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Dear Friends of Anderson's La Costa Nursery,
Happy Summer Friends...it may be one of the most interesting ones we have experienced in a long time. Fortunately, the plants, flowers, trees and gardens know just what to do regardless of what's going on in the world around us. Provides some comfort and a little normalcy in a unique time. Thank you for continuing to visit - we appreciate seeing you and getting to serve you.
Hopefully you have enjoyed some of our early sunny, warm summer, and now appreciating a little late June Gloom. We know what's coming...including the 4th of July next weekend (already?!) and the heat that is sure make its way, too. We are so lucky to be able to get outside in the garden and take advantage of the comfortable temperatures while we have them! We have an amazing selection of plants and flowers for you at the nursery, and a great sale we think you will love...
20% off
In-Stock Roses, Hydrangeas & Vines
So many to choose from in all categories!
We continue to stock our dry goods building and Garden Gift Shop - new shipments for both arriving soon! Don't miss our Woodstock wind chimes, Asylum Down gardening hats and baskets,
decorative garden stakes, lanterns, sprayers and tools; Old Ben's bird houses and wild birdseed, and
re-stocked herb, veggie and flower seeds!
In the next section:
"What's New in the Nursery...
" by Steven, plus monthly
Gardening Tips
for summer with suggestions for Monarchs and Milkweed
to follow. Finally, Old Ben's latest article about the Bumblebee Hummingbird, Part 2 (with a link to Part 1 at the bottom).
Thank you for visiting as we remain open and masquerading at the garden six-feet apart! Please let us know how we can help you with your garden.
We look forward to seeing you, at a short distance, very soon.
Best regards,
Marc, Mariah and the Team
at Anderson's La Costa
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 What's New at the Nursery
~ by Steven Froess
Greetings Newsletter Subscribers!
Summer is here and so the second half of the year begins! Difficult to believe after all that has transpired so far this year. I want to thank all of you for
supporting us throughout these trying times, we could not be more grateful for such loyal customers. We continue to do our best to keep everyone safe while still allowing for people to have a place to come and enjoy.
It is wonderful to see so many people enjoying their gardens this year! In fact, gardening has become so popular that a lot of the suppliers have begun running out of inventory on items that wouldn't have under normal circumstances. Soils, mulches, milkweed and several other items that take time to make and grow have been in short supply. These will slowly continue to be restocked as they become available.
Newcomers and experienced gardeners alike, I hope your enjoyment continues. Like many of you, I started an edible garden this year, and am now starting to reap the plentiful rewards. Squash and cucumber plants giving multiple vegetables per day, tomatoes beginning to ripen, and ornamental plants growing and blooming. Gardening requires continual work, but (at least for me) the rewards are much greater.
Seeing hummingbirds drinking the nectar from native Salvias, bees enjoying the array of flowers, and watching butterflies enjoying the Asclepias (milkweed) I've planted throughout the years...it's all very satisfying to me. It has truly been wonderful to see so many aspiring new gardeners and I hope I was able to encourage and guide everyone in a positive direction so that we can all share in our love for gardening together.
Plant Talk
Edible gardening has definitely been the theme this year. During the beginning of the pandemic, food supplies ran short and people began to think about the future food supplies and how to become more self-reliant (which I think we should all learn anyway!) Needless to say the growers, seed suppliers, and soil suppliers weren't quite ready for the demand that was to come. I think they did a fantastic job continuously growing and supplying us given the restrictions on their workers and supply lines.
At our nursery we will continue to stock fruit trees, fresh vegetables plants and herbs, berry bushes, edible passion vines and more throughout the rest of the season. Just because it's summer does not mean it is too late to plant or even to start a new garden. Our growing season is twelve months here, and the warm season doesn't end until nearly the end of October. I know I will be planting a second round of plants once the first ones have stopped producing.
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The origins of Tilly's cinder-block veggie garden at the nursery
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In stock we have all kinds of
Citrus (oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, grapefruit, kumquat),
avocado trees, stone fruit (apples, peaches, nectarines),
figs, pomegranate trees, persimmons, and even a few
mangoes and
loquats, southern high bush (low-chill)
blueberries,
blackberries and
raspberries. A new round of
tomatoes, peppers, lettuces, cucumbers, beans, squash and
zucchini come in frequently.
Fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, mint, cilantro, oregano, sage, lemon grass, verbena, and chives arrive
every week
. Be sure to check out Tilly's cinder block garden to see how much you can grow in even the smallest space!
A few honorable mentions of some great plants you will find at our nursery include:
Leucadendron 'Ebony', 'Jester', and
'Safari sunset' which are looking spectacular right now:
Indoor plants such as
Tradescantia 'Nanouk',
Plumerias are now in as the warm weather has brought about some buds and bloom.
Gardenias (top 10 best smelling flowers in my opinion!) and
hydrangeas
(on sale now!) are in full bloom and looking prime:
We received a new shipment of
Recipe 420 soil
which has been sold out for a while due to the high demand of building garden boxes.
Water plants
have arrived and the ponds are looking ship shape.
Also, a nice restocking of the
pottery
section
is coming very soon
, including more Carmean hand-made pottery which just arrived today! Thank you for your patience as we work to refill our shelves.
Please let us know if there is ever anything you would like for us to special order for you. We have an extensive list of growers that we work with who specialize in many different plant categories. I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe, I look forward to seeing you all at the nursery!
