Come and meet artist and mural painter, Suni Godbold at the Newell Nurseries Home & Garden Show in the Glasshouse.

Newell Nurseries is pleased and excited to have Suni Godbold joining us for our 1st annual Home & Garden Show. Suni is a VisionQuest artist with over 25 years' experience. She enjoys teaching art as well as doing art. We are hosting her in our Home & Garden Show because of her wall murals, which are done with acrylics, although Suni is familiar with many other mediums. If you are starting to get interested and would like to know more about Suni and see her work, check out her web site at www.artwanted.com/suni. You will be amazed at what you see and want to meet and talk with her in person about doing something original in your home.

Featuring our favorite tradespeople from our referral list. If you are thinking about a pool, pond, masonry, lighting, sprinklers, interior decorating, art work, or landscape design this is a great opportunity for you to ask questions, get ideas and see samples of what you can do to improve your landscape.

We have invited Kirk's Pools, designers & installers of unique custom pools plus new energy saving pumps and automation (call 909-425-1279).

Eric Triplett of Exotic Aquatics creator of ponds that are built as complete ecosystems (see his website at www.theponddigger.com or call 800-522-5043)

Robert Gonzales, builder of masonry from decks and walkways to walls (call 909-772-1467)

Nightscaping, the originator of low-voltage outdoor lighting (call 909-794-2121)

David Chavez of Los Amigos, specializing in sprinkler design, installation or upgrade (call 909-783-1547)

Beautiful bougainvillea, that evergreen subtropical plant from South America, comes in several different forms. The most common is a vine - a vine that does not twine or cling - but a vine nonetheless. It also comes in a shrub form and a ground cover.

The vibrant colors are not the flower, but are colorful bracts surrounding a small, inconspicuous flower. The color show begins in spring and can continue into the winter. Now, you can't ask much more of any flowering plant!

A mature vine bougainvillea in full bloom is simply a huge "WOW" factor in any garden. The vine bougainvillea is a fast grower and needs regular pruning to keep in good form. Because of this vigorous growth, any structure chosen for support must be very sturdy.

Yes, they do have thorns. Keep that in mind when you are thinking of the best location in your landscape.

Other bougainvilleas have a low-growing form which is perfect for containers. Place containers near the edge of a balcony and the bougainvillea will grow outward and down, spilling color over the outside wall of your home.

Great care must be taken when planting bougainvillea. The roots do not like much handling so do not disturb the root ball. You can cut out the bottom of the pot and plant both bougainvillea and pot. Alternatively, carefully make four vertical cuts down the side of the nursery container and carefully pull all four sides farther apart. Gently remove the plant from the growing container from the base of the root ball (not the trunk of the plant) and carefully place it into the ground or new container, remembering that the roots are very sensitive to handling.

Bougainvilleas like full sun and regular watering. If you water too much, they won't bloom. Fertilize with Nurserymans Rose and Flower.

Bougainvilleas come in white, yellow/orange, pink, red, and purple. Plant all one color for a huge color impact, or mix and match colors, to create the look of an impressionist painting. We'll be looking for you in the "Boug" section, and we will help you with your choices!

Earwigs are the brownish/black insects (about ¾ inch long) with pointed pincers on the rear of their abdomens. Earwigs' lifelong pursuit is to be active member of the insect cleanup crew of the garden. They chew up plant debris and turn it into humus. For this job, earwigs are considered a beneficial insect. You rarely see this insect out in the open, but rather under leaves, under low growing foliage plants or in a woodpile. Creating humus is part of the earwig "career" that is a positive thing for any garden.

However, they also have a liking for new tender foliage and this is what gets them into trouble with gardeners. When they eat tender foliage, they are considered a pest.

There are a number of different earwig management techniques. Earwigs like dark, damp places in the yard. In these locations, place rolled up newspapers or low-sided cans coated with oil. The earwigs will crawl inside of either of these traps, and you can simply throw them away. If, however, you have an infestation of earwigs eating too much of the new foliage, you may find it necessary to apply an earwig bait like MasterNursery Slug, Snail and Earwig Granular . A follow up application two weeks later usually takes care of any stragglers.

Ultimately, the best way to prevent earwig infestations is to keep the garden clean and remove potential earwig hiding spots. A few here and there are more helpful than harmful to your gardens, but if they're making a meal out of your prized plants don't hesitate to pull out the bait!

A tree or a shrub can create a delightful focal point in your patio garden design.

Many of our gardens have at least one specimen plant, usually a tree but sometimes a shrub. A specimen plant is one that is eye-catching, beautiful, often architectural in form, and can stand alone in a yard or garden. Such specimen plants do not only have to reside in the ground. You can bring one or more onto your patios, decks or balconies and create the same visual effect.

Many smaller scale patio trees are absolutely wonderful specimens, and they can remain perfectly happy living in a container. Ficus Benjamina, the Weeping Fig, is not the only tree that we can have on our patios! Even if you don't have a backyard, you can still have a tree on your patio.

Also, many people forget to consider shrubs for their containers. Many of our shrubs are just as happy and healthy in a container as in the ground. How simple it is to bring foliage and flower color into your patio gardens! Just pick your favorite shrub and design your patio garden around its color and form.

And you know what else is great? You can prune many shrubs into an open tree form, creating a beautiful specimen piece. Try this technique with a camellia or azalea. They are beautiful in an open graceful form, like an oriental painting.

Now, you may be tempted to plant flowers at the base of your tree. They will add color but their roots will compete with the root system space of your new tree or shrub. Instead try this — mulch using colored landscape glass, stones in your favorite colors and textures, or bark. You will be delighted with the impact, especially using colorful landscape glass or stones!

Of course, container selection is very important — it must be large enough for the plant's future root system growth. Potting soil and fertilizers are also very important. Select a high quality potting mix such as our Gardener's Gold, and do not forget to mix in a controlled release fertilizer like Nurserymans Fruit Tree. Also, remember that moisture retention is frequently a problem with containers, so mix in a soil polymer that will hold on to the moisture between watering.

We'll match you up with the correct products once you've selected your tree and/or shrub.

Well, what are you waiting for? Summer is around the bend and it is time to decorate your outdoor living space. Come on in "Patio Daddy-os"! We'll be looking for you in our tree and shrub section.

Bill, as you may have guessed, is married to Melody, the owner of Newell Nurseries. The couple recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. They have 3 grown children (a son and 2 daughters) and 3 grandchildren.

Bill was born in Norwalk, Connecticut. His dad was in the Air Force and the family was transferred often during Bill's growing years — last stop, California, where Bill graduated from Redlands High School.

Bill followed Melody to the Nursery, hoping for a multi-faceted job after spending several years working in a factory doing the same thing day in and day out. Although he may not look the part, Bill has a delicate, creative side and found that his forte was as a buyer and dresser for the gift shop. Melody says that Bill has taken the gift shop over and above her greatest expectations, with his knack for buying the right items and displaying them to their best sale advantage.