If you agree with the common definition that a weed is a plant that is growing where it is not wanted, then sprouts of many types of plants could be considered weeds when they are growing in garden beds or lawns. We tend to think of weeds most often as grasses or pesky herbaceous plants, but in fact, some trees can also be invasive in many environments.

In a region where we usually receive a scant nine inches of precipitation annually, having efficient sprinklers is not only economically sound, it is also ecologically sound. When you receive your water bills in the coming months, you will notice an exponential increase in use and a corresponding increase in cost. You can help control those increases by ensuring that your sprinklers and irrigation system are running optimally. To do this, request an irrigation checkup from your professional landscape maintenance company, or do one yourself.

In the Truckee Meadows, spring may take its time, but it will come. And when you imagine tender crocus shoots and daffodils pushing through the ground, do you also imagine birds flying back and forth to a birdhouse carefully hung in your yard? The idea is charming. But to make it actually happen you need to do more than just hang a pretty house. Many birds don’t use birdhouses, or nest boxes. Only cavity nesters are attracted to them, and in Northern Nevada the list of these birds is fairly short. It includes some types of wrens, owls, chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, wood ducks, and bluebirds.

It also includes starlings—which are considered nuisance birds because they take over other birds’ nests. You won’t find doves or robins using your birdhouse. They prefer a more open space such as the crotch of a tree limb.

The type of bird that will settle in your birdhouse depends on the style and size of the birdhouse, where you place it, and where you live. Generally, small birds use small houses, larger ones need more space. You may attract flickers in the forest, wood ducks near water, and bluebirds next to open meadows and fields. In an urban or suburban backyard, your birdhouse may be most useful to wrens and sparrows. However, don’t expect birds to readily inhabit a house without some attention on your part. Karen Kish, president of the Reno-based Lahontan Audubon Society stresses that “proper placement of the house plus careful maintenance and cleanliness in and around it are critical aspects of creating a successful nesting area.”

Growth in our area is taking its toll on native bird habitat. And aggressive, invasive species such as the starling only up the competition. As such, bluebirds—both the Mountain, the Nevada state bird, and the Western bluebird nest here—could use a little help with nesting areas. And this is just what Donna Hagerman, who generously supplied the plans for this birdhouse—here built by Steve Stegmeir, construction manager for the Truckee Meadows Habitat for Humanity—has been doing in Northern Nevada for over 20 years. She has placed 250 houses—150 of which she built herself—in various locations throughout the area, providing nesting opportunities for numerous bluebirds.

If you live in an area conducive to bluebird nesting—near a pasture, meadow, or field—find a spot about four to six feet off the ground and place your house. And because bluebirds are very territorial, if placing multiple houses, put them no closer than 100 yards apart. According to Hagerman, this is best done in February or March.

If your yard is not suitable for the bluebird, consider placing your house, as does Hagerman, in an area that is (be sure to get permission before doing this). Then, watch and wait. Keep in mind that bluebirds will return to nesting areas they’ve roosted in in previous years, especially if they’ve been successful, so you may not have a nester right away. But with some luck, you’ll get the opportunity to watch a feathered family grow right there in the box you made.

Sometimes the best antidote for the winter blahs is to get out and do something. Why not use the sunny winter days to build a planter box that you can pack full of spring flowers, herbs, and vegetables, or even a small tree and blooming shrubs? Where you will put it and what you are going to plant determines the size of the box, but some basics are the same.

Use a wood that will withstand the weather.

In Northern Nevada, that means a wood that will hold up in heat, cold, and wet. Brian Luce, who’s been in the lumber business most of his life and is now working in sales for High Sierra Lumber in Reno, recommends using con heart (short for construction heart) redwood. Cedar will work too, but it isn’t as readily available in our area. Luce advises getting redwood that is red throughout. White patches in redwood will rot with exposure to moisture, just like other woods. A coating of sealant will keep the wood red and also help protect it from the elements. Or leave it natural; the wood will weather to a natural gray.

Garden enthusiasts from Reno and Sparks demonstrated how beautiful a garden can grow while using very little water. They blended water-wise designs with generous doses of creativity. All were vying for winning spots in the 2006 Truckee Meadows Water Authority Water-Efficient Landscape Awards competition.

The contest, TMWA’s second annual, based its judging on garden aesthetics, irrigation, plant selection and mulches. Contestants sent in photos and descriptions of their gardens. And the entries were reviewed by representatives from Rail City Garden Center.

 

In fashion, who would have guessed that bell-bottoms and hip-huggers would return? In the plant world, it’s the same. Plants that were out of favor in the 1990s have regained popularity, partly because they are low maintenance. And we – even those of us who love gardening – lead busy lives.

An application of a timed-release fertilizer once a year, a bit of water and light is all most of these plants ever need. Many of the most popular indoor plants are also easy to propagate.

Cold-frame gardening has four purposes, says Karyn Johnson, the school gardens coordinator for the University of Nevada, Reno Food For Thoughts program.

1. To over-winter plants you want to grow during the winter months
that are too sensitive to the cold.

2. To start seeds earlier in the season by building a closure over the
plants to keep moisture in the soil and keep plants warm enough
during that early season.

Remember last year’s tiny blue crocus popping up through the snow and daffodils splashing yellow across the garden? If you want spring color next year, you need to plant bulbs this fall. Several flowers begin as spring flowering bulbs, including tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinth, allium, and fritillaria. And they'll all be in the stores this month.

With some planning now and bulb layering next month, you can have them all.

Pawl Hollis, owner of Rail City Garden Center, says you can plant three or four layers of bulbs in the same container or garden plot – kind of like a bulb lasagna.

"It's not the heat, it's the humidity," we say, glad of our arid climate.
Our gardens don't agree. Plants have a hard time replacing water they lose to the heat, direct desert sunlight, and all those windy summer afternoons in the Truckee Meadows.
Water becomes the primary concern to a garden's survival in August. Deep watering – saturating the soil – is essential.

Mulching helps, too, says Mark Mercier, nursery manager for G&G Nursery and Landscaping. A four- to six-inch layer of bark or rock around the base of a plant will help keep soil cooler and slow evaporation.