[agentdm007]

Originally Posted by Artistic Spirit

I am so glad to see this thread!

My husband and I are considering relocating to Las Vegas. We've enjoyed gardening everywhere we've lived (California Bay Area, Western New York, Central South Carolina) and each of them present unique challenges!

My husband loves to grow peppers and tomatoes and we've always ordered live plants of special varieties from Burpee. But I was was surprised to see that they won't deliver these plants to Nevada.

We would be interested to see what variety of vegetable plants we can purchase at the local nurseries in Las Vegas and/or start learning how to save the seeds of our current vegetable plants.

I've always been interested in Garden Art. I would love to hear/see examples of how people have added creative touches to their gardens. I love rock hounding (like an exciting treasure hunt) and wonder what kind of designs I could come up with for borders? I also have a huge jar of sea glass I collected in Bermuda that might look interesting on stepping stones? I enjoy growing my herb gardens and would like a creative design!

There's a number of things that can grow here in Las Vegas. I've had good luck with cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, and artichokes. Herbs such as oregano, basil, french tarragon, and chives also do well.

[agentdm007]

Originally Posted by ArabEyes

When I was a kid, I had an extreme green-thumb. One day we ate papayas, so I decided to take a seed from the fruit, and plant it in a pot. After mothering it a bit, lo and behold, I had a papaya tree in the middle of the desert. I also grew an apple sapling in my room. I had this bright idea that I would make mini greenhouses out of 2-liters. So, after eating an apple and saving the seeds, I planted them in a makeshift-mini-greenhouse. A few weeks later, I had a sprout, and a few months later I had a sapling. When I got older, my green-thumb turned into more of a brown-thumb. So, now I am adopting the same approach I had when I was a kid. I hope things work out better this year!

I think when you move to Las Vegas, it can turn any green thumb a bit brown.....It takes more soil preparation and babying plants to withstand the extreme heat and cold. Timing is everything

[Buzz123]

Here's a gardening program they are doing at The Springs Preserve.

Event Calendar

[LeslieRDoyle]

There are some helpful gardening tips and Las Vegas garden photos here; http://www.flickr.com/photos/8773704@N06/

[Buzz123]

My three tomato plants ...well four if you count the shoot I broke off of one, stuck in the ground, and now its a separate plant ...are growing like weeds.

Right next to my termaters are some flowers that the bees like, but I haven't seen a bee on the tomato blossoms yet. I asked them to do the tomaotes too but they mght not speak English since they are from Africa by way of Mexico.

I see my neighbor has a swarm or a hive right next to our fence in the same place he had them last year. I hope theys friendly.

[Jhiker10]

Speaking of gardening, I went to the orchard in the NW side of town a couple of weeks ago but it was still closed for the season. I will be back later to see what they have for this year.

[Buzz123]

They'll be open in May.

Welcome

[Jhiker10]

^^^Thanks.

[Buzz123]

We've got some garlic chives that grow year round. Had them for several years now. Had fifteen beautiful irises of the skinny type, and waiting for seven of the bearded type to pop any day now. Some of our flowers just keep on keepin on. No peach blossoms this year though, and that little tree (about three feet tall) had so many last year I was afraid it would collapse.

[WestieJeff]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Right next to my termaters are some flowers that the bees like, but I haven't seen a bee on the tomato blossoms yet. I asked them to do the tomaotes too but they mght not speak English since they are from Africa by way of Mexico.

Just FYI, bees are not required for tomatoes to pollinate. Each tomato blossom has both a male and female part in the same flower. You only need a little wind or shaking to pollinate the blossom.

Usually if the blossoms are falling off it's due to temperatures. I think once the nighttime temps get over 70 then they will stop setting new fruit (but any existing fruit will continue to get bigger). Most of my tomato plants stop setting new fruit by mid May.