• Deadhead (remove spent flowers from) Chrysanthemums.
  • Clean and organize your garden tools.
  • Give Cymbidium orchids bloom food.
  • Sow wildflower seeds.
  • Turn that compost!
  • Plant green manure (cover crops) in your vegetable plot.
  • Don’t forget we take our annual winter pause at the end of this month. Shop early.
  • Cut back floppy or overgrown perennials.
  • Last chance for spring-flowering bulb planting (check your fridge.)
  • Plant winter annuals: Poppies, Stock, Sweet Peas, Pansies, Violas, Primroses, Cabbage and Kale.
  • Apply an organic plant food for slow release of nutrients.
  • Be vigilant for cool weather weeds like bluegrass and oxalis.
  • Check out our selection of conifers for a non-traditional living holiday tree!
  • Our first rain may come this month. Adjust your watering system accordingly.
  • Give your potted plants a boost with Fish Emulsion.
  • Our first calendars for the upcoming new year come this month!
  • Plant Iceland Poppies now for a spectacular winter display.
  • Sow your cover crop seeds as the weather cools down.
  • Come see the new Japanese Maples before leaf-drop.
  • Rhodies and Azaleas arrive this month as well!
  • Deep-water young trees to reduce leaf scorch.
  • It’s harvest time. Share your bounty with friends, neighbors, coworkers.
  • Visit farmer’s markets; make notes of varieties for next year’s edible garden.
  • Make sure your garden is fire-safe. See us for recommendations.
  • Withhold water from your Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) plants this month.
  • Buy spring-blooming bulbs now. You can plant later if necessary.
  • Dig and divide Bearded Irises now (also check our selection).
  • Last chance for Summer Pruning of fruit trees.
  • Remove canes from Berry Plants that have already fruited (raspberries, etc.)
  • Include your garden when making vacation plans. What happens when you are away?
  • Deep water winter/spring flowering shrubs, as now is when the buds are initiating.
  • Mulch the soil around vegetable plants for water conservation.
  • Check your water garden to see that it is clear and free of mosquito larvae.
  • Tropical plants will benefit from extra feeding during these warm months.
  • Feed acid loving plants with Cottonseed Meal or Fish Emulsion.
  • Deadhead and feed early flowering perennials for a second bloom.
  • Prune fruit trees for a dwarfing effect.
  • Check your automatic watering systems for leaks.
  • Finish planting summer veggies.
  • Aquatic plants look best now, and are in good supply.
  • Feed ornamental grasses with an organic all-purpose fertilizer.
  • It’s safe to plant warm-season veggies in the Bay Area now.
  • Loosen or remove stakes from trees planted in winter.
  • Select succulents now.
  • Support or cage tomato plants early.
  • Deadhead and groom geraniums for longer flowering.
  • Tomato planting? Ready, set, go! Our selection peaks over the next 6 weeks.
  • Treat yourself to a new garden hat as the sun reaches higher in the sky.
  • Prune deciduous flowering shrubs (Lilac, Flowering Quince, Forsythia) during or after bloom.
  • Feed acid-loving plants like Camellias, Azaleas and Rhododendrons for growth.
  • Narcissus (Daffodil) leaves should be allowed to wither naturally after the bloom. Tie them back, but don’t remove them yet.
  • Herbs are in good supply for early planting. Groom or divide your established plants.
  • As perennials begin growing, protect the new shoots from slugs and snails. Consider evening escargot hunts.
  • Check your watering system for leaks. If automatic, set at low until our weather warms up.
  • You’ll still find an excellent selection of Camellias at the nursery.
  • Start using your compost as surface mulch around shrubs and perennials.