Got dirt?

Of course you do. But want really good dirt? We have it at Rillito Nursery & Garden Center.

It’s Black Gold – the foundation for most anything you want to plant.

What’s a good house without a strong foundation? The same goes for a good flower, fruit or whatever you’d like see grow.

And in the coming weeks it’s the best time to plant. Soil is soft from the recent rains (and more might be coming).

The best soil for Arizona’s climate will be found … in a bag: Black Gold All Purpose with Extended Feed.

It contains a combination of nutrient-rich moss, earthworm castings, perlite, time-release fertilizers and silicon for building stronger stems and root systems.

Arizona has some tricky soil and plants have adapted to soils with very little organic material and high alkaline.

We also have tough dirt in Arizona, caliche for those familiar with it. It’s not all bad and in fact holds water and helps plants absorb nutrients. But in a pot? Not as good.

Black Gold has food in the soil and it is control released, providing for a steady diet.

Don’t you wish we all had one of those? I regress.

But Black Gold offers all you need for plants – of course, you still have to water and care for it. But our recommendation is to get Black Gold.

Come in and pick some up. We also have a coupon from sungro. For every purchase of $10 worth of Black Gold we will give you a $3 coupon for $3 back.

We love fun at Rillito Nursery & Garden Center.

We will have our inaugural Itty Bitty Chili-fest on Sept. 19 beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m. We have also scheduled an employee salsa contest. Come help us judge it.

We will also have Jackie’s Food Court on the premises so come in and enjoy some delicious food. Also, Grafted Growers will be discussing veggie grafting from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The discussion will let you know everything you need to know about why grafted tomatoes and peppers are the best choice for growing vegetables in the desert. University of Arizona MBA and PhD students are combining technology and agriculture to help grow tomatoes that taste as good as they look.

In addition to all that, Doobie’s Roasted Chilies will have the roaster going, so expect some great smelling chili wafting in the air.

In celebration of the veggie grafting discussion, we will have all our in-stock veggies and herbs at 20 percent off. It’s a great time to come in.

Linger for awhile because you never know what you’ll find.

If you have any questions about what we have at Rillito Nursery please ask our experts.

Actually, head to Rillito Nursery & Garden Center for some great looking blooming tropical plants. We have color galore.

We have a great selection this summer and they are all perennials and all (but one) are evergreen, save for the the crape myrtle.

It’s the perfect time to come in and get a wide-ranging selection that includes: hibiscus, bougainvillia, crape myrtle, tecomas and small blooming plumerias.

They all come in varying colors. It’s like those flourescent markers come to life.

Only the plumeria has to be grown in pots due to it has to be taken into the house during the winter months.

Remember that all plants need plenty of watering and the tropical plants are no different, especially since they love the heat and we’re smack dab in it.

What these plants bring is an array of color to any landscape. And when in the desert, who doesn’t want color?

It’s that time of the year when it’s not too hot so enjoy the moment – or hopefully – moments before all hell (figuratively) breaks out.

We have plenty of things you need to do while it’s May and it’s kind of cool.

* Don’t forget to feed your roses this Memorial Day. It’ll be the last time before Labor Day to do so. Feed your citrus too. It’s about that time.

* Here’s a chance to plant summer annuals before it gets too hot. That would include: salvia, gazanias, vinca, portulaca and many others.

* This is about the time you should check your irrigation system. Leaks aren’t good so finding one now is paramount. Now is the time to increase your water schedule because of the rising temperatures.

You still have time to plant vegetables. Melons, squash, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant and artichokes can still be done.

Thanks for the Rillito staff for all the suggestions.

It’s that time of the year when you start hearing the gentle and soothing sounds of ponds outside restaurants or in ponds you or your neighbors have.

We have the perfect pond plant to place in it. But, we’ve always had the perfect pond plant. And we have a new shipment in. We have an array of colors to make any pond look spectacular. We think your fish – those who have them in the pond – will love them, too.

We have lilies in red, yellow, orange and almost black.

And we have lilies, ruellia, society garlic, water zinnia, water cannas, water iris, marsh marigold, lemon bacopa, blue moneywort, cigar plant and scarlet milkweed. Of course, all look stunning.

Bog plants work well planted in flowing creeks and waterfalls.

