Magnolia Gift and Garden

Splash of Color from Down Under

kerra — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:17:21 +0000

One of the winter highlights here at Magnolia is the flowering of our very graceful, very under-rated Grevillea shrubs. Originally hailing from Australia, there are over 250 species and varieties of this versatile plant. They vary in size, color and texture, but can be counted on to have slender leaves or needles, and to flower profusely in colorful clusters. The zones they thrive in depend on which species you plant, but the ones we carry are hardy to this area.

Grevillea is a many faceted shrub with sought after attributes that can be hard to find all in one plant. First, they are drought tolerant. That is, once their roots are developed after a couple of years, they don’t require very much water. In fact, they don’t appreciate summer irrigation. Second, they are evergreen, keeping their leaves year round, with needles ranging in color from deep forest green to a soft gray. Third, they can be planted in a plethora of locations. Full sun is this tough shrubs favorite setting, causing it to cloak itself in brightly colored flowers which come in varying shades of peachy pink to bright fuschia to ruby red. A little shade will not dampen its spirits either. Fourth, because of the cheerful, nectar-filled flowers, hummingbirds flock to these friendly shrubs.

For any tough spot to fill, Grevillea may be the plant that has all the answers. Their root systems will thrive in poor soils, and they can be cold hardy enough to be planted up the Pacific North West, and heat loving enough to go down into the deserts of Southern California. They are from Australia after all!

The only problems Grevilleas tend to have are when they receive too much love. They are the ideal low maintenance shrub, requiring only light applications of low-phosphorous fertilizer, if any.

Here’s a peek at the varieties we have brightening up our nursery:

Grevillea juniperina ‘Lava Cascade’- This compact shorty reaches 1-2 feet tall and spreads 6-10 feet wide. Deep green needle like leaves are not as sharp as some forms. Great frost tolerant ground cover shrub, dangling coral red flowers in the fall through spring. Will establish a large area quickly, and choke out competing weeds.

Grevillea lanigera ‘Coastal Gem’- This compact shrub has light gray-green soft narrow leaves, with light cream and pink flowers at the branch tips in winter and spring, occasionally flowering other times of the year. It reaches 2 feet tall and can spread 5 feet or more. Excellent choice for containers, and can take full sun or part shade, tolerates frost and sporadic watering. Its density makes it an ideal ground cover, and it’s spiraling symmetry gives it a unique look year round.

Grevillea lavandulacea ‘Penola’- Dense habit with half-inch gray leaves. Grows 5 feet tall and 8 or more feet wide, with rose red flowers through the spring. The gray foliage makes a great compliment to deep green conifers.

Grevillea ‘Noellii’- Arching form 4-6 feet tall and wide, with glossy 1 inch needles. Spring blooming with pink and white flower clusters. Will thrive in full sun, with little to moderate water.

Grevillea rosmarinifolia ‘Dwarf Form’-One of the cutest grevilleas around, this compact little guy gets 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide with short, blue green needles. Cream and coral pink flowers speckle against the foliage fall through spring, calling all hummingbirds! It will take sun or partial shade, and appreciates good drainage.

Grevillea rosmarinifolia ‘Scarlet Sprite’- A fast compact mounding plant 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide, with dark green, fine textured needles 1 inch long. Large clusters of spidery rose pink flowers appear heavily in winter and spring. Frost hardy, full sun, light to moderate water.

Why Quality Pays Off

abigail — Fri, 27 May 2011 20:04:46 +0000

If you ever visit Magnolia, and find co-owner Chris Hunter in a somewhat petulant mood, don’t take it personally. It just means the north wind has been blowing. Sited as we are on the outskirts of Chico, the nursery frequently takes the brunt of the incoming weather, and in particular, the monotonous weeks of driving wind that often attend Spring and Summer in the Northstate. But despite the fact that our grounds are not enclosed like most franchise garden centers, our plants are far less susceptible to ill-humors than their human caretakers under these harsh conditions. Why this exceptional resilience? Well, that stems from the way we do business.

