gardens

Do you like shopping, Carson City? Check out the Vintage Fair at Du Sorrella downtown. The last Farmers Market of the season is at Third and Curry, so get your fix of fresh fruits, veggies, honey and more before the leaves fall. Wild Horse Children’s Theater is hosting a huge Warehouse and Multi-family sale; if you need a Halloween costume, you won’t want to miss it. The Teixeira Pavilion at Mills Park is where you’ll find the Autumn Earth Spirit Faire with vendors, workshops, and more.

A nationally recognized mountain bike race, expected to bring a $15 million boost to the local economy over five years, will be hosting an event in Carson City in June.

During Interbike in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Epic Rides announced Carson City Off-Road — the third event in the Epic Rides Off-Road Series.

As I reported last year, some newcomers moved into our Carson City neighborhood, and their arrival produced some good news and some bad news. The good news about the new arrivals:

A Mound House RV repair outfit, a community agriculture ranch in Washoe Valley and a motel in Fallon are among the recipients of energy grants awarded Tuesday by USDA Rural Development Nevada.

The summer of 1776 must not have been much different from other summers gone and yet to come: Hot, muggy and miserable for those who had to work out in it. And in 1776 that included most people.

Like any other summer, that particular one 239 years ago was alive with fragrances in full bloom; the sounds of children playing in fields of wild flowers, and splashing about in creeks and ponds where it was cool; young animals frolicking in the fields; men and women toiling in their gardens and on their farms; and the happy songs of birds, crickets and frogs relishing in the summer solstice.

Without irrigation, Nevada gardeners could not have gardens or landscapes. These life-giving watering systems need regular maintenance to operate efficiently so that plants can thrive. A well-maintained system is water efficient, which is critical this year with the drought.

Classic car enthusiasts can get a head start into this weekend's festivities with a Cruise Night tonight at Wyndham Gardens Carson Station, 5 to 8 p.m. at 900 S. Carson Street Carson City.

Hosted by Silver Dollar Car Classic, cruises are held every Thursday night through summer at various locations around Carson City.

A friend introduced me to a new way of growing herbs, in a canning jar. She said she had grown basil successfully in a jar. She took a quart jar and put pea gravel in it with potting mix on top. Then, she added water to where the gravel met the potting mix and planted seeds.

She placed the jar in a south window and within two weeks had basil coming up. She claimed the evaporative power of the water up through the soil kept the soil moist enough for germination and growth of the seed.

The Carson City Historical Society's 2015 annual garden tour took place Saturday where guests were able to walk or drive through Carson City and view magnificent homes and gardens. It was clear along the tour that those participating put an extraordinary amount of time and creative effort into their gardens and homes.

The Carson City Historical Society's 2015 Garden Tour is Saturday, June 13. This walking and driving tour includes some very special Carson City homes and gardens.

The self-guided tour begins at 11 a.m. and will run until 4 p.m. More than a dozen carefully selected homes and gardens, some new to the tour, some old favorites, will be available for public viewing for this special event. We are pleased to announce that the Krebs-Petersen House will be opened for your admiration. This was the location of John Wayne's last movie, "The Shootist."

Those pesky ground squirrels are out in force these days. I think they are on their second or third series of babies. I can tolerate them out in our field. However, when they dig under the house, it’s time to get serious about control, before they undermine the foundation.

It’s a Railroad kind of weekend in Carson City. The historic 1885 Glenbrook Steam Engine will be on display Saturday, all steamed up with the Inyo at the Nevada Railroad Museum. You will want to arrive before the dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. to get the best photos. The V and T Steam Engine #25 will be running all weekend if you want to take a ride. It’s also opening weekend for the Virginia and Truckee that departs from the Eastgate Depot for Virginia City. Roundtrips sell out fast, so make sure to get a reservation if you want to go.

SATURDAY:

• Memorial Day Specials at Empire Ranch Golf Course (free 18 holes with Military I.D.; free bucket of balls if wearing red, white, and blue; free draft beer if wearing camouflage)
• Coffee and Donuts with EAA Sierra Chapter 403 at 2500 E. College Pkwy (8:30am-12pm, all welcome)
• Early Spring Farmers Market in the south parking lot of the Greenhouse Garden Center (9am-1pm)

I first heard about the Rodale Institute a few decades ago when I used to read their “Organic Gardening” magazine. They have been around for 60 years researching and teaching organic gardening. Through the years, I have turned to the Institute and their well-written books when I wanted reputable information on organic growing.

The Desert Gardeners Garden Club will honor a deceased member, Nancy Lee Robertson, with a tree planting at Long Ranch Park, on Saturday, April 25.

A cold front will move through the Sierra and western Nevada late Monday night through Tuesday morning bringing strong winds and much colder temperatures, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

Small businesses in Nevada were a big deal in 2014. The Nevada Small Business Development Center, a statewide resource for business assistance and headquartered in the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Business, helped open 136 new small businesses in the state last year.

“It’s easy to forget the impact small businesses can have, especially with the growing focus on many big-named businesses in the state,” Sam Males, director of the Nevada SBDC, said. “These smaller businesses created 470 jobs and $18 million in new financing, clearly making a marked impact.”

