University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and their Certified Master Gardeners offer "Gardening in Nevada: The Bartley Ranch Series." The series is for anyone who wants to garden - those with big yards, small yards, or just patio or balcony space. These classes, offered in partnership with Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space, are free and run 6 - 8 p.m., every Tuesday, Feb. 28 - March 28, at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road in Reno.

"Northern Nevada has an ever-changing, unpredictable climate," Cooperative Extension Horticulturalist and Master Gardener Coordinator Wendy Hanson Mazet said. "Learning to grow plants successfully here can be a challenge. Through this series, small-estate owners and anyone interested in gardening and landscaping have the chance to learn from Master Gardeners and other successful Nevada gardeners who have decades of experience gardening here."  

The classes are taught by local business owners, Cooperative Extension horticulturists and experts, and Cooperative Extension's certified Master Gardener volunteers. Classes include:

• Feb. 28: Be Ember Aware - Cooperative Extension Natural Resources Specialist and Living With Fire Program Coordinator Ed Smith discusses home and landscape features vulnerable to embers.
• March 7: Training and Pruning Fruit Trees - Certified Arborist and Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Michael Janik discusses the basics of fruit tree pruning, pruning to maximize production and the art of espalier (training fruit trees to grow on trellises or against a flat surface).
• March 14: Composting - Some Like it Hot - Cooperative Extension Horticulture Specialist Heidi Kratsch presents information about hot composting, the most efficient and safe composting method.
• March 21: Spice it Up With Tomatoes & Peppers - Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Pamela Van Hoozer discusses custom picking tomatoes and peppers to spice up your garden.
• March 28: Successful Vegetable Gardening - Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Randy Robison shares how he produces abundant crops and tips on improving garden soil, crop rotation, companion planting and gardening in raised beds.

For more information on "Gardening in Nevada: The Bartley Ranch Series," or for general horticultural inquiries, contact University of Nevada Cooperative Extension at 775-784-4848 or mastergardeners@unce.unr.edu, or visit www.unce.unr.edu. Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should call at least three days prior to the scheduled event.