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Lafayette
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a Guest Gardener:
Gardeners love to learn from other gardeners "over the fence." We
would love to include a tour and/or an article from one of our readers!
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Contact Information:
Online Form:
Click to contact us.
Telephone:
(925) 284-4474
Address:
4010 Mt. Diablo Blvd.
Lafayette, CA 94549
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E. B. Stone Citrus & Fruit Tree Food
is a blend of select natural organic ingredients for use with citrus and other home orchard fruit trees and with small fruits like berries and those grown on vines. It is formulated to encourage new growth, lush green foliage and to support bountiful crops. E. B. Stone Citrus & Fruit Tree Food is rich in nitrogen, which is essential for all fruiting crops. It also contains phosphorus and potash, which are important for fruit production. It may also be used to feed shade trees, flowering trees and ornamental vines. Don't forget to check your pH and lower as needed with our Soil Sulfur for healthy citrus. |
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All sizes - limited to stock on hand
PERFECT FOR DAD ON FATHER'S DAY
Lemons • Limes • Oranges • et al
Special of the Week is valid on purchases made June 11th through June 17th.
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Our very own Lynda Q. will create a permanent botanical arrangement in her unique style of landscape. Watch her as she brings nature to life.
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With a passion for stones and their array of unique colors and textures, NAKAMOL, a native of Thailand, began creating jewelery as art.
Today, her simple expressive pieces, at affordable prices, are a wonderful addition to any wardrobe.
See the NAKAMOL collection of earrings, cuff bracelets, layered flower rings and silk necklaces at the LAZY K.
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If you are a berry lover, you can't possibly have a garden without dedicating a space to grow delicious homegrown strawberries. Some people even go as far as saying they are the best of all the berries. What is unique about the strawberry (actually a member of the rose family) is that it is the only fruit with seeds on the outside rather than the inside.
The delicate but great-tasting heart-shaped berry has always been associated with love, passion, purity, and healing. Legend has it that if you break a double strawberry in half and share it with a member of the opposite sex, you will fall in love with each other.
And speaking of legends and folklore, locals in some parts of Bavaria still practice the annual rite--each spring--of tying small baskets of wild strawberries to the horns of their cattle as an offering to the elves. They believe that the elves, (who are known to be passionately fond of strawberries--what good taste they have), will help to produce healthy calves and an abundance of milk in return.
Strawberries are also prized for their medicinal purposes and health attributes. Ounce for ounce, strawberries have more Vitamin C than citrus fruit and have been associated with lowering cholesterol, easing symptoms of gout and digestion problems and lowering the risk of certain types of cancer.
Strawberries are generally divided into three groups: spring bearing, everbearing, and day-neutral. The fruits of day-neutral plants and everbearers are usually smaller than the fruits of the spring-bearers. Spring bearing strawberries generally produce a crop during a 2-4 week period in the spring. Ever-bearing strawberries produce three periods of flowers and fruit during the spring, summer, and fall--while day neutral strawberries will produce fruit throughout the growing season.
Strawberries prefer the sun but do tolerate some shade. Their major requirement is good drainage, so they'll benefit from being planted in mounded soil, terraced beds, barrels or other types of containers. They can also be used as an edging plant or a groundcover.
We invite you to discover the sensational flavor of homegrown strawberries!
Strawberry Planting and Care Instructions
Be sure to plant strawberry starts with their crown just above the soil level. Use a good soil amendment to help them get going well. We recommend spacing plants 12" apart. Remove all flowers the first two months to help with rooting and then remove runners so that the plant can put its energy into producing fruit.
Placing plastic sheeting underneath the foliage will help keep the soil warm and weed-free. It also deters slugs, snails and other crawling insects from feeding on foliage and berries. Water your plants using drip irrigation or by flooding trenches between the mounds or terraces. Keep them healthy by feeding with EB Stone Tomato Vegetable Food. Supplement these feeding occasionally with fish emulsion, which is low in nitrogen and will promote more bud growth and fruit. Stop by and see our great selection of varieties in stock now.
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ECOMETRO GUIDE ON SALE!
Find the best green and local products, merchants and ideas. Last chance to get this local and green coupon book, full of coupons and green ideas. Regularly $20, on sale now for $10. Use the coupon for Orchard on your next visit, and you’ve already gotten your money’s worth…$10 off a purchase of $50 or more (see coupon for details). Book includes coupons to many other local businesses, including Diablo Foods, Whole Foods, Absolute Center in Lafayette, REI…just to name a few! Coupons mostly valid through the end of November. While supplies last.
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This Week's Question:
With more than 25,000 species and 110,000 (and counting) hybrids, orchids are the largest family of flowering plants in the world. Orchids comprise what percentage of all flowering plants?
Prize: A $10 Orchard Nursery Gift Certificate
One winner per newsletter.
The winner will be announced in Orchard's next online newsletter.
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.
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| What
You'll Need:
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, cut into 1 inch ribbons
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 1 cup cucumbers, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 cup tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 (15 ounce can) white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 20 kalamata olives, pitted
- 1 cup herbed croutons
Step by Step:
- Whisk together vinegar, oil, oregano, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add lettuce, carrots, cucumber, tomato, beans, and feta; toss.
- Either divide into 4 small bowls or keep in one large one.
- Top with olives and croutons.
Yield:
4 servings
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