When you pick up a vibrant, healthy plant at Magnolia, know that it was a long line of research and cooperation that delivered it to you. The process begins with selecting wholesale vendors who uphold the highest standards of plant propagation, care, and quality control. Specifically, we choose to support growers who use rich soils, high in organic material, nutrients and beneficial biota; growers who refuse to sell diseased, undernourished or undersized plants, or those which have not yet developed a mature root system. In exchange, we actually pay for our orders up-front. Commercial garden stores are able to undercut privatized competition by contracting with wholesalers that agree to not receive compensation until the item sells. This pressures the grower to sacrifice quality for volume, in order to offset the high loss to income ratio. It also is a disincentive to the retailer to reject inferior stock; if it dies before it is purchased, they lose nothing, allowing them to maintain an artificially low overhead. We choose to develop a personal, mutually-beneficial relationship with our growers instead, and to pass the advantage of access to high quality products on to our patrons.

The next step is to carefully select the cultivars of plants grown by these vendors which will thrive in our Mediterranean climate, and still be hardy to the frosts of winter. Our employees spend hours pouring over availability lists, looking for standout traits like disease resistance, drought tolerance, wind resilience or fruit quality before placing an order. Even the ordering process itself requires a great deal of forethought. When sourcing from vendors located in coastal areas, we make sure that the plants will arrive in plenty of time to acclimate to our more arid zone before the heat of summer arrives. This presents not only a logistic challenge, but it has cost us sales on more than one occasion. For instance, when a customer requests a specimen that is only available from a wholesaler in the Bay Area in July, we will be forced to defer that order until Autumn because we take our responsibility to serve the customer by providing the best product possible seriously. Once the plants do arrive on our grounds, we place them in a display zone in the nursery that mimics their appropriate growing conditions in a landscape, so that you receive a specimen that is vigorous and holistically-adapted to flourish in your yard.

Because of the diligent care that goes into the plants in our inventory, from shoot to mature specimen, we have no reservations about encouraging customers to plant throughout Summer, provided that a few sound horticultural practices are adhered to. Your new landscape addition should never be placed in a location where it will receive greater sun exposure than it was on our grounds. While many species are able to acclimate to marginal exposures over time, hold off on experimentation until the Fall. Soil preparation, while always important, is absolutely critical to setting your plant up for success during the warm season. Humus-rich blends, such as our Greenall Soil Booster or E.B.Stone Organic Rose Grow Planting Mix, will retain nutrients, hold moisture, and encourage healthy drainage and aeration. To suppress weed competition, keep the root zone cooler and minimize evaporative water loss on the surface, mulching around the base of your new plant is essential. Our favorite product for this is Greenall Fir Mulch; light and non-splintery, it will also break down slowly to enrich the soil. Lastly, automatic irrigation appropriate to the installation is key to ensuring that your landscape investment pays off. We are so confident that our stock is up to the challenge of Northern California conditions that as of June 1, 2011, we will guarantee every plant sold at regular price for a full year with proof of purchase.

Now that’s why quality pays off.

Editor — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:36:12 +0000

Mark your calendar—Magnolia’s Summer Sale is approaching! One of three sales held each year, the first week of June will see steep discounts on select pottery and fabulous plant material in the nursery. Watch for details on Facebook and in our May newsletter…

A Touch of the Orient

Editor — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:27:39 +0000

Among the loveliest landscape specimens in old-town Chico, the Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum cvs.) has become an iconic Oriental accent. With slow, hardy growth and lacy foliage, this diverse species ranges from stooped, gnarled pondside specimens to upright trees perfectly scaled to the urban backyard. Long-lived, these are also invaluable in containers and shaded corners, requiring little pruning and providing brilliant Fall color (green varieties) as well as a striking architectural element in the winter garden. While most of the cultivars available need some shelter from the summer sun in the North Valley, there are several new varieties which tolerate longer exposure.

