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Lakewood
Weather
Have a Look
Around the Site:
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October |
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Certain Flowers Thrive in Cool Weather
Plant fall annuals such as pansies, violas, primrose and calendula so they will be in full fall and winter bloom. Perennials including nemesia, godetia and schizanthus are also good choices for a richly varied fall and winter flower garden.
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Contact Information:
E-Mail:
Click to e-mail us.
Telephone:
(562) 804-2513
Address:
6220 Lakewood Blvd
Lakewood, CA 90712
Hours:
Monday through Friday: 7:30 - 5:30
Saturday: 8:00 - 5:30
Sunday: 9:00 - 4:30
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Featured Quote:
"Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter."
~ Carol Bishop Hipps |
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We have tulips, narcissus, hyacinths and bearded iris!
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It's Pumpkin Time!
 It's that time of year that so many of us look forward to. Next to Christmas, the fall harvest season (Halloween through Thanksgving) is the most popular time of year, and at H&H Nursery, we want to celebrate it with you!
We offer pumpkins in many shapes and sizes, in addition to other fall décor to help turn any home into a fall harvest paradise. We are the perfect place to shop for all of your fall decorating needs. Hurry in while supplies last!
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- If you live in a particularly windy area, stake young trees to keep them from breaking. The best way to stake is to use two sturdy stakes a couple of inches away from the trunk. Secure them to the trunk with rubber ties. This will allow them to move a little, which will help your sapling develop into a much stronger tree.
- Be on the lookout for Christmas cactus, which should be arriving in your local garden center late this month.
- When chrysanthemums have finished blooming, cut them back.
- Plant paperwhite narcissus in a container for a fragrant display in about 4-6 weeks.
- Continue planting shrubs, trees, perennials, groundcovers and annual color.
- Shop for cyclamen for a colorful addition to the shade garden or container garden.
- Continue raking leaves. Dispose of any diseased foliage; others can be added to the compost pile.
- Pick up and dispose of any old fruit.
- Prune acacia trees. Shorten any overly-long limbs; if a lacy look is desired, remove some limbs and branches.
- Continue planting wildflowers by seed.
- Divide and replant agpanthus.
- Divide matilija poppy.
- Cut back and divide any overgrown perennials, if needed (this does not need to be done yearly, only every 3-5 years).
- Shop for sasanqua camellias. These fall-blooming beauties should be available and in color now.
- Select trees to add to your garden that will provide fall foliage color. This will be your best chance to get just the color you’re looking for.
- If you live in a high-wind area, lighten the canopy of any overly-dense trees to allow more air to pass through and prevent wind damage.
- Apply bait to flower beds to control cutworms, slugs, snails and earwigs.
- Wrap the trunks of young avocado and citrus trees to protect them from the cold.
- Once the rains arrive, discontinue watering cacti and succulents growing in the ground.
- Fertilize cool season annual color, after it has been planted for at least 4 weeks.
- Transplant landscape shrubs and trees.
- Select plants with colorful fall berries to include in your garden.
- Continue to plant cool-season vegetables, including garlic and onion sets.
- As the weather cools, decrease watering all plants--plants will stay moist longer in cooler temperatures.
- Cut perennial grasses, such as red fountain grass, down to within 4" of the ground. This will make for a much neater and more attractive plant next spring.
- Severely prune any rampantly growing shrubs (such as night-blooming jessamine and butterfly bush).
- Prune blackberries, boysenberries, loganberries and spring-blooming raspberries. Cut the old canes to the ground, leaving the new ones that grew this year; these will provide your fruit for next year. Wait to prune low-chill raspberries until December or January.
- Continue watering roses until mid-month, if rains have not been adequate.
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So, you've made your annual fall pilgrimage to the pumpkin patch and
you've brought your acquisitions home. You've carved the
jack-o'-lanterns and even made a few pumpkin pies (from scratch,
yet!). Ho, hum - there must be more to fall decorating than this,
right?
