year we ran out too early and the crop was gone.

Spring is back and the next month is the ideal time to feed everything in the landscape. A little bit of time spent feeding plants will result in strong root growth that guarantees better flower colors and richer leaves that will help your landscape look better than every this year. I would encourage you to feed everything in the landscape now from lawns and flowers, to roses and trees. I even feed my most prized natives in the yard. Well-fed plants not only look better than plants that have not been fed, but they withstand our monsoon and drought cycles, and Summer’s scorching temperatures.

Fertilizer companies like to make this plant food thing very complicated. I like to keep local gardening simple enough so even I have the time and energy to have a great-looking garden. Because I have four children, two dogs, turtles and fish that live in my pond and love taking care of my birds, I have a strong believe in using organic plant foods when possible.

The right kind of plant food makes all the difference in an arid climate. There is little if any naturally occurring food in our native soils, so plants are dependent on you for food. This is exactly why I like all natural plant foods that release little bits of food over a long period of time. It's also the reason I never use Miricle-Gro personally. It flushes through the ground so quickly plants don't have time to pick it up and use this product.

I am such a stickler for the right foods in the landscape I finally created my very own food designed specifically for the mountains of Arizona. Look for my “All Purpose Plant Food” available in 10 and 20 pound bags us use it on everything in the landscape by the end o March. It’s the perfect all natural food for high altitude gardening and makes a noticeable difference.

I feed my landscape three times every year, now, July, and October. I use the ‘All Purpose’ food for my spring and July feedings, and because it is a blend of bird guano, cottonseed meal, iron and sulfur, is makes and even better winterizing plant that should be applied in October as plants go into their dormant state to get through Winter. With this feeding schedule I never use other foods such as Ironite or Miracle-Gro. I feed everything in the yard, including lawns, with this simple diet. It even works great in raised beds and containers.

Testimonial - Last week I mowed my lawn at the lowest setting and applied a full dose of my ‘All Purpose Plant Food’, and already the lawn is a lush green. The bird guano in this all natural food works very fast on lawns. If you are tired of drab brown or a yellow lawn this is the ticket.

As I am out in the yard I also like to stimulate deeper, healthier roots with a "Soil Activator“. Tough plants are a must at this altitude and those attributes are possible only with deeper, strong roots. These plants live longer, have fewer bugs, and come through mile-high drought cycles more successfully. For this reason I have become a strong believer in "Soil Activator". An application of this very organic granular chocolate is spread at the same time as your all purpose plant food and promotes a burst of new, healthy roots deep within the soil.

Strong, vibrant plants come through long dry spells healthy and ready for the next season. Soil Activator causes new roots to grow deeper into the soil; and with my “All Purpose Plant Food” these new roots grow big and plump developing truly drought-hardy plants. The results when treating your plants with this dynamic one-two punch are really impressive.

I don't recommend raking either of these plant foods into the soil. I simply 'Chuck & Go' for a quick and easy way to a better landscape. Try to keep the granular off foliage and sweep any food that may have dropped onto patios, driveways and entrances or they can stain the concrete. For lawns and flower beds I like to run the irrigation after feeding. Trees are left on their own until the next irrigation cycle or rain.

We all have our favorite plants by season, especially me. Unique to this year I will pick and post my favorite ‘Plant of Week’ on my web site at www.wattersonline.com . This favored pick is chosen because it’s a plant that is unusually beautiful at the garden center that week, a crop that is simply over-the-top gorgeous, new, unique, different, or looking really good in town that week. It’s a great way to learn about local landscapes and a great place to start if you don’t know what to plant this spring. Of course, I encourage you to stop by and see me at the garden center and I will show you each plant personal.

Until next week, I'll see you in the Garden Center.

Ken Lain, who says, "my personal mission is to help local homeowners garden better in our mountain landscapes," is the owner of Watters Garden Center at 1815 Iron Springs Road in Prescott. Lain is also a master gardener and certified nursery professional who has gardened extensively throughout the mountains of Arizona, and the host of "Mountain Gardener" a weekly radio show found every Saturday from 11-12 noom on KQNA 1130AM and 99.9FM.