Employee Spotlight: Briana Ali

This week, we talked to Lazy K’s Briana Ali. If you follow Lazy K on Facebook or Instagram (and we hope you do), you’ve seen her handiwork. Next time you are browsing the Lazy K, be sure to say hello!

How long have you worked at the Lazy K?

I started at the Lazy K in September 2015.

What is your favorite part about working at the Lazy K?

I feel as if I have joined a family here at the Lazy K. Everyone from my coworkers to our regular customers make coming to work such a pleasure. 

What are some of your favorite memories in your time working here?

The Lazy K dinners are the best. Past employees host and attend every Lazy K dinner and it is a special time to reconnect. I wasn't kidding when I said working here is like one big family. It's awesome.

What is your favorite piece at the Lazy K right now?

We just started carrying Chico-based aromatherapy line, Unlock Home, and the happy scented candle is amazing. I am also obsessed with Vilagallo, a Spanish designer that has just arrived at the shop. Look out for their bohemian Chanel-esque coats. With a constant rotation of new handbags, I can’t even decide on a favorite. I am always wearing them around the store, asking everyone's opinion.

What can we look forward to this summer - any new and exciting pieces coming in?

We have our best selling Dolma tunics coming soon in brand new prints and colors, a perfect weight for the warmer months.

What do you do in your spare time - any hobbies?

I love to cook and go on walks with my family. I also love shopping, for myself and to find the perfect gift for someone, which makes my job at the Lazy K a dream come true.

What is something that people might not know about you?

I was an All-American volleyball player at UC Santa Cruz.

How-To: Growing Spectacular Dahlias

We have a variety of dahlia species available at Orchard, including dinner plate blooms, those with dark foliage and rare, multi-colored anemone dahlias.

In February, shop our selection of dahlia bulbs included in our stock of summer-blooming bulbs. Come spring and summer, we have a great selection of blooming dahlias that come in.

Below we share a few tips and tricks to grow spectacular dahlias in your garden.

Dahlias are gorgeous prolific bloomers, flowering from May to November here in the Bay Area. They grow best in six hours of sun a day; choose a location with morning sun and protection from the wind. Plant bulbs four to six inches deep and about two feet apart, placing the tubers flat with eyes facing up.

Fertilizing

Dahlias are heavy feeders, so before planting, amend the soil with Paydirt (which contains 45 percent composted chicken manure). Add a balanced fertilizer such as E.B. Stone Organics Sure Start 4-6-2 or Master Start 5-20-10. Once buds form, boost the phosphorus content with E.B. Stone Organics Ultra Bloom 0-10-10 or Master Nursery Rose and Flower Food 5-10-5. Continue to feed once a month from June to September. 

Watering

A thorough watering after planting is sufficient until shoots begin to appear in two to three weeks; overwatering will cause the tubers to rot. During the growing season, water deeply every three to four days depending on the weather. After the downpour we’ve experienced the last few weeks, there will be an influx of slugs this spring. We highly recommend protecting young plants using Sluggo or Sluggo Plus. 

Pruning / Deadheading

Encourage bushier plants and more flowers by clipping off the center stem’s tip after the dahlia has three sets of leaves. If you want to enjoy the largest flowers possible, allow only one central bud on each branch to develop by removing the smaller lateral buds. Especially for dinner plate dahlias, be sure to tie the center stem to a stake to ensure the blooms aren’t damaged and the leafy stalk can continue to grow upwards. To lessen the potential for disease, remove the bottom leaves to increase airflow.

For more information, come in and speak to our knowledgeable staff or visit the Dahlia Society of California.

Conifers

We love conifers for bringing to the garden what seems like a limitless variety of color, texture, shape and size. Textures range from soft and feathery to dramatic and architectural, and include some that would even fit into a Dr. Seuss landscape. Our selection has expanded this year and found its new home next to fruit trees at the end of the parking lot. 

