We are excited to announce that our master gardener and Sales Associate Pauline Sakai was recently interviewed by local news station KCRA3! KCRA3's meteorologist Eileen Javora interviews Pauline in this television segment about what the layperson gardener needs to know for the hot months ahead.

We have new hours for spring, as well as a special sale this month on roses in our Specials! High Ranch Nursery will now be open 7am to 3:30pm, Monday through Friday as we usher in the new season.

By John Nitta

Deutzia gracilis – Slender Deutzia

Here’s a great plant that I failed to include in the latest prime list. It’s a deciduous shrub from Japan. And it’s very low maintenance and drought tolerant.

By John Nitta

On my bike rides and travels around our local community of Loomis, I’ve been noticing signs of spring.

Insider Tips Revealed in New Book on Seasonal Gardening

Carolyn Singer, a veteran gardener and deer resistance expert, has published a new book on seasonal gardening titled, "The Seasoned Gardener – Five Decades of Sustainable and Practical Garden Wisdom.

Eisley Nursery Sells Holiday Cheer

Eisley Nursery, a long time customer of High Ranch Nursery, serves the town of Auburn this holiday season with an impressive array of hand grown poinsettias and pansies.

Gaga Over Ferns!

Ever wonder how certain plants get their scientific name? Well, here's a story that's bound to delight if you're at all familiar with the fabulous Lady Gaga. Joel Nitta, son of John and Sarah Nitta is a graduate student studying fern evolution at Harvard University.

Pauline Sakai takes part in Master Gardener Calendar

Our new Sales Assistant Pauline Sakai has contributed her valuable knowledge and experience to the 2013 Master Gardener Calendar. The publication is full of tricks of the trade and debunks several long standing myths.

Carolyn Singer To Publish New Book

Our long-time friend and customer Caroyln Singer is publishing a new book this fall, titled "The Seasoned Gardener: 4 Decades of Practical Garden Wisdom.

Contract Grow!

By John Nitta

Just last week we signed a contract with SAFCA – Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency – to grow some 58,000 plants.

WCISA Tree Climbing Championship

Ever wondered just how fast you could climb a tree? Watch professional arborists show you how it's done at the WCISA Tree Climbing Championship.

May 12 -13, 2012
William S.

Placer Land Trust

Placer Land Trust works with willing landowners and conservation partners to permanently preserve natural and agricultural lands in Placer County for future generations.

Britton Fund Ride & Rose Day

Britton Fund Ride

John and Sarah will be participating in the 5th annual Britton Fund Ride.

Garden Tour and Plant Sales

Don't miss out on several upcoming events! Spring has arrived and gardening season is in full sway.

Pollinator Gardening with CCUH

Save the date: April 28th, 2012

The California Center for Urban Horticulture at UC Davis is hosting a worshop on Pollinator Gardening on April 28th. Come learn how your sustainable backyard can thrive through the promotion of bees and other pollinators.

Tree Planting and Arbor Day Celebration

Sacramento, Mar. 7, 2012
by John Nitta

I joined two other ISA Certified Arborists at this Arbor Day celebration in Capitol Park. It was jointly organized by Sacramento Tree Foundation, Greenwise Joint Venture and California ReLeaf.

Bike Ride & Luther Burbank

Sebastopol & Santa Rosa - Mar. 4, 2012
by John Nitta

Sarah & I joined 10 other cyclists for a short ride from the Luther Burbank Gold Ridge Farm in Sebastopol. We did a short ride to the Luther Burbank home in Santa Rosa.

Remembering Vicky Bartish

We are sad here at High Ranch Nursery to learn of the passing recently of our friend and past employee, Vicky Bartish. Vicky worked with us here at High Ranch from 2004 through 2006.

California Arbor Week

Join your local community this March in celebrating California Arbor Week! From March 7 to March 14, California Arbor Week "works to unite our members, cities, businesses, and individuals to educate Californians on the value trees provide to building successful, healthy cities and neighborh

High Ranch Delivers Trees for Greenprint Initiative

High Ranch Nursery is proud to be a supplier to the Sacramento Tree Foundation's project of planting 5 million trees in the central valley region.

Free Workshop: How Blue is Your Landscape?

Looking for ways to save water and grow your bottom line? Read on for details on an upcoming free Blue Thumb workshop at Raley Field, sponsored by the Be Water Smart program.

California Garden Project Fundraiser

Looking for a way to spread a little holiday cheer, and support the preservation of native California landscapes? The California Garden Project is offering just that with its Holiday Madness Open House.

mPOWER features John Nitta

High Ranch Nursery's president John Nitta has been featured in a promotional video for Placer County mPOWER.

