I happen to think these lavender flowers are very pretty, and they happen to be the only ones blooming in my flowerbed right now. But I learned they are called blue mustard on pages 222 and 223 of Weeds of the West. That's right: weeds.



The description there is not flattering. Blue mustard is not a native, it "gives off a disagreeable odor" (I've smelled a lot worse), and "dairy animals eating it may produce off-flavor milk." Oh, well. At least I don't see the word "invasive."

Here's another lavender weed/flower I have growing right now. I'm not sure, but I think this one is storksbill. Besides the flowers, I think the foliage is pretty, too. It "is only considered a serious problem when it crowds out more valuable crops." No danger of that here.

I guess I'm just a sucker for pink, lavender, purple, or blue flowers. I know that if either of these plants had yellow flowers it would be gone already.

I thought the following Moana Nursery news release was interesting:

Now is the time of year when male wild birds begin to draw the attention of females, and these courtship practices can be as entertaining as they are complex.

Bird courtship displays are integral to mating and raising young. Female birds often choose suitors based on appearance, the ability to provide food, evidence that the male can build the strongest and safest nest and other characteristics.

“This is a fun time to watch the behavior of backyard birds,” said Jacque Lowery, manager of Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shops at Moana Nursery. “In some species, birds engage in behaviors that seem to parallel human romance.”

With some species, the male simply flies in front of the female to show off his luminous colors or unique markings. In others, songs are more important to impress the female with his musical repertoire. Some birds touch bills or groom each other during courtship. Mourning doves and mockingbirds fluff up their feathers and “dance.”

Originally scientists thought that many birds, such as geese, swans and eagles, mated for life, only seeking a new mate when the original partner died. Recent research shows that some species are faithful to their pair-bonding only for a season, while others actually have multiple mates simultaneously. For example, after hummingbirds mate, the male will court another female.

Male house wrens build multiple nests and let the female choose the one she prefers. Then, the male may try to attract another female to occupy one of his other nests.

Wild Birds Unlimited, located inside all three Moana Nursery locations in Reno and Sparks (1100 W. Moana Lane, 11301 S. Virginia St. and 7655 Pyramid Hwy.), is part of the original and largest franchise system of backyard bird feeding and nature specialty stores with more than 275 locations throughout the United States and Canada. Wild Birds Unlimited specializes in bringing people and nature together with bird feeding and nature products, expert advice and educational events. Visit www.reno.wbu.com for more information.

Moana also sent me a news release about their free April gardening seminars. Rather than adding the list here, I'll just provide a link to it on This Is Reno.

My compost bin is constipated. Sorry, but that's the word that came to mind today when I tried (and failed) to dig compost out of the bottom of the bin.

I admit I never mix the compost, and the result is a packed, dry (uncomposted) layer on the bottom, a nasty, soggy layer in the middle, and all the new stuff on the top. I thought the moisture would move throughout the materials on its own, but no.

I'm starting to think I need a different type of bin, as in one that makes it easy to mix the materials. This one is so big (and so full) that stirring is a major job.

Other cities have their cherry blossom festivals. Here in Reno we have flowering plum trees, and I just spotted the first blossoms in the area of Longley and Peckham Lanes.

We have nothing so far here on the east edge of the Truckee Meadows; the picture above is from my files. However, it's good to know that spring has finally and definitely arrived.

When I walked out the front door this morning, the first thing I saw was this flower. What a nice surprise!

It's a winter iris, and I had just about given up on seeing any blooms here, at least this year. It waited until just a few days before the end of winter to appear.

Winter iris isn't really supposed to be hardy in Northern Nevada, but I grew it next to a sidewalk on the south side of our old house for years. Last fall I dug up the huge clump and brought it over here (even though you're supposed to do that in late winter, after it blooms, in cold areas).

Here, I broke up the clump into hundreds of individual plants and planted them all over the yard (on the south sides of big rocks), on the south side of the house, and in some planters on the south-facing front porch. I've watered them all winter, but they've all looked dead until the last few weeks.

I've been hoping all my work wasn't wasted. The ones you see here, right next to the house and under an eave, are the only ones that have grown much. Seeing the flower today gives me hope I'll eventually see a lot more.

These are irises that truly do bloom during the winter, usually quite a bit earlier than mid March. They're much smaller than the irises you see later in the spring; these are just a few inches tall.

The flowers are on tubes rather than stems, like crocuses, so you can't cut them and bring them in the house. That's OK with me, though, as long as I can see green and flowers when I walk out the front door in the winter.

It was fun to find these photos in my in box. In honor of the Great Backyard Bird Count, Moana Nursery held a photo contest for bird watchers throughout the month of February, and these are the winners.

Glen Petersen—“Cedar Waxwings Meet at Top of Fountain”

Nancy Kilian—“Bluebird”

Pat Harmsworth—“Camouflaged Owl”

What? No mourning doves?

Each of the winners received an EcoClean feeder and black oil sunflower seed.

I want to clarify one thing: Someone who loves to garden does not necessarily have a green thumb. My mother-in-law loved to garden, and she had a green thumb. This was just one section of her border garden.



I love to garden, and I have a brown thumb. Maybe a black thumb. I'd never dare show a section of my yard; all I dare post are very carefully edited close-up pictures. In spite of all my efforts (and the efforts of the BHE and our sons), it's survival of the fittest around here.

But, after all these years, I finally have a green thumb!



This green glove was in the package of nitrile gloves I bought after writing about them recently. (These are Wells Lamont gloves I got at Costco.) The next time someone says to me, "You must have a green thumb," I'll say, "Only when I'm wearing my green gloves."

