Wendy Pettit

Cookie Butter Apple Treats

October 28, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Harvesting your apples? Been to your local farmer’s market and bought a bushel of apples? Cookie Butter Apple Treats may be a new delicious treat to please the entire family while you are processing your apples for the season. This simple 4-ingredient recipe is easy and yummy. Any variety of apple tastes delicious with this cookie butter dip recipe, but we prefer Fuji, Gala, or Pink Lady (whichever is the best price or whichever apple is ripe on the tree).

Cookie Butter Apple Treats Ingredients

8 Tbsp. cookie butter – room temperature (I prefer Bischoff Cookie Butter so I feel like I’m flying on an airplane)
4 Tbsp. vanilla greek yogurt
apple discs – 2-3 apples, sliced crossways
1/3 cup chocolate chips – melted (optional)
brine – 2 cups water with 3 Tbsp. lemon juice or 1 Tbsp. salt

Directions:

In a medium bowl, add lemon juice or salt into 2 cups water. Stir and set aside.
In a second medium bowl, combine cookie butter and yogurt. Stir mixing well and set aside.
Take your whole freshly harvested apples and slice them crossway through the center of the apple. Apple seed “star” should be in the middle of your circle or disk. Remove the seeds or centers of each apple disk using a tiny round cookie cutter or a knife. Your apples now look like skinny flat discs or donuts.
Place the apple slices into the lemon or salt brine. Let soak for 1-2 minutes. (This will keep the apples from turning brown.)
Place apple slices on a clean dishcloth or paper towel. Flip them over so both sides are now somewhat dry.
Using a large piping tool, pipe the cookie butter mixture in swirls on top of the apple discs. (I like to use the Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator)
Refrigerate and serve. Yum!
Optional – Melt 1/3 cup chocolate chips. (Use double boiler on stove or microwave 10 seconds at a time until the chocolate stirs smooth.) Drizzle or flip with a stick the chocolate over the apple discs. It is very wise to wear an apron for this task.

If you don’t want to do the apple disks, you can simply place the cookie butter dip in a bowl surrounded by any variety of apple wedges reading to scoop.

Cookie butter apple treats are a real crowd pleaser! And even more delicious and satisfying when you grow and harvest your own apples! Let Western Gardens teach you how to choose an apple tree for your yard. It doesn’t have to grow super big to have a delicious harvest.

How Gardening Can Help You Stay Healthy

October 11, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Author: Maria Cannon (HobbyJr.org)

When many people think of getting fit or staying healthy, gardening probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, working in the garden can be hugely beneficial to one’s health, in many ways. Not only is it great physical exercise, it also helps people who don’t get a lot of time outdoors connect to nature, enjoy the sun and fresh air, and spend time doing something that helps them feel fulfilled.

“When you sit at a desk all day, there’s something about literally putting your hands in the dirt, digging and actually creating something that’s really beautiful. There’s something about just being out there that feels kind of elemental,” says gardener Gillian Aldrich.

In short, working in a garden can help you feel better and improve your emotional and mental health. Want to learn more? Read on to find out how you can boost your health in a variety of ways just by digging in the dirt.

Gardening Can Boost Your Mood

Gardening has been linked in several studies to lessening depression. Although there have been no conclusive answers as to why, some experts believe it’s simply the ability to connect with something larger than ourselves without having to think about it too hard. It also involves physical work and being outdoors, both of which have been shown to improve mood and self esteem.

Healthy gardening means you'll be in a better more cheery mood.

Photo Credit via Pixabay by Vijayanarasimha

Gardening Can Relieve Stress

It can be difficult these days to enjoy the moment. With all the distractions from smartphones, laptops, tablets, email, and social media, it can be hard to direct your energy to something for longer than a few minutes. Gardening requires a bit of focus but allows your mind to go where it wants, which can help you feel more positive and de-stressed. Stress relief and activity can help prevent heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, among other things.

A healthy gardening habit helps you destress and realize the beauty of a simple flower.

