Henny Penny Farmette

Alden Lane Nursery sprawls under ancient oaks; it offers an amazing selection of roses

Seed catalogs are fun to read, but what better way to start off the new year than with a visit to a local nursery. Our favorite is Alden Lane Nursery, in Livermore, California, about 15 miles from the Henny Penny Farmette. See, http://www.aldenlane.com.

There are many reasons why I like this nursery. For starters, it offers over 200 varieties of roses, one of the largest rose collection I’ve ever seen in any of our local nurseries. The nursery maintains a large number of David Austin and Romantica roses.

Abbaye de Cluny, romantica hybrid tea rose
Meibrinpay PP#9609

I grew three dozen different roses in San Jose and here on the farmette, I’ve already planted about two dozen floribundas, grandifloras, hybrid teas, and climbers. I especially love my Abbaye de Cluny and A Shropshire Lad roses. These two are beautiful roses, nearly carefree, and reward us with gorgeous blooms.

A window frame, painted and screwed to a rectangular box, can be mounted on a shed wall for interest in the garden

During my visit to Alden Nursery, I spotted lots of pots and yard art as well as a variety of different fruit trees espaliered on trellises. It got me thinking that perhaps and apple grafted with several varieties and trained as an espalier might look attractive against the wall of my chicken house.

An espaliered fruit tree is one in which the branches of the tree are trained against a wall or other support and are prune in such a way as to allow the fruit to grow along its cordons. Read more about espaliered fruit trees at http://www.pallensmith.com/articles/espaliered-fruit-trees.

Plant new camellias in January and February such as this Camellia japonica

Alden Nursery staff suggest the following garden chores be done in January and February: plant seed potatoes, prune fruit trees, apply iron sulfate to promote green color in acid loving plants, feed the lawn, plant new camellias, and add three to four inches of mulch around the bases of trees and shrubs, and ensure that frost tender plants are protected against plummeting temperatures.

Other chores include applying aluminum to soil to change a pink hydrangea to blue (or use the Hydra Blue product), spraying roses with Bonide All Seasons Spray Oil (it’s plant-based for organic gardens), and pruning evergreen shrubs.

Adirondack chair, surely created for the enjoyment of a garden

Before leaving the nursery, I snapped a picture of an Adirondack chair. My architect-in-residence (also known as my spouse) is a whiz at looking at something and then making it. I explained to him how happy it would make me if we could create a pair of similar chairs for my garden from recycled materials.

Hawk spotted on a sign post near Dublin, California

On the way home, we passed some open fields with land for sale. Perched on a post was a Cooper’s hawk (although I’m not entirely sure about this identification). The hawk  did not shift its position, and I could not see any shoulder or tail bands or back markings. It had a fairly tubular body and thin legs but no red eyes. If you know what kind of hawk it is, please let me know.

A vineyard doesn’t need much space

Livermore Valley is making a name for itself as a significant wine region south of Napa. The valley is home to many vineyards and wine aficionados. As we drove away from the nursery, we spotted a little vineyard tucked into a resident’s front yard. It was altogether a lovely day for a visit to the nursery. We’ll return in two weeks when the staff has put out all the new bare-root fruit trees, berries, and grapes. Until then, I’ll be reading the seed catalogs stacked on my desk.