Luke, our resident conifer expert, has weighed in on a few of his favorites:

• Our newest addition is the Juniperus con and the ‘Golden Pacific,’ as it's known, isn’t your typical juniper. With bright yellow green foliage and standing under 15 inches tall, this low maintenance and manageable plant is sure to be a focal point of your garden. Fairly drought tolerant once established, this conifer will take full sun and is hardy to most diseases and pests.
• There is nothing quite like the Weeping Nootka Cypress or Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula,' known for its very unusual, graceful texture. This pyramidal evergreen will grow to be 60 feet tall, averaging between 15 and 20 feet in ten years, with its dark and delicate foliage making it a stately vertical accent.
• One of my favorites is the picturesque Japanese White Pine (Pinus parviflora ‘Glauca Brevifolia’). Boasting fine-textured, bluish-green foliage and persistent growing cones, this conifer serves as a great garden focal point. The low maintenance pine will grow up to 15 feet tall and will hold on to its cones for up to 5 years.
• A shade lover, our Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Sekkan’) features soft textured, dense evergreen foliage. The new growth is a striking hue of pale yellow and can even appear white in shade. The cedar flourishes in morning sun and afternoon shade. 

The size and shape of most conifers can be easily controlled by annual pruning. With pines, new growth (candles) can be cut or removed to slow the general growth. Most conifers will tolerate low summer water once established. Water them about three times a week in hot weather for the first two to three years. During the cooler seasons, a deep watering is only needed once a week. Use an acid fertilizer such as Master Nursery Camellia, Azalea, Gardenia & Rhododendron Food or E. B. Stone Organics Azalea, Camellia & Gardenia Food in spring, mid and late summer.

If you're interested in our conifer selection, stop by and receive expert guidance from our knowledgeable staff. We're always happy to answer your questions!

Potato Growing Guide

Potatoes are in, and all organic too! Now is the time to get your seed potatoes in the ground to ensure a mid-summer harvest. We have a variety of tubers in stock for spring and will guide you through the growing process!

With over 10 varieties to choose from, you’ve got choices! From our must-have potato types that you’ll recognize from the grocer to more unknown varieties, here’s a few we recommend that you aren’t going to find at the store:

Yukon Blush

An early season ‘tater that produces uniform, round golden tubers with blush red eye areas. Though smaller in size, it produces more tubers per plant than its cousins. this is a great substitute for ‘Yukon Gold’ or ‘Yukon Gem’. Perfect for culinary uses, and scab resistant!

Vermillion

A mid-season, long, oval, fingerling variety with red skin and deep, pink-red flesh. Suitable for a wide range of cooking, with a creamy texture, earthy taste and unique coloring. Resistant to virus, splitting and powdery scab. Moderate storage time.

All Blue

Deep blue skin and blue flesh with a thin white line just under the skin. Great for baking or frying, AND excellent for making colorful chips. When boiled the color turns to a light blue - adding 2 Tbs. vinegar will keep the color darker. Excellent keeper.

”Seed”, in the following, means a small piece of potato with 2-3 “eyes.” Certified seed potatoes are disease free and have been selected to give you the best results with the highest yields.

Seed potaotes may have already begun to sprout. This is okay. Please handle them carefully and leave the sprouts on. If you break sprouts off you will delay emergence of the vines; and reduce, the ultimate size of the potatoes. Tubers the size of a hen’s egg can be planted whole; larger potatoes should be cut into 'seeds,' meaning a small piece of potato with 2-3 'eyes.' Allow the tubers a day to 'heal over' before planting, but be sure to not allow them to dry out.

Soil Preparation

The ideal potato soil is deep, light and loose, a well-drained but moisture retentive loam. Fortunately, the potato is also very adaptable and will usually produce quite respectably where soil conditions are less than perfect. All soils should be deeply prepared before planting by incorporating organic matter into the native soil.

