My husband and I moved to rural Palomino Valley in April of 2024. After three years in a small condo with no growing space, I wasted no time. Our new house had a garden before it had a working water heater. I cleared a thicket of spent blackberry brambles, tilled and amended the hard-packed dirt, fussed over a small collection of purchased starts, ran drip irrigation, and obediently waited for the frosts to abate while I dreamed of eggplant parm. I planted my garden on June 1.

Mormon crickets (Anubrus simplex), despite the name, are not true crickets. They are flightless shield-backed katydids, members of the Tettigoniidae family. Sixty to 90 days before they devoured my eggplant, these adult Mormon crickets emerged as nymphs from eggs deposited in the soil of the surrounding rangeland the previous summer. They hatched when the soil hit 40 degrees and then spent the next two to three months molting — seven times in all. The first four times they molted they did so without going far, but by the fifth molt they were off to the races. By the time they were adults they were covering as much as a half-mile a day in sunny conditions, feasting on forbs, grasses, and seeds as they went until, finally, they arrived at my eggplants.

But the story of how so many ended up at my eggplants occurs over years. Mormon crickets appear in great numbers on a cyclical basis, with densities building season after season. These outbreaks can persist year after year, and wreak havoc on rangeland, crops, and home gardens. The good news is that Mormon crickets are migratory, typically lingering in one place for only a few days. The bad news is they can do a lot of damage in that time, and one roving band will often be followed by another. So, what to do?

My feverish research that night yielded several possibilities, familiar to anyone who uses the principles of Integrated Pest Management in their own garden. Cultural controls for Mormon crickets include raking up the dirt to expose eggs to cold winter temperatures so they won’t hatch. Obviously, I was a little too late to give that a shot, and even if I wasn’t, my crickets came marching from the steep, undeveloped land to my east. Chickens can be used as a biological control, but I was sadly poultry-less. As far as chemical controls, applications of malathion and diazinon are apparently effective at killing the crickets, but can affect pollinators as well. Another commonly recommended method is to apply a perimeter bait laced with carbaryl. The bait attracts the Mormon crickets; they feed on it, and die. Because they are cannibalistic, this attracts more crickets, which eat the poisoned crickets and die themselves, thereby creating a grisly wall of death. Effective (though morbid) as that sounded, I was too late to bait. The crickets were already here.

Finally, I came to physical controls. I found my ideal solution in a 1943 edition of USDA’s Farmers Bulletin entitled “Mormon Crickets and Their Control.” After a detailed description of filling moats with crude oil (not likely), the authors offered a slightly less medieval proposition: a slick barrier at least 10 inches high, staked on its non-cricket-infested side. They recommended sheets of galvanized iron, which (unsurprisingly) I didn’t have on hand. What I did have was three-mil plastic sheeting, zip ties, and rusty pipes. I pounded the pipes into the ground, threaded zip ties through the sheet plastic and around the pipes, buried the edge under several inches of soil, and added loose bricks for good measure. Then I hunted down the dozen or so Mormon crickets I’d trapped inside. By 10 o’clock the next morning, my garden was ugly but fortified.

And the crickets? Defeated. Marching in circles around my plastic walls, chirping in frustration.

A week later, the crickets abated, my garden was rapidly recovering, and I was back to dreaming of eggplant parm.

References

• Cowan, Franklin T., Claude Carl Wakeland, and Horace Jennings Shipman. “Mormon Crickets and Their Control.” No. 1928. US Government Printing Office, 1943.
• Holmgren, Lyle. “Home and Garden Guide to Mormon Crickets and Grasshoppers.” 2003.
• MacVean, Charles M. Ecology and Management of Mormon Cricket, Anabrus simplex Haldeman. “Integrated Pest Management On Rangeland.” CRC Press, 2019. 116-136.
• Pfadt, R.E. “Mormon Cricket Anabrus simplex Haldeman.” Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 912, 1994.

Gardening offers a unique combination of physical activity, cognitive engagement, and emotional restoration, making it a powerful, accessible tool for supporting mental well-being.

Tulips and still water offer a moment of calm and balance.  
Photo taken at Crystal Hermitage Garden.

The Science Behind the Calm

Working with soil and plants engages the senses in a way few other activities do. The tactile experience of soil, the scent of plant material, and the visual rhythm of garden spaces all contribute to a calming effect on the nervous system.

Research suggests that exposure to green spaces can reduce stress hormones and improve overall mood. Repetitive gardening tasks can also promote mindfulness and reduce mental fatigue.

A weeping Japanese maple and vibrant multi-colored tulips reward the senses with both beauty and stillness.  
Photo taken at Crystal Hermitage Garden.

Additionally, soil microbes such as Mycobacterium vaccae have been studied for their potential role in supporting serotonin production and emotional regulation.

Routine, Responsibility, and Resilience

Gardens require consistency. Watering schedules, seasonal pruning, and soil preparation create structure and routine elements that are especially beneficial during times of stress or uncertainty.

Gardening also reinforces resilience. Not every plant thrives, weather conditions shift, and success often follows trial and error. This process mirrors life in meaningful ways, encouraging patience, adaptability, and acceptance.

