Grow Your Own: Cutting Garden

February 19, 2020

There's nothing like creating beautiful bouquets of flowers you grew yourself, a mix of dahlias, gladiolus and fragrant lilies for stunning arrangements as gifts or to decorate your home with! We have a great selection of summer-blooming bulbs in stock now and so many varieties that are perfect for a cutting garden!

When planting, we recommend waiting until March so the soil can dry out and your bulbs aren't sitting in water. Pick up a bag of E.B. Stone Organics Bulb Food 4-6-4 to apply when planting and once they begin blooming, give them a dose of E.B. Stone Organics Ultra Bloom 0-10-10 to keep them flowering!

Dahlias

Available in a huge variety of color, size and flower type, whether you prefer the massive dinner-plate flowers or the bronze colored foliage, dahlias are a must-have!

Plant sun-loving dahlias in a spot with at least 6 hours of sunlight a day and protection from the wind. Dig 4-6" deep and place your bulbs about 2-4' apart (depending on size), planting the tubers flat with eyes facing up. Prolific bloomers, dahlias will flower May until frost when deadheaded so make sure to pick up a new set of pruners in the Garden Shop!

Read more about Growing Dahlias here!

Lilies

Plant lilies in full sun and you'll be enjoying them as much as the bees and the butterflies. Available in a number of different colors and bicolors, they are superb cut flowers. Some are even so fragrant their exotic fragrance can fill up an entire room! Winter hardiness is a plus too!

Psst...looking for a perfect white lily? Don't miss our 'Casablanca' variety.

Gladiolus

Tall spikes of flowers, gladiolus are perfect when adding a bit of height behind your shorter plants! They provide a striking vertical accent when combined with plantings of annuals, perennials or shrubs.

To make sure the stems are strong, be sure to plant the corms deeply enough. A general rule is to plant each corm about 4 times as deep as it is thick, and space them 4-6" apart. Like Dahlias, they do best in well drained soil with lots of organic matter. You can stagger your planting of gladiolus bulbs for a summer-long harvest, just be sure to store your bulbs in a cool, dry space.

If you're planting purely for a cutting garden, remember to plant in rows for easy access to flower spikes!

For mini bouquets, try these shorter flowers...

Ranunculus

For a stunning mini bouquet (12-16" high), we love the little rosette shape of ranunculus! Available in a range of warm tones and color mixtures, plant now and enjoy in late spring, early summer! Plus these cuties attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds!

Ixia

Also known as Wand Flowers, plant Ixia 2-3" deep in full sun and you'll have 14-16" high star-shaped flowers on small spikes in late spring! Available in a mix of reds, pinks and white, it makes a perfect little bouquet.

Sparaxis

Growing 10-12" high in full sun, shop our Harlequin mixture featuring red, pink, orange and white flowers with that quintessential yellow center. A butterfly and hummingbird favorite!

If you think you can't do bulbs because of shade, try these shade-lovers...

Begonias

Ruffled flowers will bloom all summer long until frost. Plant in morning sun or bright shade, the hanging variety is perfect for your porch or patio! Growing 10-12" high, Begonias are a pollinator's favorite and come in an array of colors and in both hanging and upright varieties!

Calla Lily

Easy to grow, our shade loving aethiopica variety boasts those classic large (24-36" high) white flowers that bloom late spring to mid-summer. Perfect for a shade to part shade area of your garden and container planting, plus they're deer resistant!

Lily of the Valley

Growing 6-12" high, these small white bell-shaped flowers are valued for their delicate beauty and incomparable fragrance! Growing well in shade or part shade, enjoy flowers in early summer and dark green foliage all season long.

Questions? Stop in today and let's talk bulbs!

Pear Care: Fire Blight

May 22, 2019

We’ve already had a number of customers bring in examples of fire blight afflicting their pear trees, if you recognize this on your pear trees, read on for our recommended management and prevention including what control you’ll want to grab from the Garden Shop!

Note that fire blight is a common and frequently destructive bacterial disease of not only pear but apple, crabapple, pyracantha, quince and related plants.

As you can see from the photo above, fire blight can attack all parts of the pear tree causing shoots, leaves, fruit and flowers to blacken or brown and die. Dead leaves and fruit cling to branches throughout the season, giving the tree a scorched appearance. And we are seeing it more this year because of the weather - a warm spring with intermittent rain is just the recipe for fire blight to thrive under.

Prevention

As of now, copper products are not effective as fruit has already begun to form. Right now to prevent the spread of fire blight, remove the infected wood as soon as you see it. Dip shears in 10% bleach (1 part bleach, 9 parts water) between cuts and remove at least 12-18” below the canker.

During fall and spring there are two different controls to use on your pears:

Copper Soap - An organic control, apply in fall or early winter once your trees go dormant. This will occur when all the leaves fall off your tree. In spring, apply when blossoms begin to open and repeat sprays every 7-10 days until flowering has ended.

