Do we have a deal for you! It’s the fall fruit tree sale. Take advantage of the trees that have been growing since the bareroot season at almost the bareroot price. Additionally, fall is a great time for planting. The five gallon price for apples, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums and interspecifics is $35.00. Other prices for trees including nuts, persimmons and multiple-budded trees are 15% off. The 15% also applies to citrus trees.

Another heralded event is fall bulb season. The initial event brings on the bearded iris. We have six distinctive varieties – all colorful and sure to add spring cheer to your garden. It’s time to tend to your existing iris as well. If they’re rather old – 4 years plus – divide them. Make sure each division has a healthy rhizome or two. Let them rest for a day or two before planting or share some with your friends.

Strawberries are back! Tomatoes are still on the vine but thoughts go to the next season for vegetable planting. We have a bit of a start. Right now you will find lettuce, chard, kale, broccoli, onions, asparagus, and artichokes. The supply of herbs is quite extensive.

Heucheras or Coral Bells. They are looking good this time of year but wait for spring and you’ll understand the bells part. Some Heucheras are most desired for their colorful leaves. The native, maxima is one of the strongest of the genus. The leaves are large and green and the flowers exhibit tall stems of ivory bells. Great for the shade.

Here’s another plant to light up your shade area. The grass Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’ commonly known as Japanese Forest Grass is one of the most distinctive grasses due to its bright lime green and gold leaves. The deciduous grass is about 14″ tall and slowly spreads by underground rhizomes. Prior to dormancy, the leaves display tones of copper.

One of the most unusual plants in our collection of houseplants is the Mermaid’s tail (Euphorbia lactea). The base of the plant is Euphorbia lactea and Euphorbia cristata is grafted above. Our houseplant inventory changes frequently.

Our collection of California natives is looking top notch. Manzanitas with many options. Lots of Salvias. Rhus ovata and Rhus integrifolia for tall, evergreen hedges or screens. Colorful perennials including Monkey flower (Mimulus) and Penstemon. Everyone should have at least one plant of Epilobium (California fuchsia) which is at its peak bloom right now.

Our 2026 bare root website is up and running! You can go to baylaurelnursery.com and check it out. If you wish to submit an order you can do it online and note that you are picking it up at the nursery to avoid shipping costs. Remember the prices are a bit lower for in store pick up. Easier still, pick up the phone at 805-466-3449 and call us between business hours 9 to 5 except Sunday 9 to 4.

The latest in the line of the Garvinea series – ‘Majestic’ at Bay Laurel Garden Center. A plant breeder in the Netherlands developed a hardy form of the popular Gerbera by combining the best traits of several varieties. This series has the largest flowers of all – colors include yellow, pink, purple and burgundy. The plants are great in pots – they bloom all summer and make great cut flowers.

Convolvulus is the botanical name of the old-fashioned morning glory but there are also a couple of species that make great garden perennials. Convolvulus cneorum is a hardy, gray leaved shrub with white blooms in early summer. Its cousin, sabatius is a charming, meandering ground cover in blue and white. It’s a perfect ground cover to wind in between larger plants.

We trust you are happily harvesting your summer vegetables. Perhaps you need to add or refresh your herb supply. Some of our new arrivals include dill, thyme, chives and Mexican oregano at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. We additionally stock several types of basil – African blue and Thai plus Italian. Currently available are 4 inch artichokes and jumbo packs of strawberries.

Here are a couple of late blooming perennials to add to your collection at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Dicliptera hails from Uruguay – often called “the firecracker plant”. The leaves are a soft grey-green and the flowers erupt in bright orange. Agastache is found in an array of colors – blue, rose, and ‘Mango Tango’, a combination of pink and orange – quite striking!

You might consider doing some summer pruning on your fruit trees. There are several advantages. If you wish to keep the size of the tree more manageable, summer pruning will be helpful. Additionally, thinning the tree will add more light and air and aid in fruit production. It’s also a good time to get rid of dead and diseased branches.

Two quintessential flowers of summer – new varieties of sunflower and Rudbeckia. Currently both are available in 2 gallon containers at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Sometimes you will find sun loving plants in our shade area. Many of our suppliers are located in different climates. This means the plants have to gradually adjust to our climate.

A new heliotrope from Proven Winners – ‘Aromagica’. The fragrance of these plants is akin to vanilla – quite appealing. The plants grow 18 to 30″ tall and 16 to 20″ wide. You will find these plants in the shade area along with some very colorful Coleus, Begonias and more at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero.

A few gems to enhance your indoor collection at Bay Laurel Garden Center.