Photo Credit via Pixabay by Alexas Fotos

Gardening Can Be Good Exercise

There are several types of gardening and many different ways you can get in a workout. Kneeling on the ground and bending over to weed, digging in the dirt to plant, and hauling dirt, mulch and fertilizer are all ways to feel the burn. You can take off several calories by working in the garden a few times a week.

Gardening helps with exercise. Now that is healthy gardening!

Photo Credit via Pixabay by Mojpe

Gardening Promotes Healthy Eating

Gardening can help promote healthy eating, especially if you’re putting on the table what you are taking what you grow from the ground. Plant produce you enjoy using to cook with–tomatoes, herbs, cabbage, carrots–so you’ll be more inclined to eat them and keep your diet healthy and nutritious.

Another wonderful benefit of growing food is that you can share it. If you don’t have family nearby, consider taking what you’re not going to use and donating it to food banks or shelters or neighbors. Be a good neighbor!

Photo Credit via Pixabay by CongerDesign

Gardening Can Help You Sleep Better

Working outdoors and getting active several times a week helps you tire out physically, and keeps stress and anxiety at bay so you can have a restful night. If you’re a restless sleeper, consider working in the garden a few additional times.

sleeping in the garden or sleeping better because you worked in the garden

Photo Credit via Pixabay by Dawidx

Gardening Gets You Out in the Sun

Working and playing in the sun exposes you to vitamin D, which can help boost your immune system and help improve your skin and bone health. Just be sure to wear plenty of sunblock to protect yourself from all those UV rays.

Photo Credit via Pixabay by AKA Ralph

Gardening is one of the best ways you can get in a workout, improve your brain function, boost your mood, and get healthy overall. If you feel you don’t have a big enough space on your own property for a garden, consider many other options like vertical gardening, container gardening, raised bed gardens. Western Gardens can help you be successful in growing your own food or just enjoying the beautiful blooms you cultivated. You can also consider seeking out a community garden project where you can work on your own little patch of land.

About the Author: Maria has suffered from fibromyalgia along with depression and anxiety associated with the chronic illness for years. Her hobbies–gardening, quilting, sewing, and knitting–play a major role in maintaining her mental health. She enjoys writing about her hobby adventures on Hobbyjr.org.

Fall Pruning Your Utah Garden – Basics

October 5, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Time to do your fall pruning in your Utah garden along the Wasatch Front. Pruning your garden for winter is fairly simple. Follow two main basic pruning rules and then follow guidelines for various plants listed.

GENERAL Pruning Rules to Remember:

Rule #1 – Don’t prune plants until they are finished blooming.

Rule #2 – Prune dead or broken branches at any time of the season.

FALL Pruning Guidelines:

Fall Pruning of Flowering Shrubs

To keep with Rule #1, remember not to prune fall blooming shrubs until they are done blooming. Examples of fall blooming shrubs include Rose of Sharon, Hydrangeas, etc. Spring blooming shrubs (forsythia, spirea, lilac, etc) should be pruned in the spring or summer after they are done blooming. Often, these shrubs bloom on new growth, so prune them early in the season to get some good growth for the next year’s blooms.

Before you get started pruning your flowering shrub, keep in mind to retain and enhance the shrub’s naturally graceful habit. Take care not to cut the shrub into a boxy or unnatural shape (unless you want to sacrifice flowers and make a hedge). Remove dead and crossing branches. Cut ¼ of the oldest canes to the ground. This gives the plant renewed strength, letting light and air circulation into the center of the plant and provides growing space for new flowering stems.

Fall Pruning of Upright Evergreen Shrubs

Lightly prune to shape. Shrubs like Arborvitae may need wrapping or tying with twine to keep the snow from breaking off the branches.

Fall Pruning of Rose Bushes

Pruning depth depends on the type of rose. If a hybrid tea or a floribunda type, prune down to 24” above ground. Otherwise, prune to shape the bush. Prune out dead and broken branches. May mulch around the base of the bush in case of unexpected sub-zero winter temperatures. In the spring, if there has been winter damage, you will be able to prune off the winter-kill. Click here for a good article on how to prune your roses.

