THE SPRING 2025 GARDEN REPORT
Char Tomlinson | Gardens Consultant
The official first day of Spring in nearly upon us! 2024 brought record high and low temperatures to Winslow, which sits at 5000 feet. The average last freeze date is around the first of May, the gardens are just starting to awaken! The crew is beginning cleanup, rousing the beds from their long winter’s rest. You may wonder why the Gardens are brown? Why are there leaves everywhere? We leave our leaves, stalks and seeds to protect the overwintering critters, eggs, cocoons and larvae that will be making their debut come Springtime. The leaves act as a natural mulch; protecting, feeding, and retaining the moisture in the beds. Remember, the gardens are dormant and not dead!
What’s happening in the gardens now? Step out of the North (main) Entrance, daffodils, tulips, hyacinth, and allium are starting to peek out along the Entry walkway and in the adjacent Patio pots. Don’t forget to look up, the Arizona Ash are starting to bud, as well as the Woods and China roses. Continue down the Entry walkway, notice the emerging bulbs, Potentilla, Rosemary, and Hollyhock shoots. Take a stroll through the Pollinator/Potager Garden where you’ll see a variety of Tulips, Daffodils, Celery, Sweet Williams, Peppermint, Chicory and Yarrow greens. The Lilac bushes will be blooming soon, sending a sweet smell through this sheltered space.
Head back to the Entry pathway, past Jolly the Camel where you’ll see the Half Moon Garden and whiskey barrels. The Dwarf Peach trees will be blooming soon along with Allium, Daffodils, and Carnations. The trees on either side of the entrance are called Vitex or Chaste trees. They’re used as a planting guide, they won’t leaf out until after the last freeze…they really are chaste!
Walk back up the pathway towards the hotel, take a right into the Ankh/Peace Garden. The Woods Rose still has it’s beautiful Rose hips and is starting to leaf out. Did you know that Rose hips are full of vitamin C? The birds like them, but don’t eat them raw, they’re hard for humans to digest! The Goldfinches, House Finches, Sparrows, Flycatchers, Doves, etc frequent this area. How many different species of birds can you see? It’s also nesting season, look up, the birds are busy building in the trees and shrubs.
Sunken Garden
Follow the brick pathway through the blue doorway and into the tranquility of the Sunken Garden. This Oasis has a variety of Tulips, Snowdrops, Daffodils and Sweet Peas. Soon the Flycatcher honeysuckle, Snowball bush, Mulberry and Wax Currants will be leafing out and blooming. In a month’s time this space will be a cool, green and lush, truly an Oasis in the desert. April first will be a big day for us as we start planting our cool weather crops In the patio pots and beds. Look for: lettuce, Rainbow Chard, spinach, broccoli, beets and kale to name a few. Also, edible pansies and violas. We enjoy harvesting these crops for Chef in the Turquoise Room!
Happy Spring! We’re always happy to answer your questions about the Gardens, or gardening. If you see us outside working, stop by and say hello!
Part two coming soon, explore more of the gardens with me, and where to find more Spring blooms!