The Greenhouse Project, located at Carson High School in Carson City, has entered the Seeds of Change Grant Program for an opportunity to win one of two $20,000, five $10,000 grants or ten $1,000 grants. They are asking the community to vote for their application.

The Grant Program aims to enhance the environmental, economic and social well-being of gardens, farms and communities. The grants will be awarded to organizations that help support sustainable, community-based gardening and farming programs that focus on teaching people about the food they eat and how it’s grown.

Urban Roots will hosts its third annual volunteer day open to the community on Saturday, Jan. 17 in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The event will be held at four local school gardens including Bordewich Bray and Carson Middle School in Carson City, Mount Rose K-8, and at the Urban Roots demonstration farm. The program runs from 10 a.m. to about 1 p.m.

It has finally arrived, the last day of 2014. It is also a Wednesday, so there are some typical Wednesday things going on about town, but New Year’s is the big deal today. Below is listed a plethora of local New Year’s activities, so take a gander, get yourself dressed up, and have a fantastic (and safe) night on the town! At risk of sounding cliché, see you next year, Carson City!

Wednesday:

• Arlington Square Ice Rink: Winter Break Schedule (Sessions 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., 2p.m. - 5 p.m., 6 p.m. - 9p.m; $7/$5 kids, $3 Skate Rental)
• Blues with David Leather at Comma Coffee (12pm-2pm)
• ’Wine-down Wednesday’ All day happy hour at Bella Fiore

Ring in the New Year in Carson City! No need to fight the crowds in Reno or Lake Tahoe, there are many options right here in our valley. Have a great night and please stay safe: call a taxi, AAA, or designate a driver if you plan on drinking.

AAA TIPSY TOW: 1-800-222-4357 (Free Tow from AAA 6pm until 6am Jan. 1 – you do NOT need to be a AAA member. Stay safe tonight!)

Family Friendly Fun:

• Nevada Christmas Light Show Display at 1176 Chaparral Court (cul-de-sac off Santa Barbara Dr., off Stephanie Way), Minden (5:30pm-9pm)

Ho! Ho! Ho! Or, when speaking to gardeners that probably should be Hoe! Hoe! Hoe! What presents are you giving the gardeners in your life this holiday season? I started looking online for unusual gift ideas for gardeners and found some curious ones.

Delicious, odiferous garlic is a staple in many a cook’s kitchen. This cousin of the onion, shallot and leek has been in use for over 7,000 years for both culinary and medicinal purposes. If you are a fan of garlic, you may want to plant a crop now through the end of November for early summer harvest. Fall-planted garlic produces bigger, better bulbs than garlic planted in late winter or spring.

Never before has such a grand combination of iconic ranch, lakefront and forestland been offered for sale at once in Lake Tahoe’s rich history. This rare offering includes: historic Shakespeare Ranch with 133 acres of lakefront ranchland; Squaw Valley Homestead, arguably the most coveted landholding in Squaw Valley; and High Canyon Ranch, encompassing 321 acres of one of the last remaining privately owned large acreage parcels in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Many celebrations are scheduled throughout the Silver State in the month of October. These Nevada 150 events celebrate all things Nevada and help bring awareness to the 150th Anniversary of Statehood. The following area events are held Oct. 1-15:

New York Times author Novella Carpenter will be at the 3rd and Curry Street downtown Carson City Farmer’s Market on July 19 at 11 a.m. to chat about her bestselling memoir, Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer.

Carpenter and northern Nevada agriculture expert Mark O’Farrell, of Hungry Mother Organics, are set to engage in a kitchen-table visit. Under a large tent, with seats for 100, the conversation will be led by northern Nevada’s KTVN news anchor Erin Breen. The special event is aimed at raising awareness about the vital role farmers play in our lives.

We have a small, comfortable home, built in the late 1940's, located in the older west side of Carson City, and we recently discovered that what is considered good news for some is actually bad news for others in our particular neighborhood. Let me explain what I mean:

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has declared July BEAR Logic Month. BEAR stands for Bear Education, Aversion and Research, and BEAR Logic Month is an opportunity to help educate the public about living in bear country.

On this week's It's Your City, Camille Jones, manager of the Carson City Greenhouse Project discusses spring and summer activities at the facility, located behind Carson High School.

State agriculture scientists say northern Nevadans can expect to see more moths over next couple of months. The Nevada Department of Agriculture entomology laboratory has noted an uptick in inquiries about the number of moths flying around. The moths are the adults of the army cutworm, and an insect native to Nevada.

“There were very high populations of the larvae in several areas of the West this year, including Nevada,” said Entomologist Jeff Knight. “We are now seeing the adults from those larvae.”

The Carson City Historical Society's Annual Garden Tour is Coming to Town July 19 from 11am-4pm. Join Us to Tour Beautiful Gardens and Historical Carson City Homes. Tickets go on Sale June 10th at Due Sorella (Two Sisters) 202 Curry St and Greenhouse Garden Center 2459 S Curry St for $10.00 each.

The Annual Garden Tour put on by the Carson City Historical Society is a fundraiser for the completion of the Carriage House at the Foreman-Roberts House 1207 N Carson St.