Liqui-Cop - For apples, pears and quince, apply when trees begin blooming in spring.

Make sure to read the back of the bottle and see what specific instructions are listed. Concentrate and application may differ across plants.

LEAF SPOT

Although you may be alarmed at the appearance of these small unsightly spots, this is not the beginnings of fire blight but leaf spot.

Easily identified by its round shape and definite edge with a darker border, leaf spot won’t cause long-term damage to your tree and is easily managed by removing the infected leaves. Just like with peach leaf curl it is important to bag up the infected leaves and dispose of them to keep the infection contained.

Leaf spots on our espalier ornamental pear tree outside the Garden Shop

Questions? Stop in and let’s talk pear health, ornamental or edible!

Grow Your Own: Watermelons!

May 08, 2019

There’s nothing like plopping yourself down on the front porch with a freshly cut watermelon and spitting seeds into the lawn. Especially when that watermelon is homegrown!

It’s the perfect time to start growing watermelon as they require 2-3 months of warm weather to set fruit. Here’s a few varieties you won’t want to miss and make sure to scroll down for tips to get started!

Moon and Stars

Don't miss the rare and unusual heirloom 'Moon and Stars' Watermelon! Introduced in 1926, it's dark green rind is adorned with small yellow speckles the "stars" and one or two big yellow splotches - "the moon."

Melons are medium sized, roughly 25 lbs. and slightly oblong with juicy red fruit inside.

Sugar Baby

Sugar Baby is an heirloom variety and the most popular little melon out there! A delicious, very sweet and refreshing small ice-box size melon (8-12 lbs) with bright red-pink flesh and a dark black-green striped rind growing on compact vines 4-5 feet vines.

Crimson Sweet

You won’t find Crimson Sweet watermelons at your local grocery store! Weighting 22-25 lbs, these large melons are light green with dark stripes (or vice versa) and have incredibly sweet dark red, firm and fine textured flesh. With a 12% sugar content at that! They are also fusarium wilt and anthracnose resistant.

Sweet Dakota Rose

An early watermelon, Sweet Dakota Rose is generally considered to have the sweetest taste and fewest seeds! Growing on 8-10 foot vines are medium sized melons with bright red flesh. It grows well in short, cool seasons (hello Berkeley and Oakland gardeners!)

Jubilee

Developed at the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station in Leesburg in 1963, Jubilee produces large, elongated melons known for their finely textured, bright pink-red flesh and deliciously sweet taste. They are also fusarium wilt and anthracnose resistant.

No matter what watermelon you choose, you’re bound to have a delicious harvest! Read on to learn our tips on planting, watering and fruit care:

PLANTING

Before planting, amend your soil with Paydirt (recommended for edibles, roses and top dressing flower beds too!) Watermelons are heavy feeders so you’ll be happy to have amended soil from the start!

When planting, space your watermelons 3-5 feet apart. Vines can reach 20 feet long, depending on the variety, so make sure to give them room to roam!

As the vines begin to flower, remember that there are both male and female flowers. Don’t worry if flowers fall off - male flowers appear first and will fall off shortly after they open. They are followed by the female flowers that will then bear fruit.

WATERING

Watermelon need deep watering, this means soak ‘em long so their roots will grow deep. To help them retain water, be sure to mulch. It’s typical for their leaves to wilt under the hot summer sun, but don’t worry too much - they should prop back up in the evening!

FEEDING

Watermelons take a while to mature, make sure to give them regular feedings to help with fruit development! We recommend E.B. Stone Organics Tomato and Vegetable Food 4-5-3. Amending your soil will also help lend extra nutrients to your soil and thus to your plant as well.

PEST CONTROL

Cucumber beetles and vine borers are the most common watermelon pests. We recommend applying Caterpillar Killer Spray with Bt (Bacillus Thuringensis). This formula is safe around humans, pets and our beneficial insects.

If you have any issues with your watermelons, be sure to snap a picture and come visit us! A picture or even an infected leaf is the best help for us so we can provide you with an accurate diagnosis.

FRUIT PROTECTION

It’s important to keep ripening watermelon from direct contact with soil in order to prevent rot. Once it gets to the size of a softball, place straw or a piece of cardboard underneath it for protection.

Strawberries: June vs. Everbearing

April 01, 2019

Whether you prefer those giant berries or a variety you can harvest through fall, we've got you and your garden covered!

Everbearing strawberries tend to grow more compactly with three separate harvests in late spring, summer and fall, whereas the sprawling "June bearing" types have two harvests in late spring and summer and boast the larger fruit.

Here’s a few examples of Everbearing and June bearing varieties that you’ll find at the nursery this spring:

Everbearing:

Albion
Ozark Beauty
Eversweet
Seascape

June bearing:

Sequoia
Chandler

Questions? Stop in and let's talk edibles!