It is not too late to plant some trees which will bear delectable fruit. We have a large selection of varieties that were bareroot earlier this season at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. Included are the highly desired persimmons. They may not be totally rooted but you can reserve them for the appropriate time. Try to get your trees in before the hot weather arrives.

You may not get terribly excited when you hear the word Teucrium, but this genus has some great plants for our area. The low growing variety, Teucrium cossonii majoricum is a lovely ground cover resembling sweet alyssum but far more durable. The species chamaedrys is a small evergreen shrub growing up to 2 feet, Betonicum is rather rare – it has delicate wands of lavender purple flowers and grows 3 x 4 tall and wide. It blooms June to July. Right now we have 1 gallon plants at Bay Laurel Garden Center.

Here’s a sampling of some of the unusual 4″ house plants we have at Bay Laurel Garden Center. The flowering Anthurium is one of the few house plants that flower indoors. When the blooms are gone the shiny green leaves still remain as a worthwhile specimen.

When is a vine not a vine? Here is a beautiful example of the vine Campsis ‘Madame Galen’ (Orange Trumpet Vine) trained into a tree form. It undoubtedly took many years for this accomplishment. This plant is deciduous as most of the showy vines tend to be. Evergreen vines are also very desirable, especially for fencing screens.

Perennials are very much in demand at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Echinacea (Cone flowers) are at the top of the list. Since many new colors are now available, it’s easier to find a place for them in your garden. Another perennial, Agastache has also broadened its palette. Colors include purple, yellow, pink, red and mango.

New herbs are arriving at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Look for French tarragon, thyme, several varieties of parsley and new this year, Mexican oregano. My source says it’s related to lemon verbena. It can grow 3 to 4 feet tall. The leaves are used in Mexican dishes including pozole, mole, enchilada sauce and more. And the flowers are quite lovely.

The large flowered Portulaca are perfect annuals for the hot days to come. Colors are displayed in purple, red, orange, yellow and pink. Bright annuals for the shade include Sunpatiens (previously known as New Guinea impatiens). We don’t recommend them for the sun in our area in spite of their new name!

One hates to keep harping on the benefits of fertilizer, but the results we have witnessed do prove the point! And we have many choices at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Down to Earth offers a wide variety of organic fertilizers as do the 420 products. The Master Nursery ‘Formula 49’ has numbers 8-4-4 and is regularly used here at the nursery for fruit tree and containers plants. The water soluble product from Fertilome has a very high phosphorus content to promote bloom.

Old fashioned flowers with a few updates, lavender never ceases to please! The two main varieties are Lav. stoechas (Spanish lavender) and the Intermediate ones (English types). The Spanish varieties are nearing the end of their bloom time. New for this species are shades of pink. Now it’s time for tall types such as ‘Provence’ and ‘Grosso’, ‘Phenomenal’ and shorter ones such as ‘Hidcote’, ‘Munstead’ and ‘Superblue’.

We have lots more perennials to beef up the garden at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. Bright yellow Calylophus gains in popularity every year – heat does not deter it. The “Balloon Flower” (Platycodon) is currently available in blue in 4″ plants. It completely dies back in winter but returns for its inimitable summer bloom.

The vegetable supply is dwindling at Bay Laurel Garden Center – hurry! If you want to raise pumpkins don’t wait until October to plant them! We plan to keep the herb supply throughout the summer. Tomatoes, peppers, corn and more are still available – how about some ‘Tasmanian Chocolate’ tomatoes? The spray for blossom end rot is here as well. Look for more strawberries in jumbo packs.

We have native California plants that will add some color to your summer garden. The Eriogonum “Rosy Buckwheat” is a perky addition. Those outrageous poppies Romneya coulteri (Matilija poppies) are blooming right now. We’ll try to keep them in stock. They’re hard to start but amazing when successful!

Dahlia tubers were a big hit last fall, now they have arrived in containers at Bay Laurel Garden Center. The color selection is impressive – red, orange, pink, yellow and bi-color. Leaf color choices are green and almost black. The height and flower size also vary. We also offer some of the dinner plate varieties. You might pick up a pot or two of baby’s breath to add to your bouquet.

Back in the running for best overall house plant is Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema). This lovely specimen needs minimum care – low light and average water. ‘Silver Bay’ is the variety shown here. We have lots of new interesting house plants in small containers.

The unassuming flowering vinca, when the heat is on these plants stand strong! They’re great in pots – the white variety is particularly appealing during the hot summer days. We have lots of other lovely annuals to choose from as well – marigolds, petunias, verbenas, lobelias and on and on!

