Don’t miss preserve’s plant sale

Don't miss the Springs Preserve's first plant sale, where you will have the opportunity to choose from more than 100 species and more than 7,000 vibrant and colorful Mojave Desert adapted plants.

It is your chance to fill your landscape with new, exciting and sustainable plants at a reasonable price. This gigantic sale takes place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, so turn off the water and come take home some very special plants from the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd.

The day's events also will include horticulture classes and demonstrations on how to select native plants from nurseries, new plant introductions from across the Southwest, the proper pruning of shrubs, how to landscape with natives, establishing a water-efficient irrigation system, learning to compost and new research on how to plant trees and shrubs. The planting part may surprise you.

Scott Calhoon, who will be the keynote speaker, is a prolific garden writer and lecturer from Arizona. He will speak at 11 a.m. and will show new and innovative ways to landscape with native plants so you'll get the most out of them. Calhoon has won numerous awards for his scholarly writing of gardening books specifically for the Southwest. These books will be available, and he'll be on hand to sign them.

Jeff Knight, who is the Nevada State entomologist, will explore with you the world of insects, showing which are beneficial to your plants and garden. Knight's free class begins at 8:30 a.m.

Penstemons will be the showstopper this year. They are certainly a reliable spring bloomer. You'll find them in bloom across the garden.

One penstemon in particular is the firecracker penstemon. It is a Mojave native that grows about a foot tall, and when it comes time to bloom, 3-foot spikes filled with spectacular tubular flowers rise above plants for you and hummingbirds to get closer looks. The preserve has about 30 varieties on display.

You'll rarely find chaparral or creosote bushes in nurseries because they are so hard to start from seed. But once started, all they need is a little TLC and they become a dramatic part of your landscape, especially after a rainstorm. The aroma is awesome. There will be a larger number available.

Out of nowhere, preserve horticulturist Russ Harrison and associates have come across many unusual varieties of desert mallows.

"We don't find desert mallows at nurseries, as some people consider them weeds, but they do extremely well here and come in several colors," he said.

You'll also find cactuses and succulents, ornamental grasses and many new and unusual plants from other parts of the Southwest.

Harrison takes his crew on extended search missions across the Mojave Desert, looking in every nook and cranny for new native plants to introduce.

"We are even surprised with the plants we are finding and growing, and want people to start using them in their yards. When you give these plants a little TLC they create a fragrant and practical use in all gardens," he said. "They are functional, water-smart and simply beautiful."

The Springs Preserve uses proceeds from the sale to expand their searching for more unusual plants and to develop informational materials. For more information, call 822-7705.

Along with the sale, master gardeners will be on hand to answer your gardening questions and distribute gardening publications.

Linn Mills writes a garden column each Sunday. You can reach him at linn.mills@springspreserve.org or call him at 822-7754.