It seems that after the biggest rain day in June in over ninety years, the penstemon are reacting in mass with abundant flowers.

There are almost three hundred species of penstemon (Plantaginaceae and/or Scrophulariaceae family). Also called beardtongue, penstemon vary greatly, with many shapes and sizes with flowers in a wide range of colors: blue, magenta, orange, pink, purple, red, white and even yellow. Foliage is varied, too, some with broad bright green leaves, others with delicate gray green, still others with almost blue leaves. Some types are tall, up to almost two feet; others are quite small, reaching only six or eight inches in height. Honeybees and hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers.

Nevada is a penstemon paradise. Several types are native to the area and thrive on dry air and dry soil. They are perfect for xeric landscaping plans as well as sun drenched rock and container gardens. Many types, including European hybrids flourish here with little care and little watering. Give them full sun and well drained average soil and they'll be on their way to making June a bright and colorful month year after year.

Traditionally, Native American cultures used penstemon as a medicinal plant. The plant is beloved by many. There is even a Penstemon Society for true penstemon enthusiasts.

Penstemon is one of Drycreek's favorite and most popular perennials. Each year you can find many different types available.

The Columbine plant (Aquilegia), also called wild columbine, wild honeysuckle, red-bells, rock-lily and jack-in-trousers is a cold hardy perennial that can be found growing in the wild growing just about anywhere, but especially in fields and meadows from Colorado's Rocky Mountains to the east coast. Very easy to grow, Columbine needs well drained soil and does best with morning sun and partial to full shade in the afternoons. Typically, the plant will grow to about twenty-four inches high with flowers forming on tall thin spikes. With a long blooming season -- from mid May through July -- the flowers are quite showy, coming in all sorts of colors, often in spectacular combination, including white, pink, yellow, deep purple, red and lavender. The leaves, too, are very attractive, producing a delicate, almost fern-like atmosphere in shady places. There are some dwarf varieties, too, like the one pictured here, with leaves staying close to the ground under multiple flower spikes reaching only about half a foot into the air. All varieties are quite adorable.

Easy to grow, Columbine returns from year to year for about five seasons, but also spreads by self-seeding. Plants that sprout from seeds bloom the second year. They will self-hybridize as well. In some areas, the plant is evergreen or semi-evergreen, but here, they die back in the winter only to return the next spring. They do well in containers, too. Butterflies, honeybees and hummingbirds love this plant. In fact, according to the USDA, Columbine is an important nectar source for hummingbirds.

The Desert Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) is a native wildflower in Nevada, Arizona, California and Utah. This rapid growing perennial subshrub has longlasting orange flowers on tall stems. The plant is heat, drought and even fire tolerant. It will grow well in a variety of soil types, including poor sandy and poor rocky.

Even though the Desert Globemallow isn't normally considered to be a typical nursery stock plant, leave it to Drycreek Garden Company to locate a small supply for those interested in xeriscaping with native and naturalized plants. They are great, also, for rock wildflower gardens. The nursery usually offers two or three varieties so gardeners have a choice between orange, pink or white flowers. The springtime blooming season is fairly long. If given space, the plant will grow into a nice round mound with an abundance of flower covered stems in the spring. This plant can be quite spectacular after a moist winter, so keep your eyes peeled.

Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), also known as Antelope Bitterbrush and Buckbrush, joins Big Sage and Rabbitbrush as an essential species for the Great Basin desert. Many animals, both native and introduced, depend upon Bitterbrush for survival. The plant's range is vast, extending beyond Nevada to Arizona, California, Colorado Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and even to northern British Columbia. As with many blooming perennials this year, the local plants seem to have enjoyed this past winter's moisture. Many plants are completely loaded with flowers.

Drycreek tries to carry bitterbrush for those interested in xeriscaping with native and naturalized plants. The quantities are usually small and sell out fast. The nursery also carries a plant with similar features, the Cliff Rose. Both plants are very attractive, take very little care, accept poor sandy soil and are drought tolerant. They love full sun and will grow into a full sized shrub over a few seasons, typically three or four feet high. Bitterbrush is a good choice for controlling erosion on land that's been disturbed from recent construction.

