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Your Independent Neighborhood Garden Nursery
Beautiful Plants and Inspired Designs since 1954
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Dear Friends of Anderson's La Costa, | |
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Well, what a busy winter we have had weather-wise! So glad to see all of that recent rainfall. I heard that parts of our county received an inch and a half during our last big storm which is a relief! We hope you are enjoying these cool sunny days and chilly nights because spring is definitely in the air. Time change is this weekend followed by warmer sunny days the week ahead. Nothing could be better for spending some time in our gardens.
Now on to one of our best sales of the year...
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March Newsletter Special
20% Off
Outdoor Cactus & Succulents
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In addition to 20% off all cactus and succulents, we are excited to share our revamped area with you. While we continue to update and hopefully improve your experience here at the nursery, we think you will find that the tables are more organized with a lot more space to move you and your cart about. Thanks for coming in and checking it out, along with a new and improved small to mid-size pottery section adjacent to succulents.
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Steven has a lot to report on in "What's New at the Nursery" in the next section, followed by March Gardening Tips. Then, Old Ben's article on "Why Birds Migrate."
March is already underway so we better wrap this up so you know what's up. Please stop by and let us know what you think of our recent nursery updates. We hope you have a good start to spring and of course, we look forward to seeing you very soon.
Warmest regards,
Marc, Mariah, Steven, and the Team at Anderson's
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What's New at the Nursery
...by Steven Froess
It's March Newsletter time!
Believe it or not, March is here and that means spring is right around the corner. This year seems to be starting off a bit cooler than previous ones. But it's always a good time to be at the nursery. There are a lot of new plants arriving every week now.
Everyone will be happy to hear that our roses will be in around the middle of this month. We will have a selection of our favorites but also take special orders. Everyone who pre-ordered their roses will be able to pick theirs up except David Austin brand which will be shipping the first two weeks of April.
Fruit trees have already started arriving. Apple trees are blooming. Try low chill varieties 'Anna', 'Golden Dorsett', and 'Beverly hills'. Peaches are easy to grow in low-chill climates with varieties like 'Eva's pride' (yellow), 'Red Baron' (yellow), and 'Babcock' (white). Blueberries are now available with early varieties starting to flower. Popular fig tree varieties include 'Violette de Bordeaux', 'Black Mission', 'Panache', 'Janice', and more. Citrus are still very limited but we have some Improved Meyers Lemons, Bearss Lime, Cara Cara and Washington navel oranges. One of our favorite fruit trees is back, the 'Spice Zee' Nectaplum. It has both great tasting fruit and Burgundy foliage. Avocados are in as well including 'Hass', 'Lamb Hass', 'Sir Prize', and 'Bacon'.
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Summer veggies will be in at the end of this month. With the cooler weather finally breaking off, it will be prime planting weather. Plants to look out for once it warms up include dozens of different varieties of tomatoes including heirloom, pepper plants of all levels from sweet to spicy to insane, squash and zucchini, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, green beans, strawberries, and more. | |
A growing category especially this time of the year are plants from the Proteaceae family. With the greatest concentrations in parts of Australia and South Africa, this family contains plant genuses such as Grevillea, Leucadendron, Leucospermum, Protea, and Banksia. Be sure to check out our display near the front! We just received highly sought-after one-gallon sizes of flowering pincushion protea and leafy leucadendron. Some of my favorites include Leucospermum 'Blanche Ito', 'Flame Giant', and 'Red Rocket', and Leucadendron 'Maui Sunrise' and 'Jester', and Protea 'Susannae'. | |
These plants thrive in soil with good drainage (sandy or sloped), like California natives take some initial watering to establish then can take considerably less, and have incredible flowers which can range from February to June or even later with certain species. They don't like their roots disturbed, can grow well in pots, and enjoy sandy but slightly acidic soil. Fertilizer is not usually required, especially not on a regular basis. If needed use cottonseed meal or one with a very low phosphate content (middle number in N-P-K). | | |
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This month is when a lot of plants begin their flowering/growth cycle and break winter dormancy cycles. If you haven't yet, start fertilizing your (non-native) plants to greatly improve the growth rate/flowering of your plants now and through the spring months.
Feel free to come in and ask questions about which types of fertilizers we would recommend for certain plants and how often to use for the best results. We appreciate all of our customers and do our best to provide the best knowledge and service to help your garden thrive!
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Hummingbirds are wonderful to see in any garden. You may have noticed that some of them are so used to people they will hover right in front of you while feeding on flower nectar or sitting on a tree branch. They seem to be attracted to bright-colored flowers and particularly love tubular-shaped flowers containing lots of nectar. Try some of these proven hummingbird-magnet plants.
