I have not had a report since Monday but with the warmer weather, this weekend should be "peak bloom" for the camas lilies down Sagehen creek.  In honor of that occurrence, I made up a little spreadsheet based on Calflora's "what grows here?" website. Click Here.  Calfora has terrific tools but they do frequently lag behind in updated last names and their "what grows here" lists are far from comprehensive... still, we love them.

Happy Independence Day!  Villager will be hanging-out, watering plants, watching the parade and we'll stick-around until 2:00 pm or so the close and head for cool water.  We're open regular hours Tuesday, 9-5:30p.

Rob, Druann and I were allowed to attend the docent / hosts preview tour of the gardens. Our thought being that we could offer insight, ID plants or answer questions the garden club members might have but this is a pretty savvy group and there was not too much we could offer.  There were several plant ID questions that will likely come-up during the tour so I jotted down a few comments here.  You can also visit our Facebook page where it is much easier to post photos and make comments than it is on our web-page.

Our gardening season and our "growing season" are not the same. We were gardening in February this year, planting shrubs we didn't get to in the fall as well as seeds and bulbs we forgot we had.  MANY clients were preparing their raised-beds and planting beet and radish seeds. The could have been plating seedlings of chard and kale as well. The best spinach I've ever had was grown from seedlings I planted in early April that then laid covered with snow for 2+ weeks. Our growing season, according to NOAA, is our "frost-free period", when we have less than a 10% chance of ≤ 32°F on any given night, is July 15-August 15.  July 31 is the middle of our growing season.

Our "average" temperatures are derived from wildly fluctuating daily temperatures at all times of the year. The average gives us a rough guide with which we make wildly fluctuating guesses at how cold it might get on any given day.  That said, it is a tool, much like the USDA zones or the useless-to-mountain-folk Sunset western zones (see Northeastern for a more useful tool).  I've posted this pic of our chalkboard before but it "bears repeating".

Here is a graph of an "average" winter (temperature-wise). Jan15, 2013-Jan 14, 2014. For interest, note where the "average" nighttime low is ≥32° and where the average daytime temps average ≥70°F.

I think that, without a greenhouse, our "average" mountain gardening season in Truckee is about March 15 - November 1 (or 15).  It is a matter of taking advantage of clear and warm conditions, choosing the right plants and crops and being able to protect the harvests of others (see RowCover). If you have an unheated greenhouse you can add 3-6 weeks on either end of that gardening season for some veggies. 

I have planted hardy annuals in February MANY times with great success (pansy, viola, dianthus, calendula, stock, primrose) and I have also planted dormant trees and shrubs in December, January, February and March with excellent success.

In the populated locations of the Sierra Nevada (or the Rockies for that matter) the climate does not get much more challenging than it does in Truckee, Glenshire & Hirschdale.  Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Groundcovers, Bulbs and Seeds that thrive in Truckee, plants that the Villager Nursery offers, will grow well anywhere in the mountain west.  Really.  We have MANY wonderful clients from Reno, Colfax, Nevada City, Downieville, Quincy, Portola, Meyers and more mountain-top, glacial valley and upper foothill locations.

Fall sales are "technically" over, and we have one more load of trees arriving approx. 10/25.  We are like the trees at the Villager these days... changing color but not yet dropping our leaves.  We have begun cutting back perennials and fertilizing with Biosol and Gardner & Bloome but we have not yet begun putting the plants into the shade for winter.  Fall IS for planting and, in the sun at least, the soil is actually still accumulating the warmth that encourages root system expansion.  

Do not forget to keep your plants and lawns moist.  It does not take much but do not let your plants dry out. Once a week-or-so is probably plenty, less often in shade.  Hopefully you got the memo and  mulched ALL bare soil with Gromulch and wood chips to reduce moisture loss, keep out weeds, reduce temperature swings in the roots and to feed the soil.  Winterizing Class Saturday 10/26 from 10-11am. ($5-ish donation to the Farwest Nordic Junior Ski Program).

Get your BIOSOL now before we run out again.  Sign-up for the newsletter to receive wonderful coupons and timely advice. Check-in with us or even "Like" us on Facebook just for the fun of it. Or look for the BIOSOL give-away deal!