You're in luck--there is! With that same knife and scoop you used for
the jack-o-lantern, you can create a professional centerpiece for the
fall table! Here's how:
Buy a small to medium-sized pumpkin that is tall enough to hold your
bouquet.
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Using a knife, cut a circle around the stem the desired size of your
future vase's opening. Set aside the top for later
use.
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Scoop out the pulp and seeds and scrape the inside of the pumpkin so
it is smooth and clean.
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Set your pumpkin out to dry. Choose a well-aired spot out of the
direct sun. Leave it there until the inside of the pumpkin feels
dry; this may take a day or two.
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Cut a piece of florist's foam small enough to fit through the hole
at the top of the pumpkin; soak it well and place inside of the
pumpkin cavity OR
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You can place an empty coffee can, margarine container or glass vase
inside the cavity of the pumpkin (which will be filled with water)
to hold the flowers. If choosing this method, make sure the
receptacle is stable (possibly use some sand in the bottom of the
pumpkin to create a nest for the container). The advantage of using
this method would be that the inside of the pumpkin would be kept
drier, preventing mold.
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Arrange your flowers as desired, sticking their stems in the
florist's foam (or container) for stability. Choose fall flowers
such as chrysanthemums and asters combined with grasses, fall
foliage and berries, if desired.
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Use the pumpkin top, more fall foliage and berries around your
pumpkin vase to finish the look.
If your vase will be a centerpiece for a festive holiday dinner, why
not add to the fun? Place a pumpkin sticker under one of the guest
chairs. At the end of the meal, whoever sat in that chair gets to
take the vase home!
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How often do I need to re-pot my plants into larger containers?
Answer:
Unfortunately, plants are not like the fish in your tank that only grow to the size of their home. Plants grow root-bound when the amount of plant root volume exceeds the amount of soil volume in their container.
To check, gently lift out your plant from its container. If you can see mostly roots and very little soil, then it is time to transplant your plant into a larger container.
Select a container that is about 20% larger in volume than your existing pot. A good rule of thumb is not to use a container that is more than 4 inches wider and deeper than your existing root ball. Use a good potting soil and make sure that the top of the existing root ball is even with the top of the soil in the new container.
When you are done, you should have no more than 2" of new soil surrounding all sides of the root ball. Add a little starter food, water in and you're good to go!
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We will be returning to Standard Time on Sunday, November 4. Remember to set your clocks back to 1 AM on Sunday at 2 AM. Or just reset them Saturday evening and enjoy that extra hour of sleep!
Smoke detector batteries should be changed yearly; the change to Standard Time is also a great time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. Properly functioning smoke detectors save thousands of lives every year.
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This recipe makes an incredible presentation and is quite tasty as well! Enjoy!
What You'll Need:
- 1 large pumpkin
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium onions, diced small
- 1 Granny Smith apple [peeled and diced small]
- 2 teaspoons of oregano
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 lbs. of acorn squash seeded, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
- 3 cups chicken broth (optional); substitute a vegetable broth if on vegan diet
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- pepper to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- chopped scallions for garnish
Step by Step:
- Remove pumpkin meat from pumpkin and discard seeds (or save them to roast).
- Put the pumpkin meat in a large bowl and set aside.
- Melt the butter and sauté the onions, apple and oregano with pumpkin pie spice for 7 - 10 minutes.
- Add the acorn squash and the pumpkin meat and sauté for another 5-10 minutes to ensure squash is softened.
- Stir in the stock (vegetable or chicken), along with the pepper and salt.
- Place on low heat for 20 - 25 minutes.
- When the squash begins to fall apart this is done.
- Using an immersion stick blender or food processor, blend until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In the pumpkin shell, add the cream and the purée.
- Bake for 30 35 minutes, covering the top of the pumpkin with foil.
- When ready to serve, garnish with scallions and serve the soup right out of the top of the pumpkin.
Hint: for a nice twist, serve with cheddar cheese grated over it.
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