Go Native and Sport Blooms by Melanie Potter

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San Diego’s Independent Nursery Since 1928 TM JANUARY 2015

IN THIS ISSUE Go Native And Sport Blooms By Melanie Potter

Go Native And Sport Blooms 1 Helping Bees 1 Tool Shed: Watering Can 2 Walter: Bare Root Fruit & Rose 3 To Do List: January 4 Old Ben: Winter Bird Feeding 5 Old Ben Specials 5 Point Loma Race Celebration 6 Holiday Recap 7 Not All Plants Like Jack Frost 7 Bababerries Are Back! 8 Coupons & Garden Classes 8

Calliandra californica

Helping Bees The rains we had in November and In The Garden December will pay off in January By Botanical Interests when some California natives begin to bloom. Not all natives bloom, but many are coming into their showiest time of the year. I give high marks to these low maintenance, hard working plants. Calliandra californica A medium shrub with unusual, showy red flowers that are highly attractive to hummingbirds. It is slow-growing and reaches around 3’ high before Trichostema lanatum spreading out to a width of nearly with narrow, aromatic leaves that 6’. Its dark green leaves are like tight You’ve probably heard by now that are shiny green on top and woolly miniature ferns, overshadowed by bees in the U.S. are disappearing. white underneath. Through summer, red flowers that are reminiscent of a There’s plenty you can do in your appear the 1 foot long clusters of feather duster (hence the name, Fairy garden to help local bee populations blue (typically) flowers with long Duster). The seed pods are like mini- survive and thrive. The following recurved stamens. It’s in stock and snow peas which explode when ripe. tips will help you create a beautiful already blooming. garden that is helpful to bees and Trichostema lanatum other beneficial insects. Arctostaphylos ‘John Dourley’ Also called California Rosemary and Foliage is an attractive orange-red that 1. Create Diversity and Color Wooly Blue Curls, this plant’s foliage fades to gray-green by mid-summer. resembles Rosemary. It grows to Some creatures may be color blind, Clusters of pink flowers are abundant but not bees. The more color and 3-4 feet tall and sprawls to 4-5 feet continued p2 the wider variety of flowers in your continued p4 01.15 2

Natives continued from p1

Arctostaphylos | ‘John Dourley’

Ceanothus ‘Diamond Heights’ over a long blooming season followed Salvia spathacea by berries that are purple-red. It’s a A low-growing semi-evergreen herb- Tool Shed: dependable ground cover selection aceous perennial sage with a ground- with year-round interest. Deluxe Watering Can cover mounding habit 1 to 2 feet tall By Len Schultz, UCCE Master Gardener Arctostaphylos ‘Sunset’ and spreading slowly by underground rhizomes to about 4 feet in time. The A shrub to 5 to 8 feet tall with shiny plant is slightly sticky to the touch with green leaves that are bright copper pleasingly aromatic arrow-shaped when young and has new stems light green leaves that can grow to 6 covered with fine white hairs. Mature inches long and are wrinkled on top bark is light brown with age but sheds and hairy beneath. The deep rose- to reveal new honey-brown-colored pink flowers grow in large pagoda- bark. Flowers are short clusters of like whorls on 30 inch tall flower pinkish-white blooms. stalks and bloom into summer. As a Master Gardener, I am always Verbena ‘De La Mina’ on the lookout for tools that make Ceanothus ‘Diamond Heights’ gardening easier. Last year, I was A tidy growing evergreen herbaceous If you want some show-stopping wandering around Walter Andersen subshrub with a mounding habit to 18 foliage, look no farther than Ceanothus Nursery in Poway looking for to 24 inches tall by 2 to 3 feet wide ‘Diamond Heights’ with its lime colored something on which I could spend with mid-green delicately dissected leaves striped with dark green. It stays my Hedge Fund$. It was then foliage and clusters of sweetly fragrant that I spotted the Bloem Deluxe low; growing to about 1’ tall, is drought dark purple, star-shaped flowers with Watering Can. There were a number tolerant and has no trouble covering purple stamens. This plant can bloom of features that attracted me to slopes. most of the year with a peak in spring • it. First was the capacity. It is 2.5 and summer and the flowers rise up gallons. The larger the capacity, on stalks 8 inches to hover above the the fewer fill-ups. It has a very large opening, making filling easy. I also foliage. like the detachable sprinkler head. I Mirabilis californica can easily take it off to water under foliage or leave it on to water a This perennial is a trailing wider area. But the best feature is to ascending shrub and has the top handle. When filled with 2.5 plenty of stems arising from gallons of water, it can be a little the base with pretty rose- heavy, especially if you need to pink flowers. It goes dormant Salvia spathacea carry it a distance. The top handle Photo: Moosa Creek Natives after flowering so place it Nursery eases the carrying. It also works where when dormant it well when watering. The basket won’t be noticeable. handle design allows for accurate Mirabilis californica control of the flow of water. With Photo: Charlie Jones its sturdy construction, I have found the Deluxe Watering Can to be a good investment. • 01.15 3

