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Friends of Anderson's La Costa Nursery,
Happy Summer! We are lucky with this weather we have been getting recently with lots of coastal overcast days. We'll take it while we can get it. Meanwhile, the rest of the country is experiencing the dog days of a very hot summer. Hope you are finding some relief if you are in it and still able to get into your garden in the early morning or late evening hours.
We look forward to seeing you soon to enjoy one of our favorite sales...not only are cactus & succulents 20% off through the end of August, but we're also throwing in water plants. Our ponds are stocked with lettuces and hyacinths, lilies and cannas.
20% Off
Cactus & Succulents
Water Plants
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Thank you to everyone who came out for our second installment of the Summer Sip, Paint & Plant Garden Party series in July! It was a true highlight lead by the talented Kathleen Larson of Aloha Art.
We have a new date set for August! Please save Wed, August 25, 6-8 pm for our box painting and planting night. No experience required - lots of stencil options available!
$45 per person includes all supplies, snacks, sips and smiles. Reservations are now open! Please reserve your spot by sending us a quick email and then follow up by calling in your payment. We look forward to having you to the nursery at sunset under the twinkling lights!
Don't miss "What's New in the Nursery..." by Steven next up, and Mid-Summer Gardening Tips to follow, plus Old Ben's newest article about keeping our peep friends cool.
Please let us know if there's anything you are looking for that we can special order for you. We hope you are having a wonderful summer and safely taking advantage of the great outdoors, and we look forward to seeing you very soon.
Best,
Marc, Mariah and the Team
at Anderson's La Costa
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What's New at the Nursery
.....by Steven Froess
Hello Everyone!
The August newsletter is here! What interesting weather we've been having lately. It goes from lightning and thunder storms with some monsoonal summer rain, to cooler and overcast. The rain is more than welcome as we continue to have some of the driest years to date. The drought situation isn't going to improve anytime soon so we must adapt to conserve water as much as we can.
Irrigation plays a major part in plant health. Here are some tips to help conserve water in your garden. First, I would begin by looking into your current irrigation system (you should evaluate this at least on an annual basis). Make sure there are no major leaks or breaks. If there are get those fixed first. Then, run your system and evaluate to make sure it's covering what you need to have watered. Try to avoid water runoff into the streets- this means either the watering is being applied faster than the soil can absorb it or that the sprayers are directly going onto the hardscape or street. Both can be easily adjusted. If the water is being applied too quickly, try running the system for shorter cycles but repeating them giving the soil time to absorb the water. Sandy soils tend to absorb water quicker and clay or compact soils need a much slower application rate. Another tip for established gardens is to water more thoroughly with much less frequency than a newly planted garden. Mulching can also help conserve water by slowing the evaporation rate from the soil. Just be sure that if you use wood mulch, increase the time on your sprinklers because the dry bark will absorb the water before it reaches the soil. This should decrease the frequency of watering cycles because the bark will dry out first and protect the soil from drying out as quickly.
Plant selection is a great way to decrease water usage in the garden. If you have an existing lawn, I would highly consider removing it in place of more water-friendly plant choices. There are even programs that will reimburse you for the removal of grass based on square footage. A little reminder that a drought tolerant garden doesn't have to look like a desert. There are plenty of flowering shrubs and unique plants that are water-friendly!
Consider many types of salvias including California native species, South African plants such as Leucadendron. There are so many beautiful varieties. Try Safari sunset, Ebony, Jester, or Hawaiian magic. Tecoma hybrids are both heat tolerant and moderate water users (Lydia if you like yellow flowers, Sparklette for orange, and Bells of fire for orange/red - both pictured above). There are even drought resistant fruit trees such as pomegranate and pineapple guava. There are tons of drought tolerant California natives to choose from: Epilobium (California Fuschia) are in bloom, Eriogonum grande var rubescens have a long flowering cycle, Abutilon palmeri flower almost year round, and Rhomneya coulteri (Coulter's Matilija poppy or California tree poppy) are show- stopping if you have the space.
