In January of 1974, Bob and Pat Ruf bought 155 feet of sagebrush covered road frontage on S. Curry St., far from downtown Carson City and started Greenhouse Garden Center. The location is still the same and the Ruf family is still bringing to Northern Nevada quality plants, beautiful fountains and statuary, unique gifts from our gift shop and an award winning full service design and installation landscape division.

Bob and Pat Ruf came to Nevada by way of Massachusetts. By the age of 14, Bob was the State Beekeeper for Massachusetts. They both earned undergraduate degrees there and Bob earned his Doctorate Degree in Horticulture from Cornell University. Bob suffered from bad allergies and the family doctor finally convinced him that he and Pat needed to move West and so in true pioneering spirit they settled in Reno in the early 1960's before Kietzke Lane was a paved road. At the University of Nevada, Reno, Bob was very instrumental in establishing the horticulture program at the College of Agriculture with Dick Post. He was the leading authority on growing potatoes, onions, and garlic in Nevada as well as developing commercial potential for growing grapes in Nevada. In 1967 Bob, Pat, and their two sons traveled to Mogadishu, Somalia where they lived for two years. Bob was involved in a government funded program aimed at teaching farmers techniques for increased crop yields. Upon their return back to Reno, Bob once again taught at the University of Nevada, Reno and Pat was an elementary school teacher. In 1973 Bob took a year sabbatical and worked at Arlington Nursery to gain experience in retail operations. The rest as they say is history!

Bob and Pat Ruf owned Greenhouse Garden Center until 1994, when they retired passing the family business and their love of plants to their son, David Ruf. David started working at the family business when he was 13. He received his degree in Horticulture from Colorado State University. After that he worked a fall and winter in the B & B growing fields of Oregon learning the growing, digging, and shipping side of the business. After that, he did a year internship at Eisley Nursery in Oregon. Under David's leadership Greenhouse Garden Center has truly stepped into the 21ST century.

David has carried the family tradition of providing excellent horticultural materials and services to Northern Nevada. David has two sons and perhaps one of them will carry on the family business. David and his wife Julie are committed to bringing quality lifestyle choices to Nevada families. With Julie's computer expertise we have expanded our voice into the internet with Facebook and Twitter.
Check us out at www.greenhousegardencenter.com

Harry Lauder's Walking Stick, more commonly known as Contorted Filbert (Corylus avellana), is grown for it's unusual twisted stems and leaves which provide remarkable winter interest. The interest extends into spring when male catkins begin flowering mid to late March, growing 2-3inches. As the crinkly, dark green leaves and new growth emerge the plant appears to have a weeping form.

As a specimen shrub, contorted filbert can grow to 10' tall and wide. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and though adaptable, benefits from some afternoon shade as our Nevada summer sun can scorch the leaves. The only new variety to come along, Red Majestic, boasts red leaves and purple catkins.

Most plants are grafted, so suckers from the base should be cut off as they will not have the twisted form. Contorted filbert has no serious pest or disease problems.

The buds of ornamental flowering pears are a harbinger of spring when they begin to shine in late March opening to clusters of creamy white flowers. In summer the leaves area glossy green turning crimson in fall. Small round fruits persist on the tree through the winter.

Most varieties of flowering pear range in height from 30 to 40 ft and 15 to 20 ft wide. The most common varieties are Chanticleer, a very upright form; New Bradford, broadly oval and Redspire with a pyramidal habit.

Both sides of Highway 395/50 through downtown Carson City are planted with Redspire pears. As well as the drive leading into the Silver Oak subdivision off Winnie Lane.

New additions to this family are two dwarfs: Jack: Golden fall color and a 15' x 10' compact upright growth habit make this tree a wonderful addition to any small landscape or beneath utility lines. Silver Ball: A 12'x 12' compact rounded dwarf with strong fireblight resistance and silver green leaves make this tree ideal for a small planting bed.

Ornamental flowing pears are suited to a range of conditions, from the backyard to the busy street, preferring full sun and moist well-drained soils. Stressful conditions make them susceptible to a bacterial disease known as fireblight.

Native to the tundra, Pasque flower emerges as soon as warm days arrive. And like other tundra plants, stays low to the ground, about 6-8 inches. Its flowers are 2 inch and cup-shaped with yellow centers. Colors range from red to purple to white and can be a single petal to a frilly double.

After flowers fade, soft white seed heads stand above a mound of deeply cut leaves. As summer progresses, the fuzzy leaves fade.

Pasque flowers like well-drained, sandy and gravelly soils; don't like it dry, but can't stand it wet.

In the nursery, we clean and trim after bloom and before we put them to bed for the winter. In the garden, we let them go through winter with their fur coat on, them trim in spring to find new growth patiently waiting to be uncovered.

A sweet accent in the rock among the daffodils or in a mixed perennial bed, this diminutive early bloomer will welcome the Easter bunny every year.