Words From Walter Even though they are now potted and will bloom right in their pots, they still can be handled as bare root roses until Bare Root Fruit And Roses they have pushed out more than 2” of By Walter Andersen, Jr. new growth. are planting, Roses prefer a warm, sunny location that be careful not gets at least six hours of direct sun. Dig to plant the a hole about 20”wide and 18” deep. Mix trees too deep. A good rule of thumb the soil you take out of the hole 50/50 when finished planting, the first roots with E.B. Stone Planting Compost, or growing horizontally from the trunk Sunshine Rose and Flower Mix. In the should not be any deeper than one inch. very bottom of the hole mix 1-2 cups Usually you can check the stem of the of Ada Perry’s Magic Formula for roses, tree near the roots and see different and a couple of hands-full of Gro-Power shades of brown/tan where the soil All Organic Soil Conditioner with the level was at the grower. Trees planted existing soil, and cover with about an too deep may not survive because the inch of the soil/compost mix and tamp bark stays too wet and starts to rot. firmly. Then form a mound of the 50/50 Bare Root Fruit Trees This may not happen right away, but mix in the center of your planting hole could show up in a year or two. Use and distribute the roots evenly around I’ve got some great reasons to buy plastic tie tape and tie your trees to it. The bud union or graft should be bare root fruit trees. For starters, you the stakes to keep them from blowing about 2” above the surrounding soil. Fill get the best selection as far as varieties over. Be sure to trim back your new the remaining portion of the planting go. Best of all, they cost less than when bare root trees, maybe as much as 1/3 hole with the 50/50 mix taking care you purchase them in a container. If off the top should be cut back, which not to leave any air pockets, and tamp you need more persuasion, they are will encourage a lower branching tree. lightly. Make a basin approx. 18” to 24” easier to plant as you don’t have to Who wants to go up on a ladder 10 or in diameter around your newly planted remove them from containers. Even 12 feet high to pick fruit? You can do rose to concentrate the water around though they are bare now, in a couple some growing season pruning to keep the existing roots and water thoroughly. of months the trees will start to leaf your tree to size if it is sending up too Initially water approximately once out and you should have lots of new much top growth. You don’t need to per week unless we have regular rain, growth by summer. Some varieties may wait until the tree goes dormant to increasing to 2-3 times per week this have 3 or 4 feet of new growth by then, prune back the new growth. summer. Container plants may need and some will fruit as soon as next year. daily watering during the summer. With proper planning, you can harvest Start fertilizing your new trees in March fresh fruit almost all year long! or April, and repeat the fertilizer about Fertilize your roses monthly from every three months until September January until the end of September Right now, we have a very good using Gro-Power Citrus and Avocado with either Gro-Power, or Dr. Earth Rose selection, over 200 varieties to choose or Dr. Earth Fruit Tree Food. and Flower Food. We also recommend from if you include blueberries, grapes, two applications of Ada Perry’s Magic olives, and cane berries. Download Bare Root Roses Formula for Roses. Apply once in the list of fruit trees in stock at www. Now on to roses. Bare root roses are January, and a second application in walterandersen.com/wp-content/ available mid-December through June or July. uploads/2010/09/2015fruittree.pdf. February. They arrive in large boxes Insects and fungus can be a problem Here is a great idea if you have limited which are lined with plastic to prevent for roses. There are several different space for fruit trees. You can plant the sleeping roses from drying out. products which will help control these more than one tree in a hole! It takes These dormant roses will begin growing issues. Serenade, Daconil, and Immunox a little planning, but it is not difficult. immediately and bloom sometime in will help control fungus problems. Your planting hole should be a little March or April! You can find a list of Green Light Rose Defense (Neem Oil), larger, say 2.5’-3’ in diameter, and about roses we have at www.walterandersen. will help control fungus, insects, and 16” to 18” deep. Place all three trees in com/pdf/2015roselista.pdf. As soon spider mites. Bayer Advanced has many the hole, spacing them about 12” to as they arrive in our stores, they are different products to control insects 18” apart. It is probably a good idea to individually pruned and potted in our and diseases. have three tree stakes ready, one for premium, custom mixed, peat moss- If you still have questions, come on in, each tree. Mix some soil conditioner based, rose potting soil from Sungro and watch the class schedule as well or planting compost with the soil that Horticulture. Over the last decades we for upcoming rose care and fruit tree you dug from the hole to fill in around have tried many mixes for the roses, classes. the roots of your new trees. While you but this has been the best performer. • 01.15 4

