Star Nursery's Winter Green Pages 2021

GREEN pages Winter 2021

on

Soil Prepar r e ati nt i W

Your #1 Source for

DECORATIVE ROCK & HARDSCAPES • Pavers • Flagstone • Wall Block • Stepping Stones • River Rock • Boulders • Bulk Soil • Bulk Sand

•Create a Maintainable and Drought Tolerant Landscape •Use Flagstone for a Beautiful and Unique Walkway

Decorative Rock Yards Nevada

Arizona

Utah

Las Vegas

Kingman

Dixie

2600 West Ann Rd. (702) 216-STAR (7827)

4140 Stockton Hill Road (928) 757-STAR (7827)

1335 South Dixie Dr. (435) 414-5893

5380 Blue Diamond Rd. (702) 382-ROCK (7625)

Fort Mohave

8725 South Eastern Ave. (702) 251-ROCK (7625)

6325 Hwy 95 (928) 788-STAR (7827)

Pahrump

Lake Havasu

911 Buol Rd. (775) 727-5300

1141 N. Lake Havasu Ave. (928) 505-ROCK (7625)

St. George 1145 West Sunset Blvd.

(435) 688-STAR (7827)

DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE

Our Staff Editor-in-Chief Mackenzie Arnona

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Art/Design Doug Ryan Taylor White

Contributing Writers Paul Noe (Dr. Q) Joey Lynn Watt Stephanie Robinson Jerry Belt Christine MacRae

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Winter Cold & Frost Protection for Plants

10

Winter Soil Preparation

12

Hot Spiced Wine

22

Nevada Nurseryman

Please help us set the record straight.

If you are receiving the GREEN PAGES under the wrong name, getting two copies, you’ve moved, or if you wish to be removed from our mailing list, please email: marketing@StarNursery.com and we will fix it.

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Dr. Q’s Local Garden Spotlight

ATHLETICS

For a FREE copy of Green Pages subscribe @ starnursery.com

Home for the Holidays

The Legend of Leaky Hollow

Community Partners

RODEO

Winter Garden Calendar

23

Employee Spotlight

1 application protects against insects for 1 year

Mix & Pour at base of tree/shrub

• • • •

TRUSTED SINCE 1926®

Ornamental trees Fruit trees Roses & flowers Shrubs

Garden Centers Las Vegas, NV Ann Road & Simmons 2600 W. Ann Rd. North Las Vegas, NV 89031 (702) 216-STAR (7827) West Cheyenne & Tenaya 7330 W. Cheyenne Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89129 (702) 253-STAR (7827) W. Charleston Blvd. & Cimmaron 8170 W. Charleston Blvd.

Las Vegas, NV 89117 (702) 360-STAR (7827) W. Tropicana & Fort Apache 9480 W. Tropicana Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89147 (702) 278-STAR (7827) Boulder Hwy. & E. Tropicana 5340 Boulder Highway Las Vegas, NV 89122 (702) 435-STAR (7827) S. Eastern & Pebble 8725 S. Eastern Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89123 (702) 333-STAR (7827) Blue Diamond & Lindell 5380 Blue Diamond Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89139 (702) 444-STAR (7827)

Pahrump, NV Buol Rd. & Hwy. 372 911 Buol Rd. Pahrump, NV 89048 (775) 727-5300

Star Nursery has been privately owned and operated for 39 years. We are proud to be the premier garden center for all your landscaping needs. Currently, we operate in Southern Nevada, Southern Utah and Northern Arizona with a total of 16 Garden Centers and 9 Decorative Rock Yards. We cater to both residential and commercial clientele.

Star Nursery offers the best in garden supplies. From a large assortment of trees to shrubbery, drought tolerant plants, succulents and houseplants, we have landscape material to suit anyone’s lifestyle. We offer the largest and most complete line of products that include irrigation supplies, gardening accessories, yard tools, succulents, houseplants, pottery and our very own exclusive line of Dr. Q’s Garden Products. This line of products consists of soils and fertilizers that are specifically formulated to help you succeed with your gardening efforts in the Southwest Region. We also carry a selection of hardscape products ranging from flagstone and pavers to decorative rock and bulk soils.

