Seasonal Notes
Villager Mid-March-April 2026
Late-Winter
OPEN Wednesdays through Saturdays
10:00 AM-5:00 PM
Our hours increase proportional to increasing temperatures, exposed earth (melting snow), customer inspiration, common sense, and the swelling of the buds on our trees. ...weather permitting... IF the gate is open, stop on in. We'll bring in fresh hardy plant material as it is appropriate (and available).
Houseplant Shop / Topper / Mulch / Wildflower Seed / Organic Fertilizers / Dormant Plant Material / Cold-Hardy Perennials and Color / Pruning Tools / Class Handouts / Advice
We change our hours here, on the phone answering system, and on Google, Yelp, Bing, Tripadvisor, Apple, Instagram, and Facebook sites. Expect longer hours and more days in late March (and beyond, of course).
We are a "Plants, Seeds, Soils, Pots, and Garden sort of Shop" full of healthy indoor and tropical houseplants, bulbs, wildflower seeds, vegetable seeds, indoor gardening gear, pottery, potting soils, organic fertilizers, pruning tools, and nutrients, as well as seeds and seed-sprouting supplies. We also have every gardener's favorite present: gift certificates (on-line) from your experienced local garden center.
Late winter (March-April) is a GREAT time to plant wildflower seeds, un-planted fall bulbs, over-wintered and dormant perennials, shrubs, and trees, and even cold-hardy color to give them a strong early head-start on our short growing season.
While you can plant anytime, please wait until the soil is no longer muddy. Working in mud collapses soil structure, ruining aeration and drainage that roots and soil biology depend on. Be aware that because our nights remain extremely cold through May, deacclimated plants from warmer climates can easily be damaged or killed.
Historically, March is a winter month, and April is half winter and half spring. The past 10 years have been neither historically average nor "normal". Historically, March is a winter month with a few spring-like days and April is a winter month with many spring-like days.
March begins with average nighttime low temp's ~18ºF (record low -10º) and average highs ~44ºF. April begins with average low temps ~21ºF (record low of 0º) and average high ~50ºF.
Truckee’s elevation on the Sierra’s east side with Great Basin aridity yields significantly higher diurnal temperature variations than most western communities. Our "average" temperatures are based on wild extremes.
We’re Here to Help. Even when the shop is "closed", we are often around, tending to the plants, cats, and office work. If you need a specific product, a project bid, or a consultation, please email us. We check messages nightly and will get back to you within a couple of days. You can also leave a voicemail at 530-587-0771.
Best wishes for a better 2026! Here's to Science, to Research, to Data, to Facts, to Education, to Kindness, to Sanity, to Truth, to Grace, and to Hope. Be Grateful. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be nice. Try.
Check our Instagram or Facebook or the references page on this website for updates, informational sheets, class hand-outs and calendar updates.
For 51 years, Villager Nursery Garden Center has been serving Truckee, Tahoe and regional high Sierra Mountain plant lovers, landscapers and gardeners. Villager Florist started in the original Gateway Center (next to the Gateway Motel) in 1951 (75 yrs.). In 1975 (51 yrs ago) Jeanette Harper purchased the Villager Florist and added outdoor plants to the mix (becoming Villager Nursery). We relinquished the florist in 1996 to focus exclusively on the extreme winter-hardy, native plants, garden center summer color and vegetables, and landscape supply. In 1999 we moved to nursery to the home of the Varney Dairy - come - McIver Dairy - come - Villager Nursery. We are at the west end of historic Brickelltown (severed by I-80). The House was built in 1867 (159 yrs.) and the Shop (a blacksmith shop) was built in the 1920's. Our home has changed hands only twice since 1867 and we are proud to continue its legacy.
Villager Nursery
Experienced High-Sierra guides. Here to help with gardening and landscaping in our very challenging growing conditions.
Located in Truckee, California
Our purpose, as always, is to remain the primary source for honest and reliable high-Sierra gardening information while offering the widest and most interesting variety of native, extreme climate, fascinating, showy and cold hardy plants, as well as the appropriate organic fertilizers and the finest soil amendments available.
Our hope is only to give our clients everything they need to succeed and find satisfaction in their mountain planters, gardens and landscapes.
Seasonal Notes
Villager Mid-March-April 2026
Late-Winter
OPEN Wednesdays through Saturdays
10:00 AM-5:00 PM
Our hours increase proportional to increasing temperatures, exposed earth (melting snow), customer inspiration, common sense, and the swelling of the buds on our trees. ...weather permitting... IF the gate is open, stop on in. We'll bring in fresh hardy plant material as it is appropriate (and available).
