Star Nursery's Greenpages Spring Edition 2016

Garden Grilling

Summer never tasted so good

Low Maintenance

Beauties for your garden

Dig. Plant. Grow.

Palm Trees

Star Nursery is a complete Garden Center that is independently owned and operated.

We cater to both residential and commercial clientele. Currently, we operate in Southern Nevada, Southern Utah and Northern Arizona with a total of 15 retail locations and 9 Rock Distribution Centers.

Nevada Ann Road & Simmons 2600 W. Ann Road North Las Vegas, NV 89031 (702) 216-STAR (7827)

West Charleston Blvd. & Cimarron 8170 W. Charleston Blvd.

Las Vegas, NV 89117 (702) 360-STAR (7827)

Boulder Hwy & East Tropicana 5340 Boulder Highway Las Vegas, NV 89122 (702) 435-STAR (7827)

West Cheyenne & Tenaya 7330 W. Cheyenne Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89129 (702) 253-STAR (7827)

West Tropicana & Fort Apache 9480 West Tropicana Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89147 (702)278-STAR (7827)

South Eastern & Pebble, north of I-215 8725 S. Eastern Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89123 (702) 333-STAR (7827)

Buol Rd & Hwy 372 911 Buol Road Pahrump, NV 89048 (775) 727-5300

Blue Diamond & Lindell 5380 Blue Diamond Road Las Vegas, NV 89139 (702) 444-STAR (7827)

Commerce & Pioneer 549 Commerce Circle Mesquite, NV 89027 (702) 613-4770

Arizona Stockton Hill Rd & Gordon Dr 4140 Stockton Hill Road Kingman, AZ 86409-2444 (928) 757-3701

Mohave Valley Hwy & Boundary Cone Rd 6325 HWY 95 Fort Mohave, AZ 86426-6029 (928) 788-STAR (7827)

Arizona Decorative Rock a Star Nursery Company 1141 N. Lake Havasu Ave. Lake Havasu, AZ 86403 (928) 505-5255

Utah Sunset Blvd. & Bluff St. 1145 W. Sunset Blvd.

St. George, UT 84770

Telegraph & 500 West 385 W. Telegraph Road Washington, UT 84780 (435) 986-0820

Dixie Dr. & Gubler Ln. 1335 S. Dixie Drive St. George, UT 84770 (435) 628-8004

Green Pages - Summer 2016 Your Garden’s Partner for Every Bloomin’ Thing

Low Maintenance

Beauties

for your garden

Pg. 8

Grilling from the Garden

Dig. Plant. Grow.

Palm Trees

Featured Articles

Winning The Turf War................. 6

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Summer Garden Calendar

Low Maintenance Beauties......... 8 Star Seminars...........................10 Make Every Drop Count............ 12 Kid’s Garden Club.....................14

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Editorial As the heat sets in, we’re kindly reminded that we dwell in the Southwest. We have a responsibility to be both conscious of our environment as well as being conservative when it comes to watering during the warmer months of the year.

Get out and enjoy the summer heat! The Southwest region of the world has so much to offer. Enjoy the beautiful gifts from Mother Nature. Remember, to protect all that you’ve planted in your garden. Watering for longer periods, but infrequently will keep your plant material in tact while controlling your water usage.

Wear sunblock. Stay Hydrated. Do your part to be water smart.

Green Pages is published by: Western Mailing Services 530 E Pamalyn Ave. #C Las Vegas, Nevada 89119 Free Subscriptions Visit us online @ www.starnursery.com

Connect with us

Nina Gallagher Editor-in-Chief

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Add dimension to any landscape with

ROCK YARDS

Las Vegas

Pahrump • 911 Buol Rd. (775) 727-5300

Utah

Kingman • 4140 Stockton Hill Rd. (928) 757-3701

Dixie • 1335 South Dixie Dr. (435) 628-8004

Fort Mohave • 6325 South Hwy 95 (928) 788-3701

St. George • 1145 West Sunset Blvd.

(435) 688-STAR (7827)

Lake Havasu • 1141 N. Lake Havasu Ave. (928) 505-5255

Delivery Service Available

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• 2600 West Ann Rd. (702) 216-7837 • 5380 Blue Diamond Rd. (702) 444-7837 • 8725 South Eastern Ave. (702) 216-7852

Arizona

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Nevada

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Visit An

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Decorative Rock, Flagstone, Boulders and More.

