I've made an effort this spring to visit locally owned nurseries as well as good ol' Home Depot and Walmart. Even if you're a cheapskate like me, I think you should, too.

Putting aside the argument for letting a local business owner rather than an international corporation make the profit, you can expect to find higher prices but better selection at the local nurseries.

Here are my observations after shopping for the re-landscaping project at our "new" house this spring:

• Rail City Garden Center, Sparks. (Just north of I-80 and behind the water park.). We've bought numerous pickup loads of soil amendments there this spring. (The stuff just keeps blowing away . . . ) As cold as it is today, the place was busy. Their prices are high (to me), but I saw plants I haven't seen anywhere else. I also saw large tomatoes marked down to $2 and 4-inch veggies marked down to 50 cents. They have a huge selection of water features, accessories, and plants.
• Dry Creek Garden, South Virginia Street. Their prices are also high, but again they have plants I haven't seen anywhere else. They have lots of native plants. I had to have the orange-scented thyme I saw there, so I swallowed the price and divided it into four plants when I got home. At least one of the owners seems to be present at all times and will offer to help you. I have a little trouble getting in and out of the spaces in the tiny parking lot.
• Moana Nursery, Moana Lane and South Virginia Street. This is the grandaddy of Reno nurseries. In fact, they are celebrating their 45th anniversary. Again, their prices are high, but I've bought from them over the years when I've found things I had to have. I think it's cool that they have a Wild Birds Unlimited store within their store.
• Home Depot. This has been the best place for me to find a decent selection of healthy plants at decent prices (not that they give them away by any means). The Damonte Ranch store seems to have a better selection and slightly healthier plants.than the South Virginia store. This spring I joined their online garden club, and the other day I got a $5 off coupon I was able to use in the garden center. There have been times when I've seen plants wilting from lack of water at the South Virginia Store, and that really bothers me.
• Walmart, Kietzke Lane and South Virginia Street.  I visit the nursery whenever I shop at Walmart during growing season. Their prices are similar to Home Depot's. The selection isn't quite as good.
• Costco. I've never bought plants there; the selection seems limited and you have to buy more than I want of any one kind. I have bought Preen, a garden cart, bulbs, etc. there.
  
• Mail order. Brace yourself. You have to spend a lot of money to have healthy plants shipped to you. A couple of places I've ordered from are Bamboo Garden and Forestfarm, both in Oregon. I have to really, really want a plant to buy it this way. For example, I haven't been able to find a western redbud tree locally. Forestfarm has it, but it's only a 1- to 2-foot plant in a gallon pot for $19 plus shipping.
  
• Misc. Plants for sale are magnets for me wherever I go. I look for bargains in front of CVS stores and affordable treasures at Trader Joe's. For example, I bought a cyclamen at Trader Joe's for about $3.50 the other day because the one I bought there last year bloomed continuously well into fall.
  

Supposedly locally owned businesses give better service, but I have to say I have not experienced that. (Not that I've had really bad service, either.) I think it's just as hard for local owners as for "box" stores to find knowledgeable employees, and even nursery owners can't be expected to be plant encyclopedias. I usually don't ask Home Depot or Walmart employees to answer botanical questions, but I've run into some really nice and helpful ones there.

My approach is to keep an open mind and watch for bargains. I always enjoy browsing through a nursery whether I buy anything or not.

I wanted to remind you of the Reno High plant sale (starting today!) and tell you about another one I just found out about. As far as I can tell, both will be selling veggies only.

The Reno High AP class sale runs until 3:30 today and from 7 to 3:30 tomorrow. Keep in mind that they sold out fast last year. For more information, here's a link to their flier.

