Newsletter for December 2024

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!