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San Diego’s Independent Nursery Since 1928 TM NOVEMBER 2018

Camellias—Easy To Grow In San Diego By Walter Andersen, Jr.

IN THIS ISSUE Camellias—Easy To Grow 1 Japanese Maple Lover Facts 1 Going Native 1 To Do List: November 2 WAN History: Coming & Going 4 Holiday Open Houses 5 Ben: White Crowned Sparrow 6 Sweet Peas In San Diego 7 Hey Adults! Need A Sippy Cup? 8 November Garden Classes 9 ‘Yuletide’ November Specials 9 During winter when many other plants be kept smaller by pruning them after are dormant and leafless, Camellias they have finished blooming, and once shine in San Diego. or twice more during their growing season. Once flower buds begin to Camellia japonica form (late summer), stop pruning Going Native There are many different types of until the plants finish blooming. Most By Melanie Potter camellias, but Camellia japonica is by varieties of Camellia japonica begin far, the most popular type. They can blooming from December to February, grow fairly large. Some varieties can and continue blooming for about three grow 8-10 feet or more, but can easily months. continued p2

10 Facts Every Japanese Maple Lover Needs To Know By Kate Karam, Monrovia Nursery

With more than 1,000 varieties and cultivars including hybrids, the iconic Japanese maple tree is among the most versatile small trees for use in the landscape. Here are 10 “did you Banksia know” fun facts about them. When we prepared to give a plant There are lots of Acers but only three presentation to the Horticulture species are commonly called Japanese Society, we knew we had to bring maples, and only two of those are in lots of Australian and African very commonly grown: Acer japonicum natives since that was the subject. which hails from Japan, Korea and Man- We ordered extra so we would have Photo: Monrovia Nursery continued p3 some to offer for sale. In fact, some continued p3 11.18 2

