Newsletter August 2010
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Tired of climbing ladders to harvest your home grown fruit? Don't forget about summer pruning. Most people think that pruning can only be done before the trees leaf out in spring, but if you want to keep the trees within reach, prune twice a year. You'll want to ignore this advice if you live in deer country, however.
There are other plants that benefit from pruning in the summer months. Some of the most floriferous perennials get a bit tired - Gaura for one, also Nepeta (Cat mint) and many of the Salvias. So it's time for a hair cut with more flowers to follow. It's particularly important to trim back lavenders and the native salvias after bloom time to prevent them from becoming woody. There's a good chance you'll get a second bloom on the Spanish lavender, Lavendula stoechys if you prune it after flowering. To aid you in the process we have a couple copies of the old Sunset Pruning Book, now out of print plus a great new one from Taunton Press. And for fruiting plants, we still have copies of the old standby "How to Prune Fruit Trees."
Begonia Non-stop
We've offered many varieties of annual sunflowers in 4" containers this season but we also have a few 5 gallon plants of perennial types. These will, of course, return every year.
Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'
"Black eyed Susan" is a rather generic term - the plants usually referred to are in the genus Rudbeckia. The flowers bloom summer through fall. Although most are not extremely winter hardy, the show they put on during the summer makes them a worthwhile investment. The varieties with single flowers include 'Indian Summer,' 'Prairie Sun,' 'Autumn Colors' and 'Irish Eyes.' A new introduction of last year is 'Cherry Brandy' with deep chocolate red blooms. 'Cherokee Sunset' is a mix of single and double flowers in autumnal shades and 'Radiance' sports double golden blooms. But the most reliably hardy Rudbeckia is 'Goldsturm.' The flowers are smaller, but the plant will return year after year. 'Goldsturm' prefers fairly rich soil and adequate water.
Hydrangeas are lovely in the garden - but if you wish to add them to a floral arrangement, they wilt rapidly. Here's a trick straight from the internet - and it works! Cut the stem on an angle and burn it. Then subrmerge the stem in water up to the bottom of the flower. Next, gently spray the flower(s), cover with a paper towel and spray again. Keep the flowers in this state for 5 to 6 hours and they should last for at least one week.
Recipes for berry desserts abound - but here's one for some healthful muffins. You can use blueberries (the Farmer's Market has been selling delicious ones from Dragon Springs Farm in Cambria) and strawberries are especially sweet now. Other choices are cranberries or raspberries.
Oatmeal Berry Muffins
1 1/2 C. whole wheat pastry flour... 1 C. fresh or frozen berries
1 C. rolled oats................................2 eggs
1/2 C. packed brown sugar............ 2/3 C. buttermilk(see below)*
2 t. baking powder......................... 2 T. oil.
1 t. baking soda
*(can substitute 2 t. vinegar or lemon juice with 2/3 C. milk. Let stand for 5 minutes)
Preheat oven to 400. Mix flour, oats, sugar, baking power and soda in a large bowl. Add berries and gently stir to coat. Beat eggs with fork in a small bowl. Add buttermilk and oil. Beat until smooth. Fill 12 large or 18 average muffin cups two-thirds full. Use nonstick muffin tins and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes utnil a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
from Living Lean and Loving it Cookbook by Lowry and Ennis
If you have room for a large flowering shrub that needs minimum care and water, try Lantana 'Miss Huff.' This lantana is hardy to 10 degrees; it will die back in the winter but bounce back in the summer with abandon! 'Miss Huff' will reach 6 feet or more with blossoms of yellow, orange and pink and bloom till frost. The other cold hardy Lantana is 'Chapel Hill.' This variety is much lower growing, to only about 18" and the flowers are a soft shade of yellow.
Campsis Madam Galen
This vine does extremely well here in the North County. We have both one and five gallon plants available.
One of the best flowering annuals for summer is the family of Zinnias. 'State Fair' is always popular for a tall display and also for the cutting garden. But one of the newer varieties is 'Profusuion.' This Zinnia is a mounding type and puts on a terrific show. This year we can offer more colors than ever before. 'Fire' is the darkest and brightest; there's also yellow, apricot, white and cherry. Vincas also hold up well in the heat (we may still experience a bit!).
Notable natives
A couple noteworthy natives in our stock. We have once again located Salvia apiana. This is a large variety with silver leaves and tall stems of small white flowers. It's extemely drought tolerant and very pungent. This is the plant the native Americans used in their sweat lodges. Another very stunning perennial is the evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa. The white flowers on this plant are large and a very bright white. Dudley pulverulenta is an exquisite succulent. It needs no irrigation once established and does best with some shade.
Dudleya pulverulenta
Encourage your vegetable plants to keep producing! - don't forget to fertilize. We stock Master Nurseryman ferilizer with an organic base and Dr. Earth fertilizers which are wholey organic. They are designed for specific uses - vegetables, flowers, fruit and citrus trees, lawn and all-purpose. We advise adding these nutrients to your vegetables and flowers every six weeks or so.
Fruit trees are usually fed in the spring and fall, although commercial growers recommend applying fertilizer every month. Applications also depend on the soil you have and how it retains the fertilizer.
Beware the tomato horn worm! We have a safe spray, Bacillus thuringiensis but you can usually just pick these creatures off by hand. Check your plants to see if some of the top leaves are missing as that's where they normally begin their munching. These caterpillars are bright green and blend in well with the tomato leaves.
A new series of plants for us is the genus Ozothamnus. We've received three selections from Native Sons Nursery of Arroyo Grande. The first two are listed as hardy to 10 degrees Ozothamnus Sussex Silver and Ozothamnus coralloides. The first shrub-like variety grows 4 to 6 feet tall and has white flowers in summer..The second variety with very unusual leaves grows only 12 to 18 inches tall. Both plants are quite drought tolerant and mix well with California natives. Ozothanmus diosmifolius has bright green leaves and white or pink flowers. It's a lovley additon to floral bouquets and although Native Sons lists the hardiness to only 30 degrees, one of our landscape customers has had it tolerate our freezing winters.
Here are some more unusual plants you should consider. Dicleptera is a hardy perennial with dusty orange flowers. The plant will eventually reach 2 1/2 to 3 ft. Pruning off spent flowers will keep it in bloom for a long time.
Clerodendron bungei is one of the few Clerodendrons that is hardy for the North County. This deciduous shrub can grow to 6 feet. It's popular with butterflies and hummingbirds. Prefers some afternoon shade in the North County.
Buddlejas are a popular summer blooming shrub with great frgarance, color and appeal to butterflies (the plant is usually referred to as the "Butterfly Bush".) We have two new diminutive varieties 'Buzz Pink Purple' and 'Buzz Violet' which only grow to 2 or 3 feet tall, ideal for smaller spaces.
If you missed purchasing Crocosmia bulbs earlier this year have no fear! We have both 'Emberglow' and 'Emily McKenzie' in 1 gallon containers These South African bulbs bloom for quite a prolonged period and add great color to any garden.
Crocosmia Emily McKenzie