Our 2023 Bareroot Catalog is now available at Bay Laurel Garden Center. Don’t wait to order! Every day we are running out of more of our bareroot items. As you can see, the cover cleverly points out the relationships between the various stone fruits that create the interspecific hybrids such as pluots, plumcots, apriums. These are unique additions to the fruit world and well worth trying. Be sure to determine the appropriate pollenization for each variety.
The general consensus seems to be “Bring on fall!” We’re trying at Bay Laurel Garden Center! We have some smashing examples of the millet, ‘Purple Baron’, perfect for a fall event. The cold hardy annuals are trickling in. Pansies and violas are perhaps the favorites. In stock currently are some flashy Calendulas – ‘Touch of Red’ and a new more subtle variety ‘Ivory Princess’. Sweet peas are here in 6 packs. Plant them now and wait to see their fragrant blooms in spring.
Our spring blooming bulbs have arrived at Bay Laurel Garden Center – mostly – including deer resistant, gopher resistant daffodils. Joining them – hyacinths, tulips, ranunculus, and crocus. Planting bulbs in fall is a very hopeful endeavor – anticipating a cheerful, floriferous spring.
Now is the best time to plant Iris rhizomes. The colors this year at Bay Laurel Garden Center include pure white, ‘Copper Classic’ (self explanatory), ‘Easter Candy’, a pastel of pink and light blue, and ‘Petalpalooza’, a striking combo of purple and light peach (pictured). This is also the time to divide old clumps of existing plants. Choose the rhizomes with at least two leaves. Let them dry out for a day or so, add some fresh compost and replant. Fertilize the plants in the spring with a fertilizer high in phosphorus – you can also add some bone meal to the hole as you plant.
Fall vegetables are ready to go! The usual “we can take the cold” guys are here at Bay Laurel Garden Center. You can plant broccoli, cauliflower, peas, lettuce and more, much more. Get those beds ready with lots of organic amendments. We have Bumper Crop, Black Diamond worm castings, chicken manure, and Raised Bed planting mix. Don’t forget to fertilize your vegetables during the growing season.
For Atascadero residents: have you noticed the trees on the corner of Morro Road and El Camino? They are ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde trees. The trees sport tiny green leaves accompanied by small yellow flowers which cover the tree for most of the spring into early summer. They produce very few seed pods and require only minimum water when established. Lately we’ve only been able to offer expensive specimens. Now, thanks to Monrovia Nursery they’re available in a 5 gallon containers.
The variety to be found among the plants described as succulents is immense. Low water requirements are a great bonus. We have an excellent group of sedums at this time at Bay Laurel Garden Center. These tough little plants make great container plants but they can be susceptible to a common insect, mealy bug. Spraying the plant with alcohol can be helpful but sometimes it’s hard to reach all the infected areas. We have a systemic for houseplants which should be an effective antidote.
One of the showiest California plants, Epilobium (formerly Zauschneria) is in full bloom right now. The typical color is reddish orange, but we currently have some pink and white flowered varieties. It’s a great time to plant natives. We have several varieties of natives in quart containers at present.
Penstemons are a popular perennial displaying lots of various colors and forms. ‘Dark Towers’ is one of the most unusual of them. The leaves have a purplish red hue and the pink flowers are among the tallest of the penstemons reaching 1 1/2 to 3 feet. A great little perennial for edging is Teucrium majoricum. Well behaved, slowly spreading with small gray leaves and lavender flowers, it blooms for a very long time and requires minimum water.
We currently have the largest and most comprehensive collection of house plants ever seen at Bay Laurel Garden Center! Do come in and check them out.