Camellias continued from p1 TO DO LIST: November

FERTILIZE For lawns, use Marathon Fertilizer for tall fescue, and Bonide DuraTurf Weed & Feed to feed grass and control broadleaf weeds. Feed ‘Setsugekka’ ‘Pink-A-Boo’ vegetables with Gro-Power Tomato The plants have beautiful, medium shade away from the coast. There are and Vegetable Food or Dr. Earth sized, dark green, glossy foliage about two primary growth habits to Camellia Organic Tomato and Vegetable 3-4 inches long. Blooms are 3-5 inches sasanqua. Some varieties grow low Food. Feed citrus, Avocado, and in diameter and are large, showy, and and wide, other types are more com- fruit trees with Gro-Power Citrus great for floating in bowls. They make pact and upright. and Avocado Food. Feed palms great container plants (use larger, 16- Sasanquas also make excellent con- and tropicals with Gro-Power Palm 20 inch pots), and do quite well in the tainer plants. Some of the low growers ground. When planting in the ground, Tree and Tropical Food. Do not feed can even be used as hanging plants! use a mix high in peat moss or other Camellias! Care for sasanquas is very similar to organic matter such as Sunshine japonicas. BERMUDA LAWN CARE Azalea Camellia mix. When planting in containers, use Edna’s Best potting The Tried & True and De-thatch and over seed Bermuda soil, or the Sunshine All Purpose in the Something New lawns with annual Rye. black bag. ‘Yuletide’ is a favorite. Single, brilliant PLANT Camellias like to be kept moist, but red blooms centered with bright yellow not soggy wet. During winter, water stamens make an elegant statement Look for fall bulbs, California natives camellias in the ground about once in the winter garden. The glossy, dark and drought-tolerant plants. Fall every 7-10 days. Camellias in containers green foliage creates a handsome color selections include Violas, will need to be watered about once or natural hedge, foundation shrub or Pansies, Snapdragons, fragrant twice per week. During summer or hot, espalier specimen. It’s a mid-season Stocks, Poppies, and more. Look for dry periods, water more frequently. bloomer and is evergreen. Pyracantha, Cotoneaster, Camellias, Fertilize with an acid food or camellia ‘Setsugekka’ has large, perfectly Azaleas, and holiday plants. You’ll and azalea fertilizer. Stop fertilizing formed, semi-double, white flowers find vegetables as well as potatoes, early September or once buds begin with ruffled edges and a bright center garlic and onions in mid-November. to form. Feeding after that may cause of golden stamens. The dense, upright Looking for more edibles to plant? the buds to drop. habit and glossy, dark green foliage How about caneberries, straw- create an exceptional evergreen found- Camellia japonica prefers shade, berries, kiwi, asparagus, and olives? morning sun or filtered sun but will ation planting or espalier. It’s a mid- Look for potted bare root trees to tolerate more sun in the coastal areas. season bloomer. arrive— Pomegranates and Figs. We Generally, darker flowering varieties Perfect for adding color to the winter don’t have an arrival date so call are more sun tolerant. garden is ‘Pink-A-Boo’ Camellia that offers wonderfully fragrant, deep pink the store to check. It should be late Camellia sasanqua blooms centered with bright yellow November or early December. The second most popular variety has stamens. The long lasting flowers are PEST CONTROL smaller leaves and smaller, but more stunning in floral arrangements or plentiful blooms. They tend to begin floated in a shallow bowl so that the This month start dormant spraying blooming a little earlier, usually start- fragrance can be enjoyed indoors. with Liqui-Cop and Oil Spray. ing in October or November. Camellia It’s an excellent choice for a colorful The wetter the winter, the more sasanqua tolerate more sun, but evergreen hedge, espalier, or border crucial dormant spraying becomes! usually do better with some afternoon shrub. • Clean up all foliage from beneath deciduous fruit trees and roses. • 11.18 3 - Japanese Maple Lover continued from p1 Going Native continued from p1 churia and Acer palmatum which hails was likely Acer palmatum. from Japan and eastern China. Some Japanese maples are monoecious mean- also come from eastern Mongolia, and ing they have both male and female southeast Russia. (Bonus when you use flowers on the same plant. These flow- this in conversation—the third is Acer ers are inconspicuous and small, and shirasawanum—also native to Japan. though they do not attract insects, Heights vary from dwarf shrubs to grouse, quail, and many songbirds adore small shade trees 20 to 25 feet tall, but them. The seeds are on the menu for in Southern California, generally much squirrels, chipmunks and other small shorter. (Dwarf is a relative term, of mammals as well. course. Some Japanese maples will Japanese maples grow best in zones stay very small but many are just very 5 – 8 but can be grown in containers slow growing meaning they stay small in colder and warmer zones if you can for a very long time.) Shaina Japanese provide appropriate care. In colder Maple, Waterfall Japanese Maple, and zones, allow plant to go fully dormant Red Select Japanese Maple are good outside and then bring into an unheated examples. Leucadendron garage or other sheltered, cool area. In Japanese maples typically grow just one warmer zones, place (or in this case are varieties that aren’t always to two feet or less per year. However, plant) a Japanese maple in a shaded available. under the right conditions, they can live location and where it can be protected Banksia to be more than one hundred years old. from drying winds. Also in warmer These have interesting leaves and zones, using a silicon solution such In Japan the maple is called the “autumn show stopping flowers. The tiny as Pro-Text monthly with additional welcoming tree” and it is planted in flowers appear in dense round or applications prior to hot, dry winds will the western portion of gardens (the cylinder-like clusters that are then help minimize leaf damage. direction from which fall comes). Here, followed by woody seed cones. The we plant them under other trees or in Fried maple leaves are a very popular blooms are rich with nectar which the shadow cast by trees and buildings snack in Osaka, and apparently have makes them hummingbird friendly to protect them from the hot summer been for at least a thousand years. The and why they are referred to as sun and drying winds. city of Minoh is particularly famous for Australian honeysuckle. their fried leaves. The maple leaves are Inconspicuous flowers are followed by dipped and fried in tempura batter, Leucadendron fruits called samaras which are nutlets which give them their unique taste. enclosed in a papery, fibrous tissue Native to South Africa and a relative Chefs in Minoh usually store their leaves that’s in the shape of wings. They are of Protea plants, you’ll find these in barrels of salt for one year, which shaped to spin as they fall and to carry growing as a shrub or tree. They makes them particularly tasty. the seeds a considerable distance on • may be grown for their foliage or the wind. flowers. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants at stem Seeds can be collected from Japanese tips. The seed heads are woody and maple trees, but the seedlings are not cone shaped, thus they are aptly guaranteed to be exact clones of the known as Cone Bush. parent plant. While these trees can be grown from cuttings, most are continued p4 slow growing, weak, and difficult to overwinter. Most of the Japanese maple trees you see in garden centers are the Saturday, November 24 @9:30am result of grafting, wherein the select variety is joined with a seedling grown Join Tony for a rootstock so they can continue to grow together. Grafting works well because Bonsai Workshop! you are starting with a rootstock that is If you need to work off your turkey dinner from Thanksgiving, come vigorous and already a year old. spend the morning with Tony at a bonsai workshop in Poway. He Development of Japanese maple culti- will teach attendees to bonsai a Japanese Maple. The class is $30 and vars began in Japan in 1700, but were includes a non-grafted tree (or pay an extra $10 and upgrade to a only first seen in the west in 1820 when grafted ‘Crimson Queen’) and instruction. Call 858-513-4900 to they were introduced in England. It RSVP and pre-pay. Must reserve a space as class size is limited. • 11.18 4 - History of WAN: Ninety Years Sees A Lot Going Native Of Coming And Going continued from p3 By Ken Andersen

