Thanks, Lisa

That gives me some things to think about. We are excited about the potential for this coming year.

Maridy

Okay, sorry to butt in, but I live out in Stead. Exactly what zone would that be in, because most everything says 7, but I'm not sure? Also, how do we find out about the Master Gardener plant sale?

Stead is also in Zone 5, or at least most of it is. The reason is the exposure to the wind and cold, plus the higher altitude. Pretty much the cutoff for Zone 6 is around the North end of UNR as far as altitude goes.

This is where I usually check for the dates of the MG plant sale--it's usually the weekend BEFORE Labor Day weekend, on Saturday:

http://www.unce.unr.edu/western/news.htm#Newsletters

also check here--it's not listed yet, but it will be:

http://www.unce.unr.edu/cgi-bin/calendar.pl?calendar=default&month=5

Also, the Rancho San Rafael Arboretum has a plant sale, usually the weekend AFTER Labor Day weekend, also on Saturday. Info at:

http://www.maycenter.com

Click on the Arboretum link, then the Special Events link.

Thank you so much for the information. Most of the web pages I went to said I was zone 7, and I just had a really hard time believing that since we do get more snow and wind than south of us. Also, thanks for the plant sale info. I have tried to find any plant sales in Northern Nevada and came up empty so this is very exciting to me. I have never been to one, and am looking forward to going.

I live in Washoe Valley on the east side of washoe lake at about 5100 ft. When I put in my zip code, zone finder said that I am in zone 5b. Is this correct and what is the "b" part? I don't think I have ever seen plants or seeds that specify a zone 5b. Thanks lots

Reno says zone 7, but its barely zone 7, and really only downtown is zone 7. Any place further from downtown than the airport is zone 6.

In truth, the only reason Reno is zone 7 is because of the urban heat island.

For the poster wondering about "5b", the "b" refers to the warmer half of the zone... in other words, your average winter minimum is -10F to -15F.

For Reno I would suggest looking at the Sunset Western Garden Book. Examine it at the library first as one may not find enough there to make it worth the cover price. Lowe's had one recently, you could take it back to the garden furniture section and examine it there without having to put out the purchase price.

Hello there, we are moving to the rancho haven area, what zone would that be and is there a local growing guide? I love to garden and will need help with the new climate.
Thanks so much!

The May Arboretum Plant Sale at Rancho San Rafael is this weekend, May 29, 2015 in the evening for members only and May 30 from 8-noon for anyone.

It varies a lot here because there are so many different microclimates in the area. For permanent landscape plants, you can plan on a range from zones 5 to 7 depending on where you're located, aspect, slope, wind exposure, etc. Most of the nurseries (the local ones, not the big box stores) stock plants that tend to do well, if you plant them in the right location. For example, I've seen many plants that are marginal for zone 7 do well here in a sheltered area where the winter lows are mitigated somewhat. When in doubt, ask. They ought to be able to tell you more.
The sunset western garden book is a good place to start, but it doesn't hurt to walk around your neighborhood and notice what plants are doing well and where. Also take a stroll through the arboretum for inspiration.
The UNR cooperative extension (http://www.unce.unr.edu/) has loads of searchable publications on landscaping, gardening (including vegetable gardening), and agriculture in general. They also host the Master Gardeners, who can help you diagnose and advise you how to treat plant problems.

The western garden book I have says Reno is in zone 3 ?

Different zone system.