gardening


The public will have a chance to learn about sustainable landscaping in Lake Tahoe at the 8th Annual Conservation Landscape Tour on August 19. The tour will begin at the Lake Tahoe Community College Demonstration Garden and continue down Pioneer Trail towards Meyers Station.

There are many definitions of the word “pest,” and personal perceptions of pests can often be very different. A pest might be annoying (ants), damaging to plants (rabbits), a health concern (ticks) or a cause for fear (black widow spiders). However, relatively few pests cause significant injury to plants, so pesticides are rarely needed.

A friend introduced me to a new way of growing herbs, in a canning jar. She said she had grown basil successfully in a jar. She took a quart jar and put pea gravel in it with potting mix on top. Then, she added water to where the gravel met the potting mix and planted seeds.

She placed the jar in a south window and within two weeks had basil coming up. She claimed the evaporative power of the water up through the soil kept the soil moist enough for germination and growth of the seed.

I visited a friend this past week who is an outstanding plant person. Peg’s landscape is filled with plant species or varieties that I have not used before. They are perennials with interesting foliage, flowers, form and often scent. They are also water-efficient and hardy for our area. I wandered around her little horticulture heaven being inspired to broaden my plant choices.

Those pesky ground squirrels are out in force these days. I think they are on their second or third series of babies. I can tolerate them out in our field. However, when they dig under the house, it’s time to get serious about control, before they undermine the foundation.

The “Gardening Smarter as We Age” classes finished this past week. I learned a lot about how to use my body more efficiently to reduce the pain I feel after doing my landscape chores. Think of all the things we gardeners do with our bodies: bend, dig, haul, kneel, mix, plant, prune, pull, rake, lift, twist and rake, just to name a few. And, we think gardening is a leisure activity!

The Greenhouse Project in Carson City is hosting its annual Spring Plant Sale this Saturday, May 9, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. It's a great way to help support the organization and pick up plants for your garden.

There will be many varieties of tomatoes, squashes, herbs, greens, peppers, and flowers available. Everything has been grown using organic methods by the hands of students and AmeriCorps volunteers.

I first heard about the Rodale Institute a few decades ago when I used to read their “Organic Gardening” magazine. They have been around for 60 years researching and teaching organic gardening. Through the years, I have turned to the Institute and their well-written books when I wanted reputable information on organic growing.

The Genoa Cowboy Festival is just starting, and I suspect that’s where Calamity Jane would be spending her birthday. If not there, than maybe up in Virginia City: today marks the first ‘Flashback Friday’ of the year, when all of the museums have free admission. Tonight she could catch some laughs at Carson Comedy in the Nugget or at the Brewery Art Center for First Friday Improv. Saturday she'd likely trade in her six-shooter for a wine glass, because it is Wine Walk Weekend.
FRIDAY:

• ’Drink One for Dane’ Muscular Dystrophy Association Fundraiser at Dutch Bros Coffee
• Genoa Cowboy Festival: A variety of daytime events are FREE at the Cowboy Festival including: Chautauquas, Living History Tours, Musical Performances, Cowboy Poetry, Melodramas, and Historical Reenactments

The Greenhouse Project, located at Carson High School in Carson City, has entered the Seeds of Change Grant Program for an opportunity to win one of two $20,000, five $10,000 grants or ten $1,000 grants. They are asking the community to vote for their application.

The Grant Program aims to enhance the environmental, economic and social well-being of gardens, farms and communities. The grants will be awarded to organizations that help support sustainable, community-based gardening and farming programs that focus on teaching people about the food they eat and how it’s grown.

The horticulture world is fascinating with many topics to explore. Did you know that “the average carrot travels over 1,800 miles to get to our dinner plate?” Or that “93 percent of our food dollar pays processors, packagers, distributors, wholesalers, truckers and the rest of the infrastructure that a global food system demands?”

Finally, with the fact that “preschool children served home-grown produce are more than twice as likely to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day as kids who rarely eat home-grown produce,” more people are interested in growing their own.

Pea planting time is here. I love shucking peas and eating them like candy. I also like eating tender pods right off the vine. The good news is that peas are easy to grow. Garden or English peas are grown for their seeds (the peas) and snow peas, sugar peas and sugar snap peas are grown for their edible pods.

Garden peas can be either climbers that need the support of a trellis or low-growing varieties. Snow peas also come as climbing vines that need a trellis or as low-growing varieties. Sugar snap peas grow on tall vines and require a trellis for support.

I recently wrote I couldn’t imagine my life without being able to work in our yard. I also mentioned University of Nevada Cooperative Extension would be holding classes for the maturing gardener. Our workshop series “Gardening Smarter as We Mature” will begin March 11 and continue on April 8 and May 14 from 10 a.m. to noon at local Cooperative Extension offices.

Gardening in Nevada can be challenging. Before digging in this spring, you can get some free advice from the experts – University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and their Certified Master Gardeners.