This brightly colored shrub is designed for the shade. This particular variety of Aucuba, ‘Picturata’ has brighter hues than its original form. Hostas also depend on their leaf color to add brightness to shady areas. Other choices include colorful Coleus, Begonias and Impatiens.

Fort Mcnair Horse Chestnut is a recent arrival from Monrovia Nursery. The dense, dark green foliage turns golden yellow in fall. The lovely pink flowers with yellow throats grace the tree in late spring. This variety is smaller than many, slowly growing 35 x 25 feet.

Vegetables are still rolling out the door at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. ‘Early Girl’ and ‘Sungold’ tomatoes are among the most popular but folks are willing to try lots of the new varieties and heirlooms. You can get a bit of a head start and buy some tomatoes and peppers in the gallon size.

In stock at Bay Laurel Garden Center is a manzanita we do not often see, ‘Paradise’. This variety is noted for its copper edged new leaves and pink flowers. ‘Paradise’ can grow to 10 feet with an 8 foot spread. The availability of other varieties changes weekly. ‘Howard McMinn’ is always desired, it’s considered one of the most adaptable.

A useful herb with charming blue flowers is Borage. The plant can grow 2 to 3 feet high and readily self sows. The 4 to 6″ leaves are edible with a cucumberlike flavor. Borage has become quite popular but nothing beats basil!

Euphorbia milli – one species out of 2000! This variety sports several colorful flowers – red, pink and yellow. The plants also have thorns and are commonly called ‘Crown of thorns’. The plants are not very cold hard and will show damage in temperatures below 28, but with a bit of protection they can bloom all winter in the North County. Can be grown indoors with bright light.

Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero has been inundated with turtles (concrete)! They all need homes. Open your hearts and homes. Low maintenance.

There is an imposter among us! We depend on the reliable Salvias to inhabit our gardens – blue, red, pink, white. But there are few with yellow flowers. Enter Phlomis, also called Jerusalem sage. It is undeniably a great plant so we can forgive its duplicity. Many Salvias will be available throughout the season.

The codling moth is making plans to procreate. It will lay its eggs in the blossoms of apples, ensuring nourishment as the larvae eat their way out. How to thwart their plans ? You can set traps with pheromones to indicate the moth’s presence. At that point it is advisable to spray with an insecticide such as Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew.

One of the glories of spring – the ornamental crabapple ‘Floribunda’. The bright white flowers develop into small crabapples just the right size for your neighborhood flock. Redbuds, flowering plums, pears and cherries add to the spectacle. Add to this the colorful flowers of peach and nectarine trees.

It’s about time for the peaches and nectarines to set fruit. Beware the tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris). This small insect will deface the exterior of your fruit. Be prepared to spray at least twice when the fruit is very, very small. Effective sprays include horticultural oil, neem oil, Captain Jack’s dead bug spray and more.

Agaves are among the most drought tolerant plants we stock at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. Two of the very handsome varieties include ‘Blue Glow’ and ‘Weber’s’. The first is a favorite and was missing for some time from our inventory but it’s now finding grateful gardeners. ‘Weber’s’, a larger growing Agave is noted for its silvery leaves.

The Camellia ‘Kumasaka’ is a lovely addition to our collection at Bay Laurel Garden Center. This a Japonica variety, blooming later than the Sasanqua varieties. Camellias are surprisingly durable. They thrive in well draining soil and afternoon shade. There are few shrubs with the attributes of shiny, dark, evergreen leaves and stupendous flowers.

Remaining in the shade and Japanese mode, this Osmanthus ‘Goshiki’ is a great shrub for the shade. The variegation is a welcome bright accent. ‘Goshiki’ will slowly grow to 3 1/2 feet by 5. The new growth exhibits pink-orange tints. We also have a few of the extremely fragrant Daphne, ‘Perfume Princess’ at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero.

Vegetable starts are quickly finding their way to the home gardener. The selection is very good and will undoubtedly increase this month. Lemon cucumbers of course! A great variety of peppers and tomatoes. How could you not want to plant the tomato ‘Dancing with Smurfs’? Lovers of hot peppers also abound and the small lunch box varieties are quite popular. Don’t forget the herbs!

Beautiful ranunculus in 4″ pots. Enjoy them in the garden or indoors in your favorite vase. The best way to enable their return for next year is either withhold water in the summer or remove the corms and store in a cool, dry place.

Here’s another opportunity for cut flowers. The Gladiolus, however, will make a very strong statement. The stalks can reach 4 to 5 feet. They can be planted at intervals to provide longer periods of bloom.