Since its inception, Magnolia has offered an extensive and unusual selection of Japanese Maples. One major division may be made between the many varieties that come through the nursery in a year. Laceleaf-type maples generally exhibit the distinctive mounding, trailing form as they age, and remain fairly small. These are especially well-suited to landscape mounds, rock gardens, water features and patios, where their weeping habit can be unhampered. The finely-cut leaves in shades of red, purple or green are quite sensitive to wind-burn or sun-burn, and the plant should be provided full afternoon shade during the growing season. Prune seldom and selectively—the natural grace of these trees is accentuated by their tiered branches as they mature. Provided well-drained soil rich in organic matter, the laceleaf-type maples require little fertilizer. Two of our favorites are the filamentous “Red Filigree” and verdant “Waterfall,” pictured below.

The other group of Japanese Maples are the broadleaf-type. These are generally upright, with strong, straight branching patterns, and develop rugged, wizened trunks as they age. These are preferred for small shade trees, not only for their accommodating growth habit, but also because they are considerably hardier to wind and sun stresses. Filtered to full afternoon shade is still recommended during the growing season, but two new cultivars have shown increased resilience under sun exposure. “Emporer One” is a full, vigorous red-leaved variety which has demonstrated the greatest tolerance of the maples with colored foliage. “Fjellheim” is a green maple with eye-catching coral-red bark and dense, bushy foliage. While still susceptible to sunburn, it is the best selection for a green leaved cultivar in a marginal area where a little extra resilience could make all the difference.

Though traditionally associated with Oriental gardens, the plethora of modern cultivars has extended the Japanese Maple’s appeal to other landscape styles. Whether you keep a natural woodland garden, or a neatly manicured border of Gardenias and Hostas, these trees add enduring beauty, distinct structural elements and lovely texture to the yard or patio. During the whole month of May, a wide selection of five-gallon Japanese Maples will be on special, so don’t miss this opportunity to bring home a touch of the Orient.

Hit the Bottle

Editor — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:10:04 +0000

Already a top-shelf destination for gorgeous imported pottery, Magnolia has been expanding its selection of container trimmings. Bottles—decorative mulches made from 100% recycled, tumbled bottle glass, that is.

An eye-catching display on the nursery grounds featuring a river of azure and turquoise glass winding through a xeriscape of sedum was such a favorite with customers last year that our modest offering of colors and sizes was outstripped by demand. The nursery soon made full-fledged foray into decorative mulches, and now offers 15 different recycled glass options, 12 kinds of gravel and rock, and several unique choices of glazed pottery shards to add resilient, year-around color to any container garden or planting bed. Large glass nuggets also make striking filler for patio fire bowls, while finer mulches accent many of the fountain basins on the nursery grounds. Sustainable and beautiful, recycled glass provides extremely durable weed suppression and water retention, but has enough heft to reduce shifting or erosion by wind and water. See the photo gallery below for a sampling of our stock, including the newest color—Amethyst.

A Magnolia exclusive, glazed pottery shards make a statement in containers and xeriscapes. Every lot is unique; you may choose from the intricate blue vines and brilliant blooms of a traditional Mexican fragment, or pieces of a drip-finished pot in rich caramel and umber. And if originality is your cup of tea, then you’ll find whimsical fodder for your creative instincts at our container-finishing station. A host of vintage action figures covering genres from Cowboys-and-Indians to Star Wars keep company with the ever-increasing variety of nostalgic treasures that capture nursery co-owner Chris Hunter’s imagination—a smile-inducing touch to any container garden.

Whatever your landscape style, whether you cultivate a sweeping estate or a cozy urban patio, we have what you need to finish your containers in style. So go ahead…hit the bottle.

It Isn’t Dirt…

abigail — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 22:11:48 +0000

It is a seemingly harmless interposition of terms, but it carries a weighty implication. Never ask a gardener how their dirt is. Healthy soil is arguably worth its weight in gold. Perhaps the most crucial component of vigorous gardens and vibrant ecosystems, this oft underappreciated substrate is responsible for anchoring, nourishing, hydrating and allowing atmospheric gasses to enter and leave the plant. It follows that establishing or supporting a healthy garden starts with sound soil management.

