Newsletter for April 2025
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!