I'm impressed by the seminars lined up for Saturdays in March at Moana Nursery. I like the variety and the fact that several of the classes are intended to get kids involved in gardening and the natural world.

From the news release:

March 2:  Waterfowl . . . Ducks for the Whole Family, 10 a.m. – noon

Who knew there were so many different varieties of ducks in Reno?  Bring your kids and join local birding guru and longtime Audubon Society member Alan Gubanich for a slide show and pointers for identifying various duck species, followed by a field trip to Virginia Lake to practice what you’ve learned! For children ages 8 and up with a parent or grandparent. Meet in the Landscape and Design Center. Bring your binoculars and bird guides if you have them. If not, binoculars will be loaned.  Free cracked corn will be supplied. Birdwatching is a great educational family activity that costs virtually nothing, and this is a great way to get started.

March 9:  It’s All About the Soil

Dr. Earth’s Thomas Chaplin will show you why the key to gardening success begins with the soil and why the soil in northern Nevada needs to be amended and fed.

March 16:   Irrigation Primer for Home Owners and Renters

If you live in a home with an irrigation system and haven’t a clue as to how to turn it on, much less what comprises the system or how it works, this seminar is for you! Western Nevada Supply irrigation expert Joe Gilbert and Moana Nursery irrigation specialist Ryan Morgan will walk you through the basics:  how to operate your system, the differences between drip and lawn irrigation, how to determine if your system is cost-effective and giving adequate coverage without wasting water and trouble shooting. They will also suggest who to call if you need help or would rather have someone do it for you.

March 23:  Rose Care 101

Join Diane Stortz-Lintz, horticulturist and rose specialist for the city of Reno, and Thomas Chaplin of Dr. Earth to learn when (April) and how to prune your roses; proper techniques will be demonstrated.  They will share tips for having spectacular roses even if you’ve never grown any before. You’ll learn about the different varieties of roses and how easy they can be when the right varieties and locations are selected as well as what planting techniques will ensure your success.

March 23:  Miniature Gardening Workshop for Children, 10 a.m. at the Moana Lane Garden Center, $40

Join us in creating tiny, enchanted gardens in this fun, hands-on workshop.  Children ages 6 and up will delight in building pint-sized environments that will attract gnomes, fairies and other magical creatures! The fee for this 60-minute class includes all materials needed to make, bring home and care for your own wonderful, miniature garden. Class is limited to 20 children; parent or grandparent must accompany children. Cost is $40 per child. Payment is due at the time of registration and is non-refundable for no-shows. Call 825-0600 or visit Moana Lane nursery to register. 

Unless otherwise stated, seminars are free and held at Moana Nursery, 1190 W. Moana Lane, in our Landscape and Design Center across the nursery parking lot.  Seminars begin promptly at 10 a.m. and last one hour. Please arrive 15 minutes early, as seating is limited to 60 and is first come, first served. Visit www.moananursery.com or call (775) 825-0600 for more information.

From a Moana Nursery news release:

This Saturday Moana Nursery will host a free seminar called Ready, Set, Grow. It will be taught by plant doctor and longtime high desert gardener Lisa Braginton.

She will show how to grow successfully in northern Nevada, virtually anywhere that has sun – from a small apartment balcony to a wide-open field.

The seminar will be held at Moana Nursery, 1190 W. Moana Lane, in the Landscape and Design Center.  It will begin promptly at 10 a.m. and last one hour.  Doors open at 9:45 a.m.; seating is limited to 60 and is first come, first served. Visit www.moananursery.com or call (775) 825-0600 for more information.

When will I learn to stop believing the weather forecast? I know it's not rational, but I was mad yesterday when "overcast and 55" appeared instead of  "mostly sunny and low 60s."

But today looks beautiful. It might be my last chance for a while to do something I've been meaning to do since last fall: spread the seeds I collected from my old yard.

I have never had much luck planting seeds; I'm really not sure why. However, Mother Nature never seems to have any problem getting certain plants to reproduce by just dropping seeds. I've had a little luck intervening with the natural process by collecting the seeds and dropping them where I want them.

Last year I collected seeds from hollyhocks (16 distinct colors), two kinds of mallows, two kinds of milkweeds, grape hyacinths, blackberries from Verdi, and more.

Obviously these plants don't keep their seeds indoors all winter and wait until spring to drop them on the ground, so I try not to wait, either. However, this time I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to plant them and the places I was considering weren't ready. I'm just hoping there will still be enough winter left to do whatever it does to these seeds to get them to sprout this spring.

So my garden task for today is to finish prepping the places where I've decided to plant the seeds and to drop them there.

During the warm weather last week I cleaned out the flower bed in front of the house. I thought about what tool or tools to find—pruners? scissors? In large areas I've used a hedge trimmer . . . In the end I decided to just use my hands. Hands (with gloves) seem to the fastest, most efficient tool for breaking off last year's dead flower stems.

Speaking of gloves, I've had an insight on them. I always use goatskin gloves because goatskin is so tough. Once, when a pair had worn out and I hadn't gotten around to replacing them, I tried a pair of nitrile gloves I had here. They wore out quickly and I've avoided them since, even though they are cheaper.

Recently I heard part of a commercial that gave me new insight. It mentioned potting. Duh! The people who sell potting soil always recommend wearing gloves while using it, and it is so clumsy with leather gloves. Nitrile ones would be far better! I know there are other things I do outside that would be easier with them.

Different gloves for different tasks: I can't believe it's taken me this long to figure it out.

NOTE: I hope you like the new blog template. I apologize for the old one.