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Lakewood
Weather Courtesy of:

Have a Look Around the Site:
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NOVEMBER |
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Watch the shadows stretch across the garden as the sun dips ever lower, and note that some sunny areas become quite shaded. Don't plant things that need sun in an area where it soon won't shine. On the other hand, areas in deep shade during summer, as under trees, are often bathed in sun all winter long--a good place for spring bulbs and many annuals.
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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:
Mon-Fri 7:30 am-5:30 pm
Sat 8:00 am-5:30 pm
Sun 9:00 am-4:30 pm
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Quotation of the Week:
"A garden is always a series of losses set against a few triumphs, like life itself." ~May Sarton |
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Few sights are more beautiful to look at than the spectacular color of a climbing rose in full bloom covering a fence or house wall. Climbing roses offer a great alternative to other flowering vines because they bloom for a longer season, producing blossoms like clockwork every thirty days from as early as April through the end of November.
While most other climbing vines bloom for just a short six to eight week window, you can count on climbing roses to provide you with blooms all season long. They also come in an array of incredible colors that few vines can match. While climbing roses aren't a true vine (they don't twine), they do produce long arching canes that can be easily tied to a trellis or tacked onto a fence with vine staples.
This year there are some wonderful new introductions that have been grown in test gardens for two years to make sure they have the hardiness, disease resistance and bloom production needed to be introduced into the market. |
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Candyland--Sizable hybrid tea-shaped blossoms of impetuous pink spun with creamy ivory yellow are carried in huge clusters on this very showy climber with gorgeous glossy foliage. It gives "eye candy" a whole new meaning! 25 petals |
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Jacob's Robe--The same great colors of 'Joseph's Coat' on a much improved plant. The blushing yellows, pinks and reds of 'Jacob's Robe' aren't an exact match, but the multi-colored blooms look even better on lush, glossy, deep green foliage. 25 petals |
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If you are looking for a way to add some color to your garden in the winter, consider planting sasanqua camellias. They produce an attractive show of flowers from early autumn into late winter, blooming long before their better known (japonica) cousins.
Add to that, bright glossy green leaves and interesting growth habits and you have "a must" for your winter garden.
Sasanqua camellias can be planted in containers and in shrub and tree beds with equal success. This allows you to place them on patios, decks or near walkways for greater enjoyment. They can also be used for bonsai specimens, espaliers, informal hedges, screens or graceful focal points in the garden.
Their natural growth is either upright or a graceful willow-like form. Some have single, semi-double, or fully double flowers that can be small, medium or rather large and they range in shades of pink, rose, red, white and combinations.
One of the outstanding characteristics of the sasanqua camellias is that they will tolerate more sun exposure than spring-flowering types of camellias. Most varieties don't grow nearly as large as their cousins, enabling them to make perfect understory plants. Like all camellias, they need to be planted in locations with good drainage in a hole amended with an acid planting mix such as Master Nursery Acid Planting Mix.
We have a great selection of sasanqua camellias and invite you to visit us and see them in all of their full blooming glory. |
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Recycle those Leaves
18% of the waste that the average family in the U.S. produces comes from the yard and garden. This debris makes up the bulk of the garbage delivered from homes to the municipal landfill during the fall.
Composting is the most eco-friendly way to deal with the leaves and plant debris from your garden. If you don't compost at home, make sure to give garden waste to the city for composting rather than just throwing it way.
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Rabbits are one of the most loved and adored animals around. They are kept as pets, appear in children's books and even have a celebrated icon in the Easter Bunny. So it's hard for some people to believe that they can also be one of the country's greatest pests. But a few happy rabbits can wipe out a nice garden in no time.
Rabbits will devour a wide variety of plant material, especially in the spring when young, succulent new growth is present. Small flowers and vegetables can be ripped right out of the ground, and other damage can be identified by chew marks on older woody growth, clean-cut clipping of young stems, and rabbits' distinctive round droppings.
What makes controlling rabbits so difficult is that they reproduce quickly and often. Although a rabbit's life expectancy is 12 to 15 months, they can produce up to four litters per year, with as many as six young per litter. The young are born in shallow nests in the ground but are able to leave the nest in two to four weeks.
Although baby bunnies can look cute when they are young, they will quickly establish their feeding patterns and favorite places to visit. Making matters worse is that most rabbits are random eaters, taking a nibble here and there every night until most of your landscape has been damaged.
While some people have success trapping rabbits using traps filled with carrots, fruits and other vegetables, the easiest way to control them is to make your garden undesirable with the use of repellants. We recommend a two-pronged approach that odorizes not only the soil but the plant foliage as well.
Dry soil-type repellants, such as Blood Meal, can be shaken out right onto the soil surface; we recommend applying around the garden perimeter. Liquid plant-type repellants, such as Ropel Animal Repellant, can be sprayed directly onto the foliage of their favorite (damaged) plants. It is important to re-apply the repellents according to package directions until you have broken the feeding patterns of the rabbits. Signs to look for are new growth appearing on plants and a decrease in droppings.
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While the poinsettia remains the most popular of the holiday plants, a healthy Christmas cactus in full bloom is a great gift idea for that special gardener. It is easy to care for and can be grown indoors throughout the year. The flowers range in color from yellow, orange, red, salmon, pink, fuchsia and white or combinations of those colors. Its pendulous stems make it a great choice for hanging baskets
The common Christmas cactus grown commercially is composed of several closely related species of forest cacti that grow as epiphytes between 3,000 and 5,000 above sea level in the Organ Mountains north of Rio de Janeiro in southeast Brazil.
We typically think of cacti as being heat tolerant, but Christmas cactus will keep its blossoms longer in cooler temperatures. It is important to keep plants in a well-lit location away from drafts of heater vents, fireplaces or other sources of hot air. Drafts and temperature extremes can cause the flower buds to drop from the plant before they have a chance to open.
The Christmas cactus is a tropical type plant, not quite as drought tolerant as its desert relatives and, in fact, may drop flower buds if the soil gets too dry. Water thoroughly when the top inch or so of soil feels dry to the touch. The soil should be kept evenly moist for best growth.
Christmas cactus will do best in bright indirect light. They don't need to be fertilized while in bloom, but most gardeners enjoy the challenge of keeping the plant after the holidays for re-bloom the following year. While plants are actively growing, use a blooming houseplant-type fertilizer such as Gro-Power Liquid Fertilizer and apply monthly until blooms set the following season. If taken care of properly, a single plant can last for years, providing many seasons of enjoyment.
We have some great 4-inch and 6-inch Christmas cactus in stock!
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| What
You'll Need:
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
- 1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
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Step by Step: |
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Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and beans in a large non-stick skillet.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
Add spinach to the sauce; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly.
Serve sauce over pasta, and sprinkle with feta cheese.
Yield: 4 servings
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