The other one is (take a deep breath) the "Great Basin Community Food Co-op's Annual Seedling Sale & Grand Opening!" The flier mentions both Flint Street and Court Street, so I hope it's not too hard to find. It will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

You won't see me there—if we don't have any more bad luck, we will be laying sod! (Looking out the window at the rain . . . )

It might be a little early to post Moana Nursery's June seminar schedule, but I don't want to forget the way I did last month. Here goes:

June 2 – Summer Pruning: Yes, Virginia, there are many trees, shrubs and perennials that will benefit greatly from pruning now. Join Moana Nursery Plant Doctor and Certified Arborist Jon Bruyn to learn what and how to cut, for beautiful, healthy plants. This hands-on workshop is for seasoned and newbie gardeners alike. You’ll not want to miss this one. Wear appropriate clothing for outside and bring your pruners and gloves. Class will last 1-1/2 hours.

June 9 – Irrigation “How To” for New Homeowners: So you just moved in to a home with an irrigation system and you haven’t a clue as to how to turn it on, much less what comprises the system or how it works. Fear not! Moana Nursery Plant Doctor and long time high desert gardener Steve Packer will walk you thru the basics, explaining the differences between drip and lawn irrigation, and showing you how to program, trouble shoot and operate your system. He’ll also suggest who to call if you need help or would rather have someone do it for you.

June 16 – Culinary/Medicinal Herbs in Your Garden and/or Kitchen: With so many herbs having multiple uses, this is a great opportunity to learn from local herb experts Kim Powers and Evert Broderick. They’ll teach you about herbs you may already be growing (or want to grow) as well as some in your spice rack that work well for health challenges or just improve and maintain your already good health. They’ll also share helpful hints on how to prepare the herbs and offer a few tidbits for you to taste.

Both Kim and Evert have been on the path of learning and sharing about herbs and essential oils for many years and recently completed teaching the first year of classes at Truckee Meadows Community College that fulfill the requirements for a Certificate in Herbal Studies. They also teach at Headwaters Outdoor School in Mt. Shasta, Calif. They live in the Virginia City area where most of what they plant feeds the wildlife in the area—whether or not it was their intention to share!

June 23 — Extending the Growing Season: While we’re off to one of our best growing seasons in recent memory, we still have at least three more months left to grow. Learn what you need to be doing in your garden now to make the most of your efforts: successive plantings, row covers, fall crops, cover crops, planting onion seeds for next year and more. Instructor TBA.

All seminars are free and held at Moana Nursery, 1190 W. Moana Lane, Reno, in our Landscape and Design Center unless otherwise stated. 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.

UNCE (co-op extension) has posted a list of the plants that will be at the Master Gardener Plant Faire Saturday at http://www.unce.unr.edu/calendar/files/pdf/2012PlantFaireFlyer.pdf. Yes, it includes a price list, and I'm including it in my "Cheapskate Gardening" category now.

If only it didn't start so darned early . . .

Gardening still hasn't really started here. While you might have thought I've been too busy with my plants to blog, the reality is I've been shoveling dirt and sifting rocks.

Here's some advice: Don't ever let a piece of heavy equipment anywhere near your yard. I let myself be talked into letting a backhoe remove the sod in the front yard. I posted a picture of what was left March 30.

A "skid steer" loader was supposed to smooth and level the mess the backhoe left both in the front and in the back where we removed the raised deck, cottonwood tree and pond last fall. It didn't. Here's the way it left the front yard:



The photo below doesn't even show all the dirt that had to be moved one shovelful at a time to level this area in the back yard:



We used a rototiller in the front yard for a day or two, but other than that.my husband, our sons and I have been doing the leveling and smoothing by hand.

Now, to me, gardening is working with plants, not with dirt and rocks. Unfortunately, the dirt has to be in the right place before I can plant, and the dirt is full of rocks.

Specifically, the dirt is full of red lava rocks. I'm still trying to figure out if occur naturally here or if a previous owner for some reason had the entire lot covered with fill dirt full of them. It's possible they were deposited here in a mudslide a few decades ago. They collect at the surface when we move dirt around so we sift them and put them aside to use later.

I've really been feeling sorry for myself because I feel as if I'm missing spring. I've had nothing positive to say in my blog.

But I'm starting to feel some hope!

Our front yard is close to being ready to landscape finally. (But see the green? Neither the backhoe nor the loader removed all the sod.)



We've decided to have a contractor install an irrigation system in the front yard, and that is scheduled for the middle of the week.

