Show-Stopping Spring Herbs

Our spring selection of herbs has arrived! We love these leafy greens for the range of flavor they lend to our meals. With so many choice varieties, it’s hard to choose just one! Here are a few of our show-stoppers that you’ll want to be sure not to miss next time you are browsing the nursery.

• ‘Barbeque’ rosemary is the perfect addition to your backyard cookout and great for skewers! Growing 2 to 4 feet tall, this hardy evergreen shrub is perfect for borders, hedges and containers. Plant in sun with moderate watering. Plus, small clusters of blue flowers bloom late winter into spring, attracting our favorite pollinator, bees!
• Italian oregano is considered by many to be the best all-purpose culinary oregano. Distinguish it from Greek oregano by its darker and slightly hairier foliage. Plant in sun and enjoy leaves fresh or dried in your next meal!
• ‘Brussels Winter’ chervil is a classic sweet and tasty herb enjoyed in French cuisine. Cook with fresh leaves (as heat ruins their flavor), chopped in Bearnaise sauce, soups, potatoes, egg dishes and fish and enjoy its mild anise flavor. Growing 6 to 18 inches quickly, plant in morning sun to part shade and keep moist.
• Ginger mint’s sweet and fruity fragrance will fuel your culinary arts this season. Use in ice teas, fresh fruit compotes or salad and enjoy this zesty addition. This GMO-free and locally sourced herb is a vigorous spreader and should be contained. Plant in full sun to part shade and enjoy its tall and lush foliage.
• Rub your fingers through the foliage of the lemon verbena and come out smelling like a lemon drop. Use this fragrant herb to flavor drinks and preserves, enjoying its terminal clusters of white blooms this summer. This hardy, semi-deciduous shrub (which grows up to 6 feet) likes sun with moderate watering. Rangy growth can be nicely controlled with pruning hard or 'pinching' often. 
• You’ve seen this sugar substitute before, but have you tried it fresh off the bush? We recommend plucking off a leaf of stevia rebaudiana and trying it for yourself. This herb’s leaves are 30 times sweeter than ordinary sugar. Containing zero calories and safe for diabetics, this locally sourced and GMO-free herb is a must-have for rare plant collectors and all those with a 'sweet tooth.' Adorned with white florets in late summer, stevia will take full sun with moderate watering.

For all of our herbs, we recommend plucking off a leaf or two and trying it yourself to help narrow down your favorites. As always, our knowledgable staff is on-hand to help answer any questions you may have!

The Best Plants For Your Family Vegetable Garden

When planning our garden, we take into account our families, seeking out plants that are hardy and non-toxic for our rambunctious pets and curious children. We believe gardening is a passion to share with the whole family. Here are a few low-maintenance (because sometimes making time is near impossible) garden-to-table plants we love for their exceptional taste!

• There’s nothing like stepping out into the yard and popping a sun-warmed tomato off the vine, right into your mouth. Our cherry tomatoes are great for picking and we’ve got cages and trellises to keep them off the ground. 
• If you have a drip system set up, we recommend cucumbers and summer squash. Although they require more consistent watering, the payoff is abundant. Cucumbers, one of nature’s top hydrating foods, is comprised of 96% water and will help you beat the heat this summer! And who can resist a squash’s versatility in the kitchen?
• We love our quick growers. Radishes, for example, are only 21 days from seed to picking! Two of our favorites, the French Breakfast, an easy addition to a summer salad, and the Easter Egg, offer a blend of red, white, pink, purple and two-tone colors to your harvest.
• Green beans are easy to grow and harvest, great for any new green thumb. Nothing beats escaping the heat in your own bean pole teepee hideaway. Plant green beans and watch as your kid’s new reading spot grows lush.

We recommend Master Nursery's Paydirt for vegetable gardens. A blend of 45% chicken manure and 55% mushroom compost and redwood sawdust is great for loosening clay soils and improving moisture retention. Come April 1, our tomatoes and peppers will be available. In mid-April, our summer squash, cucumbers, zucchinis and corn will be in stock! Stop in today and check out our selection of delectable edibles.

Happy gardening to you and your family! 

Catch The Queen: Safely and Naturally Trap Wasps, Hornets and Yellowjackets!

Worried about uninvited guests this summer? Act now to minimize the threat of yellowjackets all summer long. Yellowjacket colonies die completely each year, except for the queen. In the first warm days of spring, the queen comes out of dormancy and begins to feed and search for a next location for her new colony.