Helping Bees continued from p1 TO DO LIST: increase pollination of your vegetables January for a better crop. 8. Allow Some Vegetables and Herbs to Bolt PLANT Leaving a few vegetables and herbs in This is the ideal time to plant bare root the garden in the fall will allow them roses, fruit trees, and ornamentals. to flower and provide late season food Shop early for the best selection. for bees. Plant these vegetables now: Arti- 9. Garden Organically choke, Asparagus, Beets (seed), Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots (seed), Use non-toxic forms of pest control. Celery, Endive, Kale, Kohlrabi (seed), Traditional pesticides may kill beneficial Lettuce, Onions, Parsley, Parsnips, insects like bees and butterflies. Peas, Radish (seed), Spinach, Swiss If you are concerned about having Chard, and Turnips (seed). too many bees buzzing around, there PRUNING are ways to avoid bee stings: Now is the time to prune Roses, garden, the better. They are particularly Don’t put plants that attract bees in a deciduous trees, shrubs, and vines fond of blue, purple, yellow, and white heavy human traffic area. flowers. including fruit trees, grapes and berry Don’t wear bright or very dark colors, vines. Use well-maintained and sharp 2. Use Native Plants especially with floral prints. shears. Replace worn Felco pruner Bees in your area will be most attracted Cover food and drinks, especially fruit blades and springs with new ones for to native plants that they are familiar and sweet soft drinks. easier pruning. with. Mix a few in with your favorite PEST CONTROL ornamentals. Always wear shoes. Dormant spray for diseases and over 3. Plant Flowers in Clusters Avoid wearing perfume or scented body products in the garden. wintering insects. Use Liqui-Cop to Larger groupings of flowers. Even if control fungus on fruit trees and roses you only have a small garden area or Never disturb a nest. and Peach Leaf Curl and more on a few containers to plant in, it will be If you are allergic to bee stings and peaches and nectarines. Use oil spray beneficial to local foraging bees. get stung, seek emergency assistance to control overwintering insects and 4. Plan for a Succession of Blooms immediately. insect eggs. Plant some flowers that bloom in Flowers that Attract Bees LAWN CARE spring, some in summer, and some in Agastache, Bee Balm (Monarda), Apply Scott’s Super Turf Builder Plus fall. That will provide food for the bees Butterfly Weed, Columbine, Cosmos, Halts to prevent Crabgrass and other over a long period of the year. Daisy, Echinacea, Flax, Four O’Clocks, weed seed from germinating as the 5. Plant in Sunny Areas Foxglove, Gaillardia, Hollyhocks, weather warms up. Lavender, Lavender Hyssop, Lupine, ROSES Bees prefer to forage in sunny, pro- Pincushion Flower (Scabiosa), Salvia, tected areas where they won’t be Sunflowers, Wallflower, and Zinnia. Apply Ada Perry’s Magic Formula bombarded by wind. Sunny spots to established roses and add with Herbs That Attract bees produce the most prolific flowers as fertilizer when planting bare-root (when flowering) well. Roses. Basil, Borage, Catnip, Chives, Dill, 6. Plant Fruit Trees LOOK FOR Lemon Balm, Marjoram, Rosemary, Fruit trees provide a profusion of Thyme, and Mint. Camellias, Azaleas, Holly, Pyracantha, flowers for bees winter through spring. roses and fruit trees. Don’t miss Vegetables that Attract Bees Pansies, Violas, Stocks and Snap- 7. Put Flowers in the Vegetable (when flowering) Garden dragons. • Cucumbers, Melons, Onions, Pumpkins, If you intersperse some flowers that Squash, and Watermelons. • bees love with your veggies, it will help 01.15 5 Winter Bird Feeding Old Ben's Specials By Old Ben

