What To Plant During The Valley’s Next Growing Season

We will always have those visitors who claim “Arizona doesn’t have seasons,” but spending year after year here, we’ve come to love Arizona’s strange seasons--because yes, we do have them! Now Arizona, being a little different than much of the country (as in, always fighting for those top-spot record temperatures in the United States), has gardening and growing seasons that are slightly off compared to those nationwide gardening guides. As an Arizona resident, you know this has been a pleasant winter, and our gorgeous spring is already just around the corner… So when should you start gardening in the new year? We know that you want to have beautiful spring blooms, and tasty treats straight from your garden for those fresh summer dinners. Today, we’ll fill you in on the best times, and the best plants, to grow this coming spring, and into the new year!

​Here in the Valley, our ideal spring growing season begins around the middle of February and lasts through the end of May. Just in case this is your first year with a garden of your own, that means the perfect conditions, in terms of rainfall, temperature, and more, for your plants to thrive! You can definitely grow outside of that window, but your plants may need a little extra care… This may mean more water or protection from sun or frost. So, if you want to maintain your plants all summer, be ready to give them a little more attention after spring! Also, our next growing season will be between September and November, keep that in mind! We’ll go over fall plants when the time comes, but for now, we want to look at which plants you’ll be able to prepare for going into 2018! What kind of plants do you want to care for next spring?

​We’ll begin with flowers, the prettiest part of spring. The scent, the colorful blooms, all reminiscent of the season… Starting as early as January, you can sow a few types of daisies and poppies, which should stand up to the sun’s rays come summer, possibly with a little extra shade. More flowers can be planted coming up to spring, like petunias or sweet pea plants. They may not stand up to extreme heat down the line, but they will give a wonderful spring feel to your garden during their season. Moving closer to summer, plant interesting snapdragons and impressive sunflowers. Around March, you can add cosmos, dahlias, and marigold; these flowers will be sure to yield a gorgeous garden this spring!

​Growing vegetables always proves to be rewarding. It feels great cooking up your own fresh-grown and picked veggies for the whole family! Hearty vegetables like asparagus, carrots, potatoes, and radishes can be planted early in the year. Then you can move on to corn, peppers, eggplant, squash, and tomatoes. You can also easily grow herbs like basil, mint, or parsley to compliment your fresh-veggie dishes. Fortunately, these smaller, leafy plants can go in a planter, so they’re easier to move--and in-turn, care for--year round. As we approach hot and dry June in this new year, you’ll be stuffed full of your own garden-grown veggies!

We hope this has inspired you to spend some time outdoors next year, enjoying Arizona’s fabulous spring weather. Gardening can be fun for the family, relaxing, and very rewarding. Now, if you need some backyard maintenance before you decide where to build your garden plot (or if you need some assistance with that alone), Red Mountain Landscaping is here to get you ready for spring! Call or complete our form to schedule an appointment with our team today.