We also Carry Bulk Soil, Sand and Compost.

Summer Gardening Calendar

Protect yourself from summer heat and sun. Plan gardening duties to finish early in the day. Stay Hydrated, Drink plenty of Water!

June Water wisely. Check your SNWA water guide, or with your local water company, for allowable watering hours and days.

Resist the temptation to constantly water everything in the heat. Remember deep, infrequent (every 3 days) watering builds strong roots and helps keep weeds down.

Water lawns during the hours just before sunrise. Night watering can cause possible fungus problems. Your lawn may be watered daily, but may not need it depending on variety and exposure.

Mulch - Mulch - Mulch. Now is the time to mulch the garden, trees and shrubs to cool the soil, help retain moisture and suppress weeds. DR. Q’s PAYDIRT™ Planting Mix & Mulch is a premium grade, composted garden mulch. Avoid stem rot by keeping mulch away from the stems of flowers and woody plants.

In desert (rock) landscapes, gently rake the rock away from the plant, apply mulch layer, and replace rock on top of mulch.

Add some summer color like Star Flowers, Vinca, Celosia, Moss Rose, Texas Bluebells and Zinnias, or use the colorful foliage Sweet Potato Vine.

Blend a good planting mix like Dr. Q’s Paydirt Planting Mix and Mulch into the soil to add organic material and improve soil quality.

Plant Perennials: Coreopsis, Gazanias, Portulaca, Salvia, Verbena Fertilize palms when it’s warm, like right now in the summer with Dr. Q’s Palm Tree Food (14-4-14) to provide the special nutrients like continuous feed nitrogen, magnesium and manganese needed for vigorous growth and rich, green color.

Transplant Palms if needed.

July Plant late summer, early fall veggies. This is one of the traditional times to plant corn and bean seeds and squash plants. It’s a good time to plant tomato seeds for a fall crop.

Plant now, and have luscious garden produce all fall long! Plant pumpkins now to harvest for Halloween.

Summer bulb care. Continue to plant summer blooming bulbs like Dahlias and Cannas. Dig and separate Bearded Iris rhizomes. Store them in a paper bag, in the house, until re-planting the first of September.

Keep your lawn healthy Water lawns in the early morning, not in the afternoon nor evening to prevent fungus!

If you notice fungus starting, treat with Bayer Fungus Control for Laws.

Use a mild, balanced high iron fertilizer like Dr. Q’s Triple Play (7-7-7), to green your lawn without generating excessive new growth.

Irrigation check up: Walk your yard regularly during the watering cycles to make sure all is well and working properly. Check drippers often to see if any popped out as heat can make the hoses softer.

August Watch watering. Thunderstorms are more numerous this month than any other. Skip a day off watering following a heavy night or morning rain.

Dry-heat continues to draw the life out of plants, unless we water wisely.

Avoid the temptation to drown your plants just because it’s hot outside!

Our clay soils hold water a long time.

Lawn fungus. If you suspect your grass may have this, consult our specialists at the nursery. Fungicide like Bayer Fungus Control for Lawns effectively combats the problem. If we have monsoon rains, don’t forget to turn off sprinkler clocks for a day to help conserve water and not keep your lawn too wet.

Maintain roses. Roses are going through their roughest time; don’t worry, they’ll spring back in fall.

For now, though, you can make their life easier by keeping faded flowers cut off, providing them with a cooling mulch layer, and giving them a mild fertilizer like Dr. Q’s® Rose & Flower Food.

WINNING THE TURF Take Back Your WAR Weekends!

Mowing, weeding, aerating, seeding, feeding, watering. Mowing, weeding, aerating, seeding, feeding, watering. Mowing, weeding, aerating, seeding, feeding, watering.

We could keep going, but we think you get the picture. The truth is that when you have real grass, this cycle never ends.

Some people rather enjoy spending their weekends this way, and that’s ok, but for those that don’t there is an alternative.

Put down the rake, it’s time to go fake.

We actually prefer the term artificial when it comes to this effortlessly evergreen lawn.