Find everything you need to maintain a beautiful landscape or garden space. We pride ourselves in giving our customers the right price and best advice.

Star Nursery -Your Garden’s Partner for Every Bloomin’ Thing Since 1983.

Lake Havasu, AZ Lake Havasu Ave. & College Dr. 1141 N. Lake Havasu Ave. Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403 (928) 505-ROCK (7625)

Kingman, AZ Stockton Hill Rd. & Gordon Dr. 4140 Stockton Hill Rd. Kingman, AZ 86409 (928) 757-STAR (7827)

Fort Mohave, AZ Hwy. 95 & Boundary Cone Rd. 6325 Hwy. 95 Fort Mohave, AZ 86426 (928) 788-STAR (7827)

Mesquite, NV

Bullhead City, AZ

Commerce Cir. & Pioneer 549 Commerce Cir. Mesquite, NV 89027 (702) 613-4770

Mohave Dr. & Miracle Mile 1579 Mohave Dr. Bullhead City, AZ 86442 (928) 758-STAR (7827)

St. George, UT Sunset Blvd. & Bluff St. 1145 W. Sunset Blvd.

St. George, UT 84770 (435) 688-STAR (7827) Dixie Dr. & Gubler Ln. 1335 S. Dixie Dr. St. George, UT 84770 (435) 674-STAR (7827)

Washington, UT Telegraph Rd. & 500 W. 385 W. Telegraph Rd. Washington, UT 84780 (435) 986-0820

Winter Garden

Calendar

December • Protect the PPP’s: Plants that are frost tender, still need to be protected by wrapping or covering with burlap, “N-Sulate” or “Plant Protector Bags” when frost is predicted. This includes sensitive palms, cactus & succulents, hibiscus, bougainvillea, & citrus. Pipes and Pool components should already be covered by wrapping with proper pipe insulation materials. Try our convenient “PVB Protectors” for above ground backflow prevention devices and “faucet protectors” for house faucets. *See article in this issue* • Lawn: To maintain good, green lawn color this winter, fertilize with a product like Dr Q’s® Winter Gem Cool Season Lawn Fertilizer.

• House Plants: Snip off faded blooms and yellowing leaves.

Check house plants often, as they tend to dry out sooner due to running heaters. Feed winter-flowering plants with Dr Q’s® Plant Tonic but don’t fertilize the others until early April.

• Edibles: Consider growing rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory and sage indoors, giving them as much light as possible.

• Trees: Deep root irrigate all trees once this month when the top 3 inches of the soil becomes dry.

January

February

• Lawn: Maintain overall grass height to 2-3 inches to avoid mowing too low.

• Lawn: Plant new lawns from sod or seed, once daytime temperatures are consistently above 55°-60°.

• Edibles: Feed citrus trees. Applied now, fertilizer will be effective when citrus starts to bloom. Water trees first, then a day later apply Dr Q’s® Citrus Food, 14-7-7, Dr Q’s® Organic Citrus Food 8-4-4. If freeze is predicted, cover trees at night and uncover them in the morning. If fruit is damaged, pick and juice within 24 hours. Water regularly as hydrated plants will better withstand freezing temperatures and icy winds.

• House Plants: Inspect leaves for aphids, telltale webs of spider mites and the sticky honeydew that can signal scale insects.

Spray pests off leaves with lukewarm water. Scrape off any scale.

Apply Bonide® Systemic Houseplant Insect Control, easy to use granules provides insect control for up to 8 weeks! Fungus Gnats are an indication the potting soil is overly moist. Apply Diatomaceous Earth to the top of soil.

• Trees: Protect deciduous fruit trees from disease and insects by using Liqui-Cop and Horticultural Oil sprays. This is also a good time to re-paint fruit tree trunks to protect them from sunburn or you can use a tree wrap by DEWITT or “Go Natural” tree truck paint.