When planting potatoes in our clay soil, you will have to amend the area to create that light, loose and moisture-retentive soil ideal to tubers. To amend a 50 square foot area to an eight inch depth, mix the following in with your soil, plant and water thoroughly:

• 10 cu. ft. of soil conditioner: Pay Dirt

• 5 lbs. FST Iron Sulphur, used to acidify and break up clay

• 10 lbs. E.B. Stone Organics Tomato & Vegetable Food 4-5-3

• 10 lbs. Gypsum

Planting

Plant in a shallow trench 6-8 inches deep with seed pieces 10-14 inches apart. With a rake, cover the seeds with roughly 3-4 inches of soil, be sure not to fill the trench completely. Depending on the temperature, sprouts should emerge in two weeks.

Or use one of our specialized Potato Planting Containers!

Planting in one of these containers make harvesting and hilling a breeze. Perfect for those who want to grow potatoes on their balcony or patio, we highly recommend picking one of our containers up - find them in the Garden Shop!

Using one of our Potato containers that focus on aeration (the black container pictured below on the left or the Smart Pot on the right) will ensure your potatoes have excellent drainage, releases heat and airs out the root zone. The Potato Patch (middle container pictured) is great for easy harvest, just pull the inner rim from the outer and find your yummy ‘taters easily accessible from wide openings in the container!

Hilling

Once the stems measure roughly 8 inches high, you will need to hill the vines. Hilling, ridging up the soil around the base of the vine, is crucial when creating an environment for potatoes to thrive in. Mound the soil away from the sprouts, leaving about half the vine exposed. You will need to hill every 2 weeks for the first 6 weeks of growth, carefully adding only an inch or two of soil to the hill each week. Hilling is not an exact science, but adding too much soil will cover the leaves and reduce the yield, whereas adding too little will expose the potatoes to light, turning them green. 

For ease of gardening, we also carry potato bags in our shop. The bags can be placed on a porch or deck, no garden beds required! Utilizing the burlap bag will ensure that the plant isn’t overwatered or overheated.

Watering

The less water, the better for your potatoes. A light irrigation will keep the tubers less watery and in turn, produce better tasting potatoes. Note that potatoes are not drought resistant and will search out moisture when water is scarce.

Fertilizing

Once the vines emerge and until blooming ends, we recommend foliar spraying every two weeks in the mornings when it is still cool. A fish emulsion and/or a liquid seaweed extract sprayed directly on the leaves will result in a higher yield and you can’t beat the ease of application! Once the vines are blooming, there is no need to fertilize; new vegetative growth has ceased and the tubers have begun to form. Additional fertilizing may affect the flavor of the potato.

Harvesting

After about 7 or 8 weeks you will see the earliest blossoms, signifying that the potatoes are ready! To check on whether the harvest is ready or not, you can “rob” a few tubers from the end of the row, avoiding injury to the roots and stressing the plant. If you wait patiently for the tops to die back naturally, your harvest will be more robust with a richer flavor. 

Dryish soil is definitely an advantage when harvesting; the tubers come up a lot cleaner and with less effort. After the tops are dead, leave the tubers in the ground, undisturbed for 2 weeks to “cure,” while the skins toughen up, protecting the tubers from scuffing and bruising during harvest and storage. If the soil is wet, let them air-dry on the surface for a few hours before gathering them. Separate out the discard (or set aside to eat immediately) any blemished, scabby, misshapen or injured tubers. Do not put cut or damaged tubers (those injured during harvest) into a sack of good ones; they will rot and rot other potatoes with them.

Storage

Potatoes keep best in the dark at 36 to 40 degrees F. at high enough humidity that they don’t dry out, and given enough air circulation that they can respire. Light and or warmth promote sprouting and will also turn the potatoes green which is a sign of toxins accumulating.

Choose from our many varieties and grow your own tubers, so they will be ready to be harvested this summer!

Employee Spotlight: Geoff Olmstead

Hi, Everyone. I'm Geoff Olmstead, the Nursery Manager at Orchard!

How long have you been working at Orchard Nursery & Florist?

16 years!

What is your favorite part about working here?