‘Kings Rainbow’ Grevillea Grevilleas Also from the Protea family and native to Australia, they have finely textured foliage and slender, curved flowers. You can find them from low and spreading as a ground cover to 50’ tall (G. robusta which you’ll find in Hawaii). Many varieties grow as a shrub from 4’-15’ tall. Plant in well draining soil. Proteas are sensitive to high phosphorus levels in the soil so avoid using high phosphorus fertilizers. Most will take full sun to partial shade. • Recently found stacks of old resale cards.

Twelfth in the series. Read all the arti- the more interesting ones are in the cles starting with the December, 2017 photo. All are from nurseries that were Kokedama Class newsletter at www.walterandersen.com run by friends and colleagues and no /news/newsletters. longer in existence. They include: Create a Moss Ball based on Japanese Traditions One of the requirements of doing busi- Westview Gardens ness in the state of California is that you Green Gardens Nursery Walter Andersen Nursery will hold a must have a reseller’s permit to make Pacific Beach Gardens Kokedama class Nov. 10 at 9:30am at its Poway location. At the workshop, wholesale purchases tax free. People Moenning’s Nursery attendees will learn about Kokedama, and businesses that want to purchase The Plant Man a unique form of living art. It is a product from you and resell it to their Presidio Garden Center ball of soil covered by moss with customers must fill out a resale card Nelson’s Pine Patch plants that will grow in it. The class with all of their permit information Horahk Nursery will be taught by Kanako Yamada, and we must keep those cards on file Natures Curiosity Shop owner of Kodama Forest. It’s limited should we ever get audited by the state Rex Foster Orchids to 20 people and there is a $28 for the collection of sales tax. In a box Stewart and Carlin Growers materials and instruction fee. Call of stuff discovered about a year ago, Ouchi Nursery 858-513-4900 to rsvp and pre-pay there was a stack of old resale cards, Schaeffer’s Nursery • for the class. Participants will have some dating back 40 years. Some of access to the supplies (moss, soils, materials, and plants) needed to make a moss ball and are welcome to bring gloves and an apron to wear. • 11.18 5 11.18 6