I finally did enough in back to plant a blue spruce:



The flowers I planted along the front walk last year are thriving. Some of the petunias even came back! That was a pleasant surprise. I've always pulled them when they froze in the fall, but last year I decided to leave them since they withstood the early frosts well and they're in a protected spot on the south side of the house.



Finally, our first family of doves has already hatched in the nest above the walk.. (Yes, we put the box there for them.) There are two babies with the mother in the photo below, but you might have to look closely to see the one on the left.



Flowers are blooming, birds are doing their thing and we should be able to lay sod and plant things in the front yard by the end of the week. Maybe you'll start seeing more posts here if I'm not too busy trying to make up for lost time.

Note

When we bought this house in fall 2010, I was looking forward to rescuing the neglected yard. I had no idea then that we would have to destroy most of it before we could "save" it. I've decided to add a "Rabbitbrush Ranch II" category to my posts about our progress in case anyone wants to follow it.

Here are several Reno plant sales to put on your calendar:

Saturday, May 19, 7-11:30 a.m., Annual Master Gardener Plant Faire, UNCE
Not just a plant fair, a plant faire! The cooperative extension promises a wide variety of annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, grasses, shrubs, grapes and more in 4-inch and 1-gallon containers. Among them will be more than 40 heirloom tomato varieties. 4955 Energy Way, Reno. More information: 784-4848.

Friday and Saturday, May 25-26, 7 a.m.-3 p.m., Reno High Sustainable Agriculture and Urban Garden Project
OK, it says "Agriculuture," on the flier, but we know what they mean. (And just calling out their typo guarantees that I'll make a big one in this post.) Reno High's AP Environmental Science class is holding a veggie sale to raise funds for class projects. The flier says there will be several unique varieties of heirloom and traditional tomatoes, pepper varieties and strawberry plants.395 Booth St., Reno, Room E8. For more information, check out the flier.

Saturday, June 2, starting at 8 a.m., May Arboretum Society Plant Sale
I found this on their Web site but don't have any more information. I'm assuming it will be at the arboretum (Rancho San Rafael Regional Park in Reno), but don't hold me to it.

If you know of any others, please let me know and I will share.

I've blown it. I was just getting ready to share Moana Nursery's seminar schedule for May, and I realized it's too late for the first one. It required advance registration that ended Thursday. I'm sorry! Here are the rest of them, from the Moana Nursery news release:

May 12: Edibles in Small Spaces – Learn how easy it is to grow edibles in virtually any space – as long as it gets several hours of sunshine. The possibilities for growing edibles without a yard are endless – using Smart Pots, Earth Boxes, Dr. Earth Bag-tainers, raised beds and vertical walls. Join Dr. Earth gardening expert Thomas Chaplin for tips on raising the healthiest, tastiest home grown food imaginable.

May 12: Dr. Earth Answer Man — 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside Moana Lane Store – Dr. Earth representative Thomas Chaplin will be available to analyze your lawn and garden problems. Learn how to live every day healthier and safer by using Mother Nature’s Organic fertilizers and insect, fungus and weed controls. Free samples.

May 19: Creating a Back Yard Bird Habitat: Join our plant doctor and long-time high desert gardener Jon Bruyn to learn how easy it is create a back yard habitat that that attracts a variety of birds. Your bird habitat will soon become an outdoor learning center for your entire family, providing year round entertainment.

All seminars are free and held at Moana Nursery, 1190 W. Moana Lane, in our Landscape and Design Center unless otherwise noted. 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.

The University of Nevada co-op extension will hold its annual Master Gardener Plant Faire Saturday, May 19. Hours are 7 to 11:30 a.m. I've heard you need to get there early for the best selection.

Expect annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, grasses, shrubs, grapes and more in 4-inch and 1-gallon sizes. Oh, did I mention there will be more than 40 different heirloom tomato varieties?

UNCE is at 4955 Energy Way in Reno. For more information, call 784-4848.

I've always tried to make my yard hospitable to birds. I plant flowers that provide nectar and seeds, and I try to avoid using pesticides for fear of harming birds when they eat poisoned bugs. (If only they'd hold up their end of the bargain and eat all the bugs!)

