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 Plant of the Month Cistus -Rockrose I think this was a plant of the month in some past year but now is a great time to plant these Mediterranean shrubs. We often have them in 4” pots this time of year for the budget conscious gardener. They

Plant of the Month Verbena bonariensis This verbena is very different from the usual verbena that comes to mind. It is very drought resistant once established and butterflies love it. Although Sunset only rates it to Zone 8, it does okay here and can self sow. It

Plant of the Month Picea pungens and P. abies Thought it might be nice to give you some info on some of our potted conifers. I have found the spruces hold up well through our summers. If you are buying a living tree either for yourself or

Plant of the Month Indoor Plants Did you know our indoor spaces are more polluted than our outdoor air? Paints, carpets, furniture, cleaning supplies, detergents-all filled with VOC’s -volatile organic compounds. These include benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, xylene, trichloroethylene and toluene. As our winter wet weather is

Plant of the Month Abutilon hybrids Flowering Maple Abutilons are evergreen shrubs native to South America and other warm regions of the world. We can grow them here with protection in the winter or as a potted plant brought indoors for winter. They sport maple like leaves

Plant of the Month Rosas/Roses Roses are considered to be the most popular ‘shrub’ planted in temperate climates. They are actually quite tough as long as you chose varieties suited to your climate (and keep them from deer). In hot climates like ours they do best in

Plant of the Month Physocarpus- Ninebark There is a western mountain native of this genus of deciduous shrubs, Physocarpus capitatus, but this will focus on Common Ninebark, P. opulifolius because the hybrids are very worthy of consideration. Typically a large growing shrub with lobed leaves and clusters

Plant of the Month Russian Sage-Perovskia Russian Sage is a perennial winner. It takes very little water once established, grows in full sun and is very reliably deer resistant. The foliage is silver and toothed on stems that can reach to 5 ft on the full sized

Plant of the Month Scaevola aemula Scaevola aemula is an Austalian native that thrives in our hot summers. It is considered a perennial to Sunset Zone 8 but I feel it is more of an annual for us. The flowers are fan shaped, giving it the common

Plant of the Month Lamium We carry two types of Lamium, Lamium maculatum and Lamium (Lamiastrum) galeobdolon. Both make nice ground cover for a shady area with their silver-white foliage. They like regular water and are deer resistant. Lamium maculatum flowers in shades of pink purple or