By trapping the queen now, you can prevent the founding of the entire colony, and therefore, minimize this pesky problem. To catch this window of opportunity, you need to place a trap before the queens have found their colonies. Even a few days can make a difference, so don’t delay!

The easiest and most effective way to ensure that you trap the queen is placing a RESCUE! W.H.Y. Trap within 20 feet of your outdoor activity area. This will safely and naturally trap the 'bad guys' (20 species of wasps, hornets and yellowjackets) through fall without harming the beneficial honeybees; the W.H.Y. Trap takes out all the guesswork.

We’re also fans of RESCUE! Disposable Yellowjacket Trap for picnics and camping trips. Featuring the same attractant but in a convenient disposable bag. You just add water. Take the time to hang up a trap today and enjoy your summer BBQ in peace!

Bring Some Zing to Your Palate!

With our Citrus Event just around the corner, this Saturday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. to be exact, we are sharing a few culinary reasons we love growing citrus in our garden! 

Citrus plants give us shades of fiery oranges, bold yellows and glossy greens, yielding flavors that are sweet and sour, tart and tangy, fresh and sassy. Once you start to incorporate them into your cooking, you’ll want more and more!

Here are some uses that illustrate how chefs use citrus to bring a little zing to your palate:

1. Adds flavor and texture to cuisine.
2. Spanning a wide range of tastes and textures, citrus offers a simple way to spruce up almost any plate.
3. Brings balance to dishes.
4. Varying levels of sugar and acid allows citrus fruits to help balance flavors of all sorts. Sauces served with seafood are typical examples, but the same formula works with fowl, beef, vegetable and lamb dishes.
5. Provides a healthy alternative.
6. Citrus can pick up the slack for flavors in dishes when less healthful ingredients are eliminated.
7. Cleanses the palate.
8. With their pure, fresh taste, citrus juices act as palate cleansers.
9. Promotes simplicity.
10. Citrus brings enough color and flavor to allow a chef to use fewer ingredients to make entrees more straightforward.
11. Pairs well with wines.
12. In some preparations, citrus is a better complement to wine than other ingredients.
13. Has a tenderizing effect on meat.
14. Not only tenderizes the meat, but enhances flavor.

Along with our regular lemons, limes and oranges, here are some other fun citrus varieties to try:

• Australian Finger Lime        
• Moro
• Blood Orange
• Cara Cara Navel Orange        
• Nagami Kumquat
• Gold Nugget Mandarin Orange        
• Pixie
• Mandarin
• Minneola Tangelo       
• Tarocco Blood Orange

If you're ready to begin incorporating citrus into your cooking, try Mussels with Fennel, Blood Oranges and Pernod, a fresh and seasonal dish!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup fresh blood orange juice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
• 2 Tbsp Pernod1 tsp blood orange zest
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Toast the fennel seeds in a heavy skillet until slightly browned.

When cool, crush or grind them. Using 1 Tbsp olive oil, cook the onion, shallot, garlic and fennel until the vegetables are softened. Add the fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, salt, orange juice and wine. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add the mussels.

Cover and simmer until the mussels open, about 4 minutes. Discard uncooperative mussels that don’t open. Stir in the Pernod, orange zest and the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil. Season with a little freshly ground pepper.

This recipe is from the website of Kaiser Permanente, Food for Health, Recipes for Life.

Citrus Favorites

There are some new and unusual citruses now available at the nursery and we're excited to highlight a few for you. Speaking of citrus, don’t forget to join us for our Citrus Tasting on Saturday, March 18, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and try before you buy! Our expert supplier, Generation Growers, will be on hand to answer your questions and help you decide the right citrus for your garden. Please RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite!

Pink Variegated Eureka Lemon

Easily identified by its green and white leaves, you can’t miss the Pink Variegated Eureka Lemon. Sunset Magazine states, “If you plant only one citrus this year, make it this tree.” Commonly called Pink Lemonade, the tree is adorned with green fruit streaked with gold, maturing to a pale yellow when ripe. The light pink flesh is low-seeded and tangy. Another citrus perfect for a container or hedge, growing 12 to 15 feet tall.

Cara Cara Orange

Don’t let the run-of-the-mill orange rind fool you; inside, the distinct pink-orange flesh of the Cara Cara Orange boasts a remarkable flavor with hints of blackberry and rose. A cross between two navels found in Venezuela in the 70s at Hacienda da Cara Cara, the orange is less acidic, sweeter and a bit tangier than traditional navels. The half-hardy, dwarf evergreen grows 10 to 15 feet high, perfect for an accent, hedge or container.

