New source - Desert Creations Nursery in Northridge CA
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stone-fruit trees in Santa Monica, CA
Comments (14)Sergey, Sorry for being so late with this post. The roses having been my focus so far; now I am turning to my fruit trees (It's pruning time!) Anyhow, I live in Santa Monica, about twenty blocks in from the ocean and have been growing peaches, apricots, figs, loquats, guavas, most of the citrus, blueberries, boysenberries and frais des bois for twenty years. Dave Wilson, as others have mentioned, is the single best resource both for trees and information. Armstrong's Nurseries carry their plants and will order anything they don't have on stock, but so will many of the smaller independent nurseries. I am also partial to Pacific Tree Farms down in Chula Vista and in addition have bought the odd tree at the Santa Monica Farmers Market, the Huntington Library Spring Sale and the Papaya Leaf Nursery out in Grenada Hills. Again, as others have suggested, the key is to plant trees with the right chill-hour needs for our area. The trees I planted twenty years ago, when there just weren't that many low-chill varieties around have been supplanted by varieties that sound much better to me. Mid-pride grows an enormous number of peaches which tend to ripen all in one week at the beginning of July each year. Some years they taste great, other years just bleh. I did use a weekly foliar spray of kelp this year and had a bonanza year of good tasting fruit on every plant. If you are starting from scratch I would seriously recommend Dave Wilson's suggestion to plant four different varieties in one hole to spread out your harvest time. All the details are on his website. About six years ago I put in a Goldkist apricot, which again I believe has been supplanted by better varieties (I have my eye on that Joe's Italian and also the white apricot being discussed on some stone fruit forums) but since it took forever for my apricot to bear (it doesn't get a lot of sun) I am reluctant to pull it. You will discover that on the coast that while we are certainly warmer than Russia, we don't get as much heat as some low-chill varieties need for good ripening. A lychee I bougth in Grenada Hills with fruit, refuses to bear down here. So talking to people in your area that have fruit trees is wise. If you find a club, I would love to know about it. I have been gardening solo since I left Hollywood and its wonderful community garden twenty-one years ago. But hey, you're in California now! Don't ignore the satsuma tangerines, the Meyer lemons, the figs and other trees you couldn't grow in Russia. And persimmons! I am trying to find room for one (or three) now. Good luck. Write back if you need more specific info. PS I am all organic if that matters to you....See MoreWhat to grow in High Desert, CA
Comments (6)"High Desert" is often taken to include the Antelope Valley (Lancaster, Palmdale), Lucerne Valley, and the Yucca Valley/Twentynine Palms area. It's not just Victorville and Hesperia. There's a High Desert Museum in Yucca Valley. If you're into native cacti, you might consult Lyman Benson's "The Native Cacti of California" (1969) for ideas. His taxonomy isn't current, but there's lots of good info in it anyway. I think the book is still available as a paperback. If you aren't fussy about the species, you could probably just pick up (with tongs!) some fallen cholla joints and distribute them around the property. Doing it in fall would probably yield better results. I've seen Cylindropuntia bigelovii used as a fence....See MoreDouglas Iris in Desert Heat & Sun
Comments (8)I think you might have a bit of a misconception on the native growing conditions of these plants. A good portion of the native range of this plant experiences very dry summers (it is a recurring summer drought area) and excessive summer moisture is NOT recommended. Fog and/or high dew point do not equal daily irrigation. I grow an extensive assortment of Pacific coast native irises - I. tenax, innominata, douglasiana and many PC hybrids and they all share the same cultural requirements - sun to light shade, well-drained soil and moderate to scant water during the summer months. The varieties I sell at my nursery receive minimal watering (only when very dry) and these are in containers, not in-ground plantings. Sunset Western Garden Book cautions "intense heat coupled with water and poor drainage can be fatal". Rot from excessive watering is most definitely a concern. If they survive, flowering could be expected in a season or two. IME, all the west coast native irises need time to settle and establish well before producing blooms. Your few little fans are barely hanging in and are a long way from being well established....See MorePossible move to East Bay area of CA
Comments (12)Living in California can be very expensive, especially when you are on or near the coast, which Berkeley is. I can't tell you about the Berkeley lifestyle in detail, as we are on the Monterey Peninsula, about 90-100 miles south (by CA standards that's an easy drive). As far as I know, earthquake insurance is not a standard inclusion in one's homeowners insurance. It must be bought separately, at least down here, and it is very expensive. Most people we know don't have it. Instead, we retrofit our homes, things like bracing the foundation if necessary, and bracing and belting the water heater, and avoiding buying brick homes. I use museum putty to hold decorative items that are more than a few feet off the floor, and never hang anything heavy over beds. Coping with quakes is a way of life that you learn to take for granted and actually rarely worry about. I don't know how electricity and water compare to the East Coast. A real estate agent could tell you. But most of California is in a perpetual water crisis/drought and we are constantly exhorted to save, save, save water. Probably a bit different in the Bay Area and the Sierras, though. But you will still hear plenty about saving water. Remember that most of this state, except for the redwood and mountain regions, is a natural desert. California is notorious for its taxes. The sales tax is 7.25% and the state income tax is from about 8%-9.30% for most working couples. I pay our federal income tax without complaint, but constantly grit my teeth over the state income tax because, frankly, outside of our immediate area I don't see much bang for my buck. In fact, the state is under a constant threat of bankruptcy. Many Californians are fleeing to Washington and Nevada (no state income tax) and Oregon (no sales tax). Popular tourist destinations are well-cared for, though, places like Monterey, parts of the Bay Area, the southern CA beach/resort communities, the area up to Lake Tahoe. This is a very beautiful and remarkable state and DH and I don't regret for a minute our moving here. But life, especially for newcomers and especially on a modest budget, is not always easy. If I were making a move this drastic, I would come out and rent for awhile. We rented for almost two years before we bought; it allowed us to get to know the community really well, and to learn how to budget keeping a mortgage in mind. Good luck!...See MoreStush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
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