Special Valentines Event

Fear not, men. The Garden Shop is serving up the perfect elixir for your Valentine's Day dilemma. We have partnered with the boys from Chapel Tavern to host a totally painless evening that is 3 parts cocktails, 1 part munchies, and a splash of shopping for your special lady while you're at it. She can even pick something out for you to get her the weekend prior.  And you'll go home the conquering hero.

·                     Guest Artists:
         Richard Jackson - Raku Ceramic Artist
         Mary Sobrina Kuder - Painter of Decorative & Wearable Textiles
         Ann Berg - Textile Artist & Assemblier

·                     Gift certificates and complimentary gift wrap available

·                     20% discount on purchases of items from the Garden Shop the day of the event

·                     Ladies can preview the goods starting February 4th

Date:    Thursday, February 11, 2010
Place:   Garden Shop at Caughlin Ranch
           3636 Mayberry Drive
Time:    5 to 9pm
RSVP:   Call (775) 825-3527 or email
           kris@gardenshopnursery.com

Highlighted products for February

Bayer Products

Bayer advanced Fruit, Citrus and vegetable Insect Control
Season long protection, kills insects and prevents new infestations. Just mix and pour at the plant base. This product is specially formulated for fruits and vegetables, and it’s rainproof.

Bayer advanced Tree and Shrub Protect and Feeds trees
Kills insects including Japanese Beetles & Emerald Ash Borers for 12 months
Prevent new infestations

Pot lifters!
It's a superbly engineered tool designed specifically to help gardeners safely and easily move heavy, awkward-to-lift objects, such as:
Large Flowerpots
Tree Root Balls
Hay Bales
Landscaping Stones
Firewood Rounds
Heavy bags (cement, mulch, and feed)

Plant Nannies - A watering solution for healthier plants
Although the logic is simple, each product is specifically designed with both the purpose and beauty in mind. Everyone can use these products – from a hardcore gardener with a green thumb to a college student too busy studying to water plants adequately.

February in the Garden

The dedicated gardener knows that a garden is never finished. That is why the Garden Shop Nursery wants to help you keep up with all those never-ending chores. Each month we will provide you with a checklist that will help you successfully maintain a beautiful and productive garden from start to finish.

• Make sure you brush the snow from your evergreens and trees as soon as possible after the storms. Use a soft broom and gently remove as much of the snow as you can reach. This will take the extra weight off and help to avoid broken limbs.
   

• If you haven’t already, you should cut back on feeding your house plants. Instead, take this time to clean the leaves of your plants with a soft, damp cloth.
   

• A preemergent herbicide is one solution for those tenacious weeds that you know will pop up in your yard once again this spring. There are a few things to remember when using this product. It must be applied before the weed seeds sprout, some products need to be watered into the soil, and seeds sowed after the use of this product could be harmed. Preemergent herbicides must be used with caution. Make sure you buy the right preemergent for the right job, and always read the label before you use an herbicide. Also, more is not better - never use more than what is recommended by the label.
   

• Thinking about feeding the birds this winter? If so, read the article below.
   

• Shop for garden seeds. Even though seed catalogs have been flooding your mail box, why not save the money you would spend on shipping and come to the Garden Shop Nursery for those seeds? We carry everything from heirloom vegetables to unique perennials and colorful annuals. So come in today, enjoy a cup of hot cider, and shop for your seeds while we still have a large selection to choose from.
   

• Last but not least, have fun planning your 2010 garden. Find an afternoon when you can go through gardening magazines to find plants and ideas for a new garden. Theme gardens and secret gardens are always fun to consider, and our expert staff at the Garden Shop Nursery will be happy to assist you. Bring us your ideas, or a picture of a garden you would like to build, and we will help you choose the right plants, pots and unique garden structures for creating that new place of enjoyment.

FEED THE BIRDS

Feeding the birds is not only good for them, but will also bring you and your children a great deal of pleasure. You will be surprised at the variety of birds that will gladly come to your feeder, and the Garden Shop Nursery is well stocked with the bright yellow thistle socks that the smaller birds love so much. We also carry cage feeders for the larger birds, bags of premium birdseed, and several different styles of birdhouses. Because the birds get used to coming to a feeder, once you start feeding them you should continue to do so until spring. Your birds will also greatly appreciate a drink of water during the day. Some people think providing water involves a complex operation; however, a small dish or pan about 2” deep and at least 12” in diameter that you can take in at night and refill every morning will be sufficient for winter. Remember to clean the dish periodically with soap and water.

You can make your bird feeder an educational experience for your children by purchasing an inexpensive birding book and binoculars so they can learn at an early age to identify common backyard birds. The main bird that will be attracted to your thistle sock will be the Lesser Goldfinch. Their bright yellow breast feathers are like little spots of sunshine that will fill your life with happiness on those cold, dreary winter days. And who knows – this experience could be the perfect beginning for the budding ornithologist in your family. If you are interested in certifying your backyard with the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat, our staff at the Garden Shop Nursery will be happy to assist you in this process.