Peonies 101

April 01, 2019

Peonies are beginning to bud and come early May, we’ll be admiring magnificent show-stopping flowers like these beauties pictured at the nursery last spring!

Plant your Peony in full sun and give it a dose of E.B. Stone Organics Sure Start 4-6-2 for healthy roots and shoots. We also recommend amending your native soil with Black Forest, find it in the Garden Shop.

We especially love our Itoh Peonies, an intersectional hybrid of a tree and bush that will bloom in our milder climate! (As opposed to bush forms that require colder temperatures in order to set flowers.) Once established, Itohs boast an extended blooming period adorned with as many as 50 blooms in a season.

50 blooms in one season! A perfect choice for those that love Peoniesas cut flowers in homegrown bouquets. (Who doesn't?!) And Peonypetals are edible! Add them to a summer salad for a pop of color or use as a garnish in your summer lemonade!

This Week's Edible Arrivals!

March 04, 2019

Here comes spring and with it, some many new arrivals in the nursery, and especially in veggies, herbs and overall edibles! (Tomatoes we are expecting the first week of April.) Here are the plants and their varieties that we’re due to get in this week, we’ll be getting more as we near spring so hold tight if you don’t see the specific one you’re pining for!

Strawberries!

Due to arrive on Friday, look out for these varieties:

‘Chandler’
‘Eversweet’
‘Ft. Laramie’
‘Ozark Beauty’
‘Quinalt’

Sweet Peas

Sweet Peas will be available in 6-packs this week, we have a number of varieties available in 4” in Collector’s Corner as well. Here’s the line-up for 6-packs:

‘Apricot Sprite’
‘Bijou Dwarf Mix’
‘Early Bloom Mix’
‘Incense Mix’
‘Mammoth Mid Blue’
‘Mammoth Mix’
‘Mammoth White’
‘Old Spice Painted Lady’
‘Ripple Mix’
‘Streamers Bicolor Mix’

Calla Lilies

Beautiful Calla Lilies in an array of colors are coming in this week too, if you’re looking for white we still have many in stock that arrived last week!

Poppies

Both Oriental and California Poppies are arriving this week - woo hoo!

Please keep in mind that availability is dependent on the growers and the quality of the plant material. We only accept the best of the best!

Growing Asparagus

January 23, 2019

Perhaps no other garden vegetable is so eagerly awaited in spring as tender spears of asparagus. This hardy perennial, a member of the lily family (Liliacea), can be easily grown, and once established can be harvested for 10-12 years from the same planting!

Planting

Asparagus thrives in fertile, loose soil. A bed containing 2 rows, 20 feet long, spaced 4 feet apart will accommodate 30-40 plants - which is sufficient to supply an average family of 4.

Dig trenches 12” deep and as wide. Mix 3” of Pay Dirt (our favorite and go-to amendment for veggies, roses and top dressing flower beds!) into about 6” of the soil in the bottom of the trench and soak thoroughly. Set asparagus crowns into the trench so the tops are 6-8” below the top of the trench and roots are spread out evenly. Space crowns 12” apart and cover with 2” of conditioned soil. Water slowly and thoroughly. As sprouts grow, fill the trench a little at a time with conditioned soil, always leaving the tips exposed until the trench is filled.

The conditioned soil used to fill the trenches should be 1/3 Pay Dirt mixed with 2/3 loose garden soil.

Watering

Don’t skimp on water when the top growth is developing. Soak deeply whenever the soil begins to dry out at the root depth. Overhead sprinklers or soaker hoses provide the best way to deep water asparagus beds.

Fertilizing

For maximum production and thick, tender spears, asparagus needs heavy feeding. We recommend applying E.B. Stones Organic Tomato & Vegetable Food 4-5-3 just before growth starts in spring, every 6-8 weeks during the growing season and again after the last harvest.

Here’s a tip, pick up the big bag of Tomato & Veggie Food because soon, all those delicious summer veggies will be arriving and they’ll want a dose of organic fertilizer too!

Harvesting

Spears will have best flavor and texture if picked when they are 5-8” high. Spears that have become taller than 8” should be left and allowed to develop foliage. If spears are cut, the knife must be kept sharp and cutting done so as not to injure other spears close by. Cut on a 45 degree angle about 1 1/2” below the soil level. Spears also may be snapped off by bending sharply until they break.

General Care

On plants started from seed or 1 year roots, spears should not be harvested for 1-2 years. Our bareroot asparagus are on 2 year roots, so you should have a few spears that can be harvested in the first year. After that, cutting may be continued until the appearance of thin spears indicates that the food stored in the roots is running low. At this point, allow the remaining spears to develop into fern-like foliage. Continue feeding and watering until foliage turns brown in late fall, then cut dead stems off at ground level. To control asparagus beetles and other pests, apply Monterey Take Down Garden Spray. For slug and snail control, hand pick and dispose or use Sluggo Slug & Snail Bait - safe to use in vegetable garden areas.