Fall Pruning of Vines

Pruning depends all upon the type of vine. Some clematis need pruning, other clematis do not. Follow the directions on the plant tag from a reputable local garden center, or ask the experts at the local nursery.

Fall Pruning of Berry Plants

Again, pruning requirements drastically vary depending on type of berry and cultivar. Ever-bearing plants require different pruning techniques than main crop berries. And even then there are different needs. You don’t want to trim back too far in the fall if you need to leave that newer growth for next year’s berries. Again, consult the expert gardeners at your reputable garden center. Be sure to know what variety of berry you have.

Fall Pruning of Fruit Trees

Do not prune fruit trees until winter when they are dormant, i.e. leaves have fallen and temperatures are in 30’s & 40’s. In northern Utah, we recommend pruning during January and February. Follow proper tree pruning techniques in the winter. Winter Pruning video. Remember that at any time, you can prune away dead or broken branches.

Fall Mowing “Pruning” of Lawn/Turf

Mowing your lawn is actually a type of “pruning”. Your last mowing of the season should be shorter than during the summer months when you want the shade of the blades to help retain moisture in the soil and more green for healthier roots. When you are ready to put your lawnmower away, set your lawn mower to 1½” setting and give your lawn a good pruning! WARNING: Don’t be overly ambitious and “scalp” the lawn. A nice short cut is desired, but you don’t want to injure the base of the plant.

Additional Fall Lawn Note: Now is a time to spread your fall fertilizer. If you have had issues with fungus, now is the time to apply a fungicide treatment. Also, weed control is still viable when daily high temperatures are higher than 55-60 degrees. Weeds love the forgotten fall lawn.

Fall Pruning of Perennials

Be sure to remember Rules #1 and #2 above. Not pruning until the plant finishes blooming also applies to dividing and transplanting in the fall. Don’t transplant until the plant is done blooming. This means that your fall bloomers like Autumn Joy Sedum, chrysanthemums, etc., need to finish blooming before you divide and transplant or prune. Be patient! You have plenty of other pruning and garden work to do. These are the last ones to prune before the beds are done for the winter.

Two Additional General Fall Pruning Rules for Most Perennials:

Prune when the plants begin to die back, leaving their greenery to continue feeding the roots as long as possible.
Cut them down to 3-4 inches above the soil. This is because most perennials die down to the ground in the winter. Leaving 3 inches will mark the plants during winter. Also in the spring the 3-4 inches is low enough you won’t need to go back and prune as the plant emerges.

EXCEPTIONS to Pruning Perennial Rules: Woody perennials like lavender need only light pruning to shape and evergreen perennials like candytuft should also only be lightly pruned. If you question what to prune or how much, follow the guidance from your master gardener at the independent garden center like Western Gardens. We would love to help you have a successful garden.

Fall Pruning of Ground Covers –

Simply trim lightly.

Fall Pruning of Ornamental Grasses

If you enjoy the silhouette of your grasses, leave them to admire throughout late fall. Later trim to 6-8 inches above ground.

Fall Pruning Questions:

If you have any questions about fall pruning for winter, please feel free to stop by our Western Garden Centers and visit with one of our expert gardeners. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.

Fall Reminder:

While you are pruning and cleaning up, breathe deep the fresh autumn crisp air and admire the changes taking place in your garden.

What fall pruning do you enjoy doing in your yard?

The beginner basics of fall pruning your utah garden for winter.

Photo credit: Pixabay

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October Garden List 2017

October 3, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Welcome gardening friends, thanks for stopping by!

Excited to work in your yard or garden, but not sure what should be done in the cooler fall weather? Here is our October garden list of tasks to do that will help you be successful in your Utah garden. You may not need to do everything on this list. For example, if you don’t have summer blooming bulbs to dig up or stone fruit trees to spray, skip over those items on the list. Simply pick those that apply to your yard and get started; winter is around the corner!

October Garden List 2017

OR

➺Planting –

Planting in the fall is an excellent time. It gives your plants a great start in the spring on their own timetable.