If you have questions of what makes a good pond plant just ask us. We’re ready and willing to help the expert and the novice. We have plenty of flowers and plants throughout the nursery. We also have gloves, trinkets and all things fun for the garden.

Don’t forget Mother’s Day is just around the corner. She’d love something from the Rillito. And if you don’t know what to get her, a gift certificate is always a good thing. She’ll be able to pick out her own gift.

We have plenty to see – but we have pond plants that are our newest arrival.

Have a hankering for some good sweet-tasting citrus? Well, Rillito Nursery & Garden Center will be the place to be this coming weekend.
It’s so big we will have two days – four hours total – of tasting some of the best citrus in southern Arizona.
On Saturday, March 14, we will have tasting from 10 a.m. to noon and on March 15 it will be noon to 2 p.m.
It’s all free.
Come on by and see our wide assortment of citrus and if you have questions about what we have and how to grow it please ask. You’ve come to the right place.
You have questions and we have answers on all things citrus and beyond.
We’d love to help you with planting, feeding and growing anything and everything we have in the store. You won’t stump us.
And while you’re in please look around. We’re sure you’ll find something interesting.

Seed Saturday is coming up on Feb. 27-28. Yes, one day wasn’t enough time for all the fun so we’ve decided to go with two days of Seed Saturday. We’ve included Seed Friday!

It’ll go from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rillito Nursery & Garden Center (6303 N. La Cholla Blvd) each day. And, it’s all free!

It’s the perfect time of the late winter season in that children will be out of school for Rodeo Week. This will give them something to do for a couple of hours on Friday. Keep them from being bored. They can come and learn about gardening.

Activities include: each child will receive one recycled 4-inch pot filled with soil. We have a wide variety of seeds they can choose to use for their creation.

The morning will be a lot of fun with the child’s imagination. We’re looking forward to it. Join us!

And, as always, if you have any questions about what we sell and who we are just ask us. We’re always ready to help.

Yes, it’s that time of year already. Time flies when you’re getting ready to prepare for the rose season. We here at Rillito Nursery are … for you!

Because of it, we’re preparing our annual and popular seminar which will be held Jan. 24 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Our very own Beth Hargrove will conduct the seminar.

Everything you need to know and do when preparing and keeping your roses happy will be discussed in the seminar. No question will be too tough.

We will tell you how and when to feed it, prune it, water it and care for it. It’s what we do here at Rillito Nursery.

Once again, we will have roses in every color and size. If you’re looking for a wide variety we have them. You can order yours now for pickup up in a couple of months.

If you’ve been here before it’s always good to come and get a refresher course. If it’s your first time, it’s a perfect time to get all the information you need. We’re here to help.

You want them. We know you do!

We have live Chirstmas trees available – like always. It’s just less than a month away from Christmas and just in time for your tree. We will give you all the instructions you need to care for the best live tree you’ll have in Tucson.

Every year we get them and they’re always popular. Come on by to see our selection. And while you’re in the store browse a little for that perfect holiday gift. We have lots of trinkets for that green thumb in your life.

Great looking pots, tools, gloves and more. And, of course, we have a great selection of flowers and plants built for the winter months.

If you have questions, we have the answers.

Ahh fall, isn’t it the best time of the year? The heat starts to subside – bear with us it eventually will, we promise – and there’s plenty to do in the garden.

We’re here to tell you and remind you what’s up.

First, the reminder. We’ve told you a number of times but we won’t stop telling you. It’s time to feed you citrus trees. As you’ve long been reminded it’s Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day. Those are the three key times to feed those all-important citrus. And, yes, we have plenty of citrus on the grounds.

If you’ve run out of food, we have plenty at Rillito Nursery.

And in a couple of weeks, we will have a worm workshop or as we’d like to say a “wormshop” with guest speaker Linda Leigh of Vermillion Wormery.

It’s Sept. 27 from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

She’ll teach different methods to successfully compost your organic household waste for use on your garden.

Learn to make a simple bin using recycled pallets. Rillito will have worm casting and worms will be available for sale.

And if you’re interesting in anything involving Rillito Nursery visit www.rillitonursery.com.

If you have questions, we will have the answers. We know Linda will have answers.