Gardening and Emotional Health

Gardening can be particularly supportive for those experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression.

Benefits include increased exposure to natural light, gentle physical movement, and a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

Even small successes -- new growth, a first bloom, or harvested vegetables -- can provide meaningful moments of encouragement.

Blooming tulips, iberis, and other spring flowers by a patio remind us that 
even small spaces can offer moments of restoration.  
Photo taken at Crystal Hermitage Garden.

The Role of Master Gardeners

As Master Gardeners, we are uniquely positioned to extend these benefits into our communities.

Through education, outreach, and demonstration gardens, we help others experience not just the how to of gardening, but the why it matters. Programs that encourage participation, whether through container gardening, native planting, or pollinator support, can improve both horticultural success and personal well-being.

Nevada Gardening & Mental Wellness

In Northern Nevada’s high desert climate, gardening comes with unique challenges.  Temperature swings, dry conditions, and soil limitations. Yet these same challenges can deepen the mental health benefits of gardening.

Working with native and drought-tolerant plants encourages observation, patience, and adaptability. Even small successes in this environment can feel especially rewarding, reinforcing resilience and connection to place.

Cultivating More Than Plants

Gardening is often described as growing plants, but in practice we are cultivating much more: connection to nature, connection to each other, and connection to ourselves.

In a time when many people feel increasingly disconnected, gardens remain one of the most accessible and effective ways to restore that balance.

Closing Reflection

In my own experience, some of the most restorative moments don’t come from big accomplishments, but from simple time in the garden. Hands in the soil, attention focused, and the outside world momentarily quiet.

As gardeners, we understand that growth takes time, attention, and care. The same is true for our well-being.

Sometimes, the most important thing we can grow… is a moment of peace.

The gentle movement of water at Honey’s Garden waterfall, located at Wilbur D. May Arboretum 
& Botanical Garden, creates a sensory pause where sound, motion, and nature come together in quiet harmony.

References 

• American Horticultural Therapy Association. (n.d.). Horticultural therapy. https://www.ahta.org
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Physical activity and mental health. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm
• Lowry, C. A., Hollis, J. H., de Vries, A., Pan, B., Brunet, L. R., Hunt, J. R. F., & Lightman, S. L. (2007). Identification of an immune-responsive mesolimbocortical serotonergic system: Potential role in regulating emotional behavior. Neuroscience, 146(2), 756–772.
• Mayo Clinic. (2023). Stress relief from exercise: Get moving to manage stress. https://www.mayoclinic.org
• Royal Horticultural Society. (2016). Gardening is beneficial for health: A review of the evidence. https://www.rhs.org.uk
• Ulrich, R. S. (1984). View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science, 224(4647), 420–421.
• van den Bosch, M., & Bird, W. (2018). Oxford textbook of nature and public health: The role of nature in improving the health of a population. Oxford University Press.

If you’re thirsty, they’re thirsty.  Most of us know the value of planting flowering plants that attract pollinators and beneficial, but we should also be providing shelter from weather, nesting sites, and, especially in the summer, water.  

The optimal temperature for bees to fly is 50 degrees F. to 90 degrees F.  As we know in Northern Nevada, the summer tends to have more days above the 90-degree mark.  Watering sites help our pollinators withstand those temperatures.

You can get creative with your water containers. A large half of a clam shell works, as does a grinding stone, a pot saucer, and a water lily made out of cement.  Put the container in a fairly shady part of your garden on the ground, where it will be accessible to more fauna.  For birds, it is nice to also locate your container under a tree or shrub. After bathing, birds like to fly to a branch and preen.

A finch and mountain chickadee enjoying the cool water
in a grinding stone placed under my fern bush.

Juvenile quail getting a morning drink from my cement lily pad.

Here are some tips for water sources in your garden.

• Birdbaths should be shallow, one to three inches deep, with sloping sides or a landing rock.
• Insects need a shallow container with sloping sides or small rocks to land on.
• Butterflies get their water and minerals through “puddling.”  Fill a very shallow dish with soil or sand and add water to make a mud concoction.
• Keep the containers clean and replace the water every day to keep mosquito larva out.

Valley Wood Park Wildlife Gardens are a hidden treasure in the northwest area of Reno. It started with the development of a neighborhood that contained, in its center, an undevelopable piece of land that is above an earthquake fault. The City of Reno saw an opportunity to build a 4.6-acre park on this unique piece of land. A play area, walking paths, and turf grass were the dominant features.

But, in 2016, in an effort to reduce water usage, Tom Stille, a local landscape architect and horticulturist, converted an acre of turf into eight unique gardens with the help of a grant from the Truckee Meadows Water Authority. After grant funding ran its course, a new group called the Biggest Little Bee City stepped up to care for this area. In April of 2022, the City of Reno unanimously passed a resolution to become Bee City USA #160, joining a national initiative to protect bees and other pollinators. The program, developed by the Xerces Society, a conservation group, asks cities to agree to reduce the use of pesticides, improve pollinator habitats, and provide public education on the importance of protecting pollinators.

