Winter Hours Start Nov 1
Open 10-4, 7 days/week
Closed Thanksgiving Day
Another month has whizzed by, and we are heading into winter. Below freezing temps and frost has been greeting us the past couple of mornings, and we have brought in all the house plants and are covering the citrus and the cold-sensitive succulents. So far, nothing has melted down yet, but the writing is on the wall. Soon, we will find all our lovely coleus and potato vines headed to the compost pile. Time to protect your timers from freezing because battery timers are not supposed to freeze. Best bring them in if you can. Make sure your valves are wrapped if they are above ground. Frost cloth is available for sale to protect your cold-sensitive plants like citrus. Speaking of winter, a reminder that winter hours start Nov 1. 10-4 p.m.
I made a foray to Santa Rosa and picked up some Matilija poppies, Calycanthus (Spice Bush), Shrub Lupine, Naked Buckwheat, and a few more White Sage. These natives love to be planted this time of year. I also picked up some Sambucus nigra (Elderberry). This is the most widely used variety for medicinal purposes, but it is not the drought-tolerant one. I picked up some pricey and small Dutchmans Pipe, too.
This is the time of year we put all our remaining stock of deciduous fruit trees on special. This is a good time to plant them, and at 30% off, you are getting close to bare root prices. All the 2023 tall narrow liner pots of grapes, kiwis, and berries are now half off. Blueberries like very acidic soil, and it is recommended to grow them in pots with one-third each of Firmulch, Peat, and Potting Soil. Although self-fertile, they produce heavier if planted with another variety. This way, you can extend your harvest time longer by picking two varieties that mature at different times. (The same is true for fruit trees.) For raspberries and blackberries, a moisture retentive soil is best. Planting all berries in our hot climate in no more than half day sun is our recommendation. This helps save on water. You have probably noticed we live in a grape-growing region, and these make great ornamental vines, give you fruit, and are easy to grow. Grape roots can grow 8ft deep in 3 years and, along with Goji berries, are on the drought-resistant side once established. The 2024 crops of liner pots usually come in November, but these will be full price.
We still have a large selection of cool season vegetable starts, but we will be reducing the variety selection soon. We need to reduce the table size to make room for our “Christmas Tree Lot.” We should be getting organic seed potatoes the first of the month, and garlic, shallots, and onions are in stock now, along with Saffron crocus bulbs.
It is time to get Daffodils, Tulips, Hyacinths, Iris, Crocus, and the like planted for spring color. Bulb pots that you planted can make great gifts, especially if you throw in a few pansies, too. To help with this planting project, glazed pottery is 30% off in November. Maybe you have some nice perennials that need dividing, and you could make gifts out of these, too, because November is a good time to divide. This is also the first month to dormant spray your orchard with oil and a fungicide like copper or sulfur. The Hydrangeas are going to begin next years flower process inside the bud swells, so your first treatment of True Blue for blue flowers should be now. The 6 packs of pansies and violas are looking good, and there are a lot of nice ornamental cabbages and poppies for winter color, along with winter daisies and calendula. We are stocked up on a few different Euphorbias that do very well in winter and bloom in early spring. Another great perennial for winter are Hellebores. These climate appropriate low growing plants for shade bloom in winter. Chelsea made some nice winter baskets if you need some ideas on how to spruce up your containers or just to buy. Don’t forget EBStone Sure Start.
I am hoping the frost will trigger our plants that get fall color, so will start to change soon. We are seeing some color change beginning in the shrub dogwood and lilacs along with the wild plums and one of my Pistache trees in my yard. A few of the maples are starting along with a few crape myrtles. Some years, it stays warm, and then a hard freeze comes and turns everything brown before they get a chance to change. The color change happens when the green chlorophyll exits the leaves to be stored in the woodier portions and roots of the plant. Some say fall foliage is the actual leaf color of the plant.
Christmas update: We are getting wreaths and garland on Tues. Nov 21, and cut trees will be here for sale on Thanksgiving weekend. Potted live conifers are usually here mid-month, but we have no set delivery date yet on those. Some Christmas cactus is starting to bloom, but it is still early for most. The same is true for Cyclamen, although the minis are in color now. Poinsettias will be coming around Thanksgiving and the first week in December. We will have small lemon Cypress and Alberta Spruce to round out your decor.
Thanksgiving is coming up, and with that, I was pondering how blessed I am. So often, I get caught up in the doing and what needs doing that I miss the daily gifts I am given. There is so much to be thankful for. Thankful I live in a small rural town, apart from a lot of the madness out there. Thankful for Star Gardens and all our customers who have helped make this a successful business. Thankful for the little slice of wonder that has been created here, and thanks to the great staff who continue to make the magic happen. Thankful I can appreciate the beauty that greets me every day. Thankful the birds and bees find respite here and the flowers that draw them in and the trees for shelter. Thankful for nature, health, and well-being.
November Specials
30% off
- Houseplants
- Deciduous Fruit Trees
- Roses
- Outdoor Glazed Pottery
50% off
- 2023 ‘Liner Pots’ of berries and grapes
Buy 4, 5th free
- 4 inch and quart perennials