Word is, there have been some major trail improvements taking place in the Mt. Rose Wilderness lately. A special effort was launched in October, 2010, to add some twenty miles of new or improved trails. It's exciting because the Mt. Rose Wilderness is a true botanical wonder. Hopefully, good trails giving access will encourage respect. The effort includes attempts to curtail and even put to an end some of the more destructive traditions we humans have had with these mountains. Call it desert abuse. Mountain abuse. It's been around since at least the early twentieth century. Historically, the outskirts in all directions from downtown Reno were treated as dumping and shooting grounds. It has taken time for generational scars upon the landscape to fade. New scars appear. Older traditions of horse riding give way to pickups and Jeeps, and ever bigger machines. But there are, even in the Mt. Rose Wilderness, places simply too rugged for machines. Thus, traditions of humans and horses prevailed. Now the trail follows Hunter Creek past the falls all the way to Hunter Lake. The trailhead parking and traditional wilderness sign bring a new sense of US pride to the area, inciting feelings of love and protection toward one of the last genuine wild places so close to home. Mt. Rose Wilderness is Reno's backyard wild place that promises to renew the world, a place of superb beauty and rugged wild west splendor. From the Web site:

"The new trail system will be accessible through the Mt. Rose Summit Trailhead, U.S. Forest Service's Thomas Creek and White's Creek Trailheads, and Washoe County's Galena Creek Regional Park, Lower White's Creek and Lower Thomas Creek Trailheads. Ultimately, the trail system will be accessible from other Washoe County Trailheads, including the new Ballardini Trailhead, which is scheduled for completion in 2011."

Springtime is when you'll see the beautiful Pasque Flower in bloom. Due to the timing and perhaps the color of its blooms, the Pasque Flower is sometimes called the Easter Flower. The name, pasque, means Easter, perhaps due to the timing and color of its flower. They are also sometimes referred to as campana, which might refer to way the flower resembles a church bell. Other common names include the Meadow Anemone, the Prairie Crocus and the Wind Flower. This cold hardy, low growing deciduous perennial is a native wildflower to the United States and Canada and can be seen in the wild growing in meadows and prairies and on southern alpine slopes of mountains from the Sierra to the Alaskan tundra.

As a welcome sign of spring, every party of this plant is interesting. The leaves are feathery, the nodding flowers come in bright purple, white, pink, lavender and deep maroon. The seed heads resemble the strange plumed heads of exotic birds.

The plant is drought tolerant, perfect for xeriscaping and rock gardens preferring a well drained, sandy or normal soil with southern or western exposure. At present, Drycreek has Pasque Flowers in four inch pots with flower stems ready to bloom.

Apparently the Pasque Flower was used extensively by Native American cultures for centuries, but takes skill and knowledge on how to utilize its powerful medicinal properties. For those without such Shamanistic abilities, the plant should be considered toxic, so don't eat it. It is also the state flower of South Dakota.

The Museum of Paleontology at the University of California confirms what we high desert dwellers already feel in our bones, especially in winter and early spring: the Great Basin desert is different than most deserts in that the Great Basin desert exists at a much higher altitude than the "hot and dry" deserts of the southwestern United States and Mexico. The Great Basin is thus considered to be a semiarid, nearctic "cold desert" with limited snow and rainfall caused by the wall of mountains we call the Sierra Nevada. Each winter the Sierra gathers most of the moisture coming from the Pacific causing the famous "rain shadow" that keeps the eastern lee side of the mountains so much drier.

It seems this rain shadow makes all the difference. The plants, the animals and insects have evolved to match the lower levels of moisture held back by the high mountains. Even the people have adapted. You can see it in how gardeners here react to a spring rain. On the coastline of northern California, gardeners long for and rejoice at the arrival of sunny days in the spring, hoping that the sun will warm and dry the soggy ground enough to sprout the seeds and energize the stock. Gardeners here long for and rejoice at the arrival of clouds with drenching rain to soak the soil enough to sprout the seeds and give drip lines, watering cans and garden hoses a day off.

This week we have a forecast of chance of rain and this morning rain is actually making it to the ground. What a perfect time to turn the soil, scatter the wildflower seed mixes and initiate springtime planting. It's so rare that we find this chance to actually get our heads wet! Even if the rain is only symbolic, it still makes us feel good, psychologically replenished. Of course, we can't forget that we're in the desert, that our lives are intertwined with this ancient xeriscape. We know it's the subsequent dryness that we can actually rely upon. And as this photo of hardy alyssum shows, the rain we received overnight didn't really soak the ground.

According to the experts, there are hardly any naturally occurring honeybee colonies left in the wild. Now almost all colonies are maintained by beekeepers, but even these are threatened. The consensus seems to be that the honeybee is under attack by deadly viruses, the source of which is not completely understood. But the bees have no built in defense to this new threat, so humans need to do all we can to help them survive.

What can we gardeners do? We can stop using pesticides and purchase foods that have not been grown with the use of pesticides! We can plan our gardens and landscapes with plants that attract honeybees. Bees love flowers, so to encourage the bees, make sure you plant a variety of flowering plants that will ensure blooming all season long. Fruit trees are a good source of nectar and pollen for spring. Vegetables, herbs, hollyhocks, foxgloves and all types of sunflowers will keep the bees happy through mid to late summer. Plan for autumn blooming plants like Asters and Chrysanthemums. Drycreek also offers desert wildflower seed mixes.

