It’s officially spring and we are ready to help you get your yard in shape. We’ve got garden centers at our Redwood City, Half Moon Bay and Linda Mar/Pacifica locations, though you can find flowers and garden supplies at all of our stores.

Anne, our Redwood City garden expert took some time to talk to us about what you should be doing in your Bay Area garden or yard right now. 

Keep an eye our for visitors. 

Hummingbirds will come back to the same location to nest year after year, and we’ve had one mama bird who’s been nesting in our garden center for over seven years now. Hummingbirds don’t need the exact same tree, just the same general location and apparently we’ve got a winning spot!

Customer favorites this spring include citrus trees and California natives.

We’re also seeing a lot of requests for California lilac (ceanothus), California poppy, fuchsia, manzanita, anemones, and all the sages: coyote, mint, lupine and more.

For eating we’ve got veggies and herbs for your windowsills, pots or raised beds. We’ve also got plenty of soil, mulch and groundcover for your spring-garden refresh. 

Many of our customers want to go as easy on the pesticides as possible. Here’s what we learned from the renowned 4H department at the University of New Hampshire about what kinds of bugs and plants will help you have a thriving natural garden: 

“Native good guys include natural enemies like lacewings, assassin bugs and tachinid flies, as well as pollinators. Outside of avoiding insecticides, increasing the diversity of your landscape is important. Grow a wide variety of different plants to host many different species of beneficials. Also, planting the right plant in the right place based on growing conditions and plant needs will make plants more resistant to pests. Providing some shelter for nesting and resting is also critical, in the form of undisturbed bare soil, leaf debris, decaying wood, and dead stems. Finally, accept that some insect damage is okay. Most plants can suffer a fair amount of pest damage without ill effects.”

Anne’s garden-refresh tips and what she’s planting now:

• Pull weeds
• Trim and prune trees, hedges, bushes
• Let go of last season’s dying flowers

Trees and flowers:

• Olive trees, African daisies, flowering maples and hibiscus

Now you’ve got these fabulous plants, what soil to use? Anne recommends:

• EB Stone. She recommends all their soils across the board.
• She says, “ACE brand potting soil is also a really good soil and a good value for the price.” 
• For potting mix she prefers Edna’s Best or EB Stone.
• She recommends EB Stone for succulent and cactus soil as well.

Pro Tip: Use a little of the succulent and cactus soil with Mediterranean plants that prefer a rocky, well-draining soil. Think olive trees in post, lavender, rosemary and sages. 

Our expert’s favorite garden tools:

• ACE brand clippers for deadheading. She says they’re the perfect size.
• She also loved Stihl and Fiskars for small hand clippers
• For bigger plants she swears by bypass pruners. 
• Small cordless hedge trimmer by Stihl. She prefers a hedge trimmer to big shears or loppers.

Pro Tip: When looking for garden shears and pruners, especially if you’ve got arthritis or older joints, Anne suggests coming in and holding the tools in your hand to see how it feels. 

Have garden questions or need help with what to plant or what soil to use? Come on in and ask Anne.