Aspen Hollow: A plant addict's paradise in South Lake Tahoe since 1994

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - If you're like me, you love getting lost in a nursery, and Aspen Hollow in South Lake Tahoe allows a respite from the outside world as you plot and plan your garden.

John Fellows opened Aspen Hollow in 1994 on the corner of Emerald Bay Road and Lukins Way as the property fit his vision for creating a magical nursery. He had been creative in his career around the Lake Tahoe area as a mason, woodcarver, sign maker, and the nursery would allow him to take his creativity in a new direction.

It took a while for him to find the right slab for the water feature in front of the nursery, but he found it and had it installed, and it added to the magic of the corner lot of paradise (and another water feature has been added in the back.)

Manager Jules Abner is just the right person to be tending to the needs of customers while searching for just the right trees, plants, and merchandise to fill the nursery. Her passion is finding the most unusual environmental vendors who believe in saving the bees and then helping match their goods to customers.

The calendar may be changing to August, but it isn't too late to get started or add to your garden. It is currently the height of the season with high temperatures and plenty of sun.

As Jules walks through the nursery with her water sprayer in hand, she stays in tune with the greenery. She can tell if they need water or some extra love. Now that it is the height of the season and it has been not only hot but windy, plants have been drying out more quickly than normal.

Aspen Hollow attracts both the seasoned green thumbs as well as the novices. When Jules greets someone who is just getting started on a garden there are several questions she asks them so the right plants can be chosen for the right places. Knowing the home's microclimate and the amount of sun it gets in each space are key to planning a successful garden. Then, what flowers, shrubs, and trees do they like? Do they want native vegetation? Do they want low or high maintenance? Do they have time to water often?

With a smile, Jules said Sundays are "Planters Anonymous Sundays" so local gardeners can wander, plot, plan, and/or purchase. Plants are great therapy!

"Playing in dirt is fun!" said Jules.

The nursery creates custom planters and baskets for those unsure of what looks good together, and once a year around Father's Day their soil vendor has a planting class for people to go by and create on their own.

Fellows helped local gardeners in the Angora Fire area after Charles Barkley donated money to help the community recover. Some of the money went to nurseries to consult and help people replant.

It may seem intimidating to take that first step into the nursery, but the fact that everyone is there for the same reason - enjoying the plants - the calm quickly takes over. As one wanders through Aspen Hollow, they aren't only enjoying the plants, but also the yard art and other decorative features throughout.

There is a free workshop provided by the South Tahoe Public Utility District on Tuesday, August 1 at 6 p.m. The Friendly Gardens workshop provides support on doing your garden right the first time. Learn how to place and select the right plants in the right place. They will cover a lot of what Jules does and is a great compliment to the experience at Aspen Hollow.