Villager Journal
A collection of thoughts, tips and news from Villager Nursery.
London – Scottish Highlands – Late June 2024
Personally, and professionally, I had a wonderful family wedding to enjoy just-north-of London in LATE June and since the whole family came from around the world to get there, we stayed an extra week and went to the Scottish highlands. The highlands reminded me of a...
Boisterous Bumble Bee article from CNPS archive – worth a read
In the 2002 July-October V30 3/4 Issue of FREMONTIA – a journal of the California Native Plant Society, there was a terrific article by Robbin W. Thorp, Peter C. Schroeder, and Carol S. Ferguson: Bumble Bees: Boisterous Pollinators of California Native Flowers. It was such a perfectly detailed story of the annual life cycle of native Bumble Bees
15th Annual Kellogg Planting Days 2024
14th Annual Kellogg Planting Days Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3, 2023 from 10-2 each day. Along with Buy 3, get 1 Free on many Kellogg Composts
Sagehen Creek Calflora.org “What Grows Here?”
Sagehen Creek Calflora.org "What Grows Here?" - We have many of these (or if we don’t have the exact species we have a close Genera native relation). The partial list of local natives from this small area we often carry are below in bold. Sagehen Plants Availability...
Lawn or Mowed Meadow Installation and Care
A lawn can be an environmental benefit (not a chemical junkie). A “lawn” can be a mowed meadow, a grazed pasture, or a perfect ball-field.
Well aware of the dangers of chemical fertilizers and broadleaf herbicides to children and pets and I was determined to avoid them from the start.
The 2022 Season…
We do this because we love helping people find plants that will provide joy, food, or solve a problem in their garden or landscape. We love the years-long processes of testing plants in our challenging environment and sharing what we learn with others. They say...
Fall Planting / Autumn Gardening
Fall Planting / Autumn Gardening Start gardening at the first sign of spring? Naw. September and October are months to accomplish the most important gardening tasks before winter settles in. MOST of next year’s garden success depends upon the care your garden is...
Essential Woody Mulch in Truckee / Tahoe Landscapes
It works wonders in our climate and for our soils. If someone told you you could water half as often while your plants grow healthier twice as fast with a free product, who wouldn’t jump at the chance to use it?
What is mulch? Mulch is an organic or inorganic material atop the soil, above the spreading roots and associated soil biology. Mulch insulates soil from sun, wind, erosive raindrops, as well as temperature and moisture extremes.
Tree Winterizing
•) Tree Wrapping – In fall, after the leaves have fallen from your more brittle or vulnerable new trees and shrubs, tie them up for the winter. Wrap the tree tightly to itself, with heavy-duty tree tape.
Fire-Resistive Landscaping in Truckee / Tahoe
A deciduous screen can slow or even stop a fire before it reaches structures. Aspen, birch, maple, poplar and willow require some irrigation to remain fire resistant. -Forest managers frequently use the terms “firebreak” and “asbestos-type tree” to describe quaking aspen. If maintained, hedge rows can deflect wind and filter wind-blown embers.
Holidays in the year of the COVID
The demographics and movement patterns and rental markets and buying habits have shifted. We are adapting, trying to navigate providing necessary services in a safe environment. It is fascinating, frustrating, and satisfying all at once; like gardening.
Your Local Garden Center
Our business survival strategy has long been to provide sound advice and do everything possible to insure our clients’ successes. Our customers are locals and they’ll trust us if they succeed and so we have many, many, many clients and customers that we have known and worked with for decades.
Barley, a good nursery cat.
Barley the nursery cat.
Are We Essential?
April in Truckee and Tahoe teases us. While it is a GREAT time to plant wildflowers, hardy vegetables and herbs, over-wintered dormant plants from the nursery, it is too cold to bring in trees and shrubs from warmer climes that have leaves. April's average daytime...
Silvertip Christmas trees are the most elegant of all Christmas trees.
Lights and ornaments are visible
through the trees. The soft blue tips (silver tips) and fragrant forest
incense add stately elegance to your Christmas experience.
Rain on Snow
This wet snow and rain is good for the roots.
Q. How do I maximize growth and vigor of all the plants in my High-Sierra, mountain garden?
Q. How do I maximize growth and vigor of all the plants in my High-Sierra, mountain garden? This was a recent question... wow. there is really no short answer. I might say: "Plant very well, fertilize like crazy, mulch like crazy, water like crazy and prune like...
Mid Season Planting – July/August
In the Mountain Nursery business the season starts when it starts: when the snow melts and we've had a reasonable period of time to recover from the last hard frost or heavy snow (usually early May to mid-May). The busy season goes until the 4th of July when the rush...
Our Native Plants
Our Native Plants The following is an occasionally updated list of native plants Villager Nursery frequently offers and common sizes. Slow-growing and highly temperamental species are priced accordingly higher. Availability varies with seed collecting, timing, and...
Organics and Soil Fertility
This spring I’ve spoken to so many people who fertilized once and thought that was good enough.