I also keep water in a bird bath during the summer and try to keep it clean. I'm proud of attracting hummingbirds without using a hummingbird feeder. And we make fools of ourselves accommodating (and photographing) doves that nest on our porch.

I've just learned that what I've been doing is called "birdscaping." A Moana Nursery news release about it gives some good tips:

Making yards more attractive to birds is called “birdscaping,” and it centers on offering a combination of food, shelter, water and places where birds can safely raise their young.

“Attracting a variety of birds requires offering a variety of foods,” explains Jacque Lowery, manager of Moana Nursery’s Wild Birds Unlimited stores. “The best way to provide that food is through vegetation that produces nuts, berries, fruits, seeds or nectar. You can supplement the plants you have with bird feeders.”

Having a variety of shrubs, trees and/or brush piles will provide shelter to many birds. Lowery recommends using plants that are native to our local climate and suitable for your yard’s type of soil.

A clean source of water will also attract a wider variety of birds. Because their high metabolic rate and respiratory system drain moisture from their bodies quickly, birds need water just as much as they need food. Birds use water for more than just drinking; they also use it for bathing and preening their feathers. Clean feathers are important for birds’ health and optimum flying ability.

Providing safe nesting places for raising young ensures the viability of your yard as an ongoing habitat. “People seek out the perfect neighborhoods in which to raise their children, and birds do the same,” says Lowery.  “As more natural habitat is destroyed, it’s important that we provide usable replacements such as nesting boxes.”

There are many different styles of nesting boxes, including decorative, functional and bird-specific. Wild Birds Unlimited recommends that a functional nesting box meet these six requirements:

(1) Designed for a specific species, according to its size and nesting requirements

(2) Ventilation holes to prevent excess heat build-up

(3) Easily cleaned

(4) Easily mounted or hung

(5) Durable to withstand several seasons of use

(6) Drainage holes in the bottom of the house

April 1. The wind died down to a breeze, and the sun was shining except when the clouds blew over it once in a while. Compared with a summer day, it was chilly. Compared with the past few weeks, it was bliss. If you read my last post, you know how ready I was for this.

My husband and I went on somewhat of a buying binge and came home with cold weather flowers (freesia, stock, primrose, snapdragon) and a spruce tree to plant where we removed the cottonwood tree. It felt so good to spend the afternoon planting the flowers in front of the house. (The spruce will have to wait until we finish the leveling we started before the wind took over.)

I suspect/hope most local gardeners will be spending their weekends in their yards from now on, but Moana Nursery has announced a full schedule of seminars for this month. From their news release:

All seminars are free and held at Moana Nursery, 1190 W. Moana Lane, in our Landscape and Design Center.  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.

April 7:  Waterfowl . . . Ducks for the Whole Family  10 a.m. – noon - Who knew there were so many different varieties of ducks in Reno?  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 & 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, so this is a great way to get started.

April 14:  Water-wise Gardening Doesn’t Mean Zeroscape!  Yes, you can grow a beautiful garden with four seasons of interest and have reasonable watering bills with water thrifty plants.  Join Master Gardener Catherine Hancock to learn the basics of water-wise gardening – from how to select plants that will thrive in the high desert to how to install them for maximum interest and water efficiency. 

April 21: Organic Vegetable Gardening Made Simple – Based on years of experience with his own high desert organic "market garden," urban farmer Craig Frezzette will teach the basic steps of creating and tending an organic garden – from living soil and seed starting to providing weather and critter protection.  Craig sells his produce to local restaurants, the public and the Reno food co-op. and is passionate about the local food movement.

April 28:  Beginner’s Guide to Bountiful Tomatoes — Join Plant Doctor and long time high desert gardener Jon Bruyn to learn how easy it is to successfully grow and enjoy (harvest) tomatoes and other complementary warm season vegetables in the high desert.  He’ll discuss varieties and proper care throughout the season.  While this presentation is tailored to the novice gardener, it will cover many tips that advanced gardeners will find useful.