Master gardener lends green thumb to neighborhood

Henderson resident Debra Jacobson used her green thumbs to replant pride in her neighborhood.

Working with the Cinnamon Ridge Homeowners Association for three years, Jacobson helped design and landscape the community near Racetrack Road and Burkholder Boulevard.

After completion, the city of Henderson awarded Jacobson with the Premier Community Award in December.

“The city park across the street is really pretty, so when our landscape was looking raggedy, I thought I should step up to change it,” Jacobson said. “I thought we looked pretty shabby next to the city of Henderson, and if they do their job, then we should do ours.”

Jacobson moved to the neighborhood about 12 years ago when the area was still under construction. As a gardening enthusiast, she watched the landscapers install rows the same plants in a “boring design.”

“It was also very time-consuming for the maintenance workers because they didn’t put the right plants in the right spot,” Jacobson said. “They would put one plant in full sun on one street and the same plant in the shade on a different street. And as they die out, I thought we shouldn’t replace them because it would be redundant.”

In 2006, Jacobson became a Master Gardener with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, which trains community volunteers in sustainable desert horticultural practices, according to program coordinator Ann Edmunds.

“It’s not about who can grow the biggest and best tomato,” Edmunds said. “It’s who can teach the community how to grow the biggest and best tomato.”

In order to become a Master Gardener, individuals must complete an 80-hour training program and 50 hours of gardening volunteer work.

“The program is a free service to the community on how to grow things in the desert,” Edmunds said. “We have very nutrient-poor and saline soil. There are certain things that grow here, but you have to know how to do it.”

After taking a desert landscaping design class with the program, Jacobson and her husband worked with the homeowners association to design and revamp the community’s landscape.

“I had just learned all this new information, and I needed to do something about it. I needed my community to look better,” Jacobson said. “So, I planned the project with my husband for about a year before we had the money to start.”

With the help of grants from the city, Jacobson designed “accent pods” of desert plants, rocks and boulders between the original plants that are still thriving. She planted red yucca, brittle bush, desert spoon, Spanish bayonet, juniper and more over the course of two years.

“I tried to use as many plants as we could, but there are other barriers we had to work with,” Jacobson said. “When I took the landscape design class, they tell you not to put sensitive plants next to the sidewalk because of car exhaust; don’t put plants that grow too big on corners so they block people’s view while driving; don’t put plants with pokies near where people walk. It’s all about putting the right plant in the right spot.”

Jacobson said the improvements are set to brighten residents’ moods and increase property values. She also hopes the landscape gives residents the opportunity to learn about desert plants and mimic the design for their yards.

“I think you feel better about coming home when your neighborhood looks nice and clean,” she said. “They say, ‘If you dress better, you feel better.’ Well, we’re dressing the neighborhood better, and we’re making everyone feel better.”

For more information, visit unce.unr.edu or call Edmunds at 702-257-5587.

Contact Henderson View reporter Caitlyn Belcher at cbelcher@viewnews.com or 702-383-0403.