(Via The Blogging Nurseryman - The Art of Running a Small Garden Center or Nursery)

Posted by admin to California, nursery on 2008-03-18, 07:33:58

I wrote a post about what to do with the empty nursery pots here. I just got a comment from faboomama. She asks “It would be nice if there was a comprehensive statewide effort to reduce the waste of these pots, but barring that, I’m looking for anyone who can take my pots and recycle [...]

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to California, Dirt, Flowers, Grow-A-Long Fun, Mr. Hyper, animals, birds, books, crafts, garden, hiking, leaves, rocks, seeds, snow, spring, veggies, weather, weekend on 2008-03-02, 06:14:00

37*, feels like 30*, 67% humidity, SE 9 mph wind, fair It's supposed to be 53* today later. I plan to take advantage of this nice weather, you can beet on it! I was thinking I should go to the heron rookery, to check out the nests today, as March is the best time to view the nest repairs without the confusion of leaves in the way. But Mr. Hyper, after seeing the pictures of the fun I had last

(Via The Blogging Nurseryman - The Art of Running a Small Garden Center or Nursery)

Posted by admin to California, The Big Boys, independent, nursery, retail on 2008-02-28, 08:00:39

Pike Nurseries which went on the action block, has had various assets bought up by several different people and companies. This one caught my attention. Armstrong Garden Centers of California has bought the Charlotte, NC store for over $5 million. They get the right to use the Pike Name as well as some other retail locations and assets.

Armstrong nurseries have been a southern California staple for years. They have begun moving into northern California with the opening of their store in Dublin, in the Bay Area. Now they are moving into North Carolina. Here is a list of all the Armstrong Stores and their locations.

With over thirty-two stores when does an “independent” cross that divide to “chain store”? Is this move to a completely different environment than California a good one for this organization. I have my doubts, but I haven’t been following Armstrong that closely.

Armstrong does seem to be a lot like Pike Nurseries was, so it may be a good fit. Armstrong Nurseries have a generally good reputation from what I can gather, so it’s nice that where there was a Pike Nursery there will now be an Armstrong (Pike) to shop at. I am just wondering about a move outside of the region they have worked for so many years. While the drought won’t last for ever, what will Armstrong do until then? They have to get the store up and running before spring only to stare straight into the face of water restrictions and negative press. It will be interesting to watch.

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to California, Indiana, cheapskate finds, farm, seeds, veggies on 2008-02-24, 07:01:00

Slim Jim Eggplant--OP from Pinetree Garden Seeds. I've grown eggplants way back in ca, haven't tried growing them in IN. I don't like the big kinds. YUCK and I don't eat enough of them to grow a lot, so slim jim seemed to be the perfect one for me to try.Corn, sweet- Kandy Korn--Not OP, being surround by corn fields makes it darn near impossible to want to save seeds from corn. So I may as well

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to California, Mr. Hyper, Waldeath, cheapskate finds, food, purple, seeds, tomatoes, veggies on 2008-02-24, 05:17:00

16*, 90% humidity, calm winds, foggy, FLOOD WARNING My pepper list is not quite as extensive nor impressive as my tomato list. I think they are just harder to grow for me, and I see much less output for the input I put into them. Still, a fresh organic sweet pepper is better then anything store bought. I grow hot peppers only for my husband, who can eat a habanaro raw. You think I kid, but I

(Via The Blogging Nurseryman - The Art of Running a Small Garden Center or Nursery)

Posted by admin to California, The Foothills on 2008-01-14, 16:02:53

Returning to work last Friday we had no idea that the weather had gotten so bad while we we’re gone. In southern California we kept hearing about the approaching storm. While in Riverside the wind did pick up but not that bad. It was interesting that while we were in Santa Barbara it did rain one night but by morning it was clear.

So when we got to the nursery we we’re surprised to hear the power had been out four days. The wind was a 50 year record! Trees were down all over northern California and in the foothills power remained out for some as long as seven days. We had power at the nursery but it was weird. Some things worked, others didn’t. Lights glowed at half their strength. PG&E said we had lost our negative wire when the trees blew against the power pole. This is a dangerous situation that Monica and I had no idea about. They cut the power to the store, fixed the pole, and got us power, all in the dark! One guy in a boom truck with a chain saw and lights got the job done. Our utility deserves credit for their hard work. Just a couple of miles from here a utility repairman was electrocuted trying to get the power back on.