Valid January 2-31, 2015

Free Small Finch Sock with Purchase of 5 or 10lb. Old Ben’s Nyger Seed! The sock is in the bag. 5lb. Nyjer Seed If you feed birds, you’re in good other seeds. For example, blackbirds company. Feeding birds is one of like corn, and doves prefer millet and $8.88 Reg. $12.99 North America’s favorite pastimes. A safflower. Nijer is a delicacy for small 25lb. Sunflower Chips 2010 report from the U. S. Fish and finches such as goldfinches, and Wildlife Service estimates that about siskins. Nijer seeds are small. Offer $16.88 Reg. $23.99 65 million Americans provide food for them in special Nijer feeders. Most wild birds. ground feeding birds prefer white Fine Cut Sunflower Chips millet to black oil sunflower seeds. Wintertime is Not Easy 5lb. $16.99 Reg. $31.99 Water, Water, Water In much of North America, winter is a 25lb. $29.88 Reg. $46.99 difficult time for birds. Days are often A dependable supply of fresh water windy and cold; nights are long and will attract many birds to your yard, even colder. including species that don’t normally 5lb. Old Ben’s Classic visit feeders. A shallow, easy to clean Vegetation has withered or been Wild Bird Seed birdbath is best. Clean your birdbath consumed, and most insects have died often and keep it filled with fresh $5.88 Reg. $11.49 or become dormant. Finding food can water. be especially challenging for birds on cold days. Setting up backyard feeders Feeder Placement Birdhouse Platform makes their lives easier and ours more Feeder Place your feeders close to natural enjoyable. shelters such as trees or shrubs. $19.88 Reg. $31.99 Types of Bird Food Evergreens are ideal and provide maximum cover from winds and During the spring and summer, most Clear Hummingbird Food predators. A distance of 10 feet from songbirds eat insects and spiders trees and shrubs seems to be ideal. 3 for $9.99 Reg. $6.99 ea. which are highly nutritious, abundant, You can provide resting and escape and for the most part, easily cap- cover for ground dwelling birds, such Now is the BEST time to tured. During fall and winter, non as Song Sparrows, by placing a large, install an Owl Box. migratory songbirds shift their diets loosely stacked brush pile near your A nesting pair eats up to to fruits and seeds to survive. This is feeders. the time of year when bird feeding 1,500 rodents a year. enthusiasts roll out the welcome mat Helpful Hints for Successful Barn Owl Nest Box and set the table. Bird Feeding $74.88 Reg. $104.99 Which Seed Types Should Avoid overcrowding at feeders by I Provide? placing numerous feeders several All specials limited to stock on hand. feet apart. No special orders. Cannot be combined with Black oil sunflower seeds attract the any other discount or offer. greatest variety of birds. These seeds Keep your feeding area and feeders have a high meat to shell ratio, they clean. are nutritious, and high in fat. Their Keep food and food storage containers If You Build it, Will They Come small size and thin shells make them dry and free of mold and insects. It may take a while for birds to discover easy for small birds to handle and a new feeder. If you are not seeing birds crack. Although sunflower seeds are Check your feeders for safety. Sharp within a few days of setting up your the overall favorite, some birds prefer edges can scratch birds and lead to feeder, try sprinkling some seeds on infections. the ground around the feeder to make the new feeding site more obvious. • 01.15 6 01.15 7 Holiday Recap Not All Plants Like By Melanie Potter Jack Frost By Botanical Interests & Walter Andersen Nursery This time of year, it pays to keep an eye on nighttime temperatures. To help you, here’s a simple list of common vegetables and their frost tolerance. Light Frost Temperatures 28-32 degrees F. Hard Frost Temperatures below 28 degrees F. Likely Damaged By Light Frost Beans, cucumbers, eggplants, musk- melon, New Zealand spinach, okra, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, sweet corn, tomatoes, watermelon, amaranth, and winter squash (plants). Can Withstand Light Frost Artichokes, beets, carrots, cauli- flower, celery, Chinese cabbage, endive, lettuce, parsnips, peas, swiss chard, escarole, arugula, bok choy, mache, and radicchio. Can Withstand Hard Frost Mary visits Santa at WAN December Nights in Balboa Park (upper left & above) Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, What kept us so busy over the blankets, and scratching posts were onions, parsley, peas, radishes, holidays? Take a look at photos that on the organizations wish list along spinach, turnips, leeks, and sorrel. capture some of the hectic days. with food. It is important to understand that We spent a day setting up our display temperature is not the only factor for the annual December Nights. It affecting survivorship of plants takes quite a crew of people to bring during a frost event. The further in trees, poinsettias, and other décor a plant or its parts are from the then set it all up. ground, the more likely it is to be damaged by frost. The ground, when warm, will radiate that warmth to plants that are close to the ground. Humidity can also help protect plants from frost. Humid air holds more heat and reduces the drying effects of frost. Air movement also has an influence on frost damage. Moving air is less likely to freeze than still air. Holiday Open Houses Tender plants can be protected Santa visited both stores during from a few light frosts with row our Holiday Open Houses. Kids are covers or blankets. Mulched beets, Supplies collected for The Humane Society Santa’s biggest fans as Mary proves, carrots, leeks, onions, radishes, and although the adults and kids at heart parsnips can be harvested later in Both stores collected pet supplies to from Walter Andersen make a beeline fall before the ground freezes. Light be given to the San Diego Humane to visit with him, too. frost makes leafy greens and root Society. Gently used and new toys, • vegetables sweeter, so it’s worth leaving some of your kale and