There are a few things that make people nervous about pulling the artificial turf trigger.

We’re here to squash the top concerns, so you can take back your weekends once and for all.

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People are often intimidated by the up front cost of artificial turf, but the cost savings are usually made up within the first two years or less after installation.

Think of all the costs associated with having real grass (seed, fertilizer, water, repairs), and then think of not having those costs ever again. Now, think of that nice vacation you’ve been dreaming about that you could take instead of dumping your money into your lawn.

The shades of artificial turf have come a long way since the first swatches. Gone are the days of the shiny tell of the not so natural lawn. Now, there are so many varieties of turf to choose from now that you can go from dark green golf course perfection to thin, multi-toned blades with very real looking brown thatch that’s sure to fool any on-lookers.

Installing turf is a great way to pamper your pets’ tootsies.

Initially, Pet owners are concerned with the clean-up after their four-legged friends have used it. But, not to worry!

Its as easy as a hose end sprayer filled with a pet wash to eliminate any odors or mess left behind.

Dig. Plant. Grow.

PALM TREES. Your Ticket to an Oasis in the Desert Southwest.

Close your eyes. Now, imagine yourself on a remote desert island. You hear the breeze blowing through the trees. The trees... What are those trees? You open your eyes to see beautiful towering palm trees!

Nothing says oasis like the large fronds of the desert-friendly palm. It’s no wonder people love to plant and gaze upon them when they want to transport their minds to a more relaxing state.

Good News - there are a large variety of palms that are well suited to the desert southwest.

Picking the right palm for your space can be tricky. It may look cute in the nursery bucket, but you need to know how tall it will get and how wide to avoid any costly run-ins with nearby structures.

With that in mind, you wouldn’t want to plant a palm under the eaves of your house.

Here are just a few of our Star favorites:

The Mediterranean Fan Palm

Canary Island Date Palm Phoenix canariensis

Chamaerops humilis -

This slow-growing, multi-trunked variety is great for wide spaces as it will eventually reach 10’x10’. Great centerpiece for a tropical looking back or front yard display.

The Mexican Blue Fan Palm Brahea armata -

This beauty boasts a blue-ish hue that is easy for contrasting with other plants in your landscape. Place carefully as this specimen will reach heights of 20-30 feet.

The Canary Island Date Palm Phoenix canariensis -

Also known as the “Pineapple Palm”, this nonfruit bearing variety needs plenty of room to spread out in. While it is still considered slow growing in height (reaching 20 feet or so), it gains width rapidly to approximately 16 feet.

Mexican Blue Fan Palm Brahea armata

When it comes to maintaining and fertilizing your palms, think heat. While you can plant most palms anytime of year, April-September will give palms the warm soil necessary to better recover from transplanting. This is also the best time to fertilize. Stick to palm specific blends, such as Dr. Q’s Palm Tree Food, as it has the much needed magnesium and manganese that other “all purpose” blends don’t.

Pruning should also be done in the summer to avoid removing fronds that actually protect the tree during cold winters. Think of the older fronds as the warm cozy jackets that you pack on your island vacation as a “just in case”. Dig. Plant. Grow. Palm Trees.

low maintenance beauties for your garden CRAPE MYRTLE This beautiful accent tree brings large, vibrant bursts of color just in time for summer.

AUTUMN SAGE Don’t let the delicate flowers fool you. This plant is both tough and resilient.

Colors range from reds to pinks and two-tones.

LANTANA It’s popularity in the desert landscape is no accident. Few plants have as long of a bloom season as this show stopper.

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Crape Myrtle Lagerstroemia indica

Red Autumn Sage Salvia greggii ‘Red’ Planning a showy garden in the desert for the summer can be challenging. The key to success is choosing the right flowering plants for the appropriate exposures and environments.

Simply put, you can tint your desert landscape with some drought tolerate flowers with staying power. There are an array of plantings to choose from that can be both tolerable of heat conditions and beautiful at the same time.

When thinking about desert landscapes, most of us imagine rock and cactus. Not the case!

If one takes the time to amend and prepare their planting areas, they’ll find success when planting the proper material in the suited space.

Depending on your preference in color, there is something for everyone’s palette.

A little planning goes a long way in maintaining a landscape that gives a lot of color in return for very little effort.

