Plant of the Month
Coreopsis
Coreopsis are butterfly attracting perennials and annuals that are on the deer resistant list, take little to moderate water, handle full sun and are easy to grow. We have several different kinds available at the nursery.
- Coreopsis grandilfora – Bright yellow flowers, some kinds with red centers that grow 1 to 2 ft high, attract bees and bloom over a long period.
- Coreopsis verticillata – One of the most drought resistant, these have ‘thread leaf ‘ foliage. ‘Moonbeam’ and ‘Zagreb’ are the most common. One of my favorites.
- Coreopsis hybrids – the hybridizers have been busy producing an array of different plants ranging in a wide variety of colors. We have a bunch of the pie series- ‘Pumpkin Pie’, ‘Cherry Pie’, and ‘Pineapple Pie’. We also have ‘Salsa and ‘Pink Lemonade’. We might get in more as the month progresses.
- Coreopsis tinctoria – We have 6-packs of this re-seeding annual. They make great cut flowers.
Spring has Sprung
THE NURSERY IS NOW CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS
In Memorium
SALLY
OUR BELOVED GIRL WAS STRUCK BY A CAR IN THE WEE HOURS OF JULY 4TH ON ONE OF HER WALKABOUTS
WE MISS HER AND IT WILL NOT BE THE SAME WITH HER GONE
SHE BURNED BRIGHT AND FAST
July Specials
- All vegetable plants Half OFF
- All bulbs Half OFF
- The following shrubs in stock 30% OFF
- Camellias Spireas Lilacs Azaleas Forsythia Quince Ceanothus
July 2013 Newsletter
July has come in with scorching heat so it seems appropriate to write about ways to help our plants survive the blistering sun. July is historically the month of the highest evapo-transpiration rate. By that I mean moisture loss through the leaves. Often in hot sun some plants like hydrangeas and squashes lose water faster than they can take it out of the ground. There is actually water available but they are still wilting. They recover later in the day once they can catch up with the loss through the foliage.
- Anti-transpirant -For newly planted plants, some conifers and plants that have a high transpiration rate you might consider spraying them with an anti-transpirant. We carry the natural Wilt-Stop.
- Plant trees – Even full sun plants benefit from some shade. The nursery has areas of afternoon sun and shade and the difference in the ambiance and feeling of heat is remarkable.
- Mulch – Can’t say enough about mulch. Mulch keeps the soil from getting baked hard, helps with moisture retention and breaks down to add organic matter to you soil. Our most economical mulch is the shredded red cedar. We also carry various sizes of fir bark and the highly beneficial Firmulch.
- Plant climate appropriate plants – There are plenty of CA. Natives, Mediterranean, Australian and heat resistant plants to chose from at the nursery.
Rose of Sharon
Summer blooming plants are starting and there is plenty of color to choose from. The Rose of Sharon are starting along with a few Crape Myrtles. The Black-eyed Susans, Russian Sage, Echinaceas and our plant of the month, Coreopsis, are coming into their summer show. Heat, sun and deer resistant annual vinca are a good choice too.
Pottery Delivery
We just stocked up on terracotta pots and wooden window boxes and still have a nice selection of glazed pottery. We also re-stocked on our beautiful Gentle Spirit Windchimes.
Our neighbors have hives so we have plenty of bees at the nursery. Some of you have mentioned lots of bees in your yards too. Bees are an important pollinator for our edibles so I thought I’d mention a few plants we carry with summer bloom now that attract bees and other pollinators. They are Agastache, Asters, Caryopteris, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Echinacea, Lavender, Alyssum, Catmint, Oregano, Russian Sage, Rudbeckia and Salvias.
The native landscape has dried up very early this year so expect deer to be worse than normal. We sell deer repellants for all your new plantings but it might be wise to cage things temporarily till they get established. Remember nothing is deer proof and a hungry deer will eat just about anything.
Happy Gardening,
Tanya