Finally! We are able to offer the very desirable Salvia canariensis at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero thanks to the Arroyo Grande growers Native Sons. Salvias are one of the most important perennials in our area. Features include deer resistance, low water requirements and long bloom. This variety blooms for most of the summer into fall and can reach 5 to 6 feet.

Two very colorful plants that have been popular this season are Erysimum and Nemesia. Both are excellent bloomers in the cool season. We know the Erysimum to be perennial – we’re not sure about Nemesia although it seems quite possible with the introduction of these new hybrids. The advantage of planting these with other perennials is to ensure flowers almost all year!

The days for bareroot planting will be over before long at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. We still have lots of great fruit trees and berries including pistachio trees. These trees are not self-fruitful – one needs a male tree and it can pollinate up to nine females! Check out the website baylaurelnursery.com for current availability or come to the nursery.

Spruce up your spring with ‘Avondale’ redbud, one of the most profuse flowering native California redbuds. This variety was developed by Monrovia Nursery. The striking blooms give way to bright green kidney shaped leaves. The native red buds are extremely drought tolerant. This time of year relish other early flowering trees including ornamental crabapples and cherries.

Here’s another example of a lovely California native plant. This is Iris douglasiana ‘Alta’ developed by Monterey Bay Nursery in Santa Cruz. We currently have these plants in 4″ containers at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Another colorful native which just arrived is the Penstemon ‘Margarita Bop’.

Dahlia tubers have been wildly popular this year! Therefore – there’s more to come. A new supply should arrive in two weeks – it’s definitely not too late to plant them. The pictured variety ‘Mango Madness’ will be among the new dahlias. Additionally more gladiola bulbs and tuberoses will be added to the collection.

The ubiquitous Rosemary. We should not, however dismiss this extremely useful and varied plant. One use, of course, is for culinary purposes. But there are many different forms of rosemary. ‘Huntington Carpet’ and ‘Prostratus’ provide a drought tolerant, deer resistant ground cover. ‘Tuscan Blue’ and ‘Blue Spires’ are handsome tall shrubs with bright blue flowers. Other forms such as ‘Irene’, ‘Majorca Pink’, ‘Blue Boy’ (a dwarf shrub) and ‘Foxtail’ provide varied interest in the landscape.

Beef up your vegetable garden with some perennial varieties. We will have 4″ asparagus and rhubarb as well as lots of 1 gallon artichokes at Bay Laurel Garden Center. More herbs are expected plus 3 types of garlic. Be creative and add some herbs to your flower pots and beds. Lime thyme is a lovely low growing border. Dill adds a lovely ferny look.

The return of the Hellebores. The enchanting, nodding flowers add grace to the shade garden. Add English primroses to the mix until the summer shade flowers appear. We also expect pink flowered Dicentra (Bleeding Hearts). Potted bulbs will include freesias, ranunculus and anemones.

A very special bareroot offering from Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero – an apple espalier. Aside from its decorative effect on a wall or fence, six different apple varieties add to its allure. We also have pear espaliers with 4 different pears.

If you missed the bareroot roses all is not lost! Pictured here are these very plants in their new biodegradable pots at Bay Laurel Garden Center. For just a few dollars more you can choose among a great variety and plant them in the ground, pot and all. It’s still time to plant bareroot fruit trees – but don’t tarry!

The summer blooming bulbs have arrived at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Dahlias are the most popular. The dinner plate varieties are quite stunning with a wide range of colors. They make great bouquets as well as a strong color statement in the garden. Other additions include lilies, gladiolas and Crocosmias. We expect Tuberoses a bit later.

Potato starts accompany the bulb arrivals at Bay Laurel Garden Center. You can have some fun with a diverse selection of spuds. Try some French Fingerlings or German Butterballs. There are many ways to grow potatoes including settling them in a bed of straw.

Three garlic varieties to jazz up your menu from Bay Laurel Garden Center. ‘Elephant’ is the mildest and biggest – it’s actually a member of the leek family. ‘Spanish Roja’ is sweet and pungent maturing early to late. Finally, ‘Early Italian’ with a mild, rich flavor.

Erysimums abound! The growers keep developing more colors in this genus. And there’s good reason. There are vey few perennials that can stand up to our cold winter temperatures and keep cheerfully blooming. The latest acquisition is the deep yellow. We also have some very nice violet plants in gallon containers at Bay Laurel Garden Center.

Rhaphiolepis or “Indian Hawthorne” is a plant that’s been around for many years. The most common species displays pink flowers. R. umbellata however, has white flowers and very dark, leathery leaves. The plant will grow 4 to 6 feet. It is a very handsome evergreen shrub that looks great in any season.