Seedless Kishu Mandarin Orange

You’ve got to grow your own Seedless Kishu Mandarin Orange to taste. Not commercially available, the tiny, seedless fruit is no bigger than a golf ball, but one of the first to ripen in fall. This hardy, evergreen citrus is adorned with an abundance of rich, sweet and juicy fruit, which the tree will hold into the new year for leisurely harvest. It is perfect for containers or accent at 5 to 6 feet tall. 

Bearss Seedless Lime

The Bearss Seedless Lime is the most valuable lime in our western gardens. Originating around 1895 and named after nurseryman J.T. Bearss, this outstanding fruiting and ornamental dwarf can produce superbly flavored limes nearly all year long. The most bountiful harvest will be August to March, producing yellowish fruit once ripe. The Bearss makes for a perfect cocktail garnish with a fragrant, somewhat spicy aroma. Growing 8 to 10 feet tall, the citrus is perfect for an accent, entry or container.

For more information on citrus care, take a look at our Growing Citrus care sheet or come by and see us!

Employee Spotlight: Briana Ali

This week, we talked to Lazy K’s Briana Ali. If you follow Lazy K on Facebook or Instagram (and we hope you do), you’ve seen her handiwork. Next time you are browsing the Lazy K, be sure to say hello!

How long have you worked at the Lazy K?

I started at the Lazy K in September 2015.

What is your favorite part about working at the Lazy K?

I feel as if I have joined a family here at the Lazy K. Everyone from my coworkers to our regular customers make coming to work such a pleasure. 

What are some of your favorite memories in your time working here?

The Lazy K dinners are the best. Past employees host and attend every Lazy K dinner and it is a special time to reconnect. I wasn't kidding when I said working here is like one big family. It's awesome.

What is your favorite piece at the Lazy K right now?

We just started carrying Chico-based aromatherapy line, Unlock Home, and the happy scented candle is amazing. I am also obsessed with Vilagallo, a Spanish designer that has just arrived at the shop. Look out for their bohemian Chanel-esque coats. With a constant rotation of new handbags, I can’t even decide on a favorite. I am always wearing them around the store, asking everyone's opinion.

What can we look forward to this summer - any new and exciting pieces coming in?

We have our best selling Dolma tunics coming soon in brand new prints and colors, a perfect weight for the warmer months.

What do you do in your spare time - any hobbies?

I love to cook and go on walks with my family. I also love shopping, for myself and to find the perfect gift for someone, which makes my job at the Lazy K a dream come true.

What is something that people might not know about you?

I was an All-American volleyball player at UC Santa Cruz.

How-To: Growing Spectacular Dahlias

We have a variety of dahlia species available at Orchard, including dinner plate blooms, those with dark foliage and rare, multi-colored anemone dahlias.

In February, shop our selection of dahlia bulbs included in our stock of summer-blooming bulbs. Come spring and summer, we have a great selection of blooming dahlias that come in.

Below we share a few tips and tricks to grow spectacular dahlias in your garden.

Dahlias are gorgeous prolific bloomers, flowering from May to November here in the Bay Area. They grow best in six hours of sun a day; choose a location with morning sun and protection from the wind. Plant bulbs four to six inches deep and about two feet apart, placing the tubers flat with eyes facing up.

Fertilizing

Dahlias are heavy feeders, so before planting, amend the soil with Paydirt (which contains 45 percent composted chicken manure). Add a balanced fertilizer such as E.B. Stone Organics Sure Start 4-6-2 or Master Start 5-20-10. Once buds form, boost the phosphorus content with E.B. Stone Organics Ultra Bloom 0-10-10 or Master Nursery Rose and Flower Food 5-10-5. Continue to feed once a month from June to September. 

Watering

A thorough watering after planting is sufficient until shoots begin to appear in two to three weeks; overwatering will cause the tubers to rot. During the growing season, water deeply every three to four days depending on the weather. After the downpour we’ve experienced the last few weeks, there will be an influx of slugs this spring. We highly recommend protecting young plants using Sluggo or Sluggo Plus. 

Pruning / Deadheading

Encourage bushier plants and more flowers by clipping off the center stem’s tip after the dahlia has three sets of leaves. If you want to enjoy the largest flowers possible, allow only one central bud on each branch to develop by removing the smaller lateral buds. Especially for dinner plate dahlias, be sure to tie the center stem to a stake to ensure the blooms aren’t damaged and the leafy stalk can continue to grow upwards. To lessen the potential for disease, remove the bottom leaves to increase airflow.

For more information, come in and speak to our knowledgeable staff or visit the Dahlia Society of California.