Category: Flowers

Lenten Rose

lentin

Winter blooming Hellebore is showing off its blooms right now. Helleborus orientalis or Lenten Rose is an often-overlooked star in the winter garden, blooming for as long as four months, the 2 ft. high perennial deserves mention as a great addition to a shade garden.

It is a classic, old-fashioned garden flower for shade; a wonderful addition that is hardy and easy to grow. Hellebore is known to outlive the gardeners who love it.

Lenten Rose may be old-fashioned, but the collection now includes new hybrids and cultivars with interesting colors from wine-red to chartreuse.

Hellebores grow in moist organic, well-drained soils. Perfect for a woodland garden. They are hardy and long-lived, and we have a number of them blooming in the nursery now…. consider where you might plant one or more!

 

Sweet Winter Daphne – A Fragrant Winter Bloomer

Daphne odora or Sweet Winter Daphne is a prize in the winter landscape.  It’s the sweetest smelling plant you will find in the garden this month. Fragrant and also lovely looking; forming a shrub to about 3′ high, it requires bright shade and excellent drainage. Daphne is a great container plant – use our Master Nursery Professional Potting Soil.

Daphne comes in a few different forms, but the Daphne odora, “Aureo-marginata” is a favorite. Its leaves are delicately edged in cream. The leaves do a nice job of framing the dark pink buds. 

Daphne needs perfect drainage, but it should not go dry. This may seem an impossible combination. Let’s just say it needs both air and water. Experienced gardeners say it’s not as finicky as gardenias. One plant was observed suffering when it transitioned from hand watering “as needed” to automatic sprinklers that water all the time whether needed or not.  It’s better to water by hand.

Daphne is rewarding and a shade garden must have. Come smell for yourself.  It’s on display now.

January Pruning – What to Prune When

pruning[1]We have officially entered pruning season. Most leafless plants are fair game for pruning right now. Exceptions include ornamental flowering cherries, plums, and lilacs that bloom once a year in spring and are leafless now. Prune these just after they bloom otherwise you will be cutting off next spring’s blooms. Most other plants, including fruit trees and shade trees “can” as opposed to “must” be pruned because many plants are happy with little or no pruning.

Feel free to visit us for additional information.

For additional reading, the University of California has produced an in-depth article. Click Here For Handout

January Garden Checklist

checkbox Brighten the garden with colorful bedding plants. Refresh your garden beds and containers with primroses, pansies, Iceland poppies and more. Check with the staff for helpful advice and ideas.

checkbox Feed camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons monthly with Master Bloom through March.

checkbox Prevent crabgrass before it starts. Apply Bonide Crabgrass & Weed Preventer (with fertilizer) now to keep crabgrass seeds from sprouting in your lawn. Apply Bonide Crabgrass & Weed Preventer (without fertilizer) to ornamental landscape. Use Corn Gluten around edibles.

checkbox Spray Your Roses Now. An application of dormant oil just after winter pruning will help reduce pest populations by smothering over-wintering eggs. Spraying copper fungicides, as well, will halt diseases such as rust, blackspot and powdery mildew. Bonide All Seasons Spray Oil and copper are listed for use on organic gardens.

checkbox Protect tender plants when frosts are expected. If it hasn’t been raining, make sure to water plants ahead of a cold snap. Cover with drawstring frost bags or drape with protective frost blanket. String non-LED Christmas tree lights on your frost-tender plants when a freeze is expected. The warmth from the bulbs will provide another measure of protection.

checkbox Keep up your New Year’s Resolution . . . join the Livermore-Amador Valley Garden Club (lavgc.org) and the Mt. Diablo Rose Society (mtdiablorosesociety.org), Northern California Daffodil Society (daffodil.org), Iris Society (MtDiabloIris@gmail.com) and Valley Bonsai Society (valleybonsaisociety.com).

It’s Not too Late – Plant Your Fall Bulbs

Think spring now! It is not too late to plant your spring bulbs.

Consider planting bulbs in containers. This is a great way to accent your porch or patio. When they are finished blooming you can then relocate them to a side yard where they can continue to be watered and nurtured allowing them to dry down naturally. It’s important that the bulb is allowed to reabsorb all the energy of the leaves before they rest in summer.

Add another dimension to your bulb pot or garden by planting a blooming blanket of flowers over the top. Here are some great double deck combinations: yellow daffodils and dark blue/purple pansies; peach tulips and light blue forget-me-nots; white tulips and pastel yellow pansies; red tulips, white paludosum daisies with blue pansies.

Most bulbs are planted point up, but when in doubt, plant sideways! Our nursery professionals will show you what’s up and what’s down.

Choose bulbs that will provide a succession of bloom. There are varieties of tulips, daffodils, narcissus, and iris that will provide early, mid, or late spring bloom. 