Other helpful tips: Take up beekeeping. Or at least buy local honey. Its fresher and the purchase supports the local economy. Even in Nevada, there is local honey being produced and sold at market. And if you find a swarm of bees in your yard, don't panic. Don't squirt them with water or spray them with pesticides! Even though it might look like a horror film in the making, swarming bees are relatively passive and not likely to sting, unless you act like a fool. Instead, contact a local beekeeper and swarm collector.

Local early spring flowers include Phlox. Phlox longifolia is a native Nevada wildflower which can be found growing in the high desert as well as the High Sierra.. One of over sixty species, this low growing ground cover adorns itself with an eye catching splash of springtime color. The small flowers come in several colors, including bright red, pure white, sky blue, hot pink and lavender. There are even variegated varieties. If you mix them in mass, this time of year will bring abundant color to your garden.

The plants are basically care free. Give them full sun and well drained soil and they will return year after year. In late spring, after the blooms have faded, you can cut back the foliage. This will promote a thicker patch of green for the summer. At this time, too, you can divide the plants for a wider distribution.

A good choice for xeric landscaping, Phlox does very well in rock gardens and on south facing slopes. This plant also attracts butterflies and honeybees.

Two years ago several theories debating the cause of the die-off emerged. Is it manipulation of DNA to produce bees more interested in pollinating plants than making honey? Is it new chemicals meant to pollinate plants without the help of bees? Is it new and more deadly pesticides for farms and gardens? Is it the invasion of new parasites as well as the chemicals used to fight the parasites? Is it a virus? Is it the 30 year drought? Global warming? Is it confusion and bewilderment produced by continual shipping from place to place? Is it radiation produced by the ever increasing number of cell phone towers?

From gay marriage to the coming apocalypse, other not so very scientific theories were discussed as well. Still, the question of chemicals returned to the center of conversation more than once. As we sipped our summer cocktails, someone suggested that a pesticide- and chemical-free garden would be a godsend for the troubled bees. "Like an island in a sea of poison. If only we could convince enough people to stop using harmful chemicals, the island could grow." A retort was inevitable: "But, what if chemicals and poisons aren't the only problems? What if it's a disease produced by an accumulation of conditions? No one knows where to begin." A very reasonable suggestion was returned: "Well, maybe we should begin eliminating those conditions one by one. We can start with what we ourselves can control, start with the chemicals closest to us."

Yarrow comes in a variety of colors, from pure white to yellow, to pink and deep purple-red. The plants are amazing in that their blooms last for months, the plant will grow in just about any soil, they are very drought tolerant, and they can all but be forgotten and yet still thrive. But perhaps what is most incredible about Yarrow is that the flower stalks can tell the future.

It's true, the dried flower stems of Achillea Millefolium have been used for centuries as tools for consulting the oracle of the I Ching, what some say is the oldest and wisest book in the history of human culture. How the oracle works is anyone's guess, nevertheless, the ritual is fascinating and some say, curiously accurate in its telling. In any case, Yarrow is easy to grow, beautiful to look at and it smells sweet.

In western traditions, it is said that the reason why the botanical name references Achilles is because the Greeks used Yarrow medicinally to stop wounds from bleeding on the battlefield.

Gaillardia pulchella (Blanket Flower or Indian Blanket Flower) is a favorite amongst xeric gardeners as the plant is drought resistant, easy to grow from seed, and it produces a nice sized, beautiful flower. This plant also blooms late, usually mid-June, and blooms constantly throughout the summer into the fall.

Blanket Flower will self-seed, too, but is also easy to control. Gardeners and landscapers often grow Blanket Flowers in mass, for the wild field or meadow effect.

We sell Blanket Flower seeds and starter plants. Supplies are limited. Stop in to our nursery and see what what we have today.

It is easy to grow Ratibida Columnaris from seed. To get a jump start, you can sprout the seeds indoors early March. By May they should transplant easily.

Like many wildflowers, Ratibida Columnaris demands full sun and enjoys hot, dry, south facing locations. Truly a xeric plant without a need for excessive water or rich soil. This wildflower also attracts butterflies and blooms well after many wildflowers have withered and died. The flowers are good for cutting, too, and will last a week in a vase of water.

We carry Ratibida Columnaris seeds, but quantities are limited. We carry many native wildflower seeds in single specie packets or mixed. Come in and see our unique selection.

Stanleya pinnata -- Prince's Plume -- is a beautiful flowering subshrub native to the west and often seen growing in the rocky mountains of the Great Basin desert. A perfect xeric plant because of its ability to thrive in very arid, rocky and sandy soils.

This image was taken this week in a dry canyon in Hidden Valley Park, just east of Reno. The flowers appear in early May and last past the summer solstice. Give it a couple growing seasons in a sunny, dry spot and you'll have a local favorite soon showing off each spring for your friends and neighbors.