Plenty of activities to keep gardeners busy

There are many gardening activities happening this week. You can learn about cactuses from a renowned expert, attend a cactus and succulent sale or an urban forestry plant sale, go to gardening workshops on herbs, composting and container growing or attend a public garden open house.

CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SALE

The Cactus and Succulent Society of Southern Nevada is sponsoring the Fall Cactus Show and Sale and Art Fair featuring thousands of exotic and interesting cactuses, succulent plants and art. It is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Oct. 16 at Moon-Sun Cactus and Koi Gardens, 6430 McGill Avenue. Admission is free.

You can buy hard-to-find specimens and plants at a substantial discount. The art fair will feature works that are educational and intriguing.

These shows have been part of every cactus club sale for years, providing people the opportunity to show off their finest plants and artwork.

Go to www.csssn.org for more information.

LEARN FROM A CACTUS EXPERT

The Cactus and Succulent Society also has cactus expert Wendel Minnich speaking about his favorite subject at 2 p.m. today at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd. He will cover most of the cactus- and succulent-rich regions of Peru.

URBAN FORESTRY PLANT SALE

The Nevada Division of Forestry is having a native plant sale to improve our urban environment and conserve water in our valley. It is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the forestry nursery in Floyd Lamb Park, 9600 Tule Springs Road.

Plants in 1-, 5- and 15-gallon containers will be on sale for $2 to $15, according to resource management officer Adria DeCorte, and all other plants will be 25 percent off.

TIVOLI FARMERS MARKET

Summerlin has its own farmers market. It is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday, providing us with fresh fruits and vegetables. The market is at 302 S. Rampart Blvd.

Master gardener Valery Godino said, "All the food is organically grown and pesticide free."

At all of the farmers markets, you'll find master gardeners answering questions. They took classes from the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension to become certified master gardeners and can help you become a great gardener.

TASTE, TOUCH AND GROW HERBS

If you love herbs, plan to attend the Sunset Garden Club meeting at noon Tuesday at the Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway in Henderson.

Master gardeners Jeanne Marie Toscano and Lisa Mosbey will discuss how to "Taste, Touch and Grow Herbs." The meeting is open to the public.

COMMUNITY GARDEN
OPEN HOUSE

Las Vegas' first public community garden is having a "Taste and Toast" event.

Join the garden for its first harvest celebration and a wine- and cheese-tasting event from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Tonopah Community Garden, 715 N. Tonopah Drive. For more information, call 636-4152 or visit facebook/tonopahcommunitygarden.

Rosalind Brooks, who founded this community garden, has done a great job of pulling it together. She has more than 25 families growing their own food and enjoying them in their meals.

"These are people who thought they couldn't grow their own vegetables in Las Vegas," Brooks said.

COMPOSTING WORKSHOP

Why throw away your kitchen scraps and leaves? Run them through your composter. It is fun and easy and you'll help improve our environment. The workshop takes you through the compost process and you'll take home a composter to build.

The workshop is at 8:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays through October at the Springs Preserve. I teach the Saturday class.

GARDENING CLASSES
AT ACACIA PARK

University of Nevada Extension Master Gardeners will teach you how to create your own container garden for year-round produce and color at 9 a.m. Saturday at Acacia Park, at 50 Casa Del Fuego St. in Henderson.

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