You’ll want to keep in mind the bloom season and growing tendencies of the plant when you’re placing these bloomers into your outdoor space.

Choose a mix of evergreen and deciduous, and try to use a variety of perennials that bloom at different times to keep color interest throughout the year.

You’ll also want to look at the mature size of each specimen and plant taller shrubs or trees behind lower growing plants.

Irene lantana Lantana camarena ‘ Irene’

...you can tint your desert landscape with some drought tolerate flowers with staying power.

This tiered effect can be used to make your landscape look fuller without compromising on space that shrubs and trees need for root development.

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Summer Star Seminar Schedule

June 18 ………. Controlling Garden Pests

July 02 ……...... Cooling Your Yard for the Summer

July 16 ……….. Patio Gardens & Pottery

July 30 ……….. Colorful Summer Plants

Aug. 06 ……..... Cactus & Succulents Gardens

Aug. 20 ……..... Desert Soils & Amendments

Great gardening advice available for FREE to all our loyal customers.

The Las Vegas Iris Society and Early Bird Iris are having their annual....

Iris Sale

At two of our store locations:

Eastern Store - Sep 10, 2016 7am to close Cheyenne Store - Sep 17, 2016 7am to close

Cullinary Experience

Save The Date T hursday, October 6th RSVP www.starnursery.com

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For More infomration you can contact Christine and Michael Meagher Early Bird Iris: earlybirdiris@gmail.com 702-278-0706 or Aleta Mac Farlane Las Vegas Iris Society: aletainlv@cox.net 702-648-9059

Garden Grilling Summer Never Tasted So Good Summer Never Tasted So Good Eating grilled vegetables is like taking a turn down a secret road that leads to sweet, sweet flavor town. Summertime offers us the largest selection of veggies just begging to be cooked over an open flame.

We’re convinced it’s no accident that the most bountiful time of year in the garden coincides with the time of year we all want to fire up our grills. It’s like they were made for each other.

With so many ways to prepare the harvest, it’s easy to overlook this simpler method.

The trick is that there is no trick.

You can start by cooking your bare, washed peppers, zucchini or eggplant over an open flame with no seasoning and they will taste amazing.

Adding a little salt, or marinade made from your garden herbs, is like adding frosting to a cake.

Even picky eaters will agree that grilling changes the character of any vegetable and actually makes it taste better. Eating healthy just became a breeze.

So get out and enjoy some garden grilling this summer and remember that each flavor enhanced bite is your reward for taking the time to plan and prepare the garden in the early spring.

And if you think veggies taste good on the grill, wait until you grill up those peaches that are hanging off your trees!

Turn off Irrigation When Raining.

Make Every Drop Count!

Make Every Drop Count Y

our irrigation system is the key to creating a healthy, water efficient landscape. Flush out your existing irrigation lines for any clogs or build-up from the winter season. Because plants have different watering needs than grass, your irrigation clock should allow different settings for drip and sprinkler stations. Drip irrigation is truly beneficial to plants in desert environments. Drip systems should run longer than sprinkler systems because they deliver water more slowly. Determine the amount of time to water based on the rate of flow of your drip emitters, the types of plants you are watering and the condition of the soil.

Rate of Flow To find out how fast your drip emitter produces water, measure how many seconds it takes to fill a tablespoon:

• 14 seconds equals 1 gallon per hour (gph)

• 7 seconds equals 2 gph

• 4 seconds equals 4 gph How Much to Water Drip irrigation is usually needed less frequently than sprinkler irrigation. The following frequency is recommended by SNWA and should provide most plants with sufficient water:

• 1 day per week or less during the Winter

• 2 days per week during Spring and Fall

• 3 days per week during the Summer

Drip systems are measured in gallons per hour, whereas sprinkler systems are measured in gallons per minute. In general, the higher the gph flow of your emitter, the shorter your drip system run time.

Emitter Type Length of Watering

• High-Flow Emitter (Up to 20 gph) 12 Minutes Each Watering

• Low-Flow Emitter (Up to 4 gph) 30 Minutes Each Watering

• Low-Flow Emitter (Up to 2 gph) 60 Minutes Each Watering

• Low-Flow Emitter (Up to 1 gph) 90 Minutes Each Watering

If your plants appear stressed, check the soil moisture. If the soil is wet, your plants may be over watered. Water less often or for less time. If the soil is dry, check that all emitters are working. If they are, increase the watering time or add emitters only near the stressed plants.