• Edibles: Fruit trees, including pecan trees and grape vines need extra zinc. To help them produce their best, use Dr Q’s® Fruit & Nut Tree Food 13-7-7 or Dr Q’s® Organic Fruit and Nut Tree Food 6-4-4.

• Roses: If you’re pruning hybrid tea roses, cut plants back to the three to five strongest canes. Cut top growth back by about a third for other varieties. Don’t forget the” Rose Potion,” Star Note #605, to wake your roses up two weeks after pruning.

• Color: There are plenty of choices for winter color, calendula, cyclamen, English daisy, pansy, primrose, snapdragon and sweet alyssum.

• Desert: Plant agave, yucca and cacti only after all chance of frost is past.

• Trees: February is fertilizing time for deciduous fruit and shade trees. Use Dr Q’s® Tree, Shrub & Vine Food 16-8-4 per bag instructions.

• Perennials: Powdery mildew may appear on new plant growth.

Take a walk around your yard and look for it on your plants.

You can prevent this by keeping sprinkler overspray off your shrubs. Treat infected plants with copper-based fungicide like Daconil.

• Prune: Prune wisteria & trumpet vines before they bud or send out foliage. Consider a “hard pruning” to rejuvenate and retrain. Deciduous Trees can still be pruned this month as long as they are still dormant and there are no new buds or growth on the plant.

Home for the Holidays For the past 28 years, Walker Furniture has been providing families across the valley with a life changing gift during the holiday season. 35 families are chosen each year to receive all new furniture for their home or apartment. The families chosen are in desperate need of holiday cheer. Some have just lost a job or their house to a fire, others have been struggling with health issues and just can’t seem to catch a break. Whatever the need is for the family, Walker Furniture and their partners are quick to step up and make a difference in their lives. When Star Nursery found out about this program, we knew that we had to get involved and contribute. Star Nursery started by donating a Christmas tree, decorations, and poinsettias to the recipient families. In late years, we have also started collecting monetary donations for each family. With the help of all our staff, contractors, and customers we have been able to provide each family with a VISA gift card amounting to over $400. Each year we try to raise the bar with our monetary donations, and we are hoping to beat last years number and help even more families.

During the holiday season, it is amazing to see the community come together, combine resources and provide relief to families who are struggling. Each year, Walker begins collecting submissions in October. If you know a family in need, visit walkerfurniture.com and click on the Home for the Holidays link.

This holiday season get inspired by programs like this and lend a head to those who need it most: Cook a meal for a neighbor, drop off a toy to a toy drive, or bring blankets to a hospital. Your small simple acts of kindness will go a long way. Don’t forget, this is the season of giving!

Winter Cold and Frost Protection for Plants

The desert southwest experiences a wide range of temperatures, and although the focus is usually on our dry hot summers, we must not neglect our plants during the winter months. Our average nighttime low temperatures can potentially do severe damage to tender plants, such as tropical plants, citrus, vegetables, and herbs. These plants do not tolerate freezing temperatures and can suffer significant damage, or even death, when the temperature fall to 32° degrees Fahrenheit or below. Semitropical plants, such as bougainvillea, lantana and yellow bells, can survive temperatures below freezing, often into the 20s, but will suffer significant frost damage and will need to be pruned.

It’s not just the temperature but the length of time that temperatures are at or below freezing that damages plants. Very cold temperatures that last several hours are much harder on a plant than an hour or less of freezing temperatures. When the outside air temperature hits 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below, it causes the water both inside and outside plant cells to freeze. The ice within the plant punctures the plant’s cells, which causes the death of that part of the plant.

Keep a close eye on the weather forecast for advisories and warnings. The 1st frost date is particularly important for gardeners as it could damage the entire crop and be very mindful of a late spring cold snap. This also does damage to tender plant parts that have started to “deharden” due to warmer milder temperatures. These plants are less cold tolerant than they were a few weeks earlier, so if temperatures drop too low again, damage may occur. The injury is usually dieback of new shoots or bud kill, which will disrupt and possibly stop the flower-to-fruit process.

