The Orchard Online News: October 1, 2009

Edition 9.40

October 1, 2009

Master Nursery

CCN Pro

Lafayette
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Telephone:
(925) 284-4474

Address:
4010 Mt. Diablo Blvd.
Lafayette, CA 94549

Dr. Earth LIFE™ PRO-BIOTIC™ All-purpose Fertilizer

Same great Pro-Biotic formula with Beneficial Soil Microbes and Mycorrihizae. Easy-to-use homogenous pellets can be broadcast on top of soil. Fast, long-lasting results. Starts feeding in 7 to 10 days, lasts for months. Certified organic.

Harvest Festival is here! Join us this weekend to enjoy fall planting and decorating workshops, farm animals, scarecrows, our Pumpkin Patch, music and family fun! Here’s this weekend’s schedule of events:

Saturday, October 3rd

11-1: The Straight Talk on Natural Gardening

Stephanie Ripple, Natural Gardening Specialist, teaches how to identify and organically manage insects and diseases in your garden. Perfect for beginners and experts alike.

11-4: The Bubbling Cauldron Co.

Sally Case’s handmade Haunted Halloween Houses are back. Perfect for your tabletop Howl-i-Day decorating

1-3: The Steve Snyder Trio

Live Jazz music catering to your requests.

2-4: Thrillers, Fillers & Spillers

Our own Shawna and Victoria will help you create a beautiful mixed planter, just like the ones you see in Collector’s Corner. $15 per pot, then choose the planting materials to fit your pocketbook. Limited to 12 participants. Reservations required, call Chris at 925-299-5444.

Sunday, October 4th

10-12: It’s Tomato Tasting Time!

Guest, Lesley Stiles, and our own Randall Barnes provide you with a variety of delicious tomatoes to sample and consider planting in next year’s garden.

11-1: ‘Harmonics’ Steel Drum Band

Peter Best & Friends make their annual trip to share their soothing island sounds.

11-4: The Bubbling Cauldron Co.

Sally Case’s handmade Haunted Halloween Houses are back. Perfect for your tabletop Howl-i-Day decorating!

2-4: Tim Campbell at the Piano

Tim plays the “crowd pleasing” classics and standards.

2-4: Primp your Pumpkin

Back by popular demand! Our Flower Shop Gals will teach you how to decorate a pumpkin to fit the season. $10 per pumpkin, then choose the primping materials to fit your pocketbook. Limited to 12 participants. Reservations required, call Chris at 925-299-5444.

Fall Blooming Crocus

These curious fall bloomers can provide a nice burst of color as the rest of the garden is starting to fade. Don’t delay, as now is the time to buy and plant them. Getting them in the ground right away should pay off with blooms this year. Orchard has two varieties in stock: ‘Sativus’, a delicate purple flower, whose orange stigmas are the source for saffron and ‘Zonatus’, whose showy pink flowers bloom on leafless stalks.

Very Early Spring Bloomers

It is best to plant these bulbs early in the fall. Besides the attraction of being among the earliest spring bloomers, these plants naturalize easily and are deer resistant as well.

*Erythronium ‘Pagoda’ (Dog’s-Tooth Violet)* has dainty yellow violet-shaped flowers on stalks 6-10 inches high. The shiny green leaves mottled with brown lend themselves to another common name - trout lily. It can be grown in full sun or partial shade
*Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrop)* forms attractive clumps of drooping white flowers with an inner green marking. It will grow to a height of 4-8 inches and does well planted under deciduous trees or at the edge of woodlands. This year we have both the single Snowdrop and ‘Flore Pleno’, a double flower variety. The bloom time for Galanthus nivalis overlaps that of Eranthis hyemalis, making them good companion plants.
*Chionodoxa luciliae (Glory of the Snow)* has clusters of delicate, blue star-shaped flowers with white centers and will reach a height of 4-6 inches. It can be grown in full sun or partial shade and is well placed in rock gardens or along walkways.
*Eranthis hyemalis (Winter Aconite)* attains a height of only 3-5 inches, but the bright yellow, cup-shaped blossoms provide a bold, cheerful burst of color in early spring. Eranthis prefers full sun or partial shade with rich, moist soil. It can be planted under deciduous trees, added to the front of lightly shaded beds, or tucked into small spaces in rock gardens.

From the Flower Shop: Fall Filled English Gardens

Rock Star Iris Bearded irises are a stunning addition to the spring garden with their unusual color combinations and sword-like foliage. We bring in all the varieties our vendors offer and our selection includes perennial favorites, new cultivars, fragrant varieties and re-bloomers. Re-blooming varieties extend the flowering period by sending up additional bloom stalks in the late summer and early fall.

October is an ideal time to plant the easy to grow bearded iris. Unlike some spring bulbs, such as the tulip, they do not require a period of cold to produce high quality blooms, making them perfect for the Bay Area’s mild winter. They will do best with full sun (at least 6 hours a day) and well-drained soil.

Bare root rhizomes should be planted at soil level, with only the true roots covered by soil. To accomplish this, dig a hole and mound soil in the center to support the rhizome. Fan roots out around the mound and fill in with soil. Water immediately after planting and regularly until established. Once the plants are established, they are extremely drought tolerant and require little maintenance. The rhizomes spread from the center outward and a clump will need dividing every three to four years.

*** A special coupon for you!***

For our enews customers, click here to print out a coupon for 8 "Eye of the Tiger" Dutch Iris.

It's a local connection!

Two gals from the Bay Area who have made their mark on the jewelry world.

We love their earrings for their classic lines with an updated twist. Stylish but never faddish. As an added bonus, each pair comes with its own fabric pouch. Perfect for giving, excellent for travel. See Viv & Ingrid at the Lazy K.

Priced from $82 to $159

This Week's Question:
From what flower is the spice saffron made?

Answer the trivia question by clicking here.

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.

What You Need

1 (10 ounce) package mixed salad greens
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup tart apple, cored and chopped
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 cup raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing

Step by Step:

In a large salad bowl, place the salad greens, almonds, feta cheese, apple, red onion and raisins.
Toss to blend.
Apply salad dressing to individual servings.

Yield: 6 servings

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