EcoLandscape Conference 2012

Mark your calendar! High Ranch Nursery is participating in the 2012 EcoLandscape Conference, hosted by EcoLandscape California. Register today for your chance to learn how to make sustainable landscaping businesses successful and profitiable.

Plant Sales with Roger

Roger Snell will be selling plants at two local events this weekend.

El Dorado CNPS Plant Sale

Roger Snell will be hosting a table at the semi-annual plant sale of the El Dorado Chapter of the California Native Plant Society.

Disease-Resistant Elms

Dutch Elm Disease (DED) is a fungal disease spread by the elm bark beetle. It has drastically reduced native elm populations across North America since it was accidentally introduced in 1928.

Westervelt Breach Event

by John Nitta

This morning I attended a very momentous event in Thornton. It was the breaching of a farm levee to naturally let the Consumnes River flood a 500 acre former farm. The farm was purchased by

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Photos from Melissa Borel on UCDAAS

The workshop on July 28th hosted by the California Landscape Contractors Association was a great success. Melissa Borel gave an informative presenation on using UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars to attract pollinators at the historic Loomis Train Depot. Photos from the event are below.

Harvest Day 2011

Join the UC Master Gardeners for Harvest Day 2011 this Saturday, August 6th in Fair Oaks. Here's a description from their web site

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Rotary Discovery Garden

by John C. Nitta

The

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Melissa Borel to speak on Arboretum All-Stars

On Thursday, July 28th, The Sacramento Valley Chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Association is hosting a meeting at the Loomis Train Depot.

The Curse of the Yellow Dragon

by Roger Snell

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by John Nitta

This week we are totally jazzed that we’re getting solar.  The outfit that's doing the installation is Yes! Solar Solutions.  They also did our home, back in May or so.  For our home we got private financing, which Yes! Solar helped get us in contact with.

We're thrilled to see the progress that Westervelt Ecological Services is making on their Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation Bank project.

Guest Blogger: Colin Nitta

Hi. I'm Colin Nitta, son of John and Sarah. I attend California College of Arts, and this last summer I had an opportunity to take a class which focused on landscape design and public architecture.

by Sarah Nitta

On a beautiful spring day the week after Easter my son, Joel, and I took a day off to visit the splendors of Stevens Trail, Colfax, CA.  We wound down the north side of the North Fork of the American River to the hum of insects and the welcome of wild flowers.

Jennie Nitta has been featured in the Loomis News for her work as a Landscape Designer. Read

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A sure sign that spring is coming - magnolias

Spring comes early in the American River Canyon. Check out these photos, taken today on a hike near the confluence of the American River near Auburn, CA. All the signs of spring were showing: acorns sending down shoots, buckeyes budding out into new leaves, colorful early wildflowers and green moss carpeting granite boulders.

Both Placer County Water Agency and the City of Roseville offer rebate programs for lawn replacement with water-wise plants. Check out these links for details on how you can take advantage of double savings.

by Roger Snell

Biologists in California, led by researchers at The Scripps Research Institute and the University of California (UC), San Diego have solved the structure of a critical molecule that helps plants survive during droughts.

by Pattie Roberts

Just because you have a dog or two doesn’t mean that your yard has to be one big mud hole! Understanding your dog’s behavior will help you create a space that is functional and beautiful at the same time.

by John Nitta

When you’ve grown a lot of products over the years, things change. That is, some plants become very popular and desirable and some fade away. Some become what’s considered an “invasive plant.

sby Roger Snell

Statistics show that the life span of an indoor cat are much longer than an outdoor cat. On average, an indoor cat lives twelve years, but some live for as many as twenty years. In comparison, an outdoor cat’s life expectancy is less than five years.

by Roger Snell

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by John Nitta

On June 26th, Sarah and I had a unique opportunity to experience first-hand, up close and personal, a rare California plant and some pretty neat wildlife. This all took place at the Placer Land Trust’s

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by John & Sarah Nitta

John and Sarah Nitta – Team High Ranch! - participated in the 2nd Annual Britton Fund Ride at the recent annual conference of the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture on May 4th.

by John Nitta

High Ranch Nursery had a table at the recent 16th Annual SERCAL/CNGA Conference in Folsom, CA.

What is a Vole?

A Vole looks quite a lot like a mouse. Voles also have shorter tails, and a rounder face than a mouse does.

by Roger Snell

That's right! Spring is one of only two times that you can go to a California Native Plant Society plant sale and the other is in the fall.

This is our first post! We're excited to share ideas with you on the emerging art of sustainable landscaping.  If you're interested in plants and growing methods that foster a greener future, you'll find a community of like-minded plant lovers here.  Welcome!

by Roger Snell

“Sustainable,” “Green Movement”, “Eco-Landscaping” - you’ve heard the buzzwords.