Who Likes Burritos?

Apparently everyone if you're asking a bunch of kindergartners!

This class was pretty excited when we told them that we were going to plant a garden of veggies that you would find in a burrito.

Now ask them what they like to eat in their burritos and you'll find that these tiny foodies have a seasoned palate for the popular wrapped up meal.

Here's what we planted:

Corn

Beans

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Yellow Squash

Peppers

Onions

Cilantro

and some flowers to keep our beloved 

pollinators interested.

First we woke up the sleepy garden bed from its winter nap with some soil turning and added in fresh Paydirt planting mix and mulch.

Then the students helped "hug" the new plants out of their containers by giving them a good squeeze.

Then we introduced the veggies to their new home in the soil and made sure to label what we planted so that we wouldn't forget.

We were careful to give everything enough space to stretch out their roots, stems and leaves.

Everything looked happier in the garden than in their plastic pots.

After the planting was finished, we gave everything a nice long drink of water.

See you soon burrito garden! 

Can't wait to eat you!

Raise Up!

Raised beds are hands down the easiest way to grow veggies here in our desert.

Probably the most important thing about vegetable gardening is having a nice, nutrient dense, rich soil for them to grow in. If you've ever tried digging into the native soil in your backyard you know that it can really be difficult to add an amendment to the soil for planting. Being able to manipulate the soil above ground makes things 100 percent easier. 

You can tailor the height of your raised bed to the person that's going to be working in it. If you have small children or don't mind gardening on your hands and knees, then you'll do well with a bed that's about 8-12 inches off the ground.

Raise it up to 2-3 feet to simplify gardening for seniors or those with physical limitations. 

Wide edges on the top perimeter lend to easy leaning over into the bed.

Whether you choose to build with wood, concrete or brick, you will be able to make the space a reflection of your own tastes and personality.

Watering your raised bed can be calming and therapeutic, but as things heat up you may find it less soothing and more stressful.

Adding your own drip irrigation or soaker hose to the bed can take away the burden of daily watering when the summer months come. 

Veggies aren't the only thing easy to grow in raised beds. If you've been wanting to try growing some different flowers for arranging or maybe just to admire while you're sitting on your patio, this is an easy way to create the perfect growing conditions.

Here's a couple things to keep in mind when planning a raised bed.

Size: you'll want to be able to reach the plants in the center so a width of no more than 4 feet is desirable. The length can be whatever fills your needs.

Soil: Again, being able to easily manipulate the soil is the best perk. You'll want to mix a blend of 50 percent sand to 50 percent compost. You need the sand to allow for drainage and the compost to feed those plants.

Sun: Pick a spot that gets the most sunlight. It's always easier to add shade when you think you'll need it. There are very few veggies that can grow in the shade.

If you don't have space in your own yard, consider testing your green thumb at one of the valley's community gardens. They offer a pay for space program that can easily be shared with a friend or family member. It's an also an easy and fun introduction to gardening for kids.

Check one out today!

Vegas Roots Community Garden

Craig Ranch Community Garden

Master Gardeners Community Garden at Floyd Lamb

V Animals Sanctuary Community Garden

Provident Community Garden

Desert Rose

George Burns Rose

Patented Floribunda

There's no shortage of beautiful flowers in the spring, even in the desert, but this time of year is especially nice for roses. 

Most people that don't already grow the flowering shrubs are surprised to learn that roses do really well in our climate. They are drought tolerant when established and are a rewarding way to add bold color to your landscape.

Ketchup & Mustard Rose

Floribunda

With the hundreds of varieties available to plant, it can be overwhelming to pick the right ones.

Here's a basic breakdown of five of the most common categories of roses that you'll find while shopping. Knowing how a rose is going to mature will help you put the right plant in the right place. 

Opening Night Rose

Hybrid Tea

Hybrid Tea are the world's most popular roses. They grow to 4-6 feet in height with a 2-4 foot spread and produce large well formed blooms atop long straight upright stems. They are excellent for cutting and arrangements.