Trees & shrubs – come see Western Gardens for quality plant material during their seasonal fall sale.
Pansies add fall and spring color. Sometimes you will even have color throughout winter, depending on the weather.
Spring Blooming Bulbs – Purchase quality bulbs from your local nursery. Remember a gardener’s rule of “The bigger the bulb, the bigger the bloom!” Plant them to the proper depth with a complete fertilizer.
Inside bulbs – purchase and plant bulbs like Paper Whites for color inside the home.
Perennials – plant healthy new perennials found at Western Garden Centers!

The october garden list includes dividing and transplanting perennials, trees and shrubs.

Photo credit: Tante Tati at Pixabay

➺What To Dig Up –

Dig Tender Bulbs (Summer Blooming Bulbs) – After the first hard frost, carefully dig up cannas, dahlias, gladiolus, etc. They will not survive Utah’s winter temperatures. Store them in a cool dry place. You’ll be able to plant them again in the spring!
Perennials – Fall is excellent time to divide and transplant perennials after they have finished blooming. Good time to build friendships by sharing with neighbors too!
Unfavorable Plants – Dig up and discard any plants you discovered you just don’t like. Clean up the yard so you can start anew next spring!

In october you can also cut your lawn shorter, and even reseed spots of grass.

Photo Credit: WensLens

➺Lawn Care –

Mow lawn to 1 1/2 inch height. This won’t “scalp” the roots, but will help prevent diseases caused by snow build up over the winter.
Aerate lawn – only well established lawns. You don’t need to aerate the first couple of years with a new lawn.
Fertilize lawn according to the expert schedule. Western Gardens again can help you be successful.
Spray lawn for weeds until daytime high temperatures drop below 55 degrees. Most plants really slow down their growth in the fall, but weeds seem to just continue to thrive! Weed-Free-Zone is a great product you can find at your independent garden center like Western Gardens.
New Seeded Lawn – The first week of October can still be a good time to spread new lawn seed. You should have enough time to keep the seeds moist in the cooler temperatures. The seedlings will pop before the winter sets in. See our experts to help you know how to have success. You can do it!

The winterize your garden in October list includes cleaning up the leaves and debris from flower and vegetable beds.

Photo credit: Jazzment at Pixabay

➺Clean up –

Dead plant material and debris – Remove from vegetable and flower beds after the first killing frost.
Weeding – Make another effort to control Field Bindweed (aka Wild Morning Glory). Clean out all you can now, so it will be easier to see new starts in the spring.
Blow out flower beds or rake up leaves. Leaves make a great compost. Pile them in a corner of your yard and in time, you will have the best soil. However, destroy Walnut tree leaves and Aspen leaves. They are toxic or often diseased.
Clean out rain gutters. The rain is coming!

Photo credit: Hans at Pixabay

➺Winterizing –

Garden Tools – Inventory and inspect for damage. Oil shovels, pruners, etc and make any necessary repairs or replacement. Consider the gift giving season that is approaching. Quality tools make wonderful useful gifts.
Sprinkler System – Drain and winterize sprinkler system.
Garden Hoses – Wind up garden hoses and store in an easily accessible place for spring.
Lawn Mower – drain or add fuel stabilizer. Change oil and store for the winter. TIP: Use the remaining gas in your mower to run the mower over the leaves you have raked up. This mulches the leaves smaller so they can be composted quicker! When the mower is out of gas, you are done!
Patio Furniture – cover or bring into storage to protect from Utah’s harsh winter winds and snow.

Our October garden list tasks to do include trimming evergreens and other trees and shrubs.

Photo credit: Estella Guerrera at Pixabay

➺Trees & Shrub Care –

Stone Fruit Trees – If you had problems during this past season, spray for Coryneum blight after leaves fall.
Do NOT prune fruit trees until January or February. You may prune out dead or broken limbs.
Evergreens – Trim to shape. Wrap those bushes that could break from winter snow.

Take time in October to evaluate your yard and note changes for spring.