My favorite part about working at Orchard is the relationships I have built with both the staff and customers. The culture we have developed at Orchard Nursery makes it a fabulous place to work. I love to get staff and customers excited about change, be it in the workings of the nursery, or in the case of customers, in their gardens.

What are some of your favorite memories in your time working here?

Way back when, the nursery staff used to go out line dancing at a local pub. That was a great time!

What are some upcoming projects you are excited about?

This month, we rearranged the layout of the nursery to make more room for plant material. By changing the layout of the nursery, we have gained about 350 square feet of 1 gal retail space, and kept the 5 gal space the same, allowing us to buy more product in larger quantities while still being able to keep the diversity of material. 

What is your favorite season and why?

Like most nursery people, I would have to say spring! It's refreshing to see all the things that come into the nursery with beautiful blooms or colorful foliage after winter. I also love spring because it is a time of year we are extremely busy with customers. There is nothing more satisfying to me than seeing someone's eyes light up when I help them pick out plants for their gardens, show them how to care for it, and make sure they walk out the door with everything they need to be successful in their endeavor.

What is your favorite flower or plant to work with and why?

What a question! There are so many! I would venture to say my favorite plant is Geranium 'Rozanne.' What a beautiful creature it is! In Concord, where I live, it is pretty much evergreen (except when I cut it back to allow for new growth) and it never stops blooming! I get color on the plants in my garden most of the year, with a little down time mid-December through mid-January. The beautiful lavender-blue blooms are about the size of a quarter and are so prolific they cover the entire plant. It grows extremely fast with deep watering needed only about every 5 days, so it's drought tolerant as well. You can't beat it for a colorful perennial!

What is your favorite vegetable to grow and cook with and why?

Peppers, hands down. They are super easy to grow, and where I live, they are still producing! I love jalapeños for a favorite spicy chicken dish I make and Shishito peppers just sautéed in oil. Peppers are fantastic veggies that I have never had any issues with - no mildews or other diseases to contend with, and no aphids or other insects have ever damaged any of my peppers. However, keeping our chickens away from them is another story!

What is something that people might not know about you?

There isn't much people don't know about me. I'm pretty much an open book as far as my life goes, but one thing people might not know is when I was in my mid 20s, I lived in an Ashram in India for four months. It was a great experience to see the cultural differences between the United States and a third world country. The experience also gave me greater perspective of myself and of the connection we all have to nature. 

Healthy Recipes For the New Year!

It’s that time of year – hopefully you had a restful and somewhat indulgent holiday season, but now it’s time to get back into your regular routine. You might be thinking about how to jumpstart your year with renewed energy and a focus on your health; well, we’re here to help! Below we share three unique and delicious recipes from Kaiser Permanente that are good for you and those you love!

First up, Smashed Cucumbers! This recipe is a quick and fun way to add a refreshing side dish to just about any meal.

Servings: 4

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 Persian cucumbers, or other small thin-skinned cucumbers
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
A few mint leaves, minced
1 sprig oregano, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Trim the ends of the cucumbers and cut in half lengthwise. Next, cut crosswise or on a bias into 1-inch pieces. With seed-side down, gently smashed the cucumbers with the side of your knife or the heel of your clean hand. Leaving some of the seeds on the cutting board, transfer the cucumbers to a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil and minced herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For those frigid January days when you crave warmth, we recommend this Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup!

Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 medium carrots, cut into ½ inch slices
2 tomatoes cut into wedges (or one 15 ounce can of no added salt tomatoes if tomatoes aren't in season locally)
1 yellow onion cut into 6-8 wedges
6 big cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes (You can substitute eggplant if you’d like!)
1 bunch of kale, stacked, rolled up then thinly sliced
1 can cannellini beans, drained or 1 1/2 cups freshly cooked white beans
6 cups vegetable stock
1 heaping teaspoon dried thyme or a palm full of fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking pan. Arrange the carrots and squash (or eggplant) on one end and the onions, garlic and tomato on the other. Roast until everything is slightly browned – about 30 minutes. Scoop the onions, tomatoes and garlic into a blender. Puree the vegetables briefly. Add the stock and mix briefly. Bring the stock with blended veggies to a simmer. Add the kale, thyme and bay leaf. Cook until the kale is tender - about 30 minutes. Add the carrots, squash (or eggplant) and white beans. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the thyme sprigs if you used fresh thyme. Season to taste and serve hot.

