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Your Independent Neighborhood Garden Nursery
Beautiful Plants and Inspired Designs since 1954
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Dear Friends of Anderson's La Costa, | |
Happy March! We hope you are surviving our long and unusual winter with the expectation that warm, sunny days will return someday soon! It is actually a beautiful day today and the forecast is looking amazing for late next week. | |
Just in time for roses to arrive, we are delighted to announce that Mia McCarville, former owner of Cedros Gardens in Solana Beach and renowned local garden designer and landscape consultant, will join us on Thursday, March 30th at 5:30 pm at the nursery for an in-depth talk about roses.
Please RSVP by emailing us with the number of people in your party and your name(s). Space is limited to 35 guests. Parking in our lot is limited as well, so please carpool with your guests or consider leaving one vehicle at the Park n' Ride at La Costa Ave. and I-5.
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March Newsletter Specials
20% Off
Aloes & Grevillea
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We are excited to bring you our Aloe & Grevillea sale. Really awesome and beautiful plants with similar, low-watering needs once established. They are eye-catching on their own, but also complement each other well and work great together in a garden. | |
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Please read ahead to the next section as Steven gives us his awesome plants to look out for. Gardening Tips for March are up next, followed by an article about why birds migrate. Do you know why birds migrate every year?
We hope you have a wonderful month of March and start to spring. Enjoy the upcoming time change and the change in weather, and please come back for Mia McCarville's talk! If you are Irish, Happy St. Patrick's Day! Don't miss our gorgeous blooming green and purple shamrocks (oaxalis).
Warmest regards,
Marc, Mariah, Steven, and the
Team at Anderson's
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What's New at the Nursery
...by Steven Froess
Hello and welcome to the March Newsletter!
We are already two months into 2023 and it has certainly been an interesting year so far. The rain and snow continue to fall, along with cooler weather. Hopefully within the next several weeks a warm front will come through and kickstart spring! I know we are all itching to get outside and into our gardens more. At least there are a few things to look forward to this month at the nursery including roses, fruiting trees and shrubs, and spring/summer vegetables.
Thank you to everyone who took advantage of our pre-order rose program in February! Our roses should arrive towards the end of the month. Most years they arrive sooner, but the cool weather has delayed their rooting and leafing-out significantly. The David Austin crop looks good this year as well, and we look forward to receiving a nice selection in early April. We are happy to announce that Mia McCarville will be speaking at our nursery at the end of the month about roses. You won't want to miss it.
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Fruiting trees and shrubs should begin arriving later this month. So, for everyone who has been waiting patiently for blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry bushes the wait will soon be over.
Apple trees, apricots, peaches, nectarines, figs, plums, pomegranates, and some weeping mulberry trees will also be shipping this month. We already have a great selection of citrus trees in stock and they should all be blossoming very soon (one of my all-time favorite scents).
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Many people have been asking about spring/summer vegetable starters such as basil, tomatoes, squash, etc. Even though the growers are beginning to show them available, it's just still too cold in my opinion. I hesitate to bring them in knowing they might not do well. In just another week or two, we will begin to fully stock our spring/summer veggie starts on a weekly basis.
If you're like me, you still might be enjoying some cooler season growing and harvesting. (I currently have watermelon radishes, onions, sugar snap peas, spinach, lettuce, and carrots). If you've finished and are waiting to start your next crop, you can begin prepping and amending your soil.
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Next up, there are a few plants I wanted to make special mention of. First is Teas' Weeping Mulberry tree. I'm so happy we were able to find some this year! This is a great tree that doesn't grow too large, has a graceful weeping habit, and produces edible fruit.
We have a nice selection of leucospermums/proteas and leucadendrons which are originally from South Africa. Leucospermum bolusii peaked my interest when I saw them on the growers' list. Apparently, it's a compact growing pincushion protea (4-5' rounded) with small white fragrant flowers. We haven't had Leucadendron 'Little bit' in a little bit (haha) but this compact variety with prolific colorful flowers/cones is back for a limited time.
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I was glad to see one of my favorite native plants, Senecio palmeri back in stock. The striking white foliage with bright yellow flowers when in bloom make for year-round interest.
Osmanthus (pink rice flower) are a nice drought-resistant flowering shrub for sunny locations. Uncinia 'Belinda's find' is a striking low growing, clumping grass with vibrant foliage color. Coprosma 'Inferno' also brings an array of foliage color all year long and looks great.
