Nursery News

Time is running out... Don't miss out on the opportunity to start your own Backyard Orchard!

View Current Inventory and call us to order your selection.

Urban Tree Farm, 3010 Fulton Rd, Fulton CA
Saturday, May 31
Talk: 10am to 11:30am
Q&A with Landscape Professionals: 11:30am-12:30pm

FREE

Learn how to lose your lawn without tearing it out! This free how-to talk and tabling event presented by Bay-Friendly Qualified Professional Ann Morrison, owner of Chrysalis Gardens, and Designer and Bay-Friendly Educator Steve Kovanis, will provide design and plant selection advice as well as walk you through converting your lawn without breaking your back or your wallet. There will be a hands-on demonstration of sheet mulching – an easy technique of layering materials on top of your lawn,...

Creating a Butterfly garden can be a satisfying way to help restore habitat, and enhance the garden by adding another dimension: the movement of color and form. Our seemingly innate love of butterflies extends to children, making a butterfly garden the perfect place to learn about nature and preservation.

The most celebrated Bay Area butterfly is the Monarch, though there are at least 30 different species found here, including the Pipevine Swallowtail, Red Admiral, Tiger Swallowtail, and Common Buckeye.

Butterflies will be drawn to flowering plants that produce nectar - their sole source of food as adults. These...

Boron is a mineral that, in small quantities, is important for healthy plant growth, but becomes dangerous in higher concentrations. Boron can be present in ground water and soil at the level of 0.5 to 1.0 parts per million and not cause any undue stress on plants in the area. When boron levels reach above 1.0 parts per million (ppm), trees and shrubs that are not tolerant of these conditions will begin showing signs of stress.

For many plants, this expresses itself as a build-up of boron in the leaves. Because it takes time for the concentration to reach dangerous levels within the plant, symptoms are first seen in the oldest leaves....

Deer Resistant Plants

It is a common challenge in many localities to find a balance between attractive, hardy landscapes and plantings that deer won't annihilate. Some neighborhoods, such as Oakmont, are notorious for their brazen deer. When asked for plant options in these cases, we refer to the Western Garden book for their list of Deer Resistant plants however our light-hearted follow up statement is that "the deer don't read this list".

There is no such thing as a true deer-proof plant. During drought or periods of scarcity, deer can be driven to eat even the most unappetizing selections in your yard. Likewise, nothing is off...