Old Ben: Old Ben’s Promise I believe ingredients should come from The White nature, not a lab. I believe wild bird food should be made only Crowned with ingredients I am proud to share. I believe wild bird food should be simply Sparrow prepared with as little processing as possible. By Old Ben I believe wild bird food should be made with a commitment to quality. You most likely have these beautiful leaves followed by a forward hop and Nature has nothing to hide; neither should sparrows in your yard right now. Fur- pounce. When these birds arrive on your wild bird food. I use ingredients from natural sources across thermore, if you have leafy vegetables their breeding grounds, males and my entire line - NO artificial anything. growing they may be missing some females pair quickly then wait until leaves or are gone entirely, thanks to snow has melted enough to begin nest these birds. building. At the end of summer the Old Ben's Specials pairs break up and winter separately. White crowned sparrows appear each When both members of the pair return winter over much of North America. next summer, about two-thirds of the Their smart black and white head, pairs reform. Young birds move very Valid November 1-30, 2018 pale beak, and gray breast combine little for the first few days after they for a fantastic look, and make it one leave the nest and don’t typically learn of the easiest sparrows to identify. to fly until a week later. Siblings can Old Ben’s Economy Seeing flocks of these sparrows scur- stay with each other for more than rying through brushy borders and Wild Bird Seed two months after fledging. A traditional blend that attracts a overgrown fields is common. wide variety of wild birds. 20lb. bag Nesting: Females build nets out of Size and Shape: The White Crowned twigs, coarse grasses, pine needles, SUPER SALE! sparrow is a large sparrow with a small moss, bark and dead leaves. They line bill and long tail. The head can look Sale $9.99 Reg. $14.99 the nest cup with fine grasses and distinctly peaked or smooth and flat, hairs. The finished nest is about five depending on the bird’s attitude. inches across and two inches deep Old Ben’s Nyger Color Pattern: First impressions of and takes the female two to nine days White Crowned Sparrows tend to be of Seed to complete. The staple food for goldfinches and a plain, pale gray bird. Next, your eye is many other small birds. 25lb. bag drawn to the very bold black and white Did You Know? stripes on the head and the pale pink A young male learns the basics of the Sale $49.99 Reg. $59.99 or yellow bill. Young birds have brown, song it will sing as an adult during the not black markings on the head. first two or three months of its life. It does Old Ben’s Dove & Diet / Feeding: These birds forage on not learn directly from its father, but the ground or in low vegetation, but from the generalized song environment Quail Seed sometimes make short flights to catch of its natural neighborhood. A very popular blend in a 25lb bag. Many other wild birds love this flying insects. They mainly eat seeds, Because male White Crowned Spar- blend too. plant parts and insects. In winter, they rows learn the songs they grow up often forage in flocks. They will also with and breed close to where they Sale $19.99 Reg. $24.99 visit bird feeders early and late in the were raised, song dialects frequently day. They prefer millet, but will also form. Males on the edge of two dialects eat sunflower chips and cracked corn. may be bilingual and able to sing both Old Ben’s No Mess They will usually avoid conflicts with dialects! • Wild Bird Seed other birds. The no mess advantage. Seed is Behavior: White Crowned Sparrows hulled and chopped, will not sprout, hop across the ground and through Ask Old Ben! birds can eat all the seeds which low foliage in brushy habitats. You may attracts fewer feeder pests. 20lb. bag see them double scratching, a move Email Old Ben your questions to: they share with towhees involving a Sale $34.99 Reg. $39.99 [email protected] quick hop backwards to turn over All specials limited to stock on hand. No special orders. Cannot be combined with any other discount or offer. 11.18 7 Sweet Peas In San Diego By Ken Andersen