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Who-who's in the garden with pig? Sesleria caerulea, a low-growing two-tone border grass, and lomandra 'Platinum beauty', not a grass but actually a tough, low-water perennial. True ornamental grasses and look-alikes come in a wide range of color and add texture and movement to a landscape. | |
In our indoor section there is a great variety of foliage plants. Many varieties of Cordyline (Hawaiian Ti) will brighten up any space. They can also grow outside, but wait until the weather is warms up a bit. Philodendron 'Prince of Orange' are easy to grow, and each new leaf is a vibrant color of orange. Alocasia zebrina have impressive stripped stems and Rex Begonias are also starting to arrive as well. | |
Bedding plants are popping with color right now. It seems like almost everything is in bloom. Chrysocephalem apliculatum 'yellow buttons' is a perennial ground cover plant native to Australia and is long-lasting as a cut flower. | |
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It's a good sign: jasmine is finally beginning to bloom and oh so fragrant! Just in time for all things spring, like St. Patty's Day and Easter.
So much good stuff is coming in this month. Please be sure to stop by, check it out, and say hi. I look forward to seeing you all at the nursery this spring!

Your Local Horticulturalist,
Steven
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Among gardening jobs, fertilizing is by far the most important garden chore this month. March is also one of the best times to plant ground covers and perennials and most trees, shrubs, and vines. Be certain to group plants according to their water and soil needs and their sun/shade requirements.
March is the last month before autumn to plant cool-season flowers and vegetables. Later this month we can start planting some of the warm-season plants.
Plant Veggies: You can still plant cool-season vegetables such as broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, and kale but later in March, you may start planting several warm-season vegetables such as beans, summer and winter squashes, and heat-lovers such as early tomato varieties, peppers, melons, eggplant, and okra. We will have plenty of warm days ahead of us to get a jump start on the rest of your summer fruits & veggies. And, of course, you can plant year-round crops such as carrots, beets, Swiss chard, and radishes.
To continue reading March Gardening Tips, click here.
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N E W S L E T T E R | S P E C I A L S | |
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March Nursery Specials
20% Off
Aloes & Grevillea
Expires March 31, 2023
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Feathered Friends Corner...
Why do Birds Migrate?
Definition of Migration:
It is the periodic seasonal movement of birds from one geographic region to another, typically coinciding with available food supplies or breeding seasons. Birds may travel hundreds or thousands of miles during migration, depending on the species and the areas they prefer for nesting habitat and wintering grounds. Some species travel separately according to gender, usually with male birds migrating earlier than females in order to secure territories or begin nest building to attract mates.
For a bird to fly hundreds or thousands of miles between its breeding and non-breeding ranges is a difficult journey that not all birds survive. So why do birds migrate? What reasons send millions of birds into the skies every spring and fall? There is more than one single reason for birds to migrate, but it all comes down to survival.
What if No Birds Migrated:
Without a reason to migrate, birds would have even more challenging lives than making these long journeys. If no birds migrated, food supplies in breeding areas would be rapidly depleted, and many chicks would starve. Competition for nesting sites would be fierce, and predators would be attracted to the high number of breeding birds and easy meals of nestlings. It is for those two particular reasons, food and breeding, that birds migrate.
Migrating for a Meal:
For birds, one of the driving forces behind migration is a lack of food. If birds were to stay in the same tropical regions year-round, food would become scarce and breeding would be less successful. As food sources are regenerating in the north each spring, millions of birds migrate to those areas to take advantage of the bounty.
Additional Reasons Birds Migrate:
Climate
Birds have evolved different types of plumage to survive different climates, and changes in those climates can affect migration. Many birds leave the Arctic breeding grounds, for example, when temps begin to dip and they need a more temperate habitat. Similarly, the hottest tropical regions can be a harsh environment for raising chicks.
Predators
Habitats that have abundant food sources year-round attract a greater number of predators that can threaten nests. Birds that migrate can avoid those extra predators, giving their young a better chance to survive.
Disease
Any large group of birds crammed into one type of habitat is susceptible to parasites and diseases that can kill thousands of birds in a short time. Birds that disperse to different locations have less of a chance to spread disease to their entire population.
In the end, a key reason why birds migrate comes down to survival, not for the migrating birds themselves, but for the chicks they will raise. Finding richer food sources, seeking safer habitats, and avoiding predators are all migration behaviors designed to ensure breeding success. This allows birds to survive for another generation and allows birders the pleasure of witnessing another year's migration.
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