Houseplant Shop / Topper / Mulch / Wildflower Seed / Organic Fertilizers / Dormant Plant Material / Cold-Hardy Perennials and Color / Pruning Tools / Class Handouts / Advice
We change our hours here, on the phone answering system, and on Google, Yelp, Bing, Tripadvisor, Apple, Instagram, and Facebook sites. Expect longer hours and more days in late March (and beyond, of course).
We are a "Plants, Seeds, Soils, Pots, and Garden sort of Shop" full of healthy indoor and tropical houseplants, bulbs, wildflower seeds, vegetable seeds, indoor gardening gear, pottery, potting soils, organic fertilizers, pruning tools, and nutrients, as well as seeds and seed-sprouting supplies. We also have every gardener's favorite present: gift certificates (on-line) from your experienced local garden center.
Late winter (March-April) is a GREAT time to plant wildflower seeds, un-planted fall bulbs, over-wintered and dormant perennials, shrubs, and trees, and even cold-hardy color to give them a strong early head-start on our short growing season.
While you can plant anytime, please wait until the soil is no longer muddy. Working in mud collapses soil structure, ruining aeration and drainage that roots and soil biology depend on. Be aware that because our nights remain extremely cold through May, deacclimated plants from warmer climates can easily be damaged or killed.
Historically, March is a winter month, and April is half winter and half spring. The past 10 years have been neither historically average nor "normal". Historically, March is a winter month with a few spring-like days and April is a winter month with many spring-like days.
March begins with average nighttime low temp's ~18ºF (record low -10º) and average highs ~44ºF. April begins with average low temps ~21ºF (record low of 0º) and average high ~50ºF.
Truckee’s elevation on the Sierra’s east side with Great Basin aridity yields significantly higher diurnal temperature variations than most western communities. Our "average" temperatures are based on wild extremes.
We’re Here to Help. Even when the shop is "closed", we are often around, tending to the plants, cats, and office work. If you need a specific product, a project bid, or a consultation, please email us. We check messages nightly and will get back to you within a couple of days. You can also leave a voicemail at 530-587-0771.
Best wishes for a better 2026! Here's to Science, to Research, to Data, to Facts, to Education, to Kindness, to Sanity, to Truth, to Grace, and to Hope. Be Grateful. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be nice. Try.
Check our Instagram or Facebook or the references page on this website for updates, informational sheets, class hand-outs and calendar updates.
For 51 years, Villager Nursery Garden Center has been serving Truckee, Tahoe and regional high Sierra Mountain plant lovers, landscapers and gardeners. Villager Florist started in the original Gateway Center (next to the Gateway Motel) in 1951 (75 yrs.). In 1975 (51 yrs ago) Jeanette Harper purchased the Villager Florist and added outdoor plants to the mix (becoming Villager Nursery). We relinquished the florist in 1996 to focus exclusively on the extreme winter-hardy, native plants, garden center summer color and vegetables, and landscape supply. In 1999 we moved to nursery to the home of the Varney Dairy - come - McIver Dairy - come - Villager Nursery. We are at the west end of historic Brickelltown (severed by I-80). The House was built in 1867 (159 yrs.) and the Shop (a blacksmith shop) was built in the 1920's. Our home has changed hands only twice since 1867 and we are proud to continue its legacy.
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Join Our Team!
We are always interested in quality staff, partners and volunteers. Please use the form to inform us if you’re interested!
Your Mountain and Native plant source
Villager Nursery brings you many of the most cold-hardy and abuse tolerant plants on Earth. We collect seeds and cuttings of local High Sierra, Great Basin and Rocky Mountain native plants for propagation and contract growing. We produce many of the best plants and offer selections that are available almost nowhere else. …from remote locations.
The High Sierra Garden Experts
Eric, Rob and the knowledgeable staff at Villager Nursery have decades of experience in what works in Truckee and Tahoe’s high mountain environments. Visit the store today for seeds, bulbs, perennials, annual color, trees, shrubs, composts, organic fertilizers, pottery, art, and more!
Villager Journal
Timely information for Mt. Gardeners throughout the northern Sierras.Villager Handouts
PDF's and Newsletters with relevant information for gardening in the Sierras.The Home of your garden and planting needs
We are a mountain nursery, so we incorporate every possible local and western intermountain native plant into our inventory and our landscapes. Many of our plants are grown from seed or cuttings that we’ve collected. Our staff and interns are encouraged to get out and hike as often as possible and note where, why and how plants thrive where they are found. Below are some of the items we carry.
Annual Color
Perennials
Shrubs
Shrubs fill-out every landscape. From a wide selection of natives to exotic and fruiting species, we offer smaller woody plants for flowers, fall colors, heavy snow-loads and dense screening.
Trees
Seeds
Our experience in this challenging environment allows Villager Nursery to gather the best selections of vegetable, herb, greens, flower, wildflower, grass, and custom mixtures for the very best success rates possible.
