flowers

Karen Kerley, 67, passed away on May 28, 2016 in Minden, Nevada with family and friends surrounded. Karen was born Oct. 23, 1948 in Huntington Beach, California to Roger Kerley and Lindalee (Plumleigh) Kerley. She graduated at Marine High School Class of 1966 and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Physical Therapy at UCLA College.

Downtown is the place to be Saturday with over twelve hours jam packed full of fun. The Third and Curry Farmers Market begins at 8:30 a.m. From there head north on Curry to the Spring Vintage Faire at Due Sorella. Stick around for the Downtown Business Association Wine Walk at 1 p.m. The Rotary Club brings you the Capital City Brewfest at 3 p.m. Family friendly fun hits the outdoor stage at the Brewery Arts Center: Mumbo Gumbo will have you dancing in the street.

Tibetan monks from the Gaden Shartse Monastery are on a two-year tour and will be visiting the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City and Minden's O2 Wellness & Yoga Studio to share their unique and deeply spiritual culture of Tibetan Buddhism.

Graduation for the class of 2016 is Saturday, June 4, and the ceremony begins at 10 a.m. on the Carson High School football field in Carson City.

One last photo opportunity will happen the morning of graduation. This is the photo of everyone together wearing caps and gowns. The 2016 senior class photo will be taken in the gym, so all seniors must arrive at the school, and meet in the gym by 8:45 a.m.

The flag is flying half-staff Friday at the offices of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency in honor of the passing of Coe Swobe, known among many as the “Father of the Tahoe Bi-State Compact.” The former Nevada state senator died Thursday of liver failure at the age of 87.

On Saturday, May 21, 2016 at the age of 76, Beverly Tucker passed. She leaves behind one husband, three children, seven grandchildren, and one great grandchild due in December among the truly huge family who she touched with her life, both blood and otherwise.

She had a long, hard final battle with many different ailments that, in the end, were too much for any one person.

She is forever in the hearts of those who cared for her, and she will never be forgotten. In lieu of flowers, contributions to her final costs can be made at www.gofundme.com/bevtuckerrestfund

Our beloved wife, mother, sister and friend, Toni Marie Davis passed away on April 28, 2016. Toni loved her flowers, gardening, cooking and her family. Her presence would light up any room. Toni in survived by her husband (Lewis), son (Donald), stepson (Andrew), granddaughter (Aariyah), nieces, nephews, and her extended family and friends. Toni touched the lives of so many with her smile, laughter, and generosity. She will be truly missed.

Gardening can beat up an aging gardener. When we are young, we rarely think about the amount of strain various gardening activities put on different parts of our body. We are flexible and resilient in our youth, and even if an activity hurts, we recover quickly.

I am not even going to attempt guessing what weather we have in store. The west side of the Sierras are notoriously unpredictable. You are much better off betting on the Kentucky Derby; and the Firkin and Fox is just the place to cheer on your favorite horse.

Choose from two different paintings and give Mom a Mother's Day to remember at Mona Lisa and Wine at 3821 S. Carson St.

Classes for 'Colorful Flowers' are at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7 or 1 p.m. Sunday, May 8. Choose 'Red Flowers in Vase' at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 7.
The Mother's Day special classes come with free champagne, a rose, a canvas, easel, brushes, paints, apron, and instruction for $35-$40.

Go HERE to sign up now.

May day has come and gone, but just barely. This is my favorite time of year in Carson City: blooming flowers, warmer days, and the return of summertime activities. The Historic Carson Scavenger Hunt begins today, so head downtown and look for the unique features that make the buildings one of a kind. Mondays are perfect for getting out and starting the week off with some swing dancing with our local club, the High Sierra Swing Dancers. Firkin and Fox is a great place for food and drink, but tonight you can go and sing some songs with karaoke leaders J and M Productions.

We are reaping the rewards of a wet winter: Weeds!

While weeds are merely plants out of place, they taunt us with their persistence. They torment us and our pets with their burrs. They take over the lovely flowerbeds we work so hard to keep attractive. They compete with our veggies for water and nutrients. They overpower our desirable plants. They can harbor pest insects.

Later, after their growing season is over, their spent woody structures may blow up against fences or all over the yard creating a fire hazard.

The changing of the monthly guard is happening. The first of May is Sunday and Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Music, theater, sports, shopping and more will be abundant in the valley this weekend, so make sure to take a good look at this weekend’s list for all of your fun options.

