What a lovely time of year this is! We gardeners are so anxious to get out in the garden. You might want to start your spring planting with some hardy shrubs. The rock roses (Cistus) are great candidates. They vary in size and color – flower colors are white and shades of pink. It’s so…
As the bareroot trees slowly recede into the horizon Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero turns green! It’s an ongoing process with new plants arriving weekly. Early blooming shrubs include Genista (Sweet Broom), Forsythia, Ornamental Quince and Coleonema (Breath of Heaven). We also have some lovely deciduous Magnolias. The vegetable season is ongoing at Bay…
The bare root season has been in full swing for a month at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero – many delicious varieties remain. Please call us at (805) 466-3449 to check availability. Rain can complicate gardening, but we remind you to spray the peaches and nectarines with copper in between the showers. A sticker…
Bareroot trees take over Bay Laurel Nursery in January! Planting time is now – plant your orchard with the bounty of the season and there are lots of great trees to be found. For apples we still have lots of Pink Lady. Its many attributes include the tart-sweet flavor, crispness, attractiveness, size and the fact…
Mimulus aurantiacus, or monkey flower, grows to about four feet and blooms in a wide range of colors from white to dark red. It likes sun or part shade, good drainage and little water.
Zauschneria, or California fuschia, is a low spreading plant with green, grey or silvery foliage and orange to scarlet flowers. Bloom occurs in late summer or autumn and the flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds. The plant is fast growing and drought tolerant, but as with most plants, it looks better with occasional water. It…
Coreopsis adds a lovely bit of color to the garden. These are tough plants that need little to moderate water and they seem to bloom almost endlessly, especially if deadheaded. They also tend to self-sow, so be prepared for either even more color or a bit of weeding.
Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) are in a slightly different category of tree. Most other trees provide shade whereas Japanese maples require shade. Most can take some morning sun, but afternoon shade is much appreciated in our hot summers. There are numerous leaf sizes, shapes and colors as well as many tree sizes and forms (far…
There are both fruiting and non-fruiting olives. Since the fruit is known to stain, do not plant fruiting varieties over patios, driveways or any other paved area. Olives are very tolerant of heat and can take poor soil, but will do much better in deep, rich soil. They need little to moderate water, are slow growing and…
Large trees grow about thirty feet or more. Most are deciduous, but one of the notable evergreens is Quercus agrifolia or coast live oak, a very common sight in our area. Amongst the deciduous choices are Liquidamber, Morus alba (mulberry, particularly the fruitless type), Pistacia chinensis (Chinese pistache), Gingko biloba, Platanus racemosa (California sycamore) and P….