Here in the North Valley, the land is often high in Magnesium, a byproduct of decomposing mineral serpentine in the surrounding foothills. Though it is an essential micronutrient for plants, large quantities of this element can actually have a toxic effect. Where it is prevalent in the soil, the chemical receptors in the root tissue of plants will indiscriminately collect high concentrations of Magnesium instead of the reactively similar Calcium ions, which are a macronutrient in much greater demand. In proportion to plant needs, Calcium levels in native soils are much lower than those of Magnesium. While traditional horticultural wisdom would recommend applications of Agricultural Lime—Calcium Carbonate—in such instances, this will raise the pH, or make the soil more alkaline. All nutrients are available to the plant within a finite pH range, and as our flatland soils tend toward alkalinity anyway, this approach can create new problems.

Alternately, we suggest intensive applications of Gypsum, or Calcium Sulfate. By elevating Calcium levels in the soil, plants have ready access to the nutrient and are less likely to accumulate Magnesium instead, leading directly to increased vegetative health. Fruit quality issues, such as end rot in tomatoes, are often symptomatic of Calcium deficiencies and will be markedly reduced or eliminated come harvest time. Additionally, Sulfate has a mild acidifying effect, helping to maintain a lower pH—one more conducive to absorption of other nutrients.

Buffering of pH allows the soil itself to feel the real benefits of Calcium addition—deflocculation—without the detrimental effects on plants that Lime would produce. Deflocculation simply means that the Calcium ions break up the very dense, clumping soil structure indicative of clay content, allowing increased aeration, drainage, and leaching salts out of the soil. Or, as our Sof’n-Soil© bags read, Gypsum “works like millions of tiny hoes.” So if your garden gnomes just can’t seem to get it together, here’s a low-cost solution that is good for the gardener and the earth. Come in soon, and get a jump start on building rich, loose soil for a fantastic year in the yard!

What is With the Mushroom?

abigail — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 20:38:48 +0000

If a curiously spotted dome of tangerine orange and golden yellow rising over the wall of the nursery has recently arrested your eye as you approached East Avenue on Mariposa, then let us put your mind at rest. No, the Mothership hasn’t landed. The giant metal mushroom that has arrived on our grounds is a piece of California history. Nursery co-owner Chris Hunter is an avid fan of American Pickers; a discriminating customer well-known to Northstate antique dealers. Artifacts of bygone eras as diverse as wooden spring harrows, suspending hanging plants, or massive parlor doors, setting off lush tropicals in our gift shop, are sprinkled around Magnolia. Additionally, the young (or young at heart) are sure to discover the two brightly colored ladybug cars in our retail display area. After a decade and a remarkable chain of events, these cheery arthropods are about to be reunited with their siblings.

It all started two years ago, when Chris saw the iconic bugs appear in a Craigslist advertisement. He contacted the seller, and discovered that they were original cars from a ride at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, dating back to the 1960’s. Shipped to Paradise to be repainted by a local craftsman, the set, originally numbering six ladybugs and—you guessed it—a giant mushroom, was never paid for or collected. Rather an unwieldy collection to store, the artist attempted to liquidate the ride at a garage sale. Unable to find a buyer for the entire family, he separated the pieces, selling two of the cars to Chris’ contact, who was in turn listing them eight years later.