Photo credit: K.Riemer at Pixabay

➺Assess Your Yard

Take a moment to sit, survey, and jot down changes to make next year. Some items you can do now, i.e. transplanting. Maybe you want to plant a specific maple in a specific location, or try a new perennial in the spring. Quality plants can be found in your local independent nursery during fall sales, however, they are limited to their stock on hand. Drop by Western Garden Centers and tell them what you are looking for. If they are sold out, the nursery stock manager/orderer possibly can look for and bring into the store your specific tree or shrub for the spring.

Doing these tasks on our October garden list will help make November all the more enjoyable. And come spring, you will have a good head start on getting your gardens ready for spring.

Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread – Cake

September 30, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

A fun potluck party idea is to have a zucchini fest. People can be so creative; you’ll discover zucchini dishes you never dreamed of. I’ll never forget going to one several years ago and someone had thought ahead and brought a gluten free chocolate zucchini bread. Too many times, we forget the many who don’t eat gluten (wheat products).

My busy gluten free neighbor Vanessa shares this recipe – gluten free chocolate zucchini bread. It is so yummy and rich, it can be treated as cake. This is a proven winner recipe; it won’t last long in the pan! Enjoy the zucchini season while it lasts…and lasts…..and lasts!

Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread/Cake

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut milk plus 1 tbsp white vinegar (this makes a dairy free buttermilk version)
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup oat flour
1 Tsp xanthum gum
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp cacao
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded zucchini

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with non stick spray
In a large bowl cream together the applesauce, coconut oil and sugar. Then add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown rice and pat flours, cocoa powder, cacao, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix, then add the coconut milk (with the vinegar) mix, and add the remaining flour mixture. Mix until well combined.
This is a good time to teach patience to little ones while the batter mixes. Good things come to those who wait!
Stir in the shredded zucchini.
With supervision and a little help, young children can take pride in helping make this delicious zucchini treat!
Pour the batter in the pan.
Be sure to smell it as you examine your batter.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. In my convection oven it takes about 34 minutes.

This can be served with whipped topping or your favorite ice cream or ice cream alternative.

If you have already pulled up your garden, don’t worry. I’m sure someone has excess in their garden. Just put out the word that you will make some gluten free chocolate zucchini bread for them if they will give you some of their zucchinis. If you find this too late, make plans for various zucchini plants next spring. There are many varieties to choose from at your local garden center.

Try out some other ZUCCHINI RECIPES:

Baked Zucchini Fries

Banana Zucchini Bread w/Chocolate Chips

Zucchini Chips

Delicious Roasted Zucchini

Oven Fried Zucchini

Prepare for April 25th – National Zucchini Bread Day

Prepare for August 8th – Sneak Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day

Apple Varieties and How to Use Them

September 21, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Photo: Pixabay

Not all apples are the same. With over 7000 varieties of apples, it is wise to learn which types are best for what you want the apple. Some apples are more soft, some more crunchy and crispy, some mealy, some tart, some sweet, and so on. Of course, which apple you use can be all subjective, but in the world of apple connoisseurs, there are some apples more suitable for different needs.

Here is a list of some of the more popular apple varieties and how to best use them.

Take a bite of a crisp apple from the apple tree

Photo: Pixabay

Fresh Eating Apple Varieties

There are so many different tastes for different people’s likings. Here are some of the most popular.

Braeburn
Fuji
Gala
Cameo
Golden Delicious
Granny Smith (for a tart taste)
Honeycrisp
Empire
Pink Lady or Cripps Pink

Baked whole apples with cinnamon and raisins

Photo: Pixabay

Baking Apple Varieties

Popular apples for pies, apple sauce, apple butter, and baking whole.

Granny Smith (in our opinion the BEST pie apple)
Braeburn
Golden Delicious
McIntosh
Rome Beauty
Cortland
Jonagold
Jonathan
Gala
Melrose
Honeycrisp
Winesap
Cameo
Avoid these apples in pie because they become mealy with baking: Cortland, Gala, and Red Delicious

Hot apple cider tastes good on a cold fall day.

Photo: Pixabay

Cider Apple Varieties

It is proven that the best tasting cider comes from using a variety of all types of apples. One neighbor who owns a press once told me “The more varieties, the better!”