Chicago Peace Rose

Hybrid Tea

Grandiflora, Latin for "large-flowered", are the largest of the shrubs getting up to 8-10 feet in height.

The blooms cluster in threes or fives and are also featured on long stems.

Dick Clark Rose

Grandiflora

Floribunda, Latin for "many-flowering", is a cross between polyanthas and hybrid tea to produce a large number of high quality blooms. This bush stays in the 3-4 foot range in height with a 2-4 foot span. The flowers are typically smaller than a hybrid tea, but bloom in larger clusters. The Iceberg roses are also in this group and are very prolific bloomers.

Coral Dawn Beauty 

Climbing Rose

Climbing roses grow very long (15-30 feet with a 10-15 foot spread) with more flexible canes than the shrub or bush varieties.

These are not to be confused with vines that can cling to walls or trellises by themselves, climbing roses need to be trained on to support structures.

The blooms are varying forms of small and large flowers and some can be repeat bloomers.

Don Juan

Climbing Rose

Miniature Roses are dwarf mutations of other shrub varieties. They stay relatively small growing only 6 inches to 2 feet in height with a span of about 2-4 feet. This makes them excellent for growing in containers or also in a bright spot indoors as houseplants.

Miniature Roses

All roses grown in our desert climate require some hard pruning in the dormant season (winter) to thrive. There is an art to pruning so make sure you check the seminar calendar in January to see when our next rose pruning segment will be. 

Pruning is well worth the time and you'll see the flowers of your labor in the spring, possibly all summer, and again in the fall.

Knowing the growing habit of a rose makes it easier to plan for its place in your garden whether you're looking for a more formal rose garden or just looking to add some color to your already drought tolerant landscape.

Check out our Star Notes on Rose Selection, Care, and Planting!

This Sunday, March 22nd!

We're having a free Spring Vegetable Gardening seminar at 

Craig Ranch Community Garden!

You don't have to be a member of the garden to attend.

10-11am at Craig Ranch Regional Park.

This month's topic- Get it in the Ground! Warm weather vs. Cool weather: What to keep and what to make room for. What to plant from starts and what to plant from seed.

See the full seminar schedule here!

This Saturday, March 21st!

Star Nursery's Kids Garden Club will be out an about this Saturday at the Horses for Heroes 

Spring Health and Wellness Fair at Floyd Lamb Park.

Join us for a fun day of healthy activities, games and a gardening activity!

Parking admission is $6 per car. The event is free!

9am-2pm

This Saturday, March 21st!

If you're looking to tackle a new or existing irrigation project before the heat turns up, then you won't want to miss our Saturday seminar on Understanding Irrigation Systems. 

Join us at all Star Nursery locations this Saturday, March 21st at 10am or 2pm for this free and informative seminar.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Lucky Shamrock

Oxalis triangularis

We could all use a little more luck in our lives, right? 

Whether you celebrate this day by wearing green, drinking a pint of Irish beer, or eating a hearty meal of corned beef and cabbage, a three leaved plant would add a touch of luck and charm to your desk, dinner table or garden.

Oxalis 'Sunset Velvet'

We recommend planting the many shades of oxalis, ranging from emerald green to amber to dark purple, instead of the traditional Trifolium repens. It is said St. Patrick planted the clover crop all over Ireland as a symbol of the Holy Trinity represented by the three leaves.

Oxalis Burgundy Bliss

This shade tolerant ground cover is excellent for that North facing side of your garden that just doesn't seem to get enough light. The dark leaves of the purple varieties work well as a contrast to other bedding plants and flowers.

Purple Shamrock

also known as the "Love Plant"

They're also easy to grow indoors as houseplants in bright but indirect sunlight. Make sure to water regularly, but don't let the soil get soggy or the roots will rot. Better to err on the side of a skipped watering with this one.

Erin go plant this!