continued p8 01.15 8 Garden Classes JANUARY Jack Frost continued from p7 carrots in the ground until you’re Saturday classes are FREE and last about an hour. Complimentary coffee is ready to use them. Regardless of served. During inclement weather, classes are held indoors in San Diego and on the protection from frost, natural the covered, heated patio in Poway. Topics are subject to change. See the full or man-made, any temperature schedule at www.walterandersen.com/calendar/. below 25 degrees F is dangerous territory for vegetable plants. •

SAN DIEGO | 9:00AM POWAY | 9:30AM Bababerries Are Back! 1/3 1/3 We’ve had them before and we’ll have Pruning Pears & Figs, & Rose Pruning them again! The famous, everbearing Introduction of New Varieties 1/10 “Bababerry” is back. This popular 1/10 Orchard Planning & Planting berry has been hard to Choosing the Best Bare Root with Richard Wright propagate so growers had a rough time keeping up Selections for Your Yard 1/17 with the demand. Now, 1/17 Fruit Tree Pruning the supply is better and Success with Indoor Plants with Richard Wright you can plant the berry 1/24 1/24 that is said to be the best Winter & Spring Color Spring Bulbs with David Ross mild climate raspberry. It’s 1/31 1/31 a widely adapted plant, from southern Spring Bulbs TBA California to Virginia that is much more tolerant of summer heat than other raspberries. You’ll get large red berries up to one inch that are highly regarded for flavor. Enjoy a plentiful June harvest In-Store Coupons followed by smaller crop in fall. • Print out or show coupons on your smart phone at check out! Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve Valid January 2–31, 2015 Valid January 2–31, 2015 The Poway store closes at 2pm. Jan. 1: New Year’s Day $2.00 $1.00 Both stores will be closed. OFF OFF Edna’s Best E.B. Stone Potting Soil Planting Mix 1.5CF | #10026907 #120688 Bleeding Heart / Monrovia Bleeding Heart / Monrovia No Limit. Limited to stock on hand. Cannot No Limit. Limited to stock on hand. Cannot San Diego’s Independent Nursery Since 1928 TM be combined with any other discount be combined with any other discount Hedge Fund$ certificates do apply. Hedge Fund$ certificates do apply. walterandersen.com Visit Our 2 Locations facebook.com/walterandersens twitter.com/walterandersens SAN DIEGO POWAY online store 3642 Enterprise Street 12755 Danielson Court San Diego, California 92110 Poway, California 92064 videos {619} 224-8271 {858} 513-4900