Labor Day Weekend Hours: Sat and Sun 9-5, Mon 10-2
Customer Appreciation Weekend: Sept 16th and 17th, details to follow.
There is a lot of talk about climate change, and the toll modern life is taking on species diversity. If you spend time outside, in nature, in your gardens, you have probably noticed changes. I have worked outside for over 35 years now and have experienced the sun getting more intense every year and, lately, windier springs and falls. Some plants that grow in all-day sun can not tolerate it anymore. Many of you are resorting to shade cloth on your summer vegetables during midday. There is a lot of talk about bees and monarchs, but they are the famous ones. Bird populations are in decline, some drastically so. Insect species are in trouble though you would not know it by the flea outbreak this year or the aphids all over our crepe myrtles. Too much habitat loss, insecticides, GMOs, cell towers, etc., have taken their toll. Too much belief that it is okay for man to disrespect Mother Earth and that she is only here for us to exploit.
Change always begins at home, one garden at a time. I applaud all of you gardeners for doing your part to create habitat in your yard. You are planting trees for shade and oxygen, shrubs for bird & critter habitat, flowers for bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects. You provide shallow water in your saucers so bees and butterflies can find a drink. Maybe you have a water feature that attracts frogs and dragonflies or maybe a toad house or two. You only spray when necessary and are careful to do it when no pollinators are present. You use organic fertilizers to feed the soil and all those micro and macro organisms that in turn feed your plants by breaking down nutrients into a form plants can use. Star Gardens has always been committed to organic gardening. Together, we are doing our part to have a positive influence on our environment. PS. We have Lady Bugs for sale through fall.
I can not stress enough what a great time fall is to get trees and shrubs planted. They require so much less water ($ savings) to get established and will outperform anything planted next spring. Most nurseries run specials in the fall on a lot of items, too. More savings plus prices will go up next year, guaranteed. This is also time to plant cool-season vegetables, and we have a wide selection in stock now at the nursery. Plus, nature can do a lot of the watering for us in the winter. Cool season flowers like pansies, stock, snaps, and cabbages are becoming available, so you can refresh your containers and hanging baskets with color that will last till next spring.
The Iris bulbs are here, and I will warn you now that the price really jumped to $11.99 each. Wow. Saffron crocus bulbs are on their way, and onion and garlic bulbs should be here mid-month. We will not have organic seed potatoes until the first of November. I wish I could get them in earlier, but I do not have another source for them. Flowering bulbs like tulips and daffodils should arrive in a couple of weeks, too. We have lots of cool-season flowering seeds like sweet peas and most of the cool-season vegetables in seed, too. If you are looking for cover crop in limited sizes (like not enough for acreage but enough for your garden beds), we have them. Fava beans, Kodiak Mustard, Renees Cover Crop mix, Crimson clover, Dutch clover, Strawberry clover, and Ladino clover.
Unfortunately, there has been a shake-up at Pacific Coast Seed, and they are no longer doing the retail sizes of wildflower mixes or single varieties. Alternatives are the mixes of Cornucopia Bonus pack CA Wildflowers, North American Wildflower in 3 sizes, and Renees canister of Wildflowers. We do have bonus packs and canisters of straight Ca poppy. Calendula is easy to start from seed and is a medicinal plant and good in the vegetable garden, often reseeding. Johnny Jump-Up Violas are another easy-to-grow reseeding annual.
Now would be the time to start perennials from seed. Foxglove, Hollyhocks, Echinacea, and Rudbeckia seeds are on our seed racks.
Many of you know that ordering here at the nursery can be months in advance of when the product comes. Examples include bare root trees, bulbs, roses, some pottery, and Christmas trees. This past week has seen us trying to firm up our cut and live trees for the holidays. Premium cut trees like Nobles, and Nordmanns will be short again this year, but we will have enough Doug Firs to compensate. Hopefully, we will have a few more potted blue spruce this year, along with green, other spruces, small Dougs, and some Norways.
I love the color pallets this time of year. Autumn colors to go with Autumn. Go figure. Good color right now are the classic fall perennial, Mums. This perennial is a good buy at $3.99 as opposed to $6.99, like other perennials here. Asters are also available, along with blooming Black-eyed Susans, Echinaceas in fall colors, Profusion Zinnias, CA Fuchsias and Sages. If you need a little more color in your life these are all good choices.
September Specials
20% OFF
- Roses
- Ornamental Grasses
- Succulents
- Liner pot olives (start an orchard)
- Liner pot fruit, berries, and grapes