Your local horticulturalist,
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Summer Gardening Tips: Monarch Butterflies and Milkweed
~ by Steven Froess
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The monarch butterfly invasion is well underway. If you have any
Asclepias (milkweed) in your yard you know what I'm talking about. The cycle has begun and there is never enough milkweed to satisfy their voracious appetites. Everyone needs more milkweed than is available to feed their hungry caterpillars. We are doing our best (along with our local growers) to have some available week by week. Due to the lack of supply and high demand we are also limiting the amount per customer to make things fair for everyone. Here are a few tips to maximize your Asclepia leaves:
Asclepias, like any other shrub, will grow faster if fertilized regularly, I recommend an organic growth fertilizer such as G&B high growth liquid, but any will do. If your plants are particularly tall, don't be afraid to cut them back slightly to encourage more branching. Even if they are flowering it is ok to cut the plants back, they will re-bloom in a short period of time. Planting other nectar flowers for the adult monarch butterflies nearby will also supplement their feeding. Try plants such as Pentas, Verbena, Zinnias, Lantana, Buddleja, Achilles (yarrow), Agastache, Salvias, and Echinacea just to name a few.
One last tip is to gently take some of the large caterpillars (final instar or so) and put them in an enclosure with cut up butternut squash, pumpkin, and cucumber as a last resort. This will keep the large ones from eating all the leaves for the other younger caterpillars and save some stress. It is also important to remember that even though we are trying to save the population, at a certain point nature must take its course. Any amount of healthy monarchs raised is a win for the population.
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Consultation
We would love to help you beautify your outdoor space! If you are interested in redesigning or creating a new and beautiful garden, our qualified Garden Designers will be happy to help you!
A one-hour professional consultation at your home or office starts at $450. During the initial at-home visit, our designer will meet with you to learn about your vision, see your location and layout, take photos and measurements, and provide you with additional recommendations. The designer will then develop an individually customized garden design for you including:
- an itemized recommended plant listing
- a breakdown of costs of the proposed design
- a follow up meeting at the nursery for a presentation of your design including plants samples and suggestions
- a basic placement sketch for you to review
- information on how to care for your new garden
For questions and more detail, please call 760-753-3153 or stop by the nursery. You may also visit our website to preview our designs and designers at www.andersonslacostanursery.com.
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Newsletter Specials & Coupons
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20% Off
In-Stock Roses, Hydrangea & Vines
Color, color and more color! Roses for sun, hydrangea for shade and vines for mixed sun/shade, and so many with incredible fragrance!
Specials good through
July 2020
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Cuban Bumblebee Hummingbird |
Bumblebee Hummingbird Facts - Part 2 of 2
Anatomy: The Bumble Bee Hummingbird is 2 inches long with
a wingspan up to 4 inches. The size of the bee humming bird
equals the size of an ostrich's eye. Ostrich's eggs are 3,000
times heavier than the hummingbird's eggs. The bird possesses
an extremely long bill with the length measuring 0.4 inches.
The male and female are distinguishable by their heads. The
male's head has iridescent neck feathers with long throat plumes.
The under parts are blue with dominant gray plumage. The female
lacks all these iridescent feather colors.
Distribution: The bee hummingbird is found in Cuba and the island
of Pines in the Caribbean
Habitat: The bee hummingbird is mostly observed flying near small
flowers for the simple reason that it can not reach deep into large flowers.
The bee hummingbird's make nest in dry tropical forests. The bee
hummingbird is most likely to perch on the highest tree tops and
telephone wires.
Feeding Ecology and Diet: Like other hummingbirds, bee hummingbirds
re lie on nectar which brings so much energy.
It hovers in front of a flower
while beating its wings 50 to 80 times a second to keep maneuvering
in midair, It reaches out for the nectar by extending its brushed tipped
tongue into the bloom. Bee hummingbirds love to sip nectar from scarlet bush
and coral plants, they also consume spiders and small insects.
Behavior: The male hummingbird is highly territorial and it defends its
flowers from other species. It lives a solitary life. The bee hummingbird
is known to spend a great time sipping the nectar and buzzing from flower
to flower. The bee hummingbird has a high body temperature and it feeds
consistently by day. The birds size is so small that it cannot keep its body
warm while it remains inactive at night. To keep it warm the bird goes into
a torpor state during which the heart rate and body temperature decreases,
reducing its energy needs.
Reproductive Biology: During the breeding season, the male hummingbird
makes high pitched squeaks to get the attention of a mate. It's a song he must
learn as he grows older. Several males go after one female. The female picks
her mate. After mating the male hummingbird goes away and takes no part
in raising the young. The female hummingbird weaves a cup shaped nest
which measures less than an inch across its top. The nest is made of lichens
and plant fiber. The nest is tied to a branch using spider webs. The female
lays two eggs which are 0.3 inches long and weighs up to 0.009 oz, The size
of the nest equals half of a walnut shell. The female will feed her young by
regurgitating nectar into their throats. Bee hummingbirds attain maturity at one
year of age. The mating season occurs in May.
Conservation Status: The island of Pines and the Cuban Islands are home
to 100,000 bumble bee hummingbirds. The limited range of these birds makes
them vulnerable to severe weather changes.
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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Anderson's La Costa Nursery
400 La Costa Ave Encinitas, CA 92024 | 760-753-3153
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