Welcome to UC Master Gardeners of Nevada County

Nevada County gardens vary widely. Elevations range from 1,000 to 4,000 feet. Soil types are red clay, serpentine, sandy loam, forest loam or something in-between. Generally acidic, soils may lack necessary nutrients and organic matter. Some gardens are below the snowline, while others are often covered with snow and may have frozen soil for an extended time. We know that “One size does not fit all.” Gardening in Nevada County is unlike gardening elsewhere and it is not the same throughout the county. Master Gardeners are here to provide home gardeners in Nevada County with science-based information, whatever their gardening conditions.

Western Nevada County Gardening Guide

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News from Our Demonstration Garden

Come visit the Demonstration Garden at 1036 W. Main Street, Grass Valley, on the NID grounds.  If you would like to schedule a group tour led by a Master Gardener, please call our Hotline office (530) 273-0919.

Winter? Spring? The Demo Garden has been voting “Spring!” for some time now. It started with the glowing red-hot poker plants in the Foothill garden. The blue flowers of the nearby bush germander were drawing bees. Down in the Native Plant garden, the Sentinel manzanita was covered with delicate pink urn-shaped blossoms and the mahonia bloomed in sunshine yellow. In the Cottage Garden, the forsythia and bridal veil spirea lit up the area. The springtime parade of flowers was underway. Cheerful yellow daffodils, fragrant white clematis flowers, and dark purple iris quickly followed. The fruit trees burst into bloom, the saucer magnolia was stunning and the huge flannel bush began blooming. As the flowers of one species fade, others emerge. Each visit to the Demo Garden brings new surprises.

Our first public workshops of 2015 have drawn many gardeners to our new location at the Elks Club in Grass Valley. We needed a larger room to accommodate the many people who are interested in gardening. As the season progresses, we look forward to having some of the workshops in the Demo Garden where we can use the garden to illustrate the topics of the workshops.