Alden Lane Honey

Scrape the honey and wax into a bucket

Alden Lane honey has arrived back on our shelves. Fall is the honey-harvesting season.

Bees have always found the hollowed out trees at Alden Lane Nursery an ideal place to set up shop. It’s only natural that beekeeping in boxes would be successful at Alden Lane as well.

Our Alden Lane beekeepers have been as busy as bees all year, tending the hives and now harvesting honey.

Alden Lane honey is not processed in any way. It is simply harvested, allowed to settle out from the wax, and placed in a jar. it is amazingly sweet and good tasting!honey-jars

Whether for health, allergies or a tasty natural sweetener,  Alden Lane Honey is a perfect addition to your cupboard. Select a fresh jar of local honey. You can’t get honey like this anywhere else.

Work Herbs into your Existing Landscape

Landscaping with herbs adds interest!

Many herbs make beautiful landscape accents which can at the same time be good looking, fragrant and tasty. Set herbs into your landscape underfoot to enjoy fragrance when walked upon. Plant them where you will brush against them or within reach of the patio for a barbeque or garnish.

Low Growing

• Thyme – Many varieties, from tiny leafed to golden tinged foliage. Great for tucking in around stepping stones or use as edging. great underfoot.
• Mint – Comes in flavors from spearmint to chocolate. Plant in a pot to contain it its rampant growth.
• Oregano – Greek  & Italian Varieties available. Pinch it back occasionally to keep it bushy.
• Chives – Grow these spiky little clumps as an accent. The pretty pink flowers are edible, too.
• Trailing Rosemary – Lovely spilling over a wall or pot edge.

Knee high

• Lavender – Dozens of varieties with gray or green foliage; all are colorful and fragrant in your hottest, sunniest spots.
• Lemon Balm – Tidy mounds with dusty purple flowers and wonderfully fragrant leaves.
• Sage – Silvery or multi-colored leaves are a must for flavoring poultry dishes.

Shrubs and Trees

• Lemon Verbena – Tough as nails drought lover is a sturdy shrub. Pinch to keep bushy; pour boiling water on leaves for a lemony tea.
• Upright Rosemary – Tuscan Blue grows to 5′; use as a hedge. Taller varieties have larger leaves and straight stems for skewering. All are tough, low water and delicious.
• Bay Laurel – Use Sweet Bay leaves fresh or dry for later. Grows as a dense, evergreen, dark green hedge or upright tree. Can be kept small with pruning.

Tuck a few herbs in a sunny spot near your kitchen door, within easy snipping distance. Most herbs like good drainage, so amend your soil with lots of Bumper Crop Organic Soil amendment. Or plant in pots and herbs spill over the sides. Many are surprisingly tough perennials, mounding between 6 inches and 2 feet or so, and will live for years. Enjoy truly fresh flavor!

Fresh Apples from Sebastopol


apples-jacquie

Every fall Alden lane brings in farm fresh apples from Sebastopol grower, Dave Hale. Apples arrive weekly so the crop is fresh, we just received a delivery this morning.

Dave Hale’s apples are not the usual store bought type from out of state. These are unique and flavorful, antique and heirloom apples that are delivered fresh weekly from the farmer. Enjoy an apple for fresh eating or bake a bunch into a pie. Come in now for fresh taste.

Here is what we have on hand:

  • Cortland
  • Cameo
  • Bramley
  • Braeburn
  • Golden Delicious
  • Jonagold
  • Jonathon
  • King
  • Northern Spy
  • Mutsu
  • Starking
  • Spitzenburg
  • Pippin

Galvanized Troughs

Convert Galvanized Troughs into Planters

Here’s a fun and easy way to get your garden started! Galvanized bins are traditionally used as animal feed or water troughs, but they also make great planters and are pretty cool looking too! Best of all, this is a project you can easily complete over a weekend.

There are just 3 steps to using galvanized bins as planters:

  1. Drill Drainage Holes
  2. Position Bins and Fill with Soil
  3. Start Planting!

Think about what size would be best for your space and for what you want to grow (Alden Lane carries heavy-duty Tarter galvanized Troughs in a wide variety of sizes).

DRILL DRAINAGE HOLES

You’ll want to make sure what you are going to plant has plenty of drainage, so drilling holes at the bottom of your galvanized trough is important. This takes a little work, but it’s worth it! Here’s how:

  • Flip the Trough upside down for drilling (you may want to put a tarp or a blanket underneath to catch the metal scraps).
  • Using a 1/2-inch metal drill bit, drill holes around the perimeter of the trough, as well as across the middle. This could drain the battery in a cordless drill quickly, so a corded drill might be a better option if you have one.