The clean up will take days but we are glad we didn’t loose any large trees like Alden Lane Nursery did. That nursery, located a couple of hours from here in Livermore lost one of, if not “the” signature oak tree of the nursery, which had stood for centuries. I have been to Alden Lane and met owner Jackie Courtright and she must be devastated at the loss. Here is a link to their website and I assume the tree mentioned is the one in the picture. What a storm!

This next week we should receive our bare root fruit trees. While I don’t like the physical part of dealing with them (as I get older my back “talks” to me more) I do like having something new and fresh to get the season rolling. We will plant up half of the trees right away for spring sales and sell the rest “bare root”. I wish bare root season was a growing side of the business but as people become less knowledgeable about gardening many don’t even realize there is a bare root season. Customers want fruit trees when they are shopping in spring, hence the reason we pot half of them up. We may start potting up a greater percentage in the future if sales dictate it.

We are having our fruit tree pruning workshop this Saturday from 11 to noon. It is in the event tent, which I am amazed didn’t blow over. We’ll have coffee, hot chocolate and tea. See you there.

(Via The Blogging Nurseryman - The Art of Running a Small Garden Center or Nursery)

Posted by admin to California on 2008-01-10, 22:02:27

While we we’re visiting my daughter and granddaughter in Riverside I just had to get another picture of her next to the Parent Navel Orange Tree. It was just about two years ago that I took the earlier picture of her. The Parent Navel Orange Tree is the original “Washington” Navel Orange Tree from which all others descended. It was this tree that spawned the great citrus industry in California. You can read more about it at a earlier post from two years ago. It is the tree on the right.

The earlier post is my most widely viewed post to this day. It is used as a reference for the Wikipedia entry for orange (fruit). I am footnote #2 Its amazing how this encyclopedia is becoming the reference source for certain subjects. I find myself using it more and more as I search the web.

We stayed at The Mission Inn in Riverside which is where the other Navel Orange was planted by Theodore Roosevelt. That tree died shortly after and the one I wrote about is the survivor.

The Mission Inn and The Parent Navel Orange Tree are reminders of a California that has long passed, yet changed the development of of the west, especially southern California, forever. I find the lonely orange tree at the busy intersection quite moving. It’s a little sad to think about how this one tree spawned and then outlived the great citrus era of The Late 1800’s to the 1950’s. It stands ignored by the thousands that drive by everyday.

(Via The Blogging Nurseryman - The Art of Running a Small Garden Center or Nursery)

Posted by admin to California, nurseryman on 2008-01-09, 08:52:45

We’re back from our vacation to southern California and the coast. We headed down to Riverside to visit my daughter and granddaughter. While there we stayed at The Mission Inn which is a National Historic Building that is a must see if your ever in that area. It is a cross between a hotel, mission, and castle. Covering a whole city block Monica and I spent two days exploring. It is truly a magical place.

From Riverside we drove up the coast to Santa Barbara for a couple of days. After that it was up Hwy. 1 through Big Sur and to Monterey. Then up to San Francisco and home. We had a great time and feel refreshed, which is what vacation is for, right?

Just wanted to let you know where we have been. I will post more once I find out where I left my eclectic toothbrush holder, (I meant electric but it was a bit of an eclectic toothbrush, too), (Santa Barbara likely) and my camera cord used for downloading pictures, (lost somewhere after Santa Barbara and before Monterey). They do call that “The Lost Coast”, now I know why.

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to California, Frost,, animals, expiriments, farm, food, fruit, garden, girlgonegardening, holidays, hostas, roses, seeds, stealth gardening, trees, weeds on 2007-12-25, 07:23:00

26*, feels like 18*, 81% humidity, S 8 mph wind, fair Santa brought me seeds. He must of visited my home early in the evening. I got home to check the mail and I had a package from Angel Grove Tree seeds. WOHOO!! I ripped it apart and found 4 packs of seeds. These are more expiriments for me: Acer palmatum atrolineareRosa rugosa albaRosa rugosa rubraRosa virginianaWith the seeds, came some very

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to California, Flowers, garden, holidays, photos, pointsettas, shrubs on 2007-12-11, 07:53:00

33*, 92% humidity, calm wind, wintry mix, Freezing Rain Advisory I became jealous of everyone showing pictures of trips to greenhouses with all the pretty poinsettias so I had to make my own trip out to see some. The greenhouse around here, the only one open this time of year other then box stores, is a small family owned one. But you have to have a lot of $$$ to buy some of the plants they sell