Top 4 “to do’s” in January and February:

• Mostly pruning. I prune back my rose bushes (I have minis, so it doesn't keep me out in the cold too long) and my lantanas.
• I also will see if there are any larger shrubs or trees that need pruning. I have a Texas mountain laurel that will need some training this winter, and a few others that need some severe cutting back.
• I don't (yet) have a winter veggie garden, so nothing there.
• I'll watch for any predicted freezes and protect my succulents by bringing them inside or covering them. Mostly I will focus on my house plants. Repot and prune, since I am not doing so much outdoors.

Biggest challenge to local gardeners: Wide variation of temperature. Summers get up to 115 or more; winters have freezing weather, sometimes into the 20s. It takes hardy plants to manage. We have learned which ones do best here, and the others we take our chances with, or protect in some way (planting in a protected area, potting so they can be brought indoors, wrapping in case of freeze, etc.)

About Vicki: I lived in Hong Kong for 7 years, before moving to Las Vegas. Completely different horticulture there! Of course, we lived in an apartment like everyone else, so I had no chance to garden. When we moved here in 2001, I learned about the training and have been a Master Gardener since 2003. I've gotten interested in palm trees, for some reason. We have a good assortment of them in the Gardens at the Springs Preserve, so I have learned all I can about those ones, and a few other oddities.

Master Gardeners of Southern Nevada