Pottery & Art
Bulbs
“Bulbs” as a group of plants adapted to long periods of dormancy and harsh conditions are some of our favorite hardy perennials. We have a tremendous selection of hardy bulbs selected for their resistance to being eaten and for their incredible resilience.
Indoor Plants
Potting Soils, Composts and Mulch
Mature composts and worm castings to chicken manure, neem seed meal to fish bone meal, top soil, bark mulch and vegetable planting mixes and much more, we carry all of the right organics for your garden.
Fertilizers
We carry a range of fertilizers that meet the needs of growing in our soils and environment. From organic lawn food, and Biosol, to Cactus, veggie, orchid, acid, conifer, and houseplant fertilizers+.
Villager Online store
Shop online for Recommended Books, Wildflower Seeds and Gift Cards.“In this ever-changing society, the most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart. They are real and sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because they are built with the strength of the human spirit, not an ad campaign. The companies that are lasting are those that are authentic.”
~Howard Schultz
Seasonal Notes
Villager Mid-March-April 2026
Late-Winter
OPEN Wednesdays through Saturdays
10:00 AM-5:00 PM
Our hours increase proportional to increasing temperatures, exposed earth (melting snow), customer inspiration, common sense, and the swelling of the buds on our trees. ...weather permitting... IF the gate is open, stop on in. We'll bring in fresh hardy plant material as it is appropriate (and available).
Houseplant Shop / Topper / Mulch / Wildflower Seed / Organic Fertilizers / Dormant Plant Material / Cold-Hardy Perennials and Color / Pruning Tools / Class Handouts / Advice
We change our hours here, on the phone answering system, and on Google, Yelp, Bing, Tripadvisor, Apple, Instagram, and Facebook sites. Expect longer hours and more days in late March (and beyond, of course).
We are a "Plants, Seeds, Soils, Pots, and Garden sort of Shop" full of healthy indoor and tropical houseplants, bulbs, wildflower seeds, vegetable seeds, indoor gardening gear, pottery, potting soils, organic fertilizers, pruning tools, and nutrients, as well as seeds and seed-sprouting supplies. We also have every gardener's favorite present: gift certificates (on-line) from your experienced local garden center.
Late winter (March-April) is a GREAT time to plant wildflower seeds, un-planted fall bulbs, over-wintered and dormant perennials, shrubs, and trees, and even cold-hardy color to give them a strong early head-start on our short growing season.
While you can plant anytime, please wait until the soil is no longer muddy. Working in mud collapses soil structure, ruining aeration and drainage that roots and soil biology depend on. Be aware that because our nights remain extremely cold through May, deacclimated plants from warmer climates can easily be damaged or killed.
Historically, March is a winter month, and April is half winter and half spring. The past 10 years have been neither historically average nor "normal". Historically, March is a winter month with a few spring-like days and April is a winter month with many spring-like days.
March begins with average nighttime low temp's ~18ºF (record low -10º) and average highs ~44ºF. April begins with average low temps ~21ºF (record low of 0º) and average high ~50ºF.
Truckee’s elevation on the Sierra’s east side with Great Basin aridity yields significantly higher diurnal temperature variations than most western communities. Our "average" temperatures are based on wild extremes.
We’re Here to Help. Even when the shop is "closed", we are often around, tending to the plants, cats, and office work. If you need a specific product, a project bid, or a consultation, please email us. We check messages nightly and will get back to you within a couple of days. You can also leave a voicemail at 530-587-0771.
Best wishes for a better 2026! Here's to Science, to Research, to Data, to Facts, to Education, to Kindness, to Sanity, to Truth, to Grace, and to Hope. Be Grateful. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be nice. Try.
Check our Instagram or Facebook or the references page on this website for updates, informational sheets, class hand-outs and calendar updates.
For 51 years, Villager Nursery Garden Center has been serving Truckee, Tahoe and regional high Sierra Mountain plant lovers, landscapers and gardeners. Villager Florist started in the original Gateway Center (next to the Gateway Motel) in 1951 (75 yrs.). In 1975 (51 yrs ago) Jeanette Harper purchased the Villager Florist and added outdoor plants to the mix (becoming Villager Nursery). We relinquished the florist in 1996 to focus exclusively on the extreme winter-hardy, native plants, garden center summer color and vegetables, and landscape supply. In 1999 we moved to nursery to the home of the Varney Dairy - come - McIver Dairy - come - Villager Nursery. We are at the west end of historic Brickelltown (severed by I-80). The House was built in 1867 (159 yrs.) and the Shop (a blacksmith shop) was built in the 1920's. Our home has changed hands only twice since 1867 and we are proud to continue its legacy.