All the leaves have fallen off most of my trees. Has winter finally come? Last week we set some record daytime highs, but today it barely made it out of the 40s at the nursery. Nighttime temps have been consistently in the mid 20’s now. At least the nights gradually got colder, so the plants here had a chance to get climatized, unlike in the recent past. This is more like I remember winter being here. Rain and possible snow are in the forecast. One customer said he believed it was going to be a cold winter. I am inclined to agree. Already the nights have been colder than in the recent past years, where it rarely went below 26 at the nursery. I have lived here since 1990, and if it was not raining, the nights were in the high teens to low 20s this time of year, and daytime temps were in the 40s. The last few winters have been mild in comparison.
The big news is the cut Christmas trees are here! The Nichelini boys went up to Oregon to pick up our order and had them here last Wednesday. We buy direct from a nursery that grows Doug Firs and then brokers in the Nobles and Nordmanns. That being said, we have plenty of Dougs, but the taller than 7 ft Nordmanns and Nobles are selling out fast. The Dougs are a great price and smell the best. We have wreaths, garland, table-top conifers, poinsettias, Christmas cactus, cyclamen, and others for holiday decor. We have a nice selection of living conifers in pots for those who want a live tree to plant after the holidays.
The beginning of the 2023 fruit order is here. Bareroot will not be available til after our winter break, but the liner pots come first. All of our berries, some of our grapes, figs, some mulberries, pomegranates, some lilacs, wisteria, hops, and olives, are in stock now and are included in the year-end sale. We even have some almonds, Gravenstein, and Fuji apples in the liner pots. These could all make great gifts for the gardener/home food grower on your list. The full list of what is coming can be found on the Dave Wilson website under Home Gardeners, Where to buy, Nor Ca Coastal Counties. We are on the second page. Click the ‘list.’ We are taking pre-orders if you see something on the list that you want. 707-987-0998.
There is not a whole lot that needs to be done this month in the garden. Clean-up of leaves and downed fruit is important. You can start your rose and fruit tree pruning at any time now. I like to get my roses done early, stripping off all the old leaves that are left after cutting. Left on the bush, they are magnets for black spots and other fungi. Consider spraying some of your more cold-sensitive trees and shrubs with an anti-transpirant. By these, I am thinking of Citrus, Olives, Oleander, Bottlebrush, Yesterday Today and Tomorrow, and Bush Daisies. I am sure there is more, but if you have anything that has suffered cold damage in the past, you might want to spray with our Moisture Proof or Wilt Stop. Potted Evergreens and cut trees and wreaths that will be in the house for a while will last longer if sprayed also. These are pine oil products that seal in moisture. Remember that a lot of cold damage is actually caused by a drying of the foliage. We also sell N-Sulate Frost cloth that we leave on our Citrus day and night. For your vegetable garden, we have rolls of Crop Cover remay.
I recently read an article titled ‘Planting Trees in a City 30 Years Ago May Have Lowered the Risk of Death From Diseases’. This study was from Portland, OR, where they kept detailed records after planting 50,000 street trees. Mortality rates were lower, including cardiovascular disease, in one category, 20% lower. They estimate the cost of planting and maintaining the trees annually generated $14.2 million in lives saved, by far a cost savings over the average of $10,000 spent annually on the trees. A study in Australia found that neighborhoods with a 30% or more tree canopy had significantly lower odds of psychological distress or a fair to poor general health rating. So not only are trees good for the planet, they are good for our overall health too. Of course, most of you garden-growing, nature-loving people already knew this to be true.
Whether you are looking for gifts for others or just want to get a deal on some of our inventory, our year-end sale is a good time to buy. Have you seen our large angel statue? Or the Buddhas? How about the iron or shell-like mobiles? Looking for a birdbath, water vessel, or feeder for wildlife habitat? We have them. How about our quality wind chimes? Always a good bet. Beautiful pottery and houseplants are popular. Wrought iron benches, arches, and hanging baskets are another option. Smaller gifts include fairy garden figures, ornamental iron hooks, pot hangers, bulb and seed packages, clippers, tiny pots, thermometers, gloves, twine, and deco pebbles. Can’t decide? Gift certificates valid after Jan 1 are 25% off. That means a $50 one only costs $37.50. A $30 certificate costs $22.50. You get the idea.
As the year ends, I want to thank you for shopping locally and trusting us with your gardening needs. We will be closed from Dec 25th thru Jan 12 for our winter break. Look for your next newsletter after we re-open.
Happy Holidays!
Winter hours:
10-4, 7 days/week
Dec 4 – PGE is turning our power off, but we will be open.
Closing early on Dec. 24
Closed Dec 25-Jan 12
Year-end Sale:
Everything is 25% off, including Gift Certificates
Exceptions:
- Cut Christmas Trees, 2022 Oregon Grown Conifers,
- Wreaths, Garland,
- Soils and Bark