POSITION BINS & FILL WITH SOIL

Consider the plants you plan to use when you choose a space, as you may need full sun or partial shade. Measure and mark the spot you’ll be placing the Troughs. Take the time to make sure they are level, which is important for drainage. Remember, once the Troughs are full of soil, they will be fairly permanent, because of their weight (though you can always empty the soil out to move them).

If positioning the planter on open ground, place four to six bricks (or more, depending on the size of the planter) in a square or rectangular pattern in the spot where your planter will sit. Space the bricks so they form a shape slightly smaller than the bottom of the galvanized tub. Depending on the size of the Trough, you may need to put some in the middle to prevent sagging.

  • Place the tub on top of the bricks, checking to make sure it sits level. If the ground is not level, add or remove soil from underneath bricks until the tub sits flat
  • If positioning the planter on a patio or other hard surface, use shims to level the planter. This will allow moisture to drain from the tub more easily.
  • For soil, we recommend Master Nursery Professional Potting Soil, or E.B. Stone Cactus and Succulent mix.
  • Fill your galvanized Troughs to the very top with soil. Keep in mind that the soil will settle, and stopping even just a few inches from the top of the bins will create a gap that will cast a shadow on your plants.

START PLANTING

Now you’re ready to plant, which is the fun part! Snap peas and lettuce are examples of cool-season vegetables that can be sown directly in the bins. Cherry tomatoes and summer squash are examples of warm-season vegetables that can either be started indoors or purchased as seedlings. You can mix and match – starting with some direct sowing early in the season and adding other seedlings and warm-season veggies as the season progresses.

Happy planting in your galvanized bins!

 

Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening

Raised Bed Kits &  EarthBoxes

Growing vegetables in a raised bed solves several problems and makes gardening more productive and rewarding. Our heavy clay soil can be tough to work and slow to drain. Adding compost helps on both of these fronts.  Using a raised bed with well-improved soil allows one to garden in a deep friable earth that drains well, plants love and does not require too much bending over to maintain.

The benefits of raised bed gardening over conventional row gardening include being able to give your plants the perfect soil mix, allowing for easier weeding and the ability to block gophers (Using hardware mesh across the bottom of the bed). Redwood raised bed kits are on sale this week, 30% off – limited to stock on hand.

Earthboxes

EarthboxWe also sell EarthBoxes which have many of the same benefits as raised beds… They are self-contained systems, so they use water very wisely and grow more produce in a smaller space.  We are all surprised at how much produce you can harvest from a single EarthBox.

May Vegetable Guide

Vegetable Plant Time Amount
(family of 4)
Special Notes Plant Now
Artichoke Year ’round 3 – 4 plants Permanent, perennial.
4″ Pots
Beans, lima May – June 15 – 25 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.
Beans, String April – May Then later again in July and August 15 – 25 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest.
From Starts or Seeds
Cantaloupes/Other melons April – June 5 – 10 hills Soil must be warm.
From Starts or Seeds
Carrots Year ’round 20 – 30 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest.
From Seeds
Chives Year ’round 1 clump Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.
From Starts or Seeds
Corn, sweet April – July 20 – 30 ft. row Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. Soil must be warm.
From Starts or Seeds
Cucumbers April – July 6 plants N/A
From Seeds
Eggplant April – June 4 – 6 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.
From Starts
Okra May 10 – 20 ft. row N/A
From Starts
Parsley Year ’round 1 – 2 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.
From Starts
Parsnips May – July 10 – 15 ft. row N/A
Peppers April – July 5 – 10 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown
From Starts
Pumpkins April – June 1 – 3 plants N/A
From Starts or seeds
Radishes Year ’round 4 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest.
From Seed
Squash, summer April – July 2 – 4 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.
From Starts or seeds
Squash, winter June – September 2 – 4 plants Known as winter Squash because it stores over winter but it grows in summer-fall.
From Starts or seeds
Strawberries June – September 12+ plants Bare root in November – 6-Pack arriving in Feb.
6-Packs Soon
Tomatoes March – July 6 – 10 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Weather permitting, starting in March is possible.
From Starts
Turnips February – August 10 – 15 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown.
From Starts
Watermelons April – June 6 plants N/A
From Seeds

Plant Blueberries for your Health as well as your Tastebuds

Blueberries are just one of the many berries that require very little care and are loaded with both good flavor and health benefits. You can easily enjoy a season-long harvest of health-enhancing berries by planting an early season, a mid-season and late season variety.