For decades, Walter Andersen Nursery has bought a mix of sweet pea seeds and packaged them for sale at this time of the year. One of my earliest memories of working at the nursery, is as a child packaging these seeds, one shot glass at a time, into small envelopes that had been rubber stamped SWEET PEAS, also done by me! These beautiful flowering vines grow nicely in our cooler fall months and the fragrance of the flowers is intoxicating. Once, in the late 1960s with the help of my father and grandfather, I entered a bouquet of these sweet peas in the annual Mission Valley Flower Show held at the Mission Valley Mall. To my surprise, I won first place and even landed a large photo of myself with my prize winning blooms in the San Diego Union newspaper. The article on page 8 from California Garden magazine has been reprinted with their permission. I encourage anyone that has not tried growing sweet peas to add them to your garden. They are a wonderful Editors Note: Read the California Meet A Local Gem in fragrant addition and as a cut flower Garden articles on page 8. Barbara will brighten any room! S. Jones has gardened in San Diego San Diego Gardening for more than 50 years. She is the San Today some of the things cited in Diego Floral Association Historian. the article are not really necessary. The plants do like very rich soil so The 1939 article was written by Mary California Garden magazine is one of be sure to amend the planting area Greer, a long term president of the San the oldest gardening publications in Diego Floral Association and she was heavily with a good planting mix. existence, having been continuously At the time you amend the soil, add referencing Kate Sessions instructions a good fertilizer like Gro-Power or on how to grow sweet peas for Christ- published by the San Diego Floral E.B. Stone Rose and Flower Food. If mas. Many thanks to Nancy Clark, from Association for the past 111 years! you are growing in containers, use a the San Diego Floral Association, who Today, you will still find interesting quality potting soil like the Sunshine provided additional background infor- and timely articles on a variety of All Purpose Planting Mix. You will have mation for this article. • to feed container plants a little more subjects published six times a year. frequently than those in the ground, The latest edition, if we are not sold but the results should be the same. out, is at either of our two locations, Give the plants something to climb on the cost is $5. An annual subscription for support. An easy way to do this is to use trellis netting. This inexpensive is $45 but that includes an annual option makes end of season clean up membership in the San Diego Floral quick and easy. Just remove the net Association. For more information from its supports and pull the plants about the association and loose from the ground, bundle the California whole thing up and dispose of it! Garden, go to www.sdfloral.org. • 11.18 8