The layered look not only works in fashion but in the garden too. In a pot or garden bed plant bulbs in layers to produce a mixed bouquet look. Bulbs are planted 2½ times their diameter deep. So plant the larger bulbs, like daffodils deep. Over the top of daffodils plant tulips, then freesia and finally grape hyacinths.

You can even layer the same kind of bulb. For instance plant all daffodils some at the recommended depth of 6-8″ and another layer at 4″.  The shallower ones will bloom first and the deeper later.

December Garden Checklist

Things to do this month

checkbox[1] Indoor Bulbs – Start paperwhites, hyacinth or amaryllis now for showy blooms in the weeks ahead. They bloom indoors and make an ideal housewarming gift. We have instructions along with an assortment of bulbs suitable for forcing at https://www.aldenlane.com/paperwhites

checkbox[1] Come on by the nursery and pick up a gift card for your favorite gardening pal, the postal carrier or the babysitter. It’s a gift sure to please anybody and everybody on your shopping list.

checkbox[1] Prevent Peach Leaf Curl! Protect fruit trees and deciduous shade trees from overwintering diseases and pests. Use Monterey Liqui-Cop, or Bonide Liquid Copper Spray now if you haven’t already. For more details, to go https://www.aldenlane.com/dormant-spray.

checkbox[1] Protect frost tender plants when frosts are expected. For added protection cover with “Fleece Bags” or drape plants with plant blanket fabric. String ­non-LED Christmas tree lights on your frost-tender plants when a freeze is expected. The warmth from the bulbs will provide another measure of protection. Click on https://www.aldenlane.com/winter-proof.

checkbox[1] Poinsettias and cyclamen make wonderful hostess gifts and thank you’s to work associates. And don’t forget to treat yourself and decorate the home too.

checkbox[1] Take care of gift plants by placing them in a comfortable, well-lit area of the home. Punch a hole in the foil covering for drainage. Place away from drafts.

checkbox[1] Prune most fruit trees, roses, and other leafless trees and shrubs from December through January. WARNING: Do not prune spring-blooming shrubs and trees such as magnolia, quince, flowering cherry, etc. until the blooming period is over.

checkbox[1] Keep up your New Year’s Resolution . . . Join the Livermore-Amador Valley Garden Club (www.lavgc.org), Mt. Diablo Rose Society (mtdiablorosesociety.org), Valley Bonsai Society (valleybonsaisociety.com), Mt. Diablo Iris Society, Northern California Daffodil Society (Daffodil.org).

checkbox[1] Think Summer pies and jams! By mid-month we’ll have all the perennial vegetables and fruits. Currently, we have rhubarb, raspberry, blackberry, and many other cane fruits.

checkbox[1] Set out winter blooming annuals for a garden filled with color. Choose primroses, pansies, Iceland poppies, ornamental cabbage, and kale. Check with the staff.

Growing Paperwhites Indoors

One of the simplest and most rewarding winter gardening projects to take on is forcing (coaxing) paperwhite narcissus to bloom indoors.  In just 4 to 6 weeks after planting, you will see slender stocks produce intensely fragrant and delicate blooms.  We are planting up paperwhites now for the holidays ahead and you can too. By planting additional pots of paperwhites every ten days to two weeks, you can have continuous displays of blooms all winter long.

Forcing Paperwhites in Pots

In a 6-8″ glass dish, or terracotta cactus dish, (preferably without a drainage hole) place 5 to 7 paperwhite bulbs pointed side up over a layer of sand, pebbles, or florist’s marbles.  (Place enough sand, pebbles, etc. under the bulbs so that the shoulders of the bulbs are just below the rim of the dish.)

Partially cover the bulbs with an additional layer of sand, pebbles, etc. and add water. Maintain the water level just below the bottom of the bulbs, so they are not soggy wet, just moist.

You can also plant them in a pot with drainage. Nestle the bulbs into Master’s Professional Potting Soil, add water and enjoy – add decorative rocks as a top layer.

Keep the bulbs in a cool place (55 to 60 degrees) for a couple of weeks, watering as needed to keep them from drying out. When the sprouts are about 4″ tall, bring them into the light and warmth of your home where they will continue to grow and bloom.  Pinch off spent blooms so you can continue to enjoy the unfurling beauty.

