Still time to plant in Yuma

Even though cooler temperatures have arrived, you still have time to plant.

Yuma is USDA Zone 10.

*Annuals — Plant transplants for petunias, hollyhocks, snapdragons, calendulas, alyssum, pansies. Sow seeds for African daisy, alyssum, bachelor button, calendula, California poppy, clarkia, lupine, delphinium, baby's breath, hollyhock, larkspur, nasturtium, sweet pea. Sow wild flower seeds.

*Perennials — Plant brittlebush, penstemon, chuparosa, Mexican honeysuckle, bee balm, desert marigold, carnation, English daisy, globe mallow, yarrow, Shasta daisy, geranium, gazania, daylilies, and agapanthus.

*Vegetables — Continue to plant vegetables from seed. Sow seeds for beets, cucumbers, peas, collard greens, mustard greens, green onions, carrots, radishes, spinach, turnips and watermelons. For an early start for tomatoes begin seeds in pots indoors. Set out transplants for asparagus, globe artichokes, cabbage, cauliflower, head lettuce.

*Herbs — Plant thyme, mint, basil, parsley, and lavender throughout your garden to help repel unwanted insects. Plant borage, caraway, chervil, cilantro, dill, fennel, lemon balm.

*Bulbs — Plant spring-flowering bulbs, such as narcissus, gladiolus, and ranunculus first part of January. Plant pre-chilled tulip and hyacinth bulbs.

*Citrus — Plant citrus trees. Fertilize established citrus at drip line of canopy.

*Hummingbird Plants — Plant aloe, chuparosa, desert willow tree, fairy duster, flame honeysuckle, orange bells, yellow bells, penstemon and red yucca.

*Trees/shrubs — Plant deciduous fruit trees with less than 400 chilling hours required (number of hours 32-60 degrees while trees are dormant). Plant grapes and shrubs (acacias, desert spoon, fairy duster, mesquite, oleander, palo verde, Texas ranger). Fertilize established deciduous fruit trees with a 10-10-10 fertilizer. Aleppo pine, Afghan pine, Italian Stone pine, Arizona cypress and Mondell pine can be planted. Plant Desert Barberry for an evergreen shrub. Don't prune deciduous fruit trees or grape vines until all leaves have dropped and plants have gone dormant.

*Roses — If leaves are yellow, add an iron supplement. Plant container roses and bare-root roses. Cut off spent blooms to encourage blooming. Prune roses middle of January. Remove 1/2-2/3 the length of canes. Remove dead wood and crossed canes.

Scott Calhoun, owner of Zona Gardens in Tucson, has combined creative outdoor spaces with natural landscaping to turn lawns into living spaces for entertaining and relaxing. He uses a combination of rustic and modern elements to bring a sense of fun and creativity to each landscape he designs. Scott is a proponent of rain harvesting and uses metal culverts as rain barrels to collect water for irrigating.

“Last year, I collected 1,000 gallons of rainwater off my roof,” Calhoun said. “I prefer native plants adapted to the Southwest desert to eliminate as much watering as possible. We have so many beautiful native plants to choose from, but my personal favorite is Parry's Penstemon. Its coral flowers add nice color to a garden and attract birds and butterflies.”

Calhoun designs spaces which encourage home owners to live outdoors and enjoy our many days of gorgeous weather here in the Southwest.

He has written many books on desert landscaping and has just published his sixth book, “The Gardener's Guide to Cactus: The 100 Best Paddles, Barrels, Columns, and Globes.”

Calhoun will be speaking at the Yuma Garden Club on Jan. 9, 1:00 p.m., at the Main Library.

Karen Bowen is a master gardener and member of Yuma Garden Club. She can be reached at bowenkaren@ymail.com. This column is sponsored by the Federated Garden Clubs of Yuma.

Wishing all our gardening friends a happy New Year!