Sweet Peas from CALIFORNIA GARDEN September-October 1998 Hey Adults! Do You Barbara S. Jones Need A Sippy Cup? An unofficial contest to have the earli- The decorative sweet pea is derived By Melanie Potter est bouquet of sweet peas existed in from a weedy wild Italian plant with the 1920s and 1930s in many San Diego purple-blue flowers, Lathyrus odoratus. neighborhoods. It was especially note- It was first collected early in the 18th worthy if one had blooms by Christmas. century, and by 1900 over 260 varieties We often had a small bouquet on our had been developed. Even today, new breakfast table, but not in the hot varieties are introduced every year and months of July, August, and September. a wide selection of seeds is available. I do not remember being impressed by Sweet peas need a sunny location with the colors, light pastels, but the odor good air movement to grow well. It is was marvelous. “Everyone” had a trellis important that the soil is rich. If you or back fence covered with sweet peas. plan to have Christmas sweet peas, Sweet peas have not been widely purchase an early blooming variety, grown here in recent years, but there begin preparing your soil for planting have been many new varieties devel- in September, and then follow Kate Anyone who has had babies or tod- oped and they are popular elsewhere. Sessions’s instructions in early October. There are new brilliant dark and bright (It usually takes about three months dlers in their lives understands how colors and there are dwarf varieties from seed to flower, depending on the great an invention the sippy cup is. It that do not need support and can be weather). • is portable, pretty much unbreakable, grown in a container. and spill proof. Thanks to innovative friends from San Marcos, Shannon Zappala and Regan Kelaher, who began collaborating on all things from CALIFORNIA GARDEN Sweet Peas For Christmas ‘wine’ in 2015, comes an adult sippy October 1939, Vol. 31 #4, Page 6 | Mary Greer cup. Their passion for great wine, Dig a trench about two feet deep and Twenty four hours later sow the seeds. dislike of plastic glasses and a love eighteen to twenty inches wide. for Southern California’s outdoor Open the furrow about four inches lifestyle, led to the birth of GOVERRE. After all the soil has been removed, deep. their product is a stemless, real wine the basin of the trench should be Set the seeds about six inches apart. glass that is portable, fits snugly in spaded thoroughly. a silicone sleeve and is topped with Cover with one inch of fine soil and Put in some small stones to help with a drink-through lid. compact it thoroughly. drainage. Shannon and Regan both worked Do not water again until the seed Put in a layer of well-rotted manure, or stable jobs in corporate America. are up. other humus. After years of experience (in health- Cover with wire netting or brush to care and marketing) and many nights Use topsoil to fill the trench to within keep birds from eating the plants. debating the “what ifs” over their five or six inches of the top. favorite beverage, inspiration struck Get good seeds and soak overnight. Some growers add bone meal with the and both knew it was time to pursue soil. Use about a quarter pound to a Plant immediately if you are planning their passion to build a brand. blooms for Christmas. three to four foot row. In January 2017, the duo turned Flood the trench thoroughly, leaving Sweet peas were grown locally in the GOVERRE into their full-time jobs and the soil a little lower in the center of open ground when the above directions set up shop at Shannon’s house, stor- trench. were written. Current instructions sug- ing inventory and shipping product. gest that container-grown plants be Fast forward several months later Allow it to rest for a few days, keeping fed every two weeks during blooming and the women of GOVERRE found the compost in a moistened condition season with an all purpose liquid fertil- themselves in a completely different in this interval. izer. To prolong the blooming season, setting, in the tank of ABC’s hit series, Before sowing, the ground should be flowers should be removed immediately Shark Tank. Once again surpassing leveled, and the entire area where the and not allowed to go to seed. their goals, Shannon and Regan seeds are to be planted should be No part of the sweet pea – flower, secured investments with sharks watered. seed or foliage – is edible. • Mark Cuban, Lori Grenier and Robert Herjavec. continued p9 11.18 9 Garden Classes NOVEMBER Dates To Remember 11/21 Poway store closes at 3pm Saturday classes are FREE and last about an hour. Complimentary coffee is served. During inclement weather, classes are held indoors in San Diego and on 11/22 Both stores closed for Thanksgiving the covered, heated patio in Poway. Topics are subject to change. See the full schedule at www.walterandersen.com/calendar/. 12/1 - 12/31 No classes to be held in December 12/1 Poway Holiday Open House from 11am-1pm SAN DIEGO | 9:00AM POWAY | 9:30AM 12/15 San Diego Holiday Open 11/3 11/3 House from 11am-1pm Rose Pruning Vermiculture 12/24 Poway store closes at 2pm 11/10 11/10 12/25 Both stores closed for Seed & Stone Fruit Pruning Kokedama Class Christmas & Maintenance Consulting $28 Fee, Must RSVP & Prepay. 12/31 Poway store closes at 2pm with Kurt Peacock Class Size is Limited. Details on p4 1/1 Both stores closed for New Year’s Day 11/17 11/17 • Eco-Friendly Composting Fall Fruit Tree Care Do’s and Don’ts with Richard Wright 11/24 Sippy Cup? 11/24 No Class continued from p8 Bonsai workshop with Tony $30 Fee, Must RSVP & Prepay. The glasses hold a whopping 17oz. Class Size is Limited. Details on p3 of liquid. The whole shebang is top rack dishwasher safe (with the exception of the glittered silicon sleeve version), and are made from all-natural sustainable raw materials (all FDA approved). Our Poway store has these glasses available, just in time for the holidays! Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew So start sipping. • We love this organic insecticide containing Spinosad which acts like a systemic insect- icide! That’s because it is translamar (a favorite word of Davis Ross!), meaning it penetrates the leaf tissue and remains effective for a longer period of time. It is very effective against citrus leaf minor and many other chewing insects. It is not very effective against sucking insects such as aphid, scale and mealy bug (we have other organic solutions for those). You can get San Diego’s Independent Nursery Since 1928 TM Captain Jack’s in concentrate, ready to spray and ready to use. walterandersen.com Visit Our 2 Locations facebook.com/walterandersens twitter.com/walterandersens SAN DIEGO POWAY 3642 Enterprise Street 12755 Danielson Court online store San Diego, California 92110 Poway, California 92064 {619} 224-8271 {858} 513-4900 videos Open 8am-5pm daily Open 9am-5pm daily ©2018 Walter Andersen Nursery Design: TyWebbDesign.com