Gala
Rome Beauty
Golden Delicious
Grimes Golden
Jonathan
Red Delicious
McIntosh
Fuji
Braeburn
Jonagold
Cortland

Realize that these lists are not complete by any stretch of the imagination. Remember the 7000 plus varieties? Our shorter more concise list will be a good place to start!

As you decide what apple you want to have on your own lot, for a great harvest, be sure to check your local garden center for what apple trees do well in your area. Not all apple trees like to be planted just anywhere. Temperature plays an important role in producing a worthwhile crop. Read How to Choose an Apple Tree to learn more.

How to Choose an Apple Tree in Utah

September 21, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Learn 3 important criteria to choose the right apple tree for your yard

Photo by Pixabay

Fall is a wonderful time to plant trees and the apple tree is one of the easiest fruit trees to grow. Surprisingly, how to choose an apple tree is easy to learn as well. Learn these three basic criteria as you prepare for this investment. Nearly all apple trees require a second variety close by in order to pollinate. So as you are considering, be sure to have a first and second choice.

How to Choose an Apple Tree – 3 Criteria:

Right SIZE – Choose the right size of tree for your space. You need to look at your space and maybe even measure the space so you know what you are purchasing.
Right VARIETY – Type of fruit desired. Do you want fresh eating apples, or just cooking apples? You will be investing time and effort into you tree, so they may as well be apples that will please you and serve your purpose.
Right TIME – When does it flower and when is harvest time. Apples require a second variety to cross-pollinate, therefore you want 2 apples trees that will bloom about the same time.

Tree size for the right space is important when you choose an apple tree

Photo by Pixabay

SIZES of Trees:

Standard size tree – can grow to 25-30 feet tall along Wasatch Front with a spread of 25-30 feet. You need a large area for the standard size tree. Standard trees take 4-8 years to produce mature fruit. These trees are very good in cold-climates, but be ready to prune every year.
Semi-dwarf (sometimes called half-standard) – can grow 12-15 feet tall along the Wasatch Front and same width if not pruned. This tree will have mature fruit in 3-5 years.
Dwarf or Genetic Dwarf tree or Bush trees – Can grow 6-10 feet tall along the Wasatch Front and just as wide. These trees produce mature fruit in 3-4 years.
Others: There are several other types of fruit trees. These would include espalier and columnar. See your local experts at the neighborhood nursery for what will grow in your area and for availability.

Nearly all semi-dwarf and dwarf or bush trees are grafted. Growers graft or attach the desired fruiting branch to a “rootstock” trunk. The rootstock determines how big your tree will get. Shopping your reputable local garden nursery will ensure that you are buying a quality product – good grafting onto a quality rootstock. There are different rootstocks for different areas. Your local nursery experts will only sell what will work here along the Wasatch Front, versus a big company back east somewhere that orders for their stores throughout the country.

How to choose an apple tree with the right variety of apple for your needs.

Photo by Pixabay

VARIETY of Fruit:

There are literally over 7000 apple varieties. Obviously many more than what you find at the local grocery market. Visiting a good local farmers market can expose you to other varieties you can taste before you make an investment into your own tree.

Click HERE to see a basic break down of the more popular varieties and their best uses.

Remember that your tree is your investment, so you want to produce something you will use and enjoy for years and years to come. Apples trees can live as long as 60 years or more.

The blooming time of apple trees is important to pollinate the blossoms.

Photo by Pixabay

TIMES for Blooming:

As mentioned above, nearly all apples need a pollinator apple tree in the general area. If you have neighbors that have apples trees, planting one in your yard should still give you plenty of harvest. But if you are the only one, then you may need to plant two different varieties of apples. For example, in commercial orchards, farmers often plant some golden delicious apple trees along with their main crop. Golden Delicious trees are known to be good pollinators. Be sure to choose two varieties that overlap their flowering time.

Midseason bloomers:

Crimson Beauty
Gala
Jonamac
Jonathan
McIntosh
Golden Delicious
Jonagold
and others

Late bloomers:

Fuji
Granny Smith
Rome Beauty
Winesap
and others

Poor pollinators: Jonagold and Winsesap (plus a few more), are considered poor pollinators. Don’t plan on them being your pollinating tree.