Here is the classification of freeze temperatures based on their effect on plants.

Frost Advisory - This occurs on clear nights when the temperature is expected to fall to 36 degrees to 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Freeze Warning - This is issued when there is at least an 80% chance that the temperature will hit 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.

Light freeze - 29° to 32° Fahrenheit will kill tender plants.

Moderate freeze - 25° to 28° Fahrenheit is widely destructive to most vegetation.

Severe or hard freeze - 25° Fahrenheit and colder causes heavy damage to most plants.

Star Nursery carries a wide variety of convenient and reliable frost protection for not just plants but pipes and fixtures.

Burlap Cloth

N-Sulate Fabric

Pipe Insulation Tape

Tube Pipe Insulation

Self-Seal Tube Pipe Insulation

Hose Faucet Protector

Hose Faucet Protector

Palm Parka

PVB Protector

Hotcaps

For more information check out our Star Note #115 Winterizing Your Home Landscape

The Legend of Leaky Hollow Many years ago an adventurous soul named Rip wandered the Mojave Desert and settled in Las Vegas. There he built a smartly landscaped home to extend his living space outdoors and improve his quality of life. Ole Rip was meticulous in planting only the right plants and installing the best irrigation system available. Over the years Rip noticed his landscape basically “fell asleep” over the winter months so he became accustomed to taking a long nap along with his treasured landscape. One fateful year he even slept through Spring and awoke to a true nightmare. Plants were dying, water was leaking, everything was a total mess.

Being a sharp fellow, Rip went to his local Star Nursery for some advice. Rip learned the winter months are the best time to upgrade and maintain an irrigation system to make sure everything is in order before the tremendous heat of the summer arrives. Fortunately Rip decided to share his list of winter maintenance tips with all of us.

• Properly wrap and insulate all pipes and exposed devices • Clean and flush drip irrigation filters and lateral lines • Open the valve box(s) and look for moisture leaking from the top of the valve and the threaded fittings connecting the valve to the mainline and lateral line • Inspect the wire connections making sure a waterproof wire nut is in place and the splices are not corroded; correct as needed to maintain long term reliability • Replace the solenoid on top of the valve if it appears swollen or damaged in any way • Check the irrigation system for leaks; shut the water off for at least a week and then run the irrigation for at least a half hour to check for abnormal wet spots indicating a leak • Inspect all drip emitters to ensure proper flow/operation; replace malfunctioning emitters with the same emitters if possible, otherwise use emitters with the same flow rate • Move emitters further away from mature plants to encourage root growth and improve plant health • Add emitters to large trees and shrubs to supply adequate water for growth and root development • Replace drip lateral lines if they continue to develop new leaks • Check lawn sprinklers for proper operation. Clean and replace nozzles as needed • Check lawn sprinkler heads for leaks both above and below the sprinkler head; Replace as needed • Check into a “smart irrigation controller” to make it easier to follow lawn watering regulations • Visit your local Star Nursery for the best advice if you have problems As Rip found out, winter is truly the best time to tune up/upgrade your irrigation system. The water can be shut off for extended periods due to reduced demand allowing time to plan for and complete repairs. Hiring a contractor may also be easier during the slower time of year. The moral of our story, learn from Rip Van Sprinkle and be prepared for the heat of summer.

Happy gardening!!!

WINTER SOIL PREPARATION

Although winter is not the best time to plant, it is a great time to work on conditioning your soil to get ready for the warmer days in spring! Whether you’re wanting to plant a spring vegetable garden, put in a new lawn, or plant some landscape shrubs, now is a great time to get a head start on the soil preparation process.

When soil temperatures drop below 45 degrees, biological activity slows down significantly, and the soil, plus all its microscopic life forms hibernate through winter. Because of this, soil cannot be expected to change for the better during the winter months, and yet it does when given a little help! Here are a few ways to use the winter season to improve the soil in your garden or landscape.

