Spring flowering trees have had their moments of glory – it’s time for the summer stars to shine at Bay Laurel Garden Center. The trees that put on a show for this season include Crape Myrtle, Vitex, Chitalpa, Cercidium (Palo Verde) Magnolia and Albizzia (Mimosa). Crape Myrtles are the only trees with a variety of flower colors. They range from white to red with lavender and pink in between. Sizes also vary. To get the perfect color for your garden, buy when in bloom.
Bay Laurel Garden Center is infused with citrus! In spite of the fact that these fruits are not that well suited to the North County, they are very popular! Some of the available varieties include Valencia orange, Dancy tangerine and of course, the most popular of all – Meyer lemon. There are various ways to protect citrus during the cold winter months – Christmas tree lights, row cover or if in a container, moving to the inside. Here’s a link to a very interesting article about the Meyer lemon: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/meyer-lemon
This has been a great year for Dahlias at at Bay Laurel Garden Center. You see three of the lovely varieties we’ve been able to obtain. When planting in the ground be sure to protect them from gophers. Unless you have very heavy soil, it is unnecessary to remove the tubers every year. But no matter where they’re planted we recommend dividing them every 3 to 4 years for better flower production. Shorter varieties are great in containers. When cutting dahlias make a horizontal cut at the bottom of the stems and immerse in 2 to 3 inches of hot water for 1 hour before arranging them.
Raise your hand if you planted Salvia ‘Hot Lips’. I thought so. It’s been one of the most popular perennials at Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero. And it’s understandable. This plant blooms on and on – it’s deer resistant and requires only minimum water. But you really should try ‘Amistad’. This Salvia can grow 5′ or more and the dark purple flowers are quite stunning. Hummingbirds love it. It can take full sun but looks best with some afternoon shade.
Of course there are always chores to do in the garden. Dead head flowers. Pick the few left-over weeds. Summer prune fruit trees to keep them harvestable. Fertilize the vegetables. Protect fruit from the birds. Spread mulch to keep the moisture in. Pick the basil and make some pesto sauce. Then sit back and enjoy the lovely environment you created!