Hardiness and Cold Requirements: Be sure to check at your local garden center for those varieties that are actually hardy for your area. You need to choose an apple tree that will survive your climate year round. And on the other hand, realize that apples require a certain amount of cold temperatures to have the sugars set and the fruit to ripen properly. If the fruit doesn’t get the required coldness, the fruit will be a disappointment for all the time and effort you’ve put into your harvest.

For example, my parents planted a Red Delicious apple down south in the area of St. George, Utah. The fruit grew but never turned red and always had a mealy texture and flavor. The fruit never was like their Red Delicious apples from their trees up in northern Utah. The tree eventually was cut out.

Conclusion:

Now you know the basic criteria for how to choose an apple tree. You need to consider the right size of tree, the right type of apple, and the right blooming time for good pollination. What a great investment for your yard, yourself, and your family!

In future posts, we will go through proper planting procedures, learn about any pest control needed, and how and when to properly prune your tree. Soon you will be enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Check out these recipes for apple goodies (submitted by Western Garden patrons):

Simple Apple Chips and Apple Pie Filling

Simple Applesauce and Apple Butter

Garden To-Do List for September

August 31, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Welcome friend, thanks for stopping by!

Aw! It’s September and you may be feeling excited to work in your yard or garden. We’ve put together a garden to-do list for this cooler month along the Wasatch Front in Utah.

You may not need to do everything on this list. For example, if you don’t have roses, then you won’t need to worry about letting the hips form. Just pick what applies to your yard and plan out when you will do it all throughout the month!

Garden To-Do List for September

➺Spend Labor Day Enjoying your garden. You’ve put in a lot of effort and now enjoy!

➺Plant Trees & Shrubs – Fall is a great time to plant container nursery stock. Plus take advantage of fall sales.

➺Watch Reports For Frost Warnings and cover tender crops if necessary.

➺Work Mulch & Organic Matter into your garden and flower beds. Grass clippings or shredded leaves by the lawn mower work well.

➺Stop Dead-Heading roses and let hips form.

➺Purchase and Plant Spring Bulbs from your local nursery. Ex: Tulips, daffodils, crocus, etc. Remember quality makes a huge difference. Bigger bulb means bigger bloom. Be sure to plant at proper depth with a complete fertilizer.

➺Plant Pansies & Primrose along with your spring bulbs for earlier spring color!

➺Launch a Final Battle Against Snails and Slugs – Fall is the best time to take care of them before they lay eggs and they go into hibernation for the winter. {check out THIS article for 3 simple ways to control snails!}

➺Last Treatment for peach twig borer

➺Treat Lawn Weeds with weed spray.

➺Lay Seed for a new lawn, or lay sod.

➺Divide & Transplant Spring and Summer Blooming Perennials – if necessary. May divide fall blooming perennials once they are done blooming.

➺Visit State Fair for some true inspiration from fellow citizens and gardeners.

➺Start Feeding Wild Birds, if you stopped in the spring.

➺Don’t let Fallen Leaves Accumulate on your Lawn – Rake them up, pile them elsewhere and use them as mulch in your next year’s garden. Leaves left on the lawn can invite disease if not kill your grass.

Be sure to check out October’s Gardening To-Do List too!

3 Simple Tips for Picking Ripe Cantaloupe

August 22, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

If you’re like me, you can use some tips for picking ripe cantaloupe, because it can be hard to tell when it’s ready to eat!

I find it disappointing to be preparing a cantaloupe for dinner, only to take one taste and it is bland and flavorless. I’ve learned my lesson and discovered how to choose or pick a cantaloupe that is ripe and ready to eat. Now when I’m either picking fruit at the store or from my own garden, there are three simple tips to remember to help you wisely spend your money and time.

Follow these simple tips to choose a melon that is ripe and ready to eat.

