Leave winter behind and embrace the spring with free tours of three iris venues in the Loomis area; High Hand Nursery, Horton’s Iris Garden and Yarda’s Ditch Water Iris Farm. The fabulous Loomis Basin Iris Tour and Festival is April 23-25, 2010. Entries are being accepted for the Iris Contest, rules can be downloaded at High Hand or can be picked up in person at High Hand Nursery at 3750 Taylor Road, Downtown Loomis. Start at High Hand Nursery to pick up your map and grab a gourmet picnic lunch prepared by the High Hand Café. Stroll through High Hand Nursery and purchase irises in bloom, or order specialty irises from Horton’s or Yarda’s. Check out the iris judging at High Hand Nursery,

Friday Evening, September 18th from 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm Please join us for Light Hors d'oeuvres and Wine Tasting as you enjoy a fabulous display of Motorcars For more information: www.highhand.com

Author Dan Hinkley will give two lectures at High Hand Nursery LOOMIS, CA June 5, 2009 - A plant expert who has gained nationwide acclaim through his books, articles and television appearances is visiting a local nursery this month. Horticulturist Dan Hinkley, who has won many awards, written numerous articles for national magazines and appeared on Martha Stewart, Nova and other shows, will be at High Hand Nursery in Loomis June 13 and 14. Hinkley has gained fame for his worldwide travels in search of exotic plants. He specializes in introducing rare and unusual plants to North American gardeners and, in search of these plants, travels to China, South and Central America, Mexico, New Ze

Please join High Hand Nursery, Horton's Iris Farm and Yarda's Ditch Water Iris Farm Saturday, April 18th 10am-5pm and Sunday, April 19th 10am-4pm for our Loomis Iris Tour. Each venue will be a place to stroll and see exceptional blooming iris's. More importantly, each plant will be for sale during the Iris Tour. For more information please go online to HIGH HAND or call (916) 660-0128.   Michele Parry is an employee of High Hand.

For those of you who don't know who Hinkley is, he is a plant collector, propagator, lecturer and author; in the gardening world, he's the equivalent of a rock star. He seemingly has crossed from the plant world into popular consciousness, including a gush from Martha Stewart. "He is strong, he is fun to be with -- yes -- I love him" (he writes for her magazine and appears on her television show). His garden is discussed in House and Garden, and he was profiled in The New York Times magazine a couple years ago. Though hobnobbing with celebrities and hiking in the hills of Nepal may sound glamorous, Hinkley finds his deepest satisfaction in being the first to recognize and retrieve a previ