The yellow and orange beetles found a ready home at the nursery, where children love to hunt for them among the winding paths lined with plants on every visit. But in 2010, a customer recognized the distinctive ladybugs. Coincidentally, her family had purchased the rest of the set at the garage sale. Over the winter, the fate of the siblings was discussed, and a month ago, Chris arranged to buy the remaining pieces. This spring, the original Boardwalk ride will be once again be complete, here on our grounds. Whether it will ever be restored to a functioning merry-go-round is still debatable, but it is certain that this piece of regional history will provide a charmingly original landmark in North Chico for customers of all ages to enjoy. And Chris will continue combing road shows, warehouses, barns and classifieds for strange and unusual antiquities…

To Our Customers

Editor — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 22:51:43 +0000

February 26, 2011
To our customers:

Effective March 1, 2011, Magnolia Gift & Garden will no longer carry Bayer yard care products. Over the past decade, international research has accumulated extensive data to suggest that neonicotinoid pesticides are harmful to honeybees. Many Bayer formulations contain the systemic chemical Imidacloprid, which falls under this pesticide category. While it has primarily been observed to cause functional handicaps in pollinators, such as impaired navigational ability, reduced foraging activity and disorientation, other insecticides in this group have been directly associated with the death of juvenile bees, ultimately leading to deterioration of the colony. Honeybees have a vital role in agricultural production as well as the biodiversity of native ecosystems, and their continued population decline worldwide has inflicted serious economic loss and environmental damage.

While this information has certainly been a factor in our decision to discontinue the Bayer product line, the primary impetus for this change is that there are simply better alternatives. A landscape must be viewed holistically, and like natural ecological systems, the health or decline of each individual component affects the sum of the parts. Since the nursery was founded in 2008, Magnolia has advocated a systematic approach to plant nutrition, pest and disease control with minimal environmental impact known as Integrated Pest Management (IPM). This philosophy emphasizes preventative measures, including sanitation and a maintenance schedule which maximizes the vigor and immune function of plants while minimizing risks of infection. Biological controls or concentrates of botanical extracts are applied remedially. As a last resort, precise dosages of selective synthetic products may be utilized to bring a severe infestation back under the threshold of natural management; we will still offer some selective herbicides which do not contain neonicotinoids.

We do not view this change as a reduction of services to our customers. Rather, we have progressively expanded our inventory of organic fertilizers, soils, and natural pest and disease control measures to continue to meet the needs of the Northstate community. The products we stock are carefully chosen and tested in-house before they appear on our shelves, and we back that with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Agroecological research continues to demonstrate the efficacy of IPM. While a holistic approach may not provide the rapid gratification of a chemical application, it pays dividends over the long-term without the environmental costs of synthetics, such as pest resistance, salt buildup and toxic leaching into the surrounding landscape or groundwater. Our knowledgeable staff are always eager to help you work toward comprehensive landscape health through a combination of sound horticultural practices and proper application of naturally-derived products.

Here’s to a healthier planet,

Magnolia Gift & Garden

Patio Perfect

Editor — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 04:01:08 +0000

There’s a bite in the gray air today—a reminder after a mild week not to get too comfortable in my t-shirt and garden clogs. Winter is about to tighten its grip on northern California again. The bees have taken cover, leaving the porcelain Daphne blooms to pour their heady fragrance into the still air untended. The Camellias bow gracefully under brilliant flowers, and Cyclamen force clusters of silken heads toward the shrouded sun. The earth waits for Nature’s whim, and gardeners are reluctantly buttoning up greenhouses and tool sheds in the face of the approaching storm. But regardless of the cold, dank soil or inclement weather, distinctive container arrangements are a lovely way to bring four-season color, texture and form to the patio, windowsill or doorstep. Let us share with you a few of our favorite evergreen specimens—a sure antidote for the midwinter doldrums.

Dwarf Pagoda Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Dwarf Pagoda’) is an eye-catching shrub, densely clad in tiny rounded leaves along stiff branches with definite architectural appeal. While the name suggests a plant at home in an Asian garden, the glossy, dark green foliage and very slow growth to two or three feet makes this a valuable container addition in many landscape themes. It thrives in shade, and is an excellent faux Bonsai subject, though the unique branch structure is best preserved with minimal pruning.

