Want to add a splash of tropical pizzazz to your garden? Think hibiscus!

Hibiscus is the one of the flashiest tropical shrubs around! The large vibrant colored funnel-shaped flowers are simply spectacular. The most familiar hibiscus to all of us is Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, originally from the tropical areas of Asia and cultivated for centuries.

Hibiscus can be used as specimen plants and are also beautiful when used as a tropical flowering hedge. They bloom in spring and summer with flowers ranging in size from 4-8 inches wide, single or double. Flower colors can vary from white to pink to red, from yellow and apricot to orange, depending on variety. A new variety, the Hot-Biscus, has a profusion of giant 8 inch flamboyant flowers that combine many different shades all on one flower.

Hibiscus prefer a well-drained soil, rich with compost, full sun to partial shade, and regular water during the growing season. During the blooming period, fertilize the plants every two months with a balanced plant food, such as Dr. Earth Organic 7 All Purpose. To keep mature plants growing vigorously and to maintain an attractive shape, prune out about 1/3 of the old wood every spring. Pinching out tips of stems in spring and summer will increase your flower production.

We invite you to visit us soon so we can show you our great selection.

Beautiful bougainvillea, that evergreen subtropical plant from South America, comes in several different forms. The most common is a vine - a vine that does not twine or cling - but a vine nonetheless. It also comes in a shrub form and a ground cover.

The vibrant colors are not the flower, but are colorful bracts surrounding a small, inconspicuous flower. The color show begins in spring and can continue into the winter. Now, you can't ask much more of any flowering plant!

A mature vine bougainvillea in full bloom is simply a huge "WOW" factor in any garden. The vine bougainvillea is a fast grower and needs regular pruning to keep in good form. Because of this vigorous growth, any structure chosen for support must be very sturdy.

Yes, they do have thorns. Keep that in mind when you are thinking of the best location in your landscape.

Other bougainvilleas have a low-growing form which is perfect for containers. Place containers near the edge of a balcony and the bougainvillea will grow outward and down, spilling color over the outside wall of your home.

Great care must be taken when planting bougainvillea. The roots do not like much handling so do not disturb the root ball. You can cut out the bottom of the pot and plant both bougainvillea and pot. Alternatively, carefully make four vertical cuts down the side of the nursery container and carefully pull all four sides farther apart. Gently remove the plant from the growing container from the base of the root ball (not the trunk of the plant) and carefully place it into the ground or new container, remembering that the roots are very sensitive to handling.

Bougainvilleas like full sun and regular watering. If you water too much, they won't bloom. Fertilize with Gro-Power Flower & Bloom 3-12-12.

Bougainvilleas come in white, yellow/orange, pink, red, and purple. Plant all one color for a huge color impact, or mix and match colors, to create the look of an impressionist painting. We'll be looking for you in the "Boug" section, and we will help you with your choices!

Long ago and far away, the hills and flatlands of Southern California used to be covered with orange groves. One can almost hear Peter, Paul and Mary singing, “Where have all the orange groves gone? Long time passing. Where have all the orange groves gone? Long time ago. Where have all the orange groves gone? Gone to housing, every one. "

Ah, but you can have your very own “citrus grove,” right in your yard. Citrus trees are ornamentally beautiful, have fragrant blooms, are evergreen and boast colorful fruits all year long. Who could ask for more? Walk out into your yard and pluck an orange, lime, lemon, grapefruit, kumquat or your citrus of choice - fresh and delicious.

Now, we don’t mean to imply you should add rows and rows of citrus trees. But you can select your favorite citrus trees and incorporate them into your landscape, front or back yard. Also, dwarf citrus grow great in containers. Include them in that container-designed area of your patio or deck. If you plan to plant a citrus tree in a container, use cactus mix as the planting soil. This will give your citrus tree the best drainage.

We have numerous varieties of citrus trees from which to make your selection. Many of these are available in either standard or dwarf.

Citrus trees love full sun and well-drained soil. They prefer sandy soils. If you have more clay-like soil, amend heavily or plant the tree on a slight mound to keep the roots elevated for good drainage. And don’t forget to mulch, mulch, mulch! Citrus trees like moist soil, but not saturated soil. If you have clay soil, take care not to over-water in the root areas of your citrus. It is also best not to under-plant these trees at all, especially with grass that needs lots of water.

Fertilizing is important for citrus. They are heavy feeders and need lots of nitrogen. That should make sense when you observe their continuous foliage-growing, flowering and fruiting cycle. They also need other minerals such as iron, manganese and zinc. Yellowing leaves with dark veins are a sign of chlorosis from iron deficiency. Yellow mottling or blotching on leaves can be characteristic of manganese and/or zinc deficiency. If you are uncertain of what is happening with your citrus, bring us a leaf or two and we’ll direct you to the correct fertilizer.

Unhealthy citrus can get pests such as aphids, mites, scale, mealybugs, sooty mold and/or whitefly. Remember that you cannot use most synthetic chemical treatments on an edible plant. Keep your citrus healthy with regular organic fertilizing (we recommend Gro-Power Citrus Fertilizer), a full sun location, mulch, and regular water but not saturation. It also helps to mulch with worm castings from time to time.

If you do get one of or a combination of the above pests, the first type of treatment is spraying with water. You can knock off all of the listed insect pests with a hard blast of water. And you can clean foliage coated with black sooty mold with water and finger scrubbing.

If you are growing your citrus in a container, all of the above instructions are for you, too. However, you may need to water more often, because containers tend to dry out.

Citrus are excellent landscape plants that add to your gardens an attractive form, glossy green foliage, perfume fragrance, colorful fruits and above all, delectable eating! Come in to see us. We’ll meet you in the citrus grove!

Lawns are put to the test this time of year. Any weakness in water coverage, soil nutrition, or weed control shows up in the heat of summer. Now is the time to recheck your sprinkler system. Plugged or broken heads need to be fixed or replaced. Brown patterned circles in your lawn generally indicate a sprinkler head has been plugged by a grain of sand or has become a victim of a vicious lawn mower attack.

The irrigation system in flower beds should also be inspected. Many times we plant in front of a sprinkler. This is not a problem when the plant is small, but it can result in disaster for other plants in the bed as the new guy grows and blocks the water for the others. Make the necessary adjustment and watch your plants flourish.