Plant an abundance of plants if you want to freeze berries to enjoy the rest of the year. It has been said, plant 2 plants for each member of your household to provide a good supply of berries for all.

Blueberries are also very attractive. Their pretty white and pink flowers in spring are followed by delicious fruit in summer. Pick them fresh for eating, baking pies, or pancakes! Plant two blueberry bushes per family member for an ample supply of fresh berries throughout summer. Plant more if you plan to freeze.

These super fruits grow best in afternoon shade with an acidic soil in the ground or in large pots, (a 2×4′ raised bed kit is ideal for 2 blueberry plants). There are many varieties of blueberries with varying fruit sizes and subtle flavor differences to extend the ripening season from late spring into late summer.

Come by and let one of our knowledgeable staff members get you started.

Jubilee
Reveille (Early June)

Reveille has a unique crisp, almost crunchy texture and the outstanding popping flavor is a good performer with large crops of light blue, medium size berries. Planting with another variety can produce a larger crop. This variety needs around 600 chilling hours. to 5′ high.


Misty
Misty (Early June)
Early season ripening, Misty is one of the most attractive Southern Highbush varieties. The bright blue-green foliage provides a perfect contrast to the hot pink spring flowers and sky blue summer fruit. The berries are medium to large size and of excellent quality. Misty has an evergreen tendency in areas with mild winters. Yields best when planted with other blueberries. Chilling needs are very low 300 hours*.


Sharp's Blue
Sharpblue (Late May)
Dime-sized berries! Excels in warmer climates as it requires fewer than 500 chilling hours* per year. Fruits are sweet and high in antioxidants. A popular commercial variety, now you can enjoy these same berries picked fresh from your own backyard. Ripens early in the season.


South Moon
South Moon (Early June)
Delicious, large, sky-blue fruit ripens in early summer. It is highly productive in areas where it will receive as few as 500 hours of winter chill*. White bell-shaped flowers and colorful fall foliage are added ornamental benefits.


Sunshine Blue
O’Neal (Late May, Early June)
O’Neal is known as a Southern Highbush variety because it tolerates hot summers and has low chill requirements. It bears especially sweet and flavorful fruit, but planting with another variety can produce a larger crop. Can get 5′-6″ tall.


*Winter chill hours refers to the total number of hours that temperatures are below 45 degrees throughout the cool season.

Feed acid-loving plants like blueberries now using Cottonseed Meal.  It’s organic, acidic and nitrogen rich.

 

 

 

Tasty Tomatoes

wildboartomatoesTasty Tomatoes For Your Summer Salads! Vegetable Gardens Start This Month!

Feeling adventurous? Ready to try some new tomato varieties this year? We have them! Check out this list of varieties and sizes. We know there’s something to fit your taste and gardening needs.

Try Our Unusual Heirloom Wild Boar Tomatoes

We are featuring, once again, unusual tomatoes from Wild Boar this year in addition to old favorites. Add a few of these tasty tomatoes to your garden mix! We have the following on hand now in 4″ pots.

  • Beauty King Large stunning red yellow bicolor, yellow with flashy red stripes. Interior is yellow with bright red streaks, very meaty. Very good sweet tomato flavor 12-20 oz. Ready in 75-90 days. Good to very good production.
  • Black Beauty is one of the darkest tomatoes that Wild Boar produces. The 4 to 6 oz. fruit is rich, smooth and savory with earth tones.
  • Black & Brown Bear is a dark red color with great flavor. This is an aggressive grower and produces 8 to 12 oz. fruit.
  • Blue Beauty 4-8 oz. fruit – Great production. Medium Large fruit, Meaty Pink beefsteak with a lovely dark blue top. Sunburn and crack resistant. Very good flavor.
  • Dragon’s Eye 2-4 oz. fruit, Very pretty pink-rose colored with green stripes that turn gold. Producing in hot and cool weather. Early to Midseason. Very dark and meaty flesh with good persistence on the vine.
  • Kelloggs Breakfast Large orange beefsteak fruits weigh 1-2 pounds. Delicious rich flavor with a good acid/sugar balance. Very productive. Indeterminate, 80-90 days from transplant.
  • Large Barred Boar 8-12 oz. fruit, Early to mid-early. One of the first ripe tomatoes each season. 65-75 days. Flattened med, beefsteak fruit. Good choice for marginal tomato climates. Pink brown with metallic green stripes. Very meaty pink flesh that is very flavorful.
  • Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye is a Port Wine Beefsteak colored with metallic green stripes. 8 to 12 oz. fruit.
  • Red Beauty is a medium-sized red fruit with accents of green stripes and purple splashes. 4 to 6 oz.
  • Red Boar is a top notch performer in looks, taste, and production. Produces 2 to 4 oz. fruit.
  • Solar Flare is a luscious sweet Red tomato with 6 to 10 oz. fruit.