One of the reasons why soil feels so loose and workable toward the end of the season, is that it is full of the summer’s crop of fungal remains of microscopic threads that will slowly rot through winter, along with roots left behind by annual vegetation and weeds. As far as nature is concerned, this is the resting time, and you would definitely disturb things if you dug and turned the soil in your garden beds now. So, unless you have a good reason for doing so, for example you want to put in some plants for the cold season, it is better to mulch over vacant beds without cultivating them first. Crushed, dried leaves that have fallen from trees and shrubs do a good job of protecting soil from the cold, but there are many other mulch materials that work even better, including straw, wood chips, and products such as our Dr. Q’s Paydirt Planting Mix and Mulch.

Many cold hardy plants make great winter cover crops. Winter grains in particular are great at protecting larger planting areas from soil erosion through winter and developing huge root systems that increase soil organic matter content. When cut back to the ground in spring, hardy legume winter cover crops like hairy vetch or winter peas leave behind nodules of nitrogen, ready for use by the new warm season plants.

Weeds that grow in summer tend to be large, aggressive plants that quickly take over any planting, but winter weeds are different.

There is seldom a crop present for them to smother, and common weeds like henbit and chickweed often form green mats of foliage that protect the soil from erosion. In addition, dandelions, bittercress, and several other winter weeds drill deep into the soil with their long, slender taproots, which improves soil drainage. Winter weeds are used as natural winter cover crops in some Australian fruit orchards, and this method can work in vegetable gardens as well. To keep winter weeds from reseeding too heavily, hoe them down in early spring, rake up the greens, and compost them.

“Compost under cover” is another way to prepare soil in the winter, instead of using a cover crop. Garden beds that will sit vacant until spring can be heaped up with compost, and then covered with an old blanket or other material. In this way, the bed benefits from a deep layer of compost at the surface, which is further enhanced by a cloth cover. The cloth cover moderates how much moisture reaches the compost and soil below and cushions the bed, which reduces the compaction or erosion caused by pounding rain.

By using these tips for the winter, you should be all set to till or cultivate your garden soil right away in early spring and have all the benefits of the compost and nutrients that you have already added to your soil.

Local Garden Spotlight The holiday season is here! As we gather to spend time with loved ones, many of us will be participating in holiday festivities and traditions. For many Las Vegas locals, visiting the Ethel M Chocolates Botanical Cactus Garden during the holiday season is a long-standing tradition.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the cactus garden has welcomed many throughout the years. The garden was designed by renowned desert garden expert, Gary Lyons, in 1981 and was inspired by Ethel M Chocolates’ founder Forrest Mars’ love of the desert landscape. For plant and garden enthusiasts, the three-acre cactus garden is a must-see Las Vegas destination. Home to over 300 species of desert plants, enthusiasts should be sure to check out the largest Twisted Acacia tree, the Boojum tree, Saguaros skeletons, and the Australian Desert Willow tree.

While the cactus garden is wondrous year-round, guests can experience an especially magical visit during the holiday season.

Every year, the garden is decorated with one million traditional holiday lights, creating a beautiful juxtaposition to the traditional Christmas tree. When strolling through the light-covered garden, guests can sip hot chocolate, meet Santa, and enjoy a meal from food trucks. During a holiday visit, don’t miss out on the Holiday Chocolate Tasting Experience at the Ethel M Chocolates store, located right next to the garden!

The holiday cactus garden will be lit until January 2, 2022, so be sure to not miss out on this holiday experience! Santa will be in the garden for photos every night through December 23, 2021, when he must leave to get back to the North Pole. Be sure to make your reservation online prior to your visit. Reservations will include a $5 non-refundable donation per group of six people – donations will benefit Three Square Food Bank and HELP of Southern Nevada.

To reserve a stroll through the garden, a visit with Santa, or a chocolate tasting – visit EthelM.com/holiday.

Star Nursery wishes you and yours a very happy and safe holiday season!

