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Mum group to learn about bugs, fertilizer

The Las Vegas Chrysanthemum Society will hold its monthly meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Nevada Garden Club Center, located at 3333 W. Washington Ave. at the corner of Twin Lakes Drive in Lorenzi Park.

The program for the meeting will be "Spraying for Bugs, Fertilizing and Cutting Back Your Mums." The session will be very valuable for the novice chrysanthemum grower or anyone interested in growing chrysanthemums.

New members are always welcome. For more information, call Barbara at 459-4633.

Springs Preserve to mark first anniversary

The Springs Preserve will celebrate its first anniversary Sunday with a variety of activities.

Scheduled from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., the day's events will include an All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream Festival, live music by Killian's Angels and The Pickadillos, performances by Sharon Lynn's Celtic Storm Dancers, plus behind-the-scenes tours and opportunities to see the Springs Preserve's award-winning architecture.

Special admission for the day will be $6 per person, which includes entrance to all galleries, exhibits, trails and the gardens.

The Springs Preserve is located at 333 S. Valley View Blvd., between U.S. Highway 95 and Alta Drive.

For additional information, call 822-7700 or visit www.springspreserve.org.

Study: Native plants appeal to consumers

Recent research by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension shows that consumers prefer native plants grown in Nevada over plants grown in other states.

The market for native plants and research results are explored in three new publications: "Markets for Nevada Native Plants and Seeds," "Native Plant Characteristics Appeal to Consumers in Nevada" and "Nevada Consumers Willing to Pay More for 'Nevada Grown' Labeled Native Plants." The free publications are located on the Cooperative Extension's Web site, www.unce.unr.edu.

According to the articles, native plants are plants that occurred naturally in the area before European exploration. These plants have adapted to our climate and ecosystem. Research shows they also may encourage and restore the health of the region by protecting against invasive species and preventing soil erosion.

In addition to these benefits, native plants have better odds of surviving as they are drought resistant and require little water. Low-water-use plants are becoming more popular in Nevada as water resources decline and water prices continue to increase.

The survey also determines that consumers are willing to pay more for Nevada-grown products. This can be attributed to the notion of community support and the desire to use fewer natural resources in horticulture. Also, consumers consider the hardiness of native plants, believing they will last longer than nonnative plants in Nevada's dry climate.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is an outreach arm of the University that extends unbiased, research-based knowledge from the university and other land-grant universities to local communities. Educational programs are developed based on local needs, sometimes in partnership with other agencies and volunteers. For more information about University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, visit the Web site or call 222-3130.