2016 marks our 35th year in business. It has been a gratifying journey as the interest and demand for native plants has grown. California's diverse flora offers many possibilities for our gardens with species adapted to a wide variety of situations. Besides being beautiful and well adapted to our climate, there has been a growing interest in their habitat value. Native plants support native animals, birds, bees and butterflies. We continue to offer a select group of non-natives too, with an eye towards plants that are not only attractive but have useful characteristics to fill various situations and conditions in the garden. We feel these compliment the native palette and fit into our western gardens beautifully.
If you visited the nursery in February or March you will find our April inventory much improved. Click here for our current availability. We have many plants in the pipeline that will be coming available every week as we go forward. Here are a few highlight from April's inventory:
Some popular flowering perennials are now becoming available in four inch pots.
Native buckwheats are sun loving, drought tolerant, floriferous plants renowned for their habitat value. We had very good success propagating the sulfur buckwheat this winter. The cultivar 'Shasta Sulphur' is a useful mounding perennial with dense heads of bright yellow flowers. Another small scale buckwheat available now is the red buckwheat, with light to deep pink flowers in dense clusters. Also available is an interesting form of California buckwheat, Eriogonum fasiculatum 'Warriner Lytle' which offers a low growing habit with masses of creamy-white flowers covering the needle like leaves. This is just the beginning of our availability of this diverse group. More species to come.
The popular shrubby monkey flowers are becoming available too, with hybrids offering pure white, creamy yellow and red blossoms. The amazing display of tubular flowers are highly attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies and are deer resistant. Another hummingbird favorite, sporting tubular flowers of iridescent blue is a reliable form of the foothill Penstemon known as 'Margarita BOP'.
We have more varieties of the Pacific Coast Hybrid Iris available for your consideration. The dependable 'Canyon Snow' and 'Canyon Sunshine' are in stock now as well as some cultivars offering different shades of purple. This is the perfect time to view them in bloom.
Want to add some elegance to lightly shaded areas? We are pleased to have the stunning leopard lily, grown from seed collected in Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. Perfect among ferns and other woodlanders in acidic, humusy, moist soils with protection from the hot afternoon sun. The large pendulous orange flowers have reflexed petals revealing maroon spots and long showy stamens. We also have our local endemic leopard lily from the Pitkin Marsh in Sonoma County, once known as Lilium pitkinense. Shorter growing with very dark orange flowers. All available in four inch pots.
Another beauty requiring regular moisture is the spectacular Darmera peltata with it's large, shield-shaped leaves. The pink flowers on tall stems bloom before the massive leaves unfurl. Native to mountain streams this bold perennial will make a impressive accent in lightly shady areas with regular water. We have both a full sized and dwarf form to consider for a moist spot or water feature.
We have another fern to add to our selection. Ready this month is a miniature form of the lovely lady fern, growing only one foot tall and two foot wide. Easy to grow with shade and moisture. Wonderful container plant too.
Blooming in oak woodlands and chaparral communities this time of year is Lomatium californicum. Chartreuse flowers in umbells decorate the low mounds of finely cut blue-green fragrant leaves. This member of the Apiacea or parsley family is particularly attractive to wide variety of beneficial insects. It is also a native larval food source for the anise swallowtail butterfly. We have an abundance of healthy 5 inch liners ready to plant at $5.00 each.
Blue wild rye is a reliable perennial grass native to a wide variety of plant communities in the west. A strong reseeder with a deep root system makes it a candidate for erosion control and restoration projects or any naturalistic planting. We have 4 inch pots in perfect condition to plant NOW at half off their usual price.
We hope to see you this spring at the nursery. We are open 7 days a week now. Monday through Friday 9 - 5 and Saturdays and Sunday 10 - 4.