LOOK – Cantaloupe should be a nice golden yellow color. Don’t pick cantaloupe that are greenish. They are not ready! Don’t worry about rough spots that may be on the outside of your cantaloupe. They don’t mean anything as to the ripeness.
FEEL – You should be able to feel the edges of the outer skin. A smooth skin means it is not ripe. The flower end (the end not attached to the vine) is soft. You should be able to press it gently in. If it springs back out after pressing, your cantaloupe is ready.
SMELL – Place the flower end or the “button” of the cantaloupe just under your nose and take a whiff. A strong sweet aroma indicates the cantaloupe is ready. Sometimes you will smell the strong aroma without smelling the button. If it doesn’t have a scent, don’t pick it or buy it. It is not sweet.

Cantaloupe from the store or market can be yummy, but my favorite is freshly picked from my garden. Now when I eat cantaloupe, it is like a little slice of heaven. Picked right off the vine, it is heavy, fragrant, juicy, and still warm from sitting in the sun. I love to garden!

TIP FOR GROWING: Be sure to begin your seeds indoors early spring so you can have good healthy larger plants when it is warm enough outside. Melons like a long hot growing season!

Choosing the Right Utah Wedding Venue

May 19, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Choosing your Utah Wedding Venue at Hidden Garden Weddings will make your day even more beautiful and stress free.

Planning your wedding celebration will have its own unique set of stressors and considerations. The first one is often deciding on the best Utah wedding venue that fits your qualifications for your dream wedding. While there are many reception centers in Salt Lake City, many that are a mixed bag of questionable quality, limited services, and/or are unreasonably costly, there are less than a handful in the West Valley City area to choose from. Before you put down that substantial holding fee for a venue, consider the following points and consider West Valley City’s newest wedding reception center.

Plan out the cost of your wedding before you commit to a Utah wedding venue

Cost

Before moving towards purchasing wedding supplies and booking your wedding venue in West Valley City, you should have a very good idea of your total wedding budget. Even specify amounts for what product. This will give you an itemized list that dictates how much you have allotted toward each wedding expense such as a wedding dress, floral arrangements, wedding cake, catering, and venue, to name a few. Once you know the maximum amount you can spend on a reception location, you will be able to narrow down the right Utah wedding venue for your beautiful day.

Host and wedding planner is part of Hidden Garden package

Services

If you haven’t budgeted for a wedding planner, you can take out a lot of the stress and guess work of arranging a celebration if you book a reception center that includes a variety of services. Yes, some venues offer nothing but the room itself and then add on for each basic feature you need. Other more complete venues offer a package that includes just about everything you need for the venue itself – such as event planner for your ceremony or reception at their venue, tables/chairs and linens, sound system, dance floor, event hosts, and great recommendations for wedding vendors for catering, floral ordering, and musical setups. Venues that include these extra services are often a great stress reducer for the bride and groom and their families. The less you have to worry about before and the day of, the more enjoyment everyone will experience.

Beautiful space at this West Valley City wedding reception center.

Type of Venue

Do you want your wedding ceremony and reception to take place at the same venue? Are you looking for a location that expresses your uniqueness? These are some questions you should be asking yourself when figuring out which location would work best for you. Ideally you should not make a venue something that it is not, especially if it means having to do a lot of decorating yourselves. Pick a location that suits your overall style and you can personalize it with a few simple decorations to make it your own event.

Hidden Garden Weddings allows for decorating to your style and budget.

After considering all of this, Western Gardens’ Hidden Gardens in West Valley City has an existing setup that is geared specifically for family events like weddings and receptions. Their venue is the perfect combination of affordability, extensive services, and an beautiful garden atmosphere that is sure to please both you and your guests.

Hidden Garden has an in-house event organizer who can assist you in making your wedding and reception a memorable experience with little fuss. At all their Utah wedding venues, (Ivy House, The Atrium, and now Hidden Garden) you are given the opportunity to customize their offered services or employ your own vendors.

This Utah wedding venue is definitely worth checking into – Hidden Garden Weddings and Events.

Interior space at Hidden Garden Weddings and Events in Utah

Beautiful and new Hidden Garden Weddings and Events in West Valley City