Ask Dr. Q Questions from Concerned Gardeners Q:

We have dark spots on our Indian Hawthorn leaves. Can you tell us what causes them and how to get rid of them?

A:

There are several things that can cause plant leaves to develop dark spots. Hail storms are one and overhead watering in the heat of the day is another, but the most common cause in our area is fungus disease.

One of the most common of these diseases that attack a group of plants in the rose family, including Indian Hawthorn, Photinia and Pyracantha, is called Entomosporium leaf spot. Tiny reddish spots, sometimes surrounded by a yellow halo, appear on the leaves of infected plants, usually on older growth. These spots darken and enlarge as the leaves mature. Spore-forming bodies eventually appear in the center of the spots.

These dark fruiting bodies may appear to be covered with a glossy membrane, beneath which white masses of spores may be visible. The fungi are spread from infected tissue or contaminated leaf litter to healthy leaves by splashing raindrops or overhead irrigation. The disease is most severe during wet weather, especially when it coincides with new plant growth, similar to the conditions that we had this spring. The solution is to remove and dispose of spotted leaves that are on plants or have fallen. In severe cases, use a fungicide spray such as LiquiCop or Daconil according to label directions.

Q:

How do I avoid getting fungus in my lawn?

A:

Water at the right times of the day - 3 AM to 6 AM! Don’t water in the evenings and don’t over water! Especially check any areas that get more shade to make sure the soil surface is not staying too wet. Fungus attacks lush, moist, new growth the most, so don’t fertilize with high nitrogen fertilizers in the hot months.

Q:

How should I water in this extreme heat?

A:

Know the water needs of your plants – desert plants need less and traditional plants need more. Water early in the morning, when it’s cooler and less windy, to reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation. Also, make sure to have shrubs and trees on a separate station than your grass and flowers; never mix them! The lawn and flowers will need watering every day, possibly more than once, and the trees and shrubs will need it less frequently but for much longer times to get the water deeper into the soil.

(Remember: run high volume lawn sprinklers for minutes at a time and low volume drippers for hours at a time!)

Your Garden’s Partner for Every Bloomin’ Thing

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Looking for something educational and fun for your children… Visit any one of our 14 Star Nursery Garden Centers located in Southern Nevada, Southern Utah and Northern Arizona and learn more about our Kid’s Garden Club.

Currently, we host our Kid’s Garden Club on the Second Saturday of each month at 2 p.m. This program is FREE for children ages 3-11 accompanied by a parent/guardian. Children will have a blast participating in activities and projects pertaining to gardening and outdoor fun.

July 9th Painted Desert, Cactus Rocks!

August 13th Milk Jug Watering Can Rain Harvesting

September 10th Grow Your Soup Spoon Garden Marker

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Lentil Salad

This salad is an ideal accompaniment to any summer menu. Delicious lukewarm or served at room temperature. ½ lb lentils 3 C water ½ bay leaf 1 clove garlic, peeled and whole 1 small onion, stuck with 1 clove 3 sprigs fresh parsley 2 springs fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried thyme) 2 Tbs. finely chopped yellow onion 1 Tbs. finely chopped parsley ½ tsp finely minced garlic 1/2C peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar 3 Tbs. olive oil 1 lemon, quartered and de-seeded ______________________________________________________________ 1. Wash the lentils and pick over them. Drain and put in a saucepan.

2. Add the water, bay leaf, whole garlic, onion stuck with a clove. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Tie the parsley and thyme sprigs into a bundle and add to the pan. (Or sprinkle in the dried thyme.

4. Bring to a boil and cook, partially covered, about 30 minutes. Should be tender and do not overcook.

5. Drain the lentils well. Remove the onion, garlic, bay leaf and herb bundle and discard.

6. Place the lentils in a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped onion, chopped parsley, minced garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Toss to blend.

7. Finish with a healthy squeeze of lemon juice just before serving.

4-8 servings. ______________________________________________________________

GO GREEN

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