Plant of the Month
Calendula officinalis Pot Marigold
Now is a good time to get some Calendulas going in the garden. They often reseed and give you the color of marigolds in the cooler season. They are a Mediterranean native so they are climate appropriate. We have seeds of some varieties and starts of others.
Calendula
Sunset says the are called Pot Marigolds because they were used as a vegetable in the cooking pot. My herb book says the are called marigolds for the Virgin Mary. They are used as a culinary dye for butter and cheese, the leaves are used in salads and other dishes, and their medicinal uses are numerous, including first aid for burns, skin creams, ulcers and painful or delayed periods (not to be ingested during pregnancy). They are used as an eyewash for conjunctivitis, compress for varicose veins, and have anti-fungal properties for warts or thrush. Maybe it is time to plant this versatile plant in your garden.
October Specials
- Plant of the Month- 20% OFF Calendula seed or plants
- Green-All Organic 2 cu ft Potting Soil and 1.5 cu ft Formula 420
- Buy 3 and the 4th is FREE
- Deciduous Friut Trees and Vines 30% OFF
- Deciduous Shade Trees 30% OFF
October 2014 Newsletter
This month marks our 10th anniversary. When I was planning on doing the nursery I took a short course on marketing at SRJC. When I told my instructor I was planning on opening a nursery in Middletown she was not very encouraging (read: what a dumb idea). Thank-you to all who have proved her wrong and that people in rural areas like pretty things too.
We will be holding a Customer Appreciation Day on Saturday October 25. I will be sending out an e- mail later this month when I have more details but please mark your calender for it.
Bulbs
I just returned fron seeing my mom in Wisconsin. The trees in her neck of the woods were in their fall glory. Many of you might of failed to include decidious trees and shrubs with good fall foliage in your landscape. Many of these trees are on special this month for you to take advantage of. A lot of the fruit trees and grapes have nice color as they go dormant. Some of the shrubs with good fall color include barberry, spirea, lilacs, hydrangeas, and viburnums.
Garlic
Daffodils, tulips and the like are all here. We just got in organic garlic sets, shallots, onions and potatoes. Check out the the garlic selection. We have 7 different varieties for you to choose from. The organic varieties include Silver Rose, Italian Late and Early Purple, Inchelium Red and Nootka Red. We were only able to get the German Red and Spanish Roja as non-organic. The 3 varieties of organic seed potatoes are Red Norland, Yukon Gold and Russet. We have red and yellow onion sets this year that are more than the commercial but hey, they’re organic. Plant these by mid month if possible.
New seed – Purple Carrots
I thought I would point out the new Renee’s Seed varieties we are stocking. We have parsnip seed, baby turnips, purple carrots, baby kale, red torpedo onions, and Asian tatsoi. All new this season. We have re-stocked the wildflower and CA. poppy seeds. For winter bedding plants we have sweet peas, ornamental kale, primrose, calendula, snaps, stock, winter daisy, dianthus, and of course pansies and violas.
Popular Pansy
Don’t forget that this is a great time to divide your perennials or to plant new ones. I will keep pestering you about fall planting of cold hardy trees, shrubs and perennials. They take off better in spring, require less water to get established and are often on sale like our trees this month.
I have had a lot of trouble with leaf miners in my cool season vegetables. I read it is a good idea to plant radishes to draw the miners to their leaves which most of us don’t eat and away from our lettuce and chard leaves that we do. Onions and garlic planted around will help with pests too. Chives deter aphids. If you do not plan on having a winter garden or have bare beds consider planting fava beans or the kodiak mustard to enhance your soil.
New Grass
Continue to water as necessary and watch out for pests like aphids on your winter vegies. Most trees are beginning to go dormant and if already established, 3-5 years old, can most likely have the drip turned off to them by the end of the month if not before. (Some say stop watering your trees at the end of Sept.). Most plants growth has slowed considerably by this time and do not need to be on the same water schedule as the summer months.
Happy Gardening,
Tanya