Pahrump Garden Club tour an excursion for the senses – PHOTOS

The Pahrump Valley Garden Club hosted its 2023 Landscape Tour on Saturday with a strong turnout of approximately 150 patrons. It was declared to be one of the best tours in the club’s history.

With everything from yards embracing the xeriscape model and those filled with desert-friendly flora to sites dedicated to producing delicious veggies and gorgeous flowers, the Landscape Tour took area residents on an excursion to truly stimulate the senses, and Pahrump Valley Garden Club members hope that the event also sparked some inspiration for those who took part.

“The Pahrump Valley Garden Club’s 2023 Annual Landscape Tour was a great success,” club secretary Sandy Nelson enthused afterward. “We sold out of tickets at most of our venues before the Saturday of the event and we had record sales! It was a lovely day. There were very different types of landscapes… three of which were designed and built by the homeowner. People could see which plants do well in the Pahrump Valley, so there were lots of good ideas to incorporate into your own garden.”

There were six sites in total this year and site number four, the Big Horn Farm and Flower Ranch, was one that drew plenty of attention. Its field of flowers, some reaching shoulder-height, offered a true feast for the eyes and cameras were kept busy snapping photos as attendees admired the array of blooms. In addition to the flowers, which are sold at the farm stand, Big Horn Flower Farm offers seasonal fruits and vegetables, all grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizer, as well as farm-fresh eggs from free-roam chickens.

“We had a steady flow of tour visitors at Big Horn Flower Farm,” remarked PV Garden Club member MaryRose Parkman, who was manning the welcome booth at the site. “The response was very positive and many were completely in awe of the flower farm. We explained that the family-run business has been here for two and a half years and Kim, the owner, told us in addition to what was already blooming, she had planted 6,000 sunflowers, with a succession planting of 3,000 more!”

Over at the Green Life Produce farm, the turnout was much the same, with attendees again raving about the assortment of plants being successfully grown in the desert environment. With methods such as evaporative cooled high-tunnels, mesh shade cloth and hoop houses with roll-up coverings, Green Life Produce has managed to establish an impressive, all organic farm. From greens, root vegetables, peppers and tomatoes to honey, jams, eggs and even soap, the Green Life Produce Farmers Market gives residents the chance to savor goods grown by their own neighbors.

“The property owners let me know they had fun bragging about their yards and enjoyed talking with everyone who attended,” Nelson reported. “The businesses had lots of people tell them that they didn’t know there was a flower farm or a produce farm here in Pahrump!”

Although the total amount raised isn’t known yet, the money generated by the Landscape Tour is destined to end up going right back into the local community, through donations to other worthy causes. “The group membership votes each year for three or four local community nonprofits to receive proceeds via our donations,” Parkman explained. In the past, the club has contributed to causes such as the Floyd Elementary School Garden, the Pahrump Senior Center, Living Free Health and Fitness and more.

“We’d like to thank all attendees and the homeowners; Teri Rogers; Carlos Lagomasino; Barbra Socki; Big Horn Farm and Flower Ranch; Green Life Produce; and Brigid Dixon,” Nelson was quick to add. “And thank you to the following: B&C Printing; Pahrump Community Library; Do It Best Hardware; the UNR Cooperative Extension; the Master Gardeners Farmers Market at Tractor Supply; Sunflower Fashions; Home Depot; the Pahrump Valley Times; and the Window Cleaner. And finally, thank you to all of the Garden Club members who volunteered their time and talents.”

The Pahrump Valley Garden Club is always open to new members. The group meets the second Saturday of each month at the Pahrump Valley Museum. The annual membership is $12 per individual or $21 per couple.

The next meeting is set for Saturday, June 10 at 10 a.m. with the topic of presentation to be “How to Stop Sun Stress on Your Plants”.

For more information contact the club at PahrumpValleyGardenClub@gmail.com or call 775-537-7553.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com