Cooperative Extension has teamed up with Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space to offer “Gardening in Nevada: The Bartley Ranch Series.” Classes are free and run 6 – 8 p.m. every Tuesday in March at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road in Reno.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is offering a series of three free classes at 11 locations statewide for maturing gardeners. The “Gardening Smarter as We Mature” series teaches how to garden more easily as the body changes and ages.

Oh, the vagaries of gardening, landscaping and predicting the weather in Northern Nevada! I recently wrote about trees needing water after months of little to no precipitation. Then, lo and behold, Mother Nature took charge providing a thorough soaking. It rained five inches at my house.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Or, when speaking to gardeners that probably should be Hoe! Hoe! Hoe! What presents are you giving the gardeners in your life this holiday season? I started looking online for unusual gift ideas for gardeners and found some curious ones.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my body demanding that I change my overly athletic approach to gardening. The following are some great ideas that readers sent me on gardening smarter.

Patty suggests Flexilla lightweight garden hoses because they are easier to drag around and coil up more easily than most hoses. Another helpful suggestion was to use a lightweight plastic snow shovel with a long handle as a dustpan for raking and sweeping to reduce bending.

New York Times author Novella Carpenter will be at the 3rd and Curry Street downtown Carson City Farmer’s Market on July 19 at 11 a.m. to chat about her bestselling memoir, Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer.

Carpenter and northern Nevada agriculture expert Mark O’Farrell, of Hungry Mother Organics, are set to engage in a kitchen-table visit. Under a large tent, with seats for 100, the conversation will be led by northern Nevada’s KTVN news anchor Erin Breen. The special event is aimed at raising awareness about the vital role farmers play in our lives.

Irene Davison, a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Forest Service, has been named Carson District Ranger of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

"Davison will be a tremendous addition to the Carson Ranger District,” said Bill Dunkelberger, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Supervisor. “She has an extensive resources management background, and is no stranger to tackling tough resource challenges in both rural and urban recreational areas.”

She began her duties June 2. The 368,3600-acre district straddles western Nevada and Eastern California.

Make time to visit The Greenhouse Project and a few things come clear: Agriculture is, after nearly 15 years defunct, alive and well on Carson High School’s campus, and the student population whose class time is integrated here, are developing life skills that will serve them in future, while currently realizing they have a hand in making a difference in their community.

Interested in learning more about gardening in the high desert?

This year, Hungry Mother Organics will be working with Community Roots to offer community garden space at 170 River Road. Organizers plan to have a large central area where beginning gardeners can learn the basics of backyard food production from on-site gardening experts, and where volunteers can work in exchange for fresh produce.

For more advanced gardeners, a limited number of individual plots will be offered. There will be an organizational meeting on Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m., in the warehouse at 170 River Road.

The Greenhouse Project hosts its annual Mother’s Day Weekend Spring Plant Sale, Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

All the plants are grown from seeds harvested at The Greenhouse and features diverse vegetable and flower transplants including Heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, squash, rainbow chard, hot and mild peppers, melons, herbs, cucumbers, greens and petunias, annual flower, perennial bedding plants and more.

Volunteers will be available to answer your gardening and planting questions. For more information, visit carsoncitygreenhouse.org .

Carson City Rotary held its annual Rotary at Work Day at the Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada on the Saturday after Earth Day.

This year the Rotary replanted three large garden beds so the children who visit can plant flowers and vegetables. In addition, interested young adults and children can learn how to care for, maintain and harvest plants in Northern Nevada throughout the complete gardening season.

The Third Annual Lake Tahoe Home and Garden Show will take place at the Recreation Center, 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd., in South Lake Tahoe, CA, this weekend. The popular event will be open 4:00 PM to 7:30 PM on Friday, April 25th,and from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, April 26, 2014. Admission is free to the public.

Beginning Thursday, Cooperative Extension horticulture specialist Dr. Heidi Kratsch will teach a class called “Bring Beneficial Insects to your Garden with Native Plants.”

by JULIANA BLEDSOE Turning leaves have begun to hit the ground, and with the first day of autumn just three days away, cool nights are beginning to foreshadow the change in Northern Nevada’s Truckee Meadows. Temperatures have been sinking to... Read More ›

Nevadans can learn to grow safe, fresh, organic produce at home and in school and community gardens without spending a lot of money.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension will help show residents how during eight “Grow Your Own, Nevada!” gardening classes featuring “back-to-basics” best practices for producing bountiful harvests. Classes will be presented Mondays, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m., July 8 – Aug. 26, live in Reno and video-conferenced to Extension offices throughout the state, including those in Carson City, Gardnerville, Fallon and Yerington.

Growing up as an American Indian of Pauite and Washoe descent, learning to make baskets and cradleboards and the joy of gardening from her elders, Sherry Rupert took her heritage for granted.

Two free lectures by science experts - one about the violent geologic history of Lake Tahoe, another concerning global warming, will highlight the many free activities at Western Nevada College during Earth Week, April 22-27.
Renewable energy exhibits, an organic gardening lecture, alternative fuel vehicles and a tree planting ceremony will also be featured.

“Many diverse and interesting activities will be offered,” said Valerie Andersen, WNC public service librarian and college Earth Week event coordinator. Students, faculty and the public are invited to attend.