We are busy finishing winter clean up and putting out new crops. This is always an awkward time in the nursery business where we have a dwindling supply of plants from last year's propagation along with new crops not quite ready. We are in full tilt propagation mode: sowing, cutting and dividing. An intense time of year with work everywhere we turn. It's an exciting time too, and we are looking forward to the year ahead.
Beginning March 1st, our business hours change to Monday - Friday 9 - 5 and Saturdays 10 - 4. Closed on Sundays until April.
Check out our availability list for March. Offerings will change and increase with each week forward. Here are some highlights:
For the first time ever, we have Trillium chloropetalum in one gallon containers for $15. This crop has been a long time coming, sowing the seed in 2007. A beloved woodland wildflower, the giant Trillium has three broad leaves surrounding a leafless stem 10-18 inches tall. A single large flower arises directly from the whorl of leaves. The leaves often have dark green or maroon mottling, the large flowers can vary from white, pink to maroon red. This beautiful and distinctive perennial emerges in February. After flowering it will die back to the ground, returning the following year. Prefers the dappled light of a woodland setting with humusy, well drained soil and some summer moisture. Over time they will form dramatic clumps returning and delighting year after year.
Species Iris - We have some very nice one gallon species Iris available.
Iris douglasiana, the Douglas Iris, native to bluffs and grasslands along the coast from Santa Barbara to Southern Oregon, is a willing grower which forms broad patches of strap-shaped leaves. Requires some summer moisture and a little shade in hot interior locations. Ours are grown from seed collected along the Sonoma Coast from populations sporting dark purple flowers.
Iris macrosiphon is found in open woodlands a little inland from the coastal bluffs and has more narrow, grayer blades than the Douglas Iris. Ours is seed grown from West Sonoma County collections, where populations have lovely lavender-blue flowers.
Iris longipetala is a low elevation form of Iris missouriensis, found in sunny coastal habitats with some moisture. Narrow gray-green leaves and beautiful lavender-blue blossoms that are strongly veined top 20 inch stalks. Thrives in coastal conditions but is adaptable. Requires a little shade and summer water with interior conditions.
Iris are deer resistant.
We expect to have the popular Pacific Coast Hybrid Iris later in March. We will send out a notice when they arrive.
Superb Succulents- Available now in four inch pots:
Perched on the cliffs of the Noyo River in Mendocino County is a special form of our native Dudleya farinosa. An appealing compact form with beautiful flat grey leaves, more similar to Dudleya brittonii in appearance than the Dudleya farinosa seen along the Sonoma Coast. We are offering a limited supply grown from seed collected by Matt Teel of Yerba Buena Nursery.
'Elephant Rock' is an exciting new form of the native Sedum spathulifolium introduced by Mostly Natives Nursery. Especially large grey-green spoon shaped leaves forming luscious mats of flat rosettes. Excellent rock garden or container plant for part shade.
Every year we grow a crop of the delectable Dudleya 'Frank Reinelt'. It forms dense mounds of silvery tendril-like foliage, often with purple tips in winter. This beauty is propagated by cuttings and we have just one crop a year. We have a good supply of four inch pots ready now for discrimminating gardeners.
The charming pipe-shaped flowers are just beginning to show on the Dutchman's pipe vine in the garden.Our one gallon plants are not real large on top but are rooted and ready to plant. Remember, a little patience is required; it takes about 3 years for dutchman's pipe vine to become fully established and to really take off. A beautiful and interesting vine for light shade and moisture. This is the sole larval food source for the pipe vine swallowtail butterfly. Though the butterfly will nectar on a variety of flowers, she requires this species to lay her eggs and ensure their survival.