How Much Water?

Recently, customers from San Francisco asked how much water they need to give their new Winter Flame Japanese Maple.

In the picture, the Winter Flame may not look like it came from a 25gallon container and is 6' tall.  However it is!  Either they were lazy or they followed Wildwood Nursery instructions well when they planted it.  We'll give them the benefit of the doubt; the tree is mounded up high and rocks around the base hold the soil in place - functional and aesthetically pleasing.

The first step is to fill a 5 gallon bucket about half way and see if the roots quickly absorb the water.  They should.  The next step would be to adjust a [rainbird] micro bubbler  so that it sprays to the edge of root ball.  Then, determine how long the micro bubbler takes to fill a bucket halfway.  Run the micro bubbler every two or three days.

Most importantly keep an eye on the plant if weather changes abruptly!

Genie On A Branch

Most of the flowering trees at Wildwood Nursery are dogwoods.

One of the exceptions is the dwarf Magnolia x Genie.  This magnolia makes people stop and stare.  Many magnolia blossoms start a deep purple.  When they open, the blossoms have a heavy white blush.  Genie holds the deep magenta purple.  With sunlight shining through the petals, this tree glows.

Genie is now on our website.  We have many three foot tall Genies available and one large tree this spring.  Call 707.833.1161 to order the six foot tree.

To see more magnolias in bloom visit Quarryhill and San Francisco Botanic Garden.

40th Anniversary

Last night, the big SNL anniversary party was in New York.  Slightly farther from the spotlight, Wildwood also celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2015. 

In 1975, Wildwood was a small dot on the map.  Now, the dot that counts is placement on google maps.  An online presence is not enough; mobile commerce is expected.  If you said Shopify in the 70's, people would have said 'shopifly??'.

In the beginning, Wildwood sold natives.  We still do, they're just native to other continents.  Wildwood sells plants that deserve a place in the landscape.  The California lifestyle is about extending boundaries, blurring boundaries, and being outdoors.   That's what we try to live at Wildwood.

Wildwood plants add feeling to a place.  Maybe that's why we ship plants nationwide; some are not far from Studio 8H.

In The Event Of Rain

There will be no rain delay for Dogwoods & Daphnes at Wildwood.

We prepared the plants for what to do in the event of rain.  Everything will operate as normal at Wildwood.  The rain will not interrupt the normal watering schedule for the plants.  They are on a winter schedule which simulates rain.

Visitors can expect healthy plants that are ready to be transplanted.  We will explain how to continue the winter schedule and make adjustments for spring and summer. 

Daphnes and Dogwoods will not break your watering budget this year.  They require regular watering which is easy to establish.  The rewards are worth the water.

Grapestake Fence Marches In

Wildwood salvaged several sections of grapestake fence from a home remodel for 'new' displays in the nursery.

The weathered pickets have a very versatile look.  They would fit in a coastal setting, in an English manor, and in an Asian garden.  Of course, they look great in a California garden!

Even with bare branches, plant silhouettes look very mysterious against the wood.  So far there are two displays ready, more will appear shortly!

Cue the Magnolias

Winter in the West is about quince, camellias, daphnes, and magnolias.

Reds, Pinks, Whites, and Purples dot the gardens around the coast.  These bright spots are super showy in a landscape of fallen leaves and bare branches.

Magnolias are the loudest and largest plants in the winter landscape.  The blooms can be enormous - some measure 16" across.  Even the 'smaller' flowers pack a punch.  See Exhibit A to the left.

Small spaces that need a shot in the arm this winter could use Magnolia 'Genie'.  This dwarf is ideal for residential spaces and homeowners alike.

Dogwood Care

Dogwood trees are an interesting bunch.  They grow on several different continents in many different climates, from the snowy Chinese mountains to the humid Eastern US.

One would think Cornus florida, native to the east coast, would like hot muggy conditions.  Wrong.  Too much moisture - humidity or fog - can lead to mildew.  The trees will live, bloom, and grow except the leaves shrink and curl up with black.  Definitely unsightly.

One course of action is to spray them with a specialty fungicide.  Dow AgroSciences makes Eagle 20EW [active ingredient myclobutanil] that wards off mildew.

There are hybrids, like Cherokee Brave, that have been bred to be more resistant to mildew.  The main thing to remember is Dogwoods are worth the fuss!