In the populated locations of the Sierra Nevada (or the Rockies for that matter) the climate does not get much more challenging than it does in Truckee, Glenshire & Hirschdale.  Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Groundcovers, Bulbs and Seeds that thrive in Truckee, plants that the Villager Nursery offers, will grow well anywhere in the mountain west.  Really.  We have MANY wonderful clients from Reno, Colfax, Nevada City, Downieville, Quincy, Portola, Meyers and even many more high foothill to summit locations.

Fall sales are "technically" over, and we have one more load of trees arriving approx. 10/25.  We are like the trees at the Villager these days... changing color but not yet dropping our leaves.  We have begun cutting back perennials and fertilizing with Biosol and Gardner & Bloome but we have not yet begun putting the plants into the shade for winter.  Fall IS for planting and, in the sun at least, the soil is actually still accumulating the warmth that encourages root system expansion.  

Do not forget to keep your plants and lawns moist.  It does not take much but do not let your plants dry out. Once a week-or-so is probably plenty, less often in shade.  Hopefully you got the memo and  mulched ALL bare soil with Gromulch and wood chips to reduce moisture loss, keep out weeds, reduce temperature swings in the roots and to feed the soil.  Winterizing Class Saturday 10/26 from 10-11am. ($5 donation to the Farwest Nordic Foundation).

UNTIL we start putting plants away (~after Halloween):  

20% OFF Trees and Shrubs*    

*except the spruce we've just brought in for living holiday decor.

40% OFF 4" & Quart Perennials (not woody)

30% OFF #1g and larger Perennials

Awesome and hardy wildflower-type bulbs, Garlic and more.  Wildflower seeds for Tahoe, Truckee and the High Sierra along with, always, the best advice for far-better-than-average successes.  

Pumpkins: 3.99 each.

Get your BIOSOL now before we run out.  Sign-up for the newsletter to receive wonderful coupons ad timely advice. Check-in with us or even "Like" us on Facebook just for the fun of it.

Fall is in the Air

Nursery-Wide Sale 

9/13-9/22 2013 !

"Seconds" - We're bringing out healthy plants with a crook or a sealing scar or a broken top that are not quite retail salable but will grow with compost and fertilizer. These orphaned plants are CHEAP!

50% Off Fruit Trees is a SMOKIN’ deal!  Apples, Pears, Cherries, and worthy of their blooms alone, Hardy Apricot and Peach.

20% off (and no tax) on prolific Currants, Gooseberries, Hardy Grapes, Raspberries and Blueberries and will produce more fruit per square foot than any other plant.  The JostaBerry and TastiBerry (gooseberry x currant hybrids) are specialty plants we grew specifically for Truckee.

20% OFF Tough-as-Nails Trees and Shrubs - The whole LOT!

75% Off Annual Color: Stock, Geranium, Cali, Petunia, Nasturtium, Tender Grasses, etc...

40% Off Perennial Herbs and Vegetables like Thyme, Asparagus, Sage, Mint, Lovage, etc...

50% OFF Packaged (not Villager brand) Seeds:  Lake Valley, Renee, etc..

30% Off Bulk Wildflower Seeds: (not packaged) >4 oz.

30% Bulk Grass, Pasture, Clover Seeds: (not packaged) >5 lbs.

Bearded Iris $2.99 (reg 4.99)

Hyacinth Bulbs for indoor or outdoor 10 for 8.99 (reg. 1.29ea.)

Early Indoor Only Paperwhite Narcissus 10 for 9.99 (reg. 1.39ea.)

Inside the store: 10% off fertilizers, repellents, pesticides, herbicides.

Inside the store: 50% off Hydroponic specific nutrients and Indoor Lighting and Growing Systems.

The newsletter has a coupon for $$$ of of Biosol.  Sign-up to receive VERY infrequent news and notices. Sign-up if you want the newsletter coupons.

40% OFF Beautiful Hardy Flowering Herbaceous Perennials like Coneflower, Daylily, Sedum, Lupine, Daisy, etc........

Buy 4, get 1 FREE  on Potting Soils, Manures & Bark

30% OFF Redwood Planters & Trellis’

30% OFF LARGE  Pottery

30% OFF Outdoor Art

Parking Lot “Orphan Plants” Clearance

All sales limited to stock on hand and no double discounts. Discounts off regular retail prices....