We carry several species of native milkweed to plan for that future butterfly garden, Rhamnus aka coffee berry can also take some shade, and if there is room for a tree try Quercus tomentella or the island oak. These and many other plants can turn your garden into a landscape that uses significantly less water.
We recently received a nice sized
shipment of unusual and collectible plants. Houseplants including Monstera siltepecana and Peperomia prostrata (string of turtles), Ficus triangularis, 'Audrey' and Altissima (pictured below), Philodendron 'McColley's finale' and 'Birkin' (also pictured below), Ceropegia linearis (string of needles), variegated string of pearls (left), and Schindapsus (satin pothos). Plus, rhaphidophora tetrasperma (below, right) - great for growing and training on moss poles. And finally, please come check out the gorgeous desert roses in the Greenhouse.
In outdoor collectibles we have: Euphorbia obesa, E. clandestina, Myrtillocactus geometrizans 'Elite crest', and Pachypodium geayi. Also very cool but not pictured here are Echeveria 'Ebony', cante, and 'Romeo'.
Also in outdoor collectables: Allaudia dumosa, Bursera fagaroides, Marc holding an Operculicarya decaryi (Madagascar Elephant tree) below, a bonsai form of Begonia dregei, Ficus religiosa (Sacred Bodhi Tree) and F. petiolaris, Pseudobombax elliptica (yes, with frog) and Cephalopentandra ecirrhosa (bottom right) just to name some of my favorites.
That concludes this month's newsletter. I hope to see you at the nursery sooner rather than later. Be sure to come smell the blooming Michelia champaca 'Alba' while you're here!
Your local horticulturalist,
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 Mid-Summer Gardening Tips
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As we find ourselves in the middle of summer, it is time to sit back, relax and enjoy your garden. Take a peek to see if there's anything that might need some attention, or simple chores like watering and deadheading that can be done in the early, cool mornings or later into the evening. Regardless, now is the time to reap what you've sowed - if not literally than figuratively! Enjoy the fruit of your labor! However, if you are inclined to poke around in your garden, here are a few mid-summer reminders:
Watering and pest control will be your main tasks this month. Remember the basics: Water in the early morning, and water the soil to the extent of the radius of the leaves, and not the leaves themselves. Water deeply and occasionally rather than shallow and often.
It is important to water plants deeply during the hot of summer. If they are merely sprinkled their roots tend to reach up toward the soil surface to get at the water rather than reaching downward as they should. Shallow roots will perish during hot weather. One deep watering a week utilizes less water, is better for plants and requires less time than a daily sprinkling. Water thoroughly each time but allow the soil to dry out between watering. Deep water trees needed according to the tree species, age and the weather.
Click here to continue reading Mid-Summer Gardening Tips.
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Keeping Wild Birds Cool in Summer
During the hot summer months you may worry about the birds keeping cool. They have ways of dealing with heat.
Birds have a rapid respiration rate that allows greater heat dissipation through regular breathing.
Bare skin patches on the face, feet and legs allow greater heat loss than if every area were covered with feathers.
Just like dogs, wild birds will open their bills and pant to help dissipate heat.
Birds will change their activities to suit the climate. Birds are less active during the hottest hours.
How You Can Help Wild Birds Keep Their COOL
Provide a birdbath with clean, fresh water for the birds to drink and bathe.
The birdbath should be no deeper than 1 to 2 inches, if deeper add some rocks for the birds to land on. Add ice on very hot days. Add a solar pump to the birdbath which will create noise and movement. Plant native shrubs and trees to create shade at different levels. Provide birds a nutritional food source. Old Ben's Seed and Seed Blends have been providing food for birds for over 13 years.. COOL (or not so cool) FACT: Birds have a higher body temperature than many other animals. The average body temperature taking all species into account is 105 degrees F.
Please check out our full-line of birdseed and wild bird product at Anderson's La Costa Nursery, your North County supplier of Old Ben's Wild Birdseed.
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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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20% Off
Cactus & Succulents
Water Plants
Sale good through
August 31, 2021
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Anderson's La Costa Nursery
400 La Costa Ave Encinitas, CA 92024 | 760-753-3153
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