November Garden Checklist

checkbox[1] Indoor Bulbs – Start paperwhites, hyacinth, or amaryllis now for showy blooms in the weeks ahead. They bloom indoors and make an ideal housewarming gift. We have instructions along with an assortment of bulbs suitable for forcing at https://www.aldenlane.com/paperwhites.

checkbox[1] Outdoor Bulbs – Thanksgiving marks the ideal weekend in our climate for planting fall bulbs. Select bulbs, including tulips, hyacinth, Muscari, and narcissus, etc. Refrigerate Tulips & hyacinth until Thanksgiving when the weather outside has cooled. Plant your bulbs out in the landscape to the required depth and fertilize with Master Nursery Bulb Food. Your investment will reward you with timely displays of spring color.

checkbox[1] Plant onions and garlic from bulbs now.  Bare root onions arrive this month.

checkbox[1] Prevent Peach Leaf Curl! Protect fruit trees and deciduous shade trees from overwintering diseases and pests. Use Monterey Liqui-Cop, or Bonide Liquid Copper Spray now, even before leaf drop. For more details, to go Dormant Spray to Protect Your Fruit Trees Starts in Fall – Alden Lane Nursery

checkbox[1] Protect frost-tender plants before frosts arrive. Water plants ahead of a freeze and for added protection cover with “Fleece Bags” or drape plants with fabric frost blankets. String ­non-LED Christmas tree lights on your frost-tender plants. The warmth from the bulbs will provide another measure of protection.

checkbox[1] Set out winter-blooming annuals for a garden filled with color. Choose primroses, pansies, Iceland poppies, ornamental cabbage, and kale. Check with the staff.

Sasanqua Camellia – a Versatile Early Bloomer!

We just received a sizable shipment of Sasanqua camellias; some are beginning to bloom. Sasanqua Camellias are, “the other Camellia,” one of the stars of the winter garden. This cousin of the commonly planted Japanese Camellia is a bit more sun tolerant (until 10:30-11:00am), and depending on the variety makes an excellent gracefully branching ground cover or espaliered shrub, informal hedge as well as an excellent container plant. You might also plant a Sasanqua Camellia under trees to give color to otherwise green backdrops. Some varieties of Sasanquas begin blooming now, and other variations are colorful at Christmas.

Planting Sasanqua Camellias

You will want to follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system.  Provide well-drained soil, rich in organic matter amended with E.B. Stone Acid Planting Mix. Keep roots cool with a thick layer of mulch.  Pruning time should be done in the spring after flowering has ceased.

Below find the top varieties that have outstanding ability to perform. Not only are they covered with hundreds of flowers during the fall and winter months, but the dark green evergreen foliage is a plus for any garden.

EARLY SEASON

  • Shishi Gashira. Semi-double to peony form, lovely soft pink blooms. Low spreader.
  • Show No Sakae. Semi-double to rose-form flowers with a lovely soft pink color.  This camellia is very versatile and does great in a large hanging basket, as a groundcover or vining up a wall.
  • Yuletide:  Brilliant, fiery red, single blooms centered with bright yellow stamens. Upright.

MIDSEASON

  • Apple Blossom is a vivid cerise red coloring edge the white petals of these large single blossoms. The crown of golden stamens adds lovely contrast. Upright growth pattern and blooms in mid-season.
  • White Doves. White semi-double to loose peony form. Spreader.

masterbloomFeed camellias through the cooler months with Master Bloom to promote flower and bud development. Suitable for all your blooming and fruiting plants, including roses, lilacs, perennials, azaleas, and citrus.

Feed Camellias monthly during spring and summer with Camellia, Azalea, Gardenia, & Rhododendron Food.

October Garden Checklist

Things to do in the garden this month

checkbox[1] Select and plant spring-blooming bulbs this month and early next. Keep tulips, daffodils and hyacinths cool until the weather outside is wintery. Tulips & hyacinths benefit from being refrigerated for 4 to 6 weeks. Plant them by Thanksgiving weekend. Plant iris, freesia and others now.

checkbox[1] Plant holiday favorites now. Plant hollies and other berry-producing shrubs for winter decoration indoors and out. Try pomegranates for ornamental and edible fruit.

checkbox[1] This is the month to switch from growth to bloom food for azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons. From October to the finish of bloom season feed monthly with Master Bloom. This phosphorous rich food is excellent for flower bud development. Rose and lilac growers have also reported that fall and winter applications of Master Bloom have enhanced bloom.

checkbox[1] Make sure to keep your gardenia green this winter. Feed with Master’s Azalea, Camellia, Gardenia Food, and Iron Sulfate. When the soil cools, they can no longer absorb nutrition.

checkbox[1] Plant sweet peas now, from seed or transplants, for late winter bloom. Choose old-fashioned climbing types or bush varieties. Protect them from snails and slugs with Sluggo Plus.

checkbox[1] Last chance for winter vegetables from transplants. Protect them from cabbage worms with Fertilome Caterpillar Control.

checkbox[1] Garlic is in stock! Garlic are shallow-rooted plants, so keep them moist and free of weeds. Hopefully, winter rains will soon do all the watering for you, making onions and garlic some of the easiest vegetables to grow in the garden.

checkbox[1] Color up your garden for Fall and Winter. For sunny spots choose pansies, violas, snapdragons, stock, & calendulas. For shade or morning sun pick cyclamen and primroses.