April is a great month to start planting your vegetable garden. We have seeds, seedlings, and four-inch plants to help get you going. Now is the perfect time to set out tomatoes, eggplant and pepper starts. As temperatures warm plant watermelon, cucumbers, pumpkins, beans, and more. Melons, cucumbers, basil are very cold sensitive.

We have a great selection of tomato cages, snail and bug baits, and vegetable fertilizer along with tips for good growing. Stop by and see us soon!

 

Plant Nasturtiums for Taste and Beauty

nasturtium

Nasturtiums have been a long time a favorite for the bright shade garden. They come in hot salsa colors of red, orange, yellow and everything in-between and they are edible!
Nasturtiums inherit their spicy attitude from a close cousin, the herb, watercress, and like its cousin, is edible. The brilliant colors are both beautiful and tasty tossed in salads or filled with cream cheese piped through a pastry sleeve.

 

Nasturtiums look fabulous in the garden or patio. They lend an informal, country feel. They are great for hanging baskets or planters or massed in a bed. Choose from dwarf varieties that hug the earth at 8″ high or vining varieties that ramble or climb.

Plant seeds for nasturtiums in a location where plants will receive morning sun and afternoon shade (or a spot with bright shade all day) if you don’t have a shady spot, plant them in among cosmos. The cosmos will grow tall and the nasturtiums will climb up through its shade.

Nasturtium seeds require darkness to germinate. Sow seeds in the garden about the middle of March or later and cover with a half inch of soil. They are very easy to grow from seed.

 

 

Planting Tomatoes Early

Tomatoes are one of the most popular home garden edibles across the globe. And no wonder – they are easy to plant, low maintenance, and produce 10 or more pounds of fruit per plant in less than 3 square feet. In addition, they contain vitamin C and calcium and there are indications they may play a role in minimizing digestive tract cancers and help prevent heart disease and high cholesterol.  By the way, they are also delicious, easy to prepare and a staple item in many recipes. Tomatoes have it all!

Give tomatoes an warmth for an early start using these Season Starters
Give tomatoes extra warmth for an early start using these Season Starters

Tomatoes will actually do best when the soil is warm enough to sit on… that is usually Late April or May.  We always bring tomatoes in early for those gardeners who want an early start. protect early planted tomatoes with Season Starters (pictured at right) or insulating fabric (row cover).

Save room in your garden for more tomatoes arriving later, but try some of the basics now for an early start.


Prolific as tomatoes are, you can improve their yields and your success utilizing the following methods.

  1. Plant in lots of sun.
  2. Leave plenty of space between plants, at least, 2.5 to 3 feet for good air circulation.
  3. Amend the soil before planting with lots of Bumper Crop soil amendment.  Prime pH for tomatoes is 6.2-6.6.  Bumper Crop moderates pH by a full point.
  4. Add 1 tsp. of Epsom salts into the planting hole at the time of planting. This provides magnesium which is essential for good productivity.
  5. Plant stems deep. Additional roots will grow from the buried stems.  More roots equate to more productivity.
  6. Provide good sturdy support early on.  Most tomatoes outgrow their supports.
  7. Fertilize with Master Nursery or E.B. Stone Tomato and Vegetable Food monthly until fruit set.
  8. If you’re having a problem with flower set, fertilize with Master Bloom or Ultra Bloom fertilizer every other time.
  9. After fruit set you can fertilize with magnesium or SulPoMag every 3-4 weeks.
  10. Provide 1″ of water per week.
  11. Cull some of the upper fruit to push more of the energy into remaining fruit.
  12. Prune off the top of the plant to force energy into fruits.
  13. Pray for “mother nature” to give us warm days & nights! Prime temps. for tomatoes are between 65 & 90 degrees. Temp’s over 95 stop fruit set and growth and nighttime temp’s below 55 degrees stop fruit set and growth.
  14. Rotate crops into different beds or areas yearly so ou do not spread a tomato disease from one year to the next.
  15. Mulch after the soil warms.