Cuphea are pretty much guaranteed to attract hummingbirds to your garden. Several we currently carry are cuphea ignea 'Starfire' (with orange flowers), 'Ballistic', and the newer aptly-named Sunset variety 'Hummingbird's Lunch' (pictured below.) Salvia is also a hummingbird favorite. Try native species such as clevelandii or cultivated types like 'Love and Wishes', 'Ember's wish', 'Wendy's wish', or pineapple sage just to name a few.
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Lantana is another prolific flowering perennial that will attract hummingbirds on a regular basis. We carry many varieties of multi-color flowering lantana. Lastly and just so I don't ramble on, Anigozanthos (kangaroo paw) and Pentas (star flower) of many different colors are fan-favorites of hummingbirds. | |
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We've got some fantastic medium to large trees at the nursery including several magnolia laevifolia 'Inspiration' and Michelia crassipes. Oh, what incredible scents.
We hope you will stop by and check out the many improvements we've made to the nursery over winter! We hope it will make it easier and more enjoyable for you the next time you visit. Busy times are ahead of us as the spring season kicks off. We look forward to seeing everyone at the nursery very soon!
Your Local Horticulturalist,
Steven
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Among gardening jobs, fertilizing is by far the most important garden chore this month. March is also one of the best times to plant ground covers and perennials and most trees, shrubs, and vines. Be certain to group plants according to their water and soil needs and their sun/shade requirements.
March is the last month before autumn to plant cool-season flowers and vegetables. Later this month we can start planting some of the warm-season plants.
Plant Veggies: You can still plant some cool-season vegetables such as broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, and kale but also start planting certain warm-season vegetables such as beans, squashes and some early tomato varieties.
To continue reading March Gardening Tips, click here.
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N E W S L E T T E R | S P E C I A L S | |
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March Nursery Special
20% Off
Cactus & Succulents
Expires March 31, 2022
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From the Desk of Old Ben
Why do Birds Migrate?
Definition of Migration:
It is the periodic seasonal movement of birds from one geographic region to another, typically coinciding with available food supplies or breeding seasons. Birds may travel hundreds or thousands of miles during migration, depending on the species and the areas they prefer for nesting habitat and wintering grounds. Some species travel separately according to gender, usually with male birds migrating earlier than females in order to secure territories or begin nest building to attract mates.
For a bird to fly hundreds or thousands of miles between its breeding and non-breeding ranges is a difficult journey that not all birds survive. So why do birds migrate? What reasons send millions of birds into the skies every spring and fall? There is more than one single reason for birds to migrate, but it all comes down to survival.
What if No Birds Migrated:
Without a reason to migrate, birds would have even more challenging lives than making these long journeys. If no birds migrated, food supplies in breeding areas would be rapidly depleted, and many chicks would starve. Competition for nesting sites would be fierce, and predators would be attracted to the high number of breeding birds and easy meals of nestlings. It is for those two particular reasons, food and breeding, that birds migrate.
Migrating for a Meal:
For birds, one of the driving forces behind migration is a lack of food. If birds were to stay in the same tropical regions year-round, food would become scarce and breeding would be less successful. As food sources are regenerating in the north each spring, millions of birds migrate to those areas to take advantage of the bounty.
Additional Reasons Birds Migrate:
Climate
Birds have evolved different types of plumage to survive different climates, and changes in those climates can affect migration. Many birds leave the Arctic breeding grounds, for example, when temps begin to dip and they need a more temperate habitat. Similarly, the hottest tropical regions can be a harsh environment for raising chicks.
Predators:
Habitats that have abundant food sources year-round attract a greater number of predators that can threaten nests. Birds that migrate can avoid those extra predators, giving their young a better chance to survive.
Disease:
Any large group of birds crammed into one type of habitat is susceptible to parasites and diseases that can kill thousands of birds in a short time. Birds that disperse to different locations have less of a chance to spread disease to their entire population.
In the end, a key reason why birds migrate comes down to survival, not for the migrating birds themselves, but for the chicks they will raise. Finding richer food sources, seeking safer habitats, and avoiding predators are all migration behaviors designed to ensure breeding success. This allows birds to survive for another generation and allows birders the pleasure of witnessing another year's migration.
|  | Please check out our full line of local bird seed and wild bird products at Anderson's La Costa Nursery, your North County supplier of Old Ben's Wild Birdseed. | | | | | | |