For compact, slow growth, the Ryokogu Coyokyo Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria ‘Ryokogu Coyokyo’) is another winner. The fine, geometric texture of this mounding beauty is accented by ruddy branch tips, which have a spreading, hand-like development. Maturing at some sixteen inches high, this makes a superb choice for a shallow dish arrangement, setting off small grasses or dwarf flowering shrubs to advantage.

The Flattop Spruce (Picea abies ‘Flat Top’) is a strikingly non-traditional conifer. With the coarse bark, horizontal branching and rough, feathery foliage of its larger relatives expressed in a squat stature, it suits Asian, Rustic, Alpine and Mediterranean gardens well. Selecting a broad pot and planting the edges with a low-growing creeping or trailing plant like Wooly Thyme or Sedum will accentuate the uniquely stout, rugged profile of this charming dwarf tree.

A striking centerpiece or fascinating backbone for a container, the Nana Lutea False Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Lutea’) will reach roughly three feet tall. This vibrant specimen displays rich golden foliage along the edges of scalloped fans of bright green, and has an upright, bushy form. It requires no pruning to maintain the graceful, spire-like tips of new growth, and is a bright spot in any shady corner.

For color and singular texture, few shrubs answer as well as the Knaptonensis Japanese False Cedar (Cryptomeria ‘Knaptonensis’). With creamy ivory needles cloaking threadlike tassels of new growth over a dark green interior, this shaggy dwarf is an attention-getter. Reaching just two feet high, and demanding little maintenance, it makes a lovely potted specimen for partial shade.

To transcend the archetypal patio tree and create a work of living art, selecting companion plants with harmonious variety of form, texture and year-around color is essential. For bloom, and shade-loving performance, the Pink ES Azalea (Rhododendron Nakahari ‘Pink ES’) is a spreading dwarf with brilliant rosy flowers and velvety leaves blushed red. It is a lovely complement to an upright evergreen, or in a miniature Japanese containerscape. The Zuiko Nishiki Daphne (Daphne odora ‘Zuiko Nishiki’), a Japanese selection with crisp pink and white blooms over waxy, solid green foliage in late winter, is a striking and fragrant addition to a potted arrangement. Distinctive, palmate leaves and delicately freckled bells make Lenten Roses (Helleborus orientalis) unusual and lovely accents in a container, adding texture and interest during the bleakest season. In dusky shades of pink, purple, pale yellow and ivory, these beauties are among the first perennials to herald the turn of the year.

And to brighten a windowsill with a hint of spring days to come, or to offset the vivid greens of a conifer, tuck in some sprouting bulbs. We now carry a beautiful selection of traditional favorites, from vibrant tulips to the pink hyacinth bursting out of shallow dishes near the register. Whether you garden on a sprawling estate or a shady urban patio, we have a diverse selection of pottery, unique evergreens and perennials to help you bring color, texture and form all the way to your doorstep. So, friends, here’s to Winter…

Looking Ahead

Editor — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 02:20:09 +0000

Dusk is falling on an unseasonably balmy January day, the cloudless sky reflecting swaths of pale apricot and carmine onto the puddles of stale rain that dot the garden. A welcome reprieve to steely weather and biting cold, even the honeybees emerged to meet the sun, and drowsily transverse the yard in search of the barest fragments of floral life. Indoors, the early seed catalog arrivals begin to stir thoughts of warm, rich soil, crumbling between the fingers; of the frosty sheen on the first ripe tomato, the blush on the earliest peach. The wind and rain will return, bringing many more days of wool sweaters, umbrellas and galoshes, but somewhere deep in the mind, like a crocus peeking through snow, those thoughts, that tingling sense of anticipation, will persist and grow. All the while, unseen microbes are ploughing the sodden soil and the turrets encasing new leaves are appearing on the dripping branches. Irish novelist Edna O’Brien described this interim of the year well: “In a way Winter is the real Spring—the time when the inner things happen, the resurgence of nature.”

