Quotation of the Week: "An optimistic gardener is one who believes that whatever goes down must come up." — Leslie Hall

San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

	San Francisco Flower & Garden Show At The Cow Palace March 15th - 19th, 2006 Avoid the lines and purchase your tickets at Orchard Nursery & Florist. Adult tickets $20.00 at the door. Early Bird discount tickets available through March 14th $17.00. When you purchase your tickets at Orchard Nursery you will receive the discount coupon pictured below.

Mark Your Calendars!

Our Annual Citrus Tasting and Tomato Tutorial Saturday, March 18th

Tomato Tutorial - From 10 am to 12 noon Our tomato & vegetable supplier, Ginger McMahon from Suncatcher Harvest, will be here discussing all the different varieties of tomatoes and veggies she supplies us with and she'll share helpful hints for bumper crops this summer.

Citrus Tasting – From 11 am to 1 pm Try before you buy! Taste the difference between the many varieties of citrus fruit we carry and discuss the cultural requirements of growing citrus in our area.

All in all, this is an opportunity you don't want to miss!

Anthurium

Anthurium

Anthurium, often thought to be a native of Hawaii, actually originated in the wet forests on the western slopes of the Andes, southern Colombia and northern Ecuador. Introduced first in Belgium, it then made its way to England in 1889 and eventually to Hawaii. Naturally, anthurium is an epiphyte (grows without soil, clinging on to the branches of trees). There have been more than 800 species found; there are increasing numbers of wonderful varieties of Anthurium, both large and small. Color ranges from white, pink, red, green, lilac and orange.

Light: Bright indirect lighting is ideal; does poorly in artificial light.

Water: During flowering water well 2-3 times a week; at other times of the year, keep soil moist, but water less often. Requires good drainage; never allow your plant to stand in water.

Temperature: Warmth-loving plant; 65 -70 degrees is tolerated but grows best 80 -90 degrees.

Humidity: High humidity; mist leaves twice a day if possible.

Fertilizer: Feed 2 times a month with a dilute liquid fertilizer such as Master Nursery All Purpose 18-18-18.

Re-pot: It is important to repot every year to get rid of the harmful unabsorbed minerals retained in the soil. Houseplant potting soil mixed with perlite 2:1 creates the loose fast draining mix anthurium require.

Calla Lilies

The sculptural elegance of their spathe and spadix flower makes calla lilies stand out in any setting. And they are versatile plants, at home in a garden setting, wonderful in containers, and breathtaking in cut flower arrangements. Calla lilies grow in full sun; except in hot-summer climates, plant in light shade. Calla lilies need regular water throughout their growth and bloom time, which is late spring and summer. Plant bulbs 2 inches deep, and 8-12 inches apart. Most varieties are 1 ½ -2 feet tall. Orchard Nursery has a dozen different varieties available in bulb form right now. Here are a few choices:
calla lily 'Black Forest'	calla lily 'Flame'	calla lily 'Peach Chiffon'	calla lily 'Sangria'
Zantedeschia albomaculata (Spotted Calla) - Creamy white spathes, with bright green, white-spotted leaves.
Zantedeschia rehmanii ‘Superba' – Dark pink spathes, with unspotted green leaves.
Zantedeschia elliottiana 'Golden Calla'– Yellow spathes, with white-spotted leaves. Z. elliottiana tolerates full sun, even in hot-summer climates.
Zantedeschia hybrids – Spathe colors come in shades of cream, orange, pink, lavender and purple.

What You'll Need: 1 boneless pork butt (1-1/4 lb) cut into 1-inch chunks 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes in puree 1 envelope beef-onion soup mix 2 tbs. sweet paprika 2 tsp. garlic, minced 1 tsp. caraway seeds 3/4 cup sour cream 3 tbs. snipped fresh dill 1 bag (16-oz) frozen Italian-style meatballs

Step by Step:

Mix pork, tomatoes, soup mix, paprika, garlic and caraway seeds in a 3 or 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours until pork is tender. Stir in sour cream and dill. Serve with egg noodles or mashed potatoes to soak up the juices. Yield: 6 servings