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Beautiful Plants and Inspired Designs since 1954

Dear Friends of Anderson's La Costa,

Welcome to spring! Here in North County San Diego, it’s already feeling like spring has sprung, even though we still have a couple of weeks to go until the official vernal equinox. With the mix of warm, sunny days and cool, cloudy days, plus the rainfall we desperately need, it feels like one of those "In like a lion, out like a lamb" kind of season changes.

At the nursery, plants are arriving by the truckload, and flowers are popping up everywhere. Please come in and see all of the beauty of early spring, and while you're at it, we hope you take advantage of our monthly specials.

20% Off

Aloes, Agaves, Mangaves

& Sansevieria (Snake Plants)

We have some really cool and unique succulents on sale this month, including hardy aloes and agaves, mangave hybrids (they're a cross between an agave and a faster-growing manfreda), and snake plants, including the whale fin, which can live indoors or out. Each of them makes a perfect complement to any Southern California gardenscape. You won't want to miss this sale.

Please read on for Steven's write-up in the next section, featuring some of the best spring plants that have already arrived to the nursery. Then, you'll find March Gardening Tips next.

We welcome newcomers to the nursery and to our monthly newsletter. You have joined a community of plant and garden lovers, and we thank you for being a part of our family.

We look forward to seeing you all very soon!

Best wishes,

Your Anderson's La Costa Team ~ Marc, Mariah, Steven, Manny, Hanna, Tandy, June, Courtney, Julie, Madeline, Devon, and Zoe

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What's New at the Nursery

...by Steven Froess

Hello Newsletter Subscribers!

The shortest month of the year is over, and March is in full swing. There are many things to look forward to this month, including the time change, which will give us more daylight hours in the evening, and it's the first day of spring on March 20th. So far, this past month and what looks like the first few weeks into March, we will be seeing a bit of a cooling trend and fog on and off (not a huge fan, but it keeps you cool while you're working).

There are a few things to look forward to this month at the nursery. One is the spring/summer vegetable and herb starts. I like to wait slightly longer for warmer temperatures, but planting this time of year is not a problem. The selection is usually the best earlier in the season, as the growers release everything at a similar time. I will also continue my seed starts for the nursery since I enjoy it so much.

Begin preparing your garden by thinking about what you may want to grow (I always leave a few spaces for new varieties I want to try) and amending the soil before planting. Remember that soil doesn't go bad; it's just that its nutrients will deplete over time. The more nutrient-rich the soil, the more successful your vegetable garden will be.

I recommend keeping a good balance of the three main nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). If there is an excess of nitrogen, you will get beautiful fast-growing plants, but they may not flower or produce much fruit. My personal mix includes amending all my beds with a combination of Agrowinn 4-4-6 fertilizer, worm castings, E.B. Stone Soil Booster, granular gypsum, and Recipe 420 potting soil.

You can grow almost anything edible in this combination of amendments, except maybe blueberries, which need more acidic elements. You will begin to see tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, zucchini, squash, melons, eggplant, peppers, strawberries, artichokes, basil, and all the other goodies that love warm weather. You can also begin some of the warm season seeds.

Roses should finally be in by the end of this month. The weather mostly dictates when they arrive, and the growers have indicated that most are well on their way to being ready, with the exception of the David Austin roses, which usually take a while longer.

There are a handful of new introductions this year - not necessarily new roses, but new to our preferred rose grower Otto and Sons. Some of my favorites from this list include 'Stephen Rulo' (very unique color), 'Tiamo' (brilliant red, repeat bloomer), 'Angelic veil' (white with pink edges, good cut flower and fragrant), and 'Loves me, loves me not' (the name alone makes me laugh, high petal count similar to a David Austin). Please check out Otto & Son's website for images of these fabulous roses. You can also special order roses with us to get shipped in with our regular stock, or just wait to see what we bring in!

When it comes to planting roses, I would be sure of a few things. Location is the first; be sure it's mostly sunny. That being said, there are certain types of roses that can tolerate/thrive in shadier locations as well. Second is the spacing; be sure to research the growth habit of varieties you are interested in. Roses that are too close together and not properly maintained can lead to disease and insect problems. And third is soil preparation; roses grow best in nutrient-rich soil that is slightly acidic and well-draining. These three factors together will give you a much higher chance of successfully growing roses.

Some of my favorites from last year include: Pope John Paul II (best white hybrid tea, strong fragrance!), Julia Child (floribunda, very good repeat bloomer, fragrant, disease resistant), Yves Piaget (deep pink, excellent fragrance, unique flower shape), Heavenly scented (great cut flower, salmon pink, strong fragrance), Evelyn (David Austin, apricot/pink color, strong fragrance, almost thornless), Jubilee celebration (David Austin, salmon pink, does well along the coast), and Princess Alexandra of Kent (David Austin, rose pink, coastal and shade tolerant, excellent fragrance). I always find a few new roses that I've not seen or heard of every year. I will let you know which ones I discover this year.

The spring season brings out the best in most plants. In the next few months, you will see an abundance of great plants here at the nursery. The early California natives, like California poppies and Ceanothus, are always the first to bloom.

Also, early lavender varieties (Spanish types, I'm liking the Primavera and Lavinnova frost pink), Anigozanthos (kangaroo paw, more colors arriving regularly), Pink jasmine (always the first to bloom), Rhodanthemum (Moroccan daisy), Australian wax flower (long lasting blooms, good as a cut flower), Eriostemon 'Profusion', and Grevillea (do they ever stop blooming?) Australian fanfare makes a great low-growing cover for slopes, and one of my favorites, peaches and cream, is even available in one gallon.

The selection of Protea and Leucospermum (pincushion protea) peaks this month as well. We even have one-gallon sizes of certain varieties for a limited time. New types for this year include Helderfontein, praecox, Naomi, and Althea. My favorites are Protea 'Empress' (amazing flower), Leucospermums 'Blanche ito' (Hawaiian type, big red flower), 'Flame giant' (one of the largest flowering, dark orange), and 'Veldfire' (compact, large leaf and large yellow flower with red stamens) just to name a few.

The indoor greenhouse is full of amazing tropical and air-purifying plants. Come see our large selection of snake plants, now on sale, and lots of leafy and/or blooming tried-and-true and unusual indoor plants. We also have a nice selection of oaxalis (Shamrock) just in time for spring and St. Patrick's Day.

It is the perfect time to get your spring garden ready, and there will be lots to look forward to this month and the next few months. Please let us know how we can assist you with your garden this year. It would be our pleasure to help you. I look forward to seeing you at the nursery soon!

Your Local Horticulturalist,

Steven

March Gardening Tips

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, 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. You can still plant some cool-season vegetables such as broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, and kale, but start planting warm-season vegetables such as beans, summer and winter squashes, and early tomato varieties. No need to wait until April to put in heat-lovers such as tomato varieties, peppers, melons, eggplant, and okra. We will have plenty of warm days ahead of us to get a jump start on these fruits & veggies. And, of course, you can plant year-round crops such carrots, beets, Swiss chard, and radishes.

To continue reading March Gardening Tips, click here.