These eight beautiful gardens are now held in trust by Biggest Little Bee City, and the Valley Wood Task Force, made up of multiple local organizations, oversees their care. Volunteer curators guide volunteer workers from Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful in maintaining the gardens. 

Valley Wood Park is located at 6555 Valley Wood Drive in Reno. The gardens are on the east end, right off the street. The first garden you will encounter is the pollinator garden, highlighted with fern bush, firecracker penstemon, lavender, and mock orange. You can walk the mulched trails to be immersed in the variety of pollinator-friendly plants or follow the sidewalk and enjoy the plant life from the perimeter. All the gardens are accessible and wheelchair-friendly. In addition to shelter and food, pollinators need water. Look for the six puddlers placed throughout the gardens, providing water for all forms of wildlife.

Adjacent to and south of the pollinator garden is the butterfly garden. The signature plants for this garden are butterfly bush and showy milkweed, a critical plant to support the monarch butterfly. This garden has been designated a Monarch Way Station by the Monarch Watch Organization, a group that certifies habitats and maps their locations, attracting visitors from around the country.  

 From this area, you can proceed two ways. An adventurous trail leads through coyote willow and cottonwoods to the riparian garden, or you can follow the sidewalk and turn left to find the herb garden.

The herb garden helps show homeowners how they can use existing overhead watering systems to turn turf grass into a garden that supports both pollinators and culinary needs. Here you will find a variety of herbs such as mint, sage, lavender, and amaranth. They are grown in clusters because pollinators prefer to visit flowers that are grown in this way.

Continue south to find even more gardens! At the crossroads, you have the choice of going east along the walking path to enjoy the riparian garden on one side and, on the other side, the beginning of the food forest. The riparian area is meant to look like it has always been there. But observe closely the plant variety, which increases the diversity of the area and demonstrates what plants thrive in such a space.

The food forest has a surprising diversity of plants edible to humans and wildlife: fruit trees, service berries, elderberries, gooseberries, grapes, rhubarb, day lilies, and much more. In the late summer, many people take an evening stroll through the park and pick sun-warmed blackberries as a treat. Be sure you know what you are consuming before you partake!

In this area, you will also find a native and drought-tolerant garden. This important garden showcases plants that help native bees and other native pollinators and wildlife. In May, 30 new native plants were added to the existing flora to attract more native pollinators. Visit any time of year to observe the growth habit of these plants and see how they contribute to the seasonal diversity of the area.

Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower) with a foraging bumblebee. 

Opposite the native garden is the hummingbird garden, which caters to its feathered clientele with many plants that produce red flowers. A recent addition was an eastern redbud. Though the garden targets hummingbirds, it also attracts many types of pollinators. It is always humming with action.

Chokecherries on a Prunus virginian shrub.  These berries are a great food source
for birds.  Chokecherry shrubs are adaptable to diverse growing conditions and climates. 

Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed Susan) has a long blooming season,
and when gone to seed makes excellent food for finches and other seed-eating birds.

In the middle of it all is the pollinator meadow. This garden is overhead-watered, as the design left the original turf grass sprinklers intact, though they do not run as often as they would for traditional turf. The many grasses in the meadow offer four seasons of interest. The hope is to demonstrate to those who want to switch from turf to a diversified lawn to see what can occur. You’ll want to visit the park multiple times to observe seasonal changes that allow this area to feed pollinators and other wildlife year round. One of the signature plants is the lupine. Did you know that lupine supports over 20 different pollinators? Look in this area for the native bee home, which provides tubes for nesting bees. This year mason bees have filled many of the tubes. The surrounding trees and open ground support both ground- and cavity-nesting bees. Nevada has more than 1,000 native bee species. Open ground and native plants provide critical support for them and many other types of pollinators.

Rudbeckia maxima (giant coneflower) needs
well-draining soil in full sun to partial shade.  It is also deer-resistant.

Symphyotrichum spp. (asters) are fall-blooming, and provide
food for pollinators as the summer flowers are waning.

Cosmos spp. (cosmos) bloom from summer through fall and come
in yellow, white, pink, orange, and red.  They are annuals, but readily reseed.

Five of the gardens have educational signs developed in partnership with the City of Reno. They can provide more interesting information. But nothing compares to visiting in person. Among the many groups using this area now are preschool groups, the Junior Ranger programs, the Osler Lifelong Learning Institute, and the Nevada Native Plant Society. Formal public tours are held twice a year, guided by Ryan Sharrer, Reno’s city horticulturist. The first of these two-hour tours is at 9 a.m. June 1. The second, at 9 a.m. Oct. 3, will focus on collecting seeds and caring for and germinating them. You can register for these tours at the Biggest Little Bee City web site.

Of course, neighborhood residents regularly enjoy the beauty and changing nature of the area. A common comment from first-time visitors to Valley Wood Park Wildlife Gardens is “I didn’t even know this place existed.” The goal is to change that to “Oh, I need to come here often and bring my friends and family.”

Layout of the Valley Wood Park Wildlife Gardens. (Map by Ray Hopper, Valley Wood Park Task Force)