Here in the nursery, winter is a time of active preparation for the coming months. Our bare root fruit trees will arrive shortly after the turn of the year—a selection we are particularly excited about sharing with the Northstate community. All of our peach, nectarine, apricot and pluot cultivars will be grown on the ‘Citation’ hybrid rootstock, a dwarfing stock which is highly tolerant of the wet soil conditions which prevail in many regions of the Central Valley at this season. Fast becoming the choice of local orchardists, ‘Citation’ will keep peach or nectarine trees to 8-14 feet, resists root-knot nematode and promotes early fruit production. The ‘Suncrest’ Peach, a local favorite for its large size and firm flesh with a lovely red skin, will be available, along with the ‘Indian Free’ Peach, renowned for exceptional flavor and resistance to peach leaf curl. Among our nectarines, ‘Sauzee King,’ the first donut-type cultivar, and ‘Double Delight,’ with sensational bloom and excellent flavor, are stand-outs. The ‘Harcot’ Apricot produces fruit similar to the well-known ‘Blenheim,’ but resists brown rot, perennial canker and—with a later bloom window—is nearly immune to frost damage.

All heat-tolerant semi-dwarf selections, we will also stock crisp apple favorites like ‘Fuji’ and ‘Pink Lady’ as well as the Golden-Delicious type ‘Ein Shemer,’ a low-chill cultivar from Israel. Our standard-form plum selection is second to none for fruit quality—the ‘Elephant Heart’ sets large plums with a soft green exterior that belies the velvety blackish-purple flesh and fantastic flavor. Fig, persimmon, pistachio, kiwi and pear trees are expected, as well as small fruits like thornless blackberries and everbearing raspberries.

With the coinciding rise of the local-food movement and a greater social consciousness of sustainability motivating backyard gardeners to repurpose landscape spaces to provide crops as well as beauty, the demand for “edible ornamentals” is increasing. Eagerly anticipated, our ‘Stella,’ ‘Bing’ and ‘Rainier’ Cherry trees will arrive on the newly-patented Zaiger Dwarf (3CR178) rootstock. This is a true-dwarf stock which will make these lovely trees practical for the urban gardener. Suitable for container plantings or edible landscaping, they will reach only 8-12 feet un-pruned, and bear at a young age. For spring bloom, this is certainly one of the most attractive small utility trees. Another fruit-producer with ornamental qualities is the Weeping ‘Santa Rosa’ Plum, which maintains a smaller profile in the yard due to its structural training, but puts on a beautiful flower display followed by dusky reddish-purple fruit.

Proof that landscape can have both form and function, blueberries are a small shrub that provides dainty late-spring bloom, summer fruit, and exceptional fall color. Choose from five cultivars selected to tolerate the valley heat and deliver delicious berries. Currants are attractive shrubs with an open form, lobed leaves, beautiful and tasty fruit. As both of these require afternoon shade, they are particularly good choices for small lots, or areas sheltered by the urban forest. Old-fashioned perennial favorites like asparagus, artichokes and rhubarb—ornamental in their own right—make excellent additions to planting beds or containers, lending a hint of the quintessential English kitchen garden to a yard. And while you’re planning the edible future of your landscape, don’t overlook the window to plant a winter vegetable garden. We have locally-grown Certified Organic starts, like kale, lettuce and Brussels sprouts, which will thrive in the chilly weeks ahead.

Winter is, above all, a time of reflection and rejuvenation, for gardens and their keepers. It is a time of human reconnection with each other, and in some way, with the earth. It is a season which has a power to bend us, ever so gently, to its will—to pace us, to restrain our activities, to force us to slow even as the powers of nature slow and to introspect even as the sap runs back to the spreading roots of the bare trees. In his musings on the world around us, author and journalist Hal Borland wrote that, “To see a hillside white with dogwood bloom is to know a particular ecstasy of beauty, but to walk the gray Winter woods and find the buds which will resurrect that beauty in another May is to partake of continuity.” And that continuity, we believe, is precisely what makes gardening essential to a rich, vibrant life.

From all of us at Magnolia, best wishes for another beautiful year in the Northstate!