Our collection of drought resistant succulents is growing at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. Agaves are very popular needing almost no water and adding a very dramatic touch to the landscape. Deer resistance is another plus. The Agave pictured here fits all the qualifications and it has tons of pups so a lot more Agaves can be propagated.

The original plan for Atascadero as laid out by E. G. Lewis in the early 1900s was to include acres and acres of orchards. We’d like to continue that tradition with our bareroot fruit trees at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. We offer such a large selection because of the seasonal mail order we undertake every year. Don’t let the pink “sold” tags deter you – we still have lots of great trees to sell. But don’t wait too long!

No, we’re not selling “Harry and David” boxed pears. However, you can install your very own Comice bareroot pear tree. The large fruit are juicy and flavorful. We have a good selection of other varieties as well. Seckel is known to be an excellent dessert pear – small in size but delicious in flavor.

Attention all growers of peaches and nectarines: the spraying time of year is upon us. That disfiguring fungus, Peach Leaf Curl, should be avoided. The recommended product for prevention is Liqui-cop. We offer it in several sizes including a ready-to-spray container that you can attach to your hose. Try to spray twice during the dormant season; the most important is that just prior to bud opening.

The popularity of roses does not seem to lessen – check out our selection of old and new varieties. A gorgeous older climbing rose is’ Don Juan’. The vivid red flowers have the added benefit of a delicious fragrance. ‘Golden Opportunity’ is a new climber to us this year. The cupped flowers dazzle in bright shades of golden yellow. ‘Distant Drums’, a floribunda variety, has intriguing coloration.

We can expect more than a few cloudy, chilly days the next couple of months. We suggest planting some cheerful flowers of the season. A type of African daisy, Osteospermum, is a great pick. New colors appear every year. A noteworthy addition is the double form. The plants are generally considered to be perennial – however they prefer cool weather for flowering but hold on during the hot summer.

Another great perennial for this time of year is Erysimum. There are many forms of this genus including a native variety. These days we are promoting hybrids such as the Sunstrong series. Currently in stock are Sunstrong orange and violet. This is their time to bloom and they add much needed color to the garden.

A handsome specimen of a Dracaena for your indoor landscape. This genus is seen in many forms and requires only minimal lighting. Our house plant selections vary from month to month. Currently in stock are the popular hanging Ceropegia (“String of Hearts”).

You can almost hear these sweet birds chirping at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero.

The native manzanita is a plant for all seasons but winter is the time for it to show off its delicate blossoms. The handsome, reddish bark only adds to its allure. And in addition to these attributes, bees and hummingbirds appreciate manzanitas as a source of food.

The holiday season is alive and well at at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. Wreaths are expected this week. We’d like to help you out with your shopping. You will find gifts for the gardener as well as for the non. Pictured below are a few suggestions.

A little rain, some warm days and you might be inspired to do a bit of winter planting. We are some of the fortunate ones – we can plant flowering annuals all winter long! Sweet smelling stock is quite addicting. Ornamental cabbages and kale tempting to taste. Violas and pansies are required.

We’ve adopted tons of plants from Australia and New Zealand – Grevilleas, phormiums, Eucalyptus, Bottle Brush and more. A lesser known evergreen shrub is Correa. Correa does well in the shade and it appears to be deer resistant. Several varieties exist including Wyn’s Wonder – a variegated shrub with deep rose flowers.

The Nordmann fir reigns supreme as the live Christmas tree of choice. These stately firs originated in and around Greece and the Caucasus. The trees grow over 30 feet tall and require regular water. We have Blue Spruce and “Charlie Brown” varieties – one such as the Deodar cedar that is well adapted to our climate.

Many bulbs are still available at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero, including the paperwhite Narcissus for forcing. A new supply of tulips has arrived. Daffodils always cheer us up in some of the darker days of winter.

We have California native plants and a book to go with them at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. It’s a great time to put them in the ground. The plants, not the book.

There is some concern for the commercial lettuce growers – everyone in the North County appears to be growing their own. There are some other vegetables to plant as well. Look for arugula, kale, onions and more. We have onion and shallot sets for sale. Don’t forget the strawberries.

The bareroot list is constantly being updated. If you are unable to come into the nursery, check out the website baylaurelnursery.com. There you will see all that is still available. Don’t put off ordering!

Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero will be closing early on Christmas Eve at about 1 pm. We’ll also be closed on the 25th and the 26th. We wish you all a very happy holiday!