My name is Elona Lathrop. I have worked at Greenhouse Garden Center for 10 years, the last 3 as outside sales manager. I am a mother of two, with a forestry degree, and have lived in the Carson Valley for 22 years. I think of myself as a naturalist at heart and enjoy all things outdoors. One of my passions is birding. Much of what I have learned is not only self taught, but from numerous birding trips with expert guides, Linda Hiller and the late Jack Walters. I look forward to sharing my knowledge of gardening and backyard birding with others.

Join Elona for a free seminar " Attracting Birds To Your Yard" on April 11, 2010 (Sunday) at 11 AM.

Dahlias are one of the most popular and prolific summer bulbs and have been winning the hearts of home gardeners for many years. So much hybridizing of new varieties has been done over the years that one can find dahlias in almost every color combination possible. Their long blooming season makes them a perfect addition to any perennial border and their exotic looking flowers and brilliant colors will make any garden shine.

The flower shapes vary. You can find anemone type flowers, frilly cactus type flowers, decorative, peony type flowers, pom-pom shaped, low growing dwarfs, mignon, water lily shaped flowers and even the giant dinner plate dahlias, whose flowers can reach 8"-12" inches in diameter.

A member of the daisy family, this Mexican plant thrives in sunny locations and warm temperatures. Dahlia bulbs are not winter hardy. The first good frost will make them turn black rather quickly. The best time to plant them is in spring anytime after the last spring frost.

Some gardeners will try and get a jump on spring by potting up their dahlia bulbs indoors 6 weeks before they plant them outdoors. You will increase the bushiness of the plant by pinching off the main growing tips three weeks after you plant--regardless of when you plant them. This helps develop more stems and a lot more flowers throughout the growing season.

Dahlias grow best in well-drained soil that has been well amended with an organic planting mix. When planting, make sure and cover the tuber (bulb) with at least 2 inches of soil (regardless of size). Don't plant deeper than this, as it can reduce the flowering. Plant your tubers 12-18" apart, with taller varieties on the higher end of that scale and shorter varieties on the lower end.

Dahlias are long-blooming plants and can provide color from June to October. Because they bloom so heavily, it is important to make sure to feed them on a regular basis with an all-purpose flower food.

To keep your dahlias healthy and producing flowers year after year, harvest them immediately after the first frost has blackened the stems. Remove the dead foliage down to the tuber and store in a cool, dry and frost-free location. Then plant them again outdoors each spring to enjoy another season of dazzling color!

1. WATER everything in the yard at least twice this month if we do not get at least an inch of rain.
2. FERTILIZE the lawn, vegetables, trees and shrubs.
3. Hang CODDLING MOTH TRAPS in your apple and pear trees when the flower buds start changing from reddish-pink to white to trap male coddling moths. Spray once a week for 3 weeks after 80% of the apple or pear blossoms have fallen off with FRUIT TREE SPRAY. Wormy apples and pears will be somebody else's problem.
4. April 15th is tax day and also the time to prune roses. Every pruning cut larger then the size of a pencil eraser needs to be sealed with a pruning sealer to prevent cane borers.
5. AERATE the lawn now and apply TOPCOAT OR PAYDIRT, GYPSUM, and MASTER GREEN LAWN FERTILIZER for spectacular results.
6. WALL O' WATERS go up! Plant tomatoes, pumpkins or any other frost tender crops the next week. They'll be the biggest and earliest in the neighborhood!
7. Prune your junipers and arborvitae now so any "holes" will fill in during the summer.
8. TREE AND SHRUB INSECT CONTROL needs to be applied now to trees and shrubs for best results. Imidacloprid (the active ingredient) is an annual soil drench used systemically to prevent unwanted insects including borers. It is now available in a formulation that is safe to use on all fruit trees.
9. FLOREL, when sprayed on ornamental flowering trees, once a week for three weeks, stops most fruit production for the year. The benefit of this is no unwanted fruit dropping on driveways and sidewalks.
10. Use POND SHADE when the water temperature in your pond reaches an average temperature of 50 degrees to prevent algae and blanket weed from forming.

Something is new at Greenhouse Garden Center. Right as you walk through our front gates Nevada Landscape Association award winning Jorge Guillen, Head of our Landscape Division and his crew have created a masterpiece of slate and water.

On the heels of Home and Garden television and myriad of home landscape and gardening programs and publications, more Americans cite gardening as their favorite hobby. For some, the challenge of installing an intricate irrigation system, drawing a landscape plan, or laying pavers means weekends filled with exciting and exhilarating outdoor experiences. For others, the prospect of starting with a bare lot, or rejuvenating a tired landscape, spells trouble.

With the busy or inexperienced homeowner in mind, Greenhouse Garden Center offers, start-to-finish landscape consultation, design and installation services. As licensed Nevada Contractors in Northern Nevada we feel we are uniquely qualified to work with the homeowners to create wonderful gardens and patios for your specific lifestyle.

Additionally, because our landscape division operates under the umbrella of our full-service garden center, landscape customers are able to draw from our vast selection of plant material, garden statuary, fountains, containers, patio pavers and boulders. Call us today and set up a consultation.