Myriad resources provide plant advice

Any yard can be enhanced by plants, many of which provide color, a pleasant aroma and beauty. The challenge for Southern Nevadans, however, is to choose plants that can thrive in the desert.

"A common mistake is choosing plants that are not very adaptable to our area," said Denise McConnell, a horticulturist at the Desert Demonstration Gardens. "They don't prepare the soil properly and don't understand the nutritional needs of the plants, because a lot of people move here from other areas of the country where there is a lot of water. Or, they choose plants from the area where they came from or they want exotic plants, and some of them just don't grow well here.

"The best time to plant is either in the fall, clear up to October, or in early spring, in February, March and April. In May, once it gets over 90 degrees, planting is kind of out," she said. "The best time also depends on the plant. A plant that is cold-sensitive should be planted in the spring so that the roots can get established before it becomes cold. If you have plants that are heat-sensitive, they should be planted in the fall."

To help remove the mystery from the selection process, the public can visit the Desert Demonstration Gardens located on Alta Drive near Valley View Boulevard. Informational materials are free, and a master gardener is on-site Thursdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to answer questions. Visitors can also stroll through the gardens, which showcase desert-tolerant plants. For more information, call 258-3205 or check the gardens' Web site at www.lvspgardens.org.

A trip to a local nursery is also beneficial, according to Jim Johnson, research and development manager for Star Nursery.

"We provide informational packets geared toward new homeowners about plant selection, landscaping and design," he said. "The packet includes a basic landscape design for specific sizes of back yards that can be used as a guide, as well as graph paper that homeowners can use to sketch out the size of their yard and figure out where to place plants. They should bring the sketch of their back yard to the nursery while they look at the plants."

Another source is the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, where master gardeners offer free landscaping advice. The phone number is 257-5555. Both UNLV and the Desert Demonstration Gardens host classes, as well.

The following categories include a partial listing of recommended plants:

Deciduous trees: Desert sweet acacia, Mexican and blue palo verdes, desert willow, Arizona and Rio Grande ash, thornless honey locust, Chinese pistache, mesquites, purpleleaf plum, valley oak, chaste, and Chinese elm.

Evergreen trees: Strawberry tree; blue atlas cedar; carob; Arizona and Italian cypresses; olive; swan hill; aleppo; Afghan, Italian stone and chir pines; and holly and heritage oaks.

Shrubs: Glossy abelia, acacia, strawberry shrub, fairy duster, senna, bush morning glory, cotoneasters, desert spoon, red yucca, primrose jasmine, junipers, crape myrtle, bush lantana, creosote bush, Texas ranger, Chihuahuan sage, dwarf myrtle, heavenly bamboo, oleander, mock orange, pomegranate, firethorn, India hawthorn, sugar bush, rosemary, autumn sage, American arborvitae, Arizona rosewood, and shiny xylosma.

Groundcover: Sand verbena, creeping acacia, coyote bush, trailing indio bush, gazania, Algerian and English ivys, trailing lantana, lippia, myoporum, primrose, lavender cotton, green lavender cotton, Peruvian verbena, and periwinkle.

Vines: Trumpet creeper, creeping fig, Carolina yellow jasmine, Hall's honeysuckle, cat's claw vine, Boston ivy, silver lace vine, lady banksia rose, and star jasmine.

Tropical - Palms: Mexican blue, pindo, Mediterranean fan, Canary Island date, date, windmill, California fan, and Mexican fan.

Fruit and nut: Pecan tree, edible fig, apple, almond, apricot, peach, plum, pear and grape.

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