-Betsy Lemons

Home Composting

By Ryan Sharrer

If you feed your soil, the soil will feed your plants. Actively decaying organic matter or compost is a great way to feed your soil. Compost consists of leaves, grass clippings, kitchen wastes, sawdust, and other matter that is decomposed by bacteria and fungi. With proper amounts of water and oxygen these organism will quickly break down the organic matter into a form that plants can utilize, generating heat over 130° Fahrenheit in the process.

Compost provides several benefits to your soil. Compost holds nutrients, improves aeration, improves drainage, improves water retention, provides habitat for beneficial soil organisms, and brings pH closer to neutral. Compost is a great addition our nutrient poor, alkaline (high pH) Nevada soils.

Home composting can be a simple pile in the corner of the garden that is occasionally watered and turned with a fork, or a more involved multi-bin or rotating drum container. A properly cared for compost pile will not produce fouls orders or attracts pests. The keys are carbon to nitrogen ratio (C: N), water, and oxygen. Carbon and nitrogen are the food source for the compost organisms, with an ideal ratio of 30-1. Examples of C:N ratio are food scraps 15:1, grass clippings 19:1, leaves 60:1, and sawdust  500:1. A rule of thumb is “green” materials are nitrogen rich, while “brown” materials are nitrogen poor. There is no need for a calculator here, just try to use a balance of green and brown materials. In our arid climate, watering the compost is essential to keep the moisture content up around thirty percent. Turning with a fork or otherwise adding oxygen to the compost every three days or so keep the aerobic (oxygen using) using organisms happy and keeps away foul odors caused by anaerobic decomposition. Materials to compost include coffee grounds, eggshells, hedge and grass clippings, pine needles, sawdust, straw, manures (with the exception of dog and cat droppings), and weeds, (the high temperatures generated will kill weed seeds). Avoid meats, bones, and diseased plant materials. The smaller the material, the faster it will break down; therefore, shredding or blending large pieces will speed decomposition. The compost is ready to use in the garden when it now longer heats up when turned. If it never heats up at all, try adding more nitrogen rich material.

The Garden Shop Nursery carries many things to help you successfully turn your organic matter wastes into “black gold” including Dr. Earth compost starter with nitrogen and micro organisms, quality manure forks, and compost bins.

January/February  Guests for the Impatient Gardener Radio Show
Saturday's at 9:00 on 1270 the Buzz with Marnie Brennan along with her nursery/gardening guests

January 30th  Edible Gardening, the interest in this topic has become so popular that I have 3 guests scheduled to help understand how easy and important this topic has become. Guests are; Rosalind Creasy, Edible Gardening author; Diane Stortz-Lintz City, Reno Horticulture; Leslie Allen UNR Cooperative Extension.

February 6th - Bees, the wonderful world of bees will be the topic with professional bee keepers Scott and Dan.
February 13th - Dale Carlon tree consultant and Laura Richards from TMWA will be in the studio to help everyone understand any new watering issues. They will discuss any of your concerns about watering your plant material. Laura will be bringing in some useful gifts for all gardeners.
February 20th - Seeds and more seeds. Joining me by phone will be Curtis Jones, owner of Botanical Interests. In the studio I will have Doug Bookey, giant pumpkin grower, to make sure we all know the rules for good seeding.
February 27th - Pat Earle and Luke Hayward, both of these talented tree experts and certified arborists will be in the studio to go over pruning and late winter gardening chores.

Marnie can also be seen on Channel 4 most 2nd and 4th Friday mornings.  For Garden Coach segments focusing on timely topics and gardening tips, go to www.MyNews4.com search for "Garden Coach" for archived videos.

February/March Seminar Schedule

All seminars at the Garden Shop Nursery are held at 3636 Mayberry Drive. Seminars will begin at 10:30am and last for an hour. Classes are taught by the Garden Shop Nursery team and special guest speakers from the gardening community.

February 6th
Weeds and weed control. Join Marnie Brennan and learn the best ways to keep your weed population under control.

February 13
Finding the right tree for the right spot, with Dale Carlon certified arborist. Dale will cover how to pick the best tree for your landscape; the right tree in the right place.

February 20
Seed Starting for all gardeners. This seminar will give you all the information needed to successfully start seeds for your spring planting.

February 27
Pat Earle and Luke Hayward, both being certified arborists will hold two tree seminars, one on pruning the other on general care and planting. Once you finish with one class, you move to the other. Each class is scheduled for a 40 to 45 minute discussion.

March 6th
Easy edible gardening. Marnie Brennan will host this class with the very basics on choices. You will learn how to turn your yard, garden and even containers into beautiful displays of flowers, veggies and or herbs.

March 13th
Growing and storing herbs and potatoes with Jana and Tom from the River School. Now is the time to get the potatoes in the ground and think about what kinds of herbs you would like to grow.

March 20th
Alan Gubanich, VP and acting President of the Lahontan Audubon Society will come to the nursery and talk birds. We have a nice large room that will be ready to accommodate all bird lovers.

March 27th
Houseplant care with Suzanne Cody Adams, Master Gardener and garden teacher for TMCC will teach us about our house plant care.

Meet Our Team