Greetings!

We received enough cold weather this winter to get all my deciduous fruit trees to bloom well except for my cherry trees (I'm still holding out hope that the flower buds will open).  Now if we get a few warm weeks the avocados, mangoes and citrus will produce well also.  This was an interesting winter.  We got enough coolness to satisfy the apricot trees, but it was sufficiently warm between the cool periods so that many of my exotic tropical plants did not go completely dormant.   

This winter had something for everyone.  

More Blueberry Plants

We have sold about a hundred blueberry plants so far this year and our stock was getting thin.  I called upon my favorite supplier.  Normally I have to order 6 months in advance, but luckily they had a few on hand, including Paloma ($18) and Sunshine Blue ($15).  This supplier is my favorite because they do not use any wood or bark products in their growing medium (just like us).  They happen to grow their blueberries in loam, peat moss and rice hulls.   

Paloma is a relatively new variety from Florida (introduced in 2004) that produces well locally and is totally self-fertile.   The vigorous, upright, plants can reach 5-6 feet tall and are known for high yield, producing a medium size berry of excellent quality.  The plants have good resistance to root rot diseases.   

Both varieties are well established 1-gallon size plants.  The Sunshine Blue are about 1' tall and the Paloma plants are generally quite beefy and nearly twice as tall.  Both arrived in full dormancy (they were grown in Michigan where it is still winter), but after just a few days in Southern California the buds are starting to swell.   I would expect several handfuls of berries from each plant this year.   

Vegetables This Week

We are starting this weekend with the following (we can sell out at any time)

TOMATOES   

CHERRY-TYPE 

Black Cherry, Regular Cherry, Grape, Sugary, Sweet Million

LARGE RED

Better Boy, Big Beef, Celebrity, Champion, Early Girl, Mariana's Peace, Momotaro, and Neves Azorean

OTHERS

Black Krim, Lemon Boy, Roma

PEPPERS

SWEET

Better Belle, Islander, Mini Chocolate Bell, Mini Red Bell, Mini Yellow Bell, Red Knight, Roumanian Rainbow.   

HOT

Chile de Arbol, Hole Mole, Italian Roaster, Jalapeno, Ring of Fire (Cayenne), Thai  

OTHERS VEGGIES 

Artichoke, Swiss Chard, Yellow Crookneck Squash, Zucchini (Black Beauty and Yellow)  

HERB NOTES

Our huge selection of herbs now includes chervil.    

Cilantro is a very important ingredient in many dishes.  Unfortunately, by mid-to-late spring Cilantro goes to seed and you can't really grow it successfully from mid-spring to fall.  We won't be offering Cilantro after 2-3 more weeks, but there is an alternative.   

ASIAN CILANTRO  In the World's tropical regions real cilantro doesn't grow well.  In these areas they often use a tropical vine that we call Asian or Vietnamese Cilantro.  It has the exact same taste and grows best during warm weather when regular Cilantro does poorly.  This plant grows so quickly that you should grow it in a pot and divide and repot it several times during the year.  It won't survive a frost.   

BARE ROOT SEASON ENDING

Warm weather makes everything grow and brings bare root season to a close.  This will be the last weekend you can carry home an orchard in your arms.    

Anna apple, Fuji apple, Granny Smith apple, Pink Lady apple, Gold Kist apricot, Flame grape, Red Baron peach, Izu Fuyu persimmon, Jiro Fuyu persimmon

Don't forget the bare root Chandler strawberry plants (40 cents each)

Ornamental trees include Chain-Flowered redbud, Mexican redbud and Lombardy poplar. 

Please visit us at our farmer's market locations

EVERY FRIDAY 1PM-6PM

Rancho Santa Margarita Farmer's Market

Big Lot's parking lot at corner of El Portal & Avenida de las Flores

EVERY SUNDAY 10AM-2PM

The Great Park Farmer's Market

The Great Park Balloon parking lot on Marine Way

(Irvine, exit the 5 at Sand Canyon)