By Victoria Alley

California native plants are gaining popularity for good reason:  They bring great color and structure to the garden, attract wildlife, and are usually drought tolerant.  Best of all, they provide a sense of place, making your garden unique to our beautiful state.

California natives are easiest to establish while the weather is cool and winter rains get them off to a good start, so now is the perfect time to plant.  We have a fantastic selection of native shrubs, perennials and wildflowers to add to your garden. Here are just a few suggestions:

• Ceanothus – lovely shrubs or trees, most with true blue flowers favored by bees and other beneficial insects.
• Coffeeberry – coffee-colored stems and berries against dark green foliage.  Beautiful year-round.
• Manzanita – shrubs or small trees with pink or white flowers and magnificent branch structure and color.  Hummingbird heaven in winter.
• Flowering Currant – graceful shrub with pendulous clusters of white or pink flowers in spring.
• Matilija poppy – giant poppy with flowers that look like fried eggs – spectacular!
• Penstemon heterophyllus – a little perennial with gorgeous electric blue flowers, irresistible to pollinators.
• California poppy – our beloved state flower, available in many colors.
• Baby Blue Eyes – a charming spring-blooming wildflower, perfect for edging or spilling from pots. To see it is to want it.
• Tidy Tips – a pretty little wildflower with enchanting white-tipped yellow flowers that attract beneficial insects.

Selections vary from week to week.  Drop in soon and we’ll show you our current favorites.

We are proud and honored to participate again in the annual Bouquets to Art, March 16-21, at San Francisco’s de Young Museum. For those not familiar with this event, the de Young Museum, in San Francisco, invites the best florists in the Bay Area to interpret its collection of art with floral design. This extravagant floral event, robed in color and texture, is truly a treat for the senses and not to be missed. We hope you can attend this exquisite event and be sure to look for our masterpiece in flowers. For more information call the Flower Shop, 925-284-4474.

Choosing a site:

Citrus want a warm, sunny exposure protected from wind. Additional growing heat can be provided by selecting a site which receives reflected heat from surfaces such as house walls, fences, patio surfaces and walkways. Soil can range from adobe to sandy, but soil rich in humus is preferred. The most important factor, however, is good drainage. If you are unsure about how your soil drains: dig a test hole and keep it filled with water to saturate the soil. The next day refill with water. If your drainage is OK, the water level should drop at least 2" in 2 hours. If the water does not drain, plan on planting your citrus in a raised bed or container.

Dwarf citrus do wonderfully in containers, and moveable pots allow you shift the plants in winter to a site which maybe more protected from frost. Any pot or wooden tub which is approximately 16 - 24" in diameter will do. Again, make sure there are adequate drain holes. If you use a saucer under the pot, make sure water does not collect, causing the plant to "sit" in water for more than a few hours after you have watered the plant.

For more information about citrus, come in and pick up a copy of our Orchard Gro-Sheet about citrus.

I came a across these tips on a bookmark for gardeners at the Franklin Conservatory, in Columbus, Ohio, put out by the National Gardening Association. I think these tips are an excellent summary for starting a successful vegetable garden, giving you great satisfaction.

Randall Barnes, Bedding Department Manager, BS Horticultural Science, Cal Poly SLO

Sun:

• Vegetables require at least 6 hours of sun daily.
• Be aware of the shade created by trees, buildings, and other structures.

Soil:

• Create healthy soil for vegetable growing by ensuring proper drainage and incorporating lots of organic matter.

Site:

• Select a site close to a walkway or house so you can visit it each day to weed, water, and harvest.
• Have a water source close by for watering.

Size:

• Start small and enlarge as you feel more comfortable and learn more about the dynamics of your garden.
• Use a container that is easy and convenient for you to have on a sunny patio.

Selecting:

• Grow what you like to eat.
• Grow a fun variety of vegetables, edible flowers, and herbs. The combination will give the vegetable a completed look, no matter what size your garden is.

If you are an organic gardener like me, you probably set up the best conditions possible for your plants to be healthy and happy. Lots of compost in the soil, organic fertilizers and deep watering can do a lot to grow strong plants that will fend off most pest and disease attacks. But what do you do when Mother Nature stacks the deck against you? Rain and cold during the time when plants are breaking into bloom can create an opportunity for diseases like anthracnose, scab and bacterial blight to wreak havoc on woody ornamentals.

If you have to spray to save your blooms and fruit, there is a new product you should check out: Serenade® “biofungicide” by AgraQuest. You will find it on the shelf with our organic fungicides, but it is very different and far superior in many ways. First, it is a biological control (a living organism, not a chemical). The active ingredient is Bacillus subtilis QST 713. This strain of bacteria is not only very effective at controlling a wide range of both fungal and bacterial diseases, but has been proven not to cause disease organisms to build up resistance, which is a common problem with repeated chemical use over a period of time. Serenade® averts this problem.

Secondly, Serenade® does not have the temperature limitations that sulfur and other organic products have and can be used during warmer times of the year, if needed. It is very effective on all the rose diseases (powdery mildew, rust and blackspot).

Last, but not least, it is not harmful to bees and other beneficial insects and pollinators and can be used on edibles as well as ornamentals.

We are always here to advise you on how to give your plants the best conditions possible to keep them strong and happy. When all else fails and you need help to control fungal and bacterial diseases, it is nice to know that a product like Serenade® exists. Our Nursery Manager, Peter Tourtellotte, discovered its effectiveness a couple of years ago when we had a great collection of lilacs full of flower buds that were opening beautifully, until it rained. Bacterial leaf blight turned all the new growth and flowers limp and black – UGH! Serenade® to the rescue! We sprayed immediately and managed to save the buds that hadn’t opened yet. Now we always spray preventatively when the weather report predicts rain.

Jan Enderle,
Advanced CCNPro

Spring is almost here and summer is knocking on the door. Whether it is for a bold splash of color in the garden or an artful color coordinating pot your palette is endless with the selection of annuals for the warm season.

Here is a list of annuals you can purchase at Orchard during the warm growing season!

Prize Winner: Sandra Olinger has won a $10 Orchard Nursery gift certificate. Congratulations! Gift certificates are to be picked up within two weeks of winning. Winner must bring an ID to the nursery to claim the prize. Prize must be picked up in person. Employees are not eligible for this contest. Please stay tuned for another question next week!