Special thanks to Lisa Vannerson for providing the images in this article.

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PATIO STONES • PAVING STONES • RETAINING WALLS • EDGERS • LANDSCAPE STONES

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Pavestone decorative landscape systems are designed to enhance your home’s landscape. Working in harmony with your yard, garden, patio, and driveway, Pavestone paving stones, retaining walls, edgers, and patio products allow you to design and build the landscape of your dreams.

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L A K E M E A D I S AT H I S T O R I C L O W S NOV - FEB

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Find your mandatory WINTER watering day at snwa.com Southern Nevada Water Authority is a not-for-profit water agency

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N Available O W In Stores

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R

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Professional Bird Control Products Since 1992

Inc.

Available at all Star Nursery locations!

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One stop shop for residential bird control!

Humane and effective products that work!

Protect your fruits and vegetables from pest birds!

Keep pest birds away and the diseases they carry!

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Hot Spiced Wine Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 4–5 servings Ingredients:

Directions:

1 ¼ 1 1½ ¼ 4 4 3 2

1. Heat a heavy medium pot or dutch oven over medium to low heat, combine wine, brandy, apple cider, syrup or honey, orange zest and juice. Stir to combine. Add the cinnamon sticks, cardamom, star anise and cloves. Give it another stir.

bottle red wine, Merlot or Grenache are great options cup of brandy large orange (zested and juiced) cups apple cider cup maple syrup or ½ cup honey whole cloves cardamom pods sticks cinnamon whole star anise

2. Continue warming until wine is steaming, if bubbling occurs, reduce heat to lowest setting. Too much heat will compromise the flavors of your wine and spices.

3. Once thoroughly warmed, you can ladle the mulled wine into glasses and garnish with cranberries, orange slices and or cinnamon.

Products that Work!

For Dormant Disease and Insect Control... ol....

Spray Trees Now!

with Liqui-Cop® & Monterey Horticultural Oil For healthy new leaves in spring and d summer, apply Liqui-Cop® three times a year: 1 New Year’s Day 2 Valentine’s Day (or at bud swell) 3 Arbor Day (March 7-14) • Combine with Monterey Horticultural Oil to kill insects wintering on the tree.

• Liqui-Cop® is the only copper treatment you can mix with oil.

• Liqui-Cop® will NOT wash off in rain like other copper treatments.

Mix Liqui-Cop® for dormant disease control (Peach leaf curl) at 4 to 6 tsp per gallon.

Mix Monterey Horticultural Oil with Liqui-Cop® or separately to kill wintering insects at 4 tbsp per gallon.

Always read and follow directions on label.

Reminder! Liqui-Cop® and Monterey Horticultural Oil can be used any season on ornamentals, citrus, vegetables, and flowers.

A great spray combo!

For more information call: 559.499.2100 • www.montereylawngarden.com

Dr. Q Does House Calls “Stop by your local Star Nursery Garden Center to schedule an appointment...

Or email housecalls@starnursey.com.”

NV Nurseryman Star Nursery is proud to offer the Certified Nevada Nurseryman program to its employees.

The Nevada Nurseryman certification is presented by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and offered to Star Nursery employees. The course expectation of a certified nurseryman is to be well educated in all things horticulture in the desert southwest and has passed the certification test. Topics mastered in this program cover: irrigation, desert landscape, hardy plants, fertilization, watering, plant diseases and much more. To fulfill the certification, students must participate in over 40 hours of classroom instruction and pass the exam. This program was established and conducted by ML Robinson, Assistant Professor, State Specialist and Dr Angela O’Callaghan Ph.D. State Social Horticulture Specialist of UNCE. They created the curriculum that encompasses their 50 plus years of experience in horticulture.

Both Professor ML and Dr. O’Callaghan currently oversee the Cooperative Extension and offer year-round classes committed to lifelong learning.