SATURDAY:

• Nevada Artists Association Art Exhibit featuring Bill Migan and Photography by Chas. H. McDonnell, III at the Carson Visitor Center (8am-5pm)
• Coffee and Donuts with EAA Sierra Chapter 403 at 2500 E. College Pkwy (8:30am-12pm, all welcome)

Several hundred plants spanning 60 varieties, including vegetables, squash, strawberries, melons, cucumbers, herbs, and perennial and annual flowers will be available May 7 at Carson City’s Greenhouse Project behind Carson High School.

Funeral services will be held May 6 in Carson City for Ruth Aberasturi, a lifelong advocate for children with disabilities who served as director of special education with the Carson City School District for more than 30 years. She died April 20, 2016. Aberasturi was 85.

Sunday is fun day. Get ready for springtime flowers with the Anniversary Sale at Greenhouse Garden Center. If you can’t wait for your own flora to grow, join a ranger at Washoe Lake State Park during their Wildflower Walk to the Deadman’s Creek gazebo. Let the little ones burn off some energy at the Carson Car Center’s Grand Opening: free hot dogs, hamburgers, and a bounce house make for a fun time.

SUNDAY:

Recently, my friend Bob in Gardnerville asked me to recommend a native groundcover that was more insect-friendly than vinca, otherwise known as periwinkle. I asked him a few questions about the site. It faces southwest, has poor soil and is irrigated.

After that cold snap earlier this week, it’s time to go enjoy the sunshine. Spend the afternoon cheering on the WNC Wildcats as they take on Salt Lake Community College. You’ll find the softball double-header at Livermore Sports Complex off Edmonds; baseball is played at the Harvey Field at Western Nevada College. Take a look at the weekend summary for all the fun stuff this valley has to offer.

SATURDAY:

What a wonderful community we live in. Music, theater, hiking, biking, wining, dining, walking, TED-talking, animal loving, state governing, and so much more are available in our valley. The days are getting longer and there is so much in store for us in the coming weeks and months as we journey into summer. Take a good gander at my list of what’s going on in the Carson City area. It is always arranged chronologically by start time.

SATURDAY:

On a sun dappled porch, Julie Grady of Due Sorella, a local home décor store, poured coffee and served scones to guests gathered to discuss the store’s 10th anniversary party from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, featuring food, live music and door prizes.

Washoe Lake State Park is hosting a variety of events during the month of April, including a basic astronomy program focusing on year-round (circumpolar) constellations, a wildflower walk, a full moon hike and a guided hike through the sand dunes.

Construction of the downtown corridor of North Carson Street is now in full swing since the March 7 groundbreaking, and already changes have begun taking shape.

All winter I have said, wait to prune your roses. April 15 is time to prune roses. While there are general rose pruning principles, the different types of roses: hybrid teas, floribundas, shrub, climbers, ramblers and miniatures, all have special requirements.

Spring has sprung. Days getting longer, flowers blooming, and now Easter weekend is upon us. Egg hunts, brunches, and even a parade are all part of the fun. Take a look at this weekend’s event summary for family fun, live music, and much more.

SATURDAY:

When I got back from vacation, I was thrilled to see my daffodils growing. I looked more closely and realized they already had flower buds even though they were only a few inches tall. My bulbs have been in the ground a number of years and have always been tall before. What’s going on?

The spring thaw has arrived, and my event list is getting longer. Carson City has some fun stuff happening this weekend, so please take a look. If you haven’t made it to see Wild Horse Children’s Theater’s production of Disney’s The Aristocats, Kids, or the Carson High spring musical, ‘Kiss Me, Kate.’ what are you waiting for? Keep your eyes peeled for Girl Scouts, this is the last weekend of cookie sales.

SATURDAY:

I visited Arizona recently and the desert was blooming. The predominant color of flowers, no matter the type of plant was yellow. I wondered why nature has given us so many early blooming yellow flowers, particularly in the daisy or sunflower family.

St. Patrick’s Day is around the corner and the celebrations have begun. The Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada has crafts and Irish dancers. Carson Lanes is hosting their annual Pot of Gold Tournament. The Downtown Reno Leprechaun Crawl is always a crazy time. Take a look at this weekend summary to find the fun for miles around.

SATURDAY:

With all the nice weather we have been having, gardeners’ fingers itch to plant and prune. Any gardener who has been here for a number of years, knows this is a false spring.

Although people new to the area may be wooed into thinking planting time is here, I caution “Let the gardener beware.” We will see the return of cold weather and freezing temperatures. For example, I lost all my apple and lilac blossoms last year with one short overnight freeze in April.

My friend Monique asked me to write about shrubs that attract birds. A bird-friendly habitat requires food, water and shelter. Food consists of sap, nectar, pollen, seeds, nuts, berries or fruits. Shrubs should be dense enough to support nests, but also allow birds to move about to escape predators.