Watching the snow slowly melt this winter is a great opportunity to "read" your yard or garden for microclimate. The most successful flagpole gardeners take full advantage of microclimates by finding cool, warm, open, and sheltered areas in their gardens and cultivating plants that suit those spots.
I'm often asked what plants are best for the garden, and my answer is, "It depends on where you live!" Acclimatization, contact with water, sun and wind are factors that help create a microclimate. While looking at your garden, ask yourself these questions: "Is there any place where the snow doesn't melt violently even on sunny days?" "Is the area behind a large rock or other structure blocking sunlight from reaching it?" "Is that field also exposed to the air?
Because climate varies throughout Flagstaff, it's worth determining the limiting factors for your area. If the limiting factor is late spring and early fall snow, use a south-facing site where the snow melts first. The north side and rear of the structure may be the last place to see the snowmelt. This region is probably the best place to grow native plants as it is adapted to permanent snow cover. Exposure to full sun and wind on the east side of town can be a limiting factor. Choosing a windbreak or sheltered spot in your garden can be the answer to successful plant growth.
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Flagstaff Arboretum takes advantage of our garden's natural and artificial microclimates. Walter Richard House created a warm, south-facing stone-walled garden courtyard, ideal for our plum and lilac trees. The shaded garden features shade tolerant deciduous trees under a canopy of pines. Water conservation gardens use large rocks to retain heat to grow cacti and yuccas. Our sun-loving pollinator garden displays flowers in full sun providing nectar for bees and other pollinators, but still planted as a windbreak.
Once you've determined your plot's microclimate, a visit to the arboretum this season can help you determine which species will thrive best in your garden.
Now for Hattie Brown, Coconino Extension Director, an explanation of the microclimate around Flagstaff. The most obvious difference between environments is temperature; It can vary by more than 20 degrees. Baderville is one of the coldest areas because of the cold air that comes from the summit. Cheshire is slightly warmer but influenced by mountain winds. Snow fell weeks earlier in the region than in the city. Other avalanches included the area around Mary Road Lake and the Mountaineer and Kachina lowlands.
On the other hand, the environment south of Mount Elden enjoys some of the warmest temperatures in the region. However, snow can occur in late summer and early fall. Donny Park and Timberline can be very hot during the day but very cold at night.
Temperature isn't the only factor affecting the microclimate: areas such as Doney Park and Timberline in the city's northeast experience drier air and soil that dries quickly. In University Heights and Highlands, temperatures are close to newspaper temperatures, but the heavy clay soil hinders horticulture. Downtown and upstate neighborhoods can have decent upscale, but can also have cold or hot spots. In the city's southeast, gardeners grapple with dry air, deer, small earth and rocks.
For more information, the Garden in Flagstaff website https://gardeninflagstaff.org/ has a large map of temperature change across a range of climates. Another helpful tip is to buy a maximum/minimum thermometer and compare your location to the temperatures reported for your community.
Cara McGuire is Parks Manager at Flagstaff Arboretum (www.thearb.org). The Arboretum will reopen to the public on 3 May 2023.