Star Nursery prides itself on having knowledgeable staff that can help customers in all areas of horticulture. In the fall of 2021, 16 of Star Nursery’s staff members challenged themselves to be the first to become Certified Nurserymen. At least one team member from every Nevada location was able to complete this program and become certified. During the 12-week program, attendees learned in classroom lectures and hands on training. It is important for our staff to continue their education and diversify their studies. As the leading nursery and garden center in the southwest and RJ’s Best Nursery and Garden Center in Las Vegas Gold Winner, it is paramount for our staff to continue their education and diversify their studies. Star Nursery makes it our priority, not only to carry the largest varieties of plant material, landscape home and garden supplies, but to live by our motto “Right Price, Best Advice.”

As this program continues to grow, we are hopeful that all our staff members will become a Certified Nurseryman. So, the next time you’re in one of our stores and you see one of our team members proudly wearing the Certified Nurseryman pin, congratulate them on their accomplishment and their commitment to ensuring you will receive the reliable information you’ve come to expect at Star Nursery.

Kayla Tomlinson is originally from a small farming community called Wellington, Utah. Kayla is currently the General Manager at our location in Pahrump. She was living in Durango, Colorado when her lifelong friend offered her a job at the Star Nursery. She packed up everything she owned and moved to Nevada. With some horticulture experience, she was a great fit for the Pahrump location. Before Kayla joined the nursery industry, she studied to be a Medical Assistant and received a bachelor’s degree in business. Going through so much schooling taught her a lot about hard work and now she is applying those skills in her career. She loves working with her hands, taking care of neglected plants, but most importantly she loves teaching those around her everything she knows about horticulture. She has worked at several different locations and embraces all jobs she is asked to do. One of her most memorable experiences was learning to drive a forklift. She accidentally drove the forks through 2 pallets of bricks and ended up having to spend the rest of the day restocking those bricks. Although this experience was not one of her best moments, Kayla continues to amaze all those who work around her. She exudes confidence and is always willing to take a moment to learn something new. Star Nursery is happy to have Kayla as part of the family and Pahrump is lucky to have her leading their team.

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Anthony Smith is the Assistant Manager at the location on Eastern Ave. Born and raised in Los Angeles, a job opportunity brought him to Vegas over 14 years ago. He has worked in the horticulture industry for many years before he started at Star Nursery. He was able to run other retail garden centers and gain hands on experience on managing reps and vendors. His favorite part about working for Star Nursery, is customer interactions. He is known for providing exceptional customer service and going above and beyond for everyone who walks into his store. He feels that his current job has “given him the platform to be himself.” He is inspired by helping others develop new passions. Some of his most exciting experiences were working in the rock yard, operating heavy machinery. When Anthony isn’t working, he is usually playing sports with his six-year-old son or taking him fishing at the lake.

Anthony describes his son, as “his greatest accomplishment” and finds being a dad his number one priority. Anthony has given so much to Star Nursery and has helped build up the Eastern store and its employees exponentially. He provides a positive work environment for everyone around him and we are all so grateful for everything he does.

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Rana VanBrook-Fix is the assistant Manager at the Star Nursery location on Ann Rd. She has been with the company since 2014. She started out as a cashier and within 6 months, she moved to both inside and outside sales and then into management. Rana’s background makes her a perfect candidate for success at Star Nursery. She was born and raised on an organic farm on the Big Island of Hawai”i. Growing up her family grew everything from pineapples to coffee beans, oranges to macadamia nuts and everything in between.

She spent her free time competing in longboard surfing competitions. Long boards were invented by the Hawaiians and she excelled in representing her Hawaiian heritage. After completing her double major in tropical agriculture and molecular biology, she graduated from the University of Hawai”i at Hilo and started a two-year long adventure traveling the world. She ended up in beautiful Las Vegas, where she found sanctuary and peace at Star Nursery. She loves being able to use her formal education to teach others, while enjoying, what she calls “our little oasis in the desert.” Rana’s favorite part about working at Star is the constant problem solving. She loves that every day brings new challenges that she solves with her team. Rana is an exceptional leader and strives to build lasting relationships with all her employees.

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