And finally, for a healthy and easy way to start your day, try No-cook Overnight Oatmeal!

Ingredients

1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)
1/4 cup diced mango (approx. half of a small mango)

Directions

In a half pint jar or container, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, almond extract and honey. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Add mangoes and stir with fork until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled.

Christmas Dinner Recipes: Citrus Edition

Citrus is in season and is a wonderful addition to holiday meals! It is easily incorporated into any course and contains antioxidants, great amounts of vitamin C, iron and even calcium. Enjoy these three citrus-centric recipes from our friends at Kaiser Permanente!

Honey Citrus Broiled Salmon

Ingredients

4 salmon filets, about 6 oz each
3 Tbsp low salt soy sauce
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed navel orange juice
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red chili flakes

Directions

Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Reserve 1 Tbsp of the marinade and put the rest into a resealable plastic bag. Add the salmon to the bag, turn to coat and let stand for at least ten minutes. Preheat the broiler.

Coat the broiler rack with cooking spray. Remove the salmon and set aside the marinade in the bag. Broil the salmon for about 4 minutes, and then brush with marinade from the bag. Broil another 4 to 5 minutes until the salmon is just cooked through. Serve the salmon drizzled with the tablespoon of the initially reserved marinade.

Winter Salad with Roasted Beets and Citrus

Ingredients

4 medium beets

3 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 medium fennel bulb

3 citrus fruit

1 head escarole

1 head radicchio Treviso

½ head radicchio

¼ cup mint leaves

¼ cup tarragon leaves

1/3 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling on beets

1/8 tsp coarse sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Trim the beets of their tops and scrub clean. Pat beets dry and place cut side down, along with the garlic cloves, on a large rectangle of aluminum foil. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Wrap foil tightly, and place the packet on small baking sheet. Roast in oven until beets are tender, about 45 minutes to one hour. Carefully open foil and let cool briefly. When able to handle, use a paper towel to rub the skins off the beets, and cut each beet into eight pieces. Reserve the roasted garlic cloves for the vinaigrette.

For the fennel, trim the green stems and cut the bulb in half through the root. Trim away most of the root. Thinly slice the fennel and reserve in cold water. Drain before using.

For the citrus fruits, cut a little bit off each end, exposing the flesh below. Place the cut side down on a cutting board and trim away the pith and zest by following the contour of the fruit with your knife. Next, cut crosswise into round slices (pop the seeds out if you can) or cut out segments by trimming alongside the inner membranes.

Cut the radicchio into one-inch-wide pieces and tear the escarole into smaller pieces. Pick the mint and tarragon leaves off the stems and wash along with the chicory.

For the vinaigrette, remove the roasted garlic from the cloves and whisk together with the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon and olive oil. Season with a three-finger pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Start by using about ½ to ¾ of the vinaigrette, adding more to taste. Your clean hands make great salad tongs!

Gingerbread with a Meyer Lemon Glaze

Ingredients

1 2/3 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger (You can substitute 2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger, if you prefer.)
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup canola oil

Glaze:
2/3 cup sifted confectioner's sugar (I triple the glaze when I double the gingerbread recipe.)
3 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly oil a 9" square cake pan, then dust with flour.

Shake off excess. (I often double the recipe and use a 13" by 9" pan — the gingerbread is a little thicker and there is more of it to share.) Mix the dry ingredients. Mix in the beaten egg, sugar and molasses. (If using fresh ginger, add it here.) Add oil and boiling water. Stir until smooth. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in comes out clean. Stir the lemon juice and confectioner's sugar until dissolved. Brush this all over the gingerbread as soon as you remove it from the oven. It will soak in and make a wonderful glaze.