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Questions |
Answers |
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I would like to reserve 7 gallon pots of
Achillea
millefolium lanulosa
for pick up Wed 2/2 at the Escondido
nursery. Thanks. |
sorry, it doesn't work that way, you have to call them
I'm
up in San Luis Obispo, was down there this week but have no idea
if they have any Yarrow 760-749-5930 |
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Hello,
Would you please send us a catalogue of your current
stock? I have just
discovered your website and am in love with
your plants! |
sorry no catalog
everything on web |
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My name is Michelle Brodie and I am a student at City College
of San Francisco working on a degree in Nursery Production. I am
writing a term paper for one of my classes on the feasibility of
opening a native plant nursery. Can you help me with some
questions I have? My paper is supposed to include an interview
with someone in the field. It could be via email if you have the
time and don't mind answering some brief questions. I would really
appreciate it.
My questions are as follows:
1. How many
employees do you have?
2. What are the requirements for
employment there? 3. What is the range of salaries employees
receive and do they get any fringe benefits? 4. What are working
conditions like? 5. For a nine acre nursery what kind of ball park
figure do you think would be needed as start up capital? 6. Other
than land, what other equipment would be needed? 7. Is it
necessary to have a greenhouse? If so, does it need to be heated?
8. Are you required by law to have a nutrient run off pond? |
irrigation, tractors, potting vehicles, mix, etc.
- getting there, not in SLO, but in San Diego
it takes
10 years to develop a market, there is NO market for native
plants
in otherwords, no income for 10 years.
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(1)have been looking at your web site.
Very nice. It appears that your company has extensive knowledge
about native California plants. I was wondering if you would mind
giving me some assistance on a project that I am conducting.
I am conducting a
wildlife habitat restoration project on 7,000 acres of high desert
land that is located north of Susanville. The property altitude
ranges from 5,400 ft. to 6,010 ft. Many of the tasks and the
progress we are making is documented on my web site
www.cooncampsprings.com
A major part of the project as a whole is to greatly reduce the
population of Juniper trees and to restore the native plant
species that have been greatly impacted by the Junipers and the
drought years we have been experiencing.
As the Junipers are removed, I have been seeding the disturbed
areas with the following mix.
Paiute Orchardgrass
Wheatgrass
pubescent Luna
Wheatgrass crested, Hycrest
Wheatgrass interm., Oahe
California
brome
Alfalfa, Ladak
Small
burnett, Delar
Lupine Sickle keel
Blue Flax
Perennial Cal.
Poppy
Yarrow
I would like your
opinion on this mixure in regards to where,what and whenI am
seeding. I did some seeding in the late fall before snow fell. The
majority of of my seeding was conducted this springs. I spread 450
lbs. of this mixture over approximately 350 acres of ground that
had become snow free and had a couple inches of surface that had
thawed out.
This last seeding depleted my stocks. When I
contacted my supplier about purchasing more, the new price was
over twice the cost per pound. So, if you would favor me with your
educated input, I would also appreciate pricing for the suggested
species or a suggestion of where to obtain it if Las Pilitas does
not carry those species.
(2)Well
excuse me Mr. Wilson but your email indicates your level of
ignorance. Obviously, you think you know more than California DFG,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife and several universities who have been
assisting me in this project. If you knew anything about Junipers
you would not even make that statement.
Go
on about your life thinking you are something special. |
(We looked at his website and it was a few guys with bulldozers
ripping up a clean juniperwoodland. Also pictures of mature
junipers ripped out with guys leaning against their bulldozer with
thumbs up, is there a God and lighting strikes?)
(1)please do
not rip out a juniper woodland, replace it with weedy grasses and
email it to us
your complete ignorance is depressing
(2)I've
heard it all before, and I'm sorry but they are all
wrong.
California seems to be off in left field on restoration,
decades behind Oregon, Canada, Australia and Britian.
You are
doing classic brush conversion. Their 'fire studies' are flawed
and generate short frequncies when their own data shows long time
periods.
Fish and game would love to plant the whole site in
species for the browsers, that's not a real plant community.
Once
you convert it, it does not come back. Very easy to screw up, very
hard to fix.
Own own trials show that as little as a 5%
introduction of alien species collapse the community.
[unfortunately any idiot can access a bulldozer, cheap
seed and a hat that says restoration expert] |
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dear sir, would you defind the Salvia apiana leaf
"fragrance/ scent" for me ((( we are
trying to develop a Salvia apiana scented votive))).----our
chemist has a "sage" scent --but I want the correct
scent for Salvia Apiana..
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coat a dead skunk with rubber and burn it |
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Hi,
I
love your garden bench page..the long bench I would love
to
make .Can you give me any rough ideas on sizes of lumber I need
&
dimensions ?
I
think bench height is around 18" or is this a little
high?
Message understood.I
wanted some idea on the sizes of lumber
I need (2x4 2x8
etc)....
I wish to make one for my local school...I guess
any rough
sawn boards....studs..scaffold boards will do...
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the whole point is to use what you have or can find
cheaply
scraps often make a great bench, and if you screw them
up, find more
scraps
as to height, how tall is the seat
you're setting in?
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I am an Italian translator, I am translating a
script for dubbing. I can't find the translation for "nancy's
petticoat". Can you tell me at least the scientific name of
this flower? (I don't expect you to know the italian name).
The flower featured in the film seems to be a rose.
Is there a rose called "nancy's petticoat"?
Thank you all the same for answering.
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sorry, can't help at all. We've never heard of it......
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I am writing to you because I saw a listing for your Nursery on
the CNPS website and was intrigued by the services you offer.
I'm currently serving as an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Marin
Conservation Corps on the Habitat Restoration Crew and would like
to continue working in California when my program is finished.
I am wondering if your organization will be hiring in the future
because I'd like to continue the work that I feel is an important
part of being a steward for the Earth. I have experience in
plant identification, seed collection, plant propagation, and
vegetation monitoring and research. If you could please
pass on any information you have, I would greatly appreciate it.
I'd also be happy to send on my resume and other materials.
Thanks for your time and consideration, I look forward to hearing
from you.
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We do not hire via email, phone or letters.
If you show up with a resume, are nice, a native plant nut that
will weed for the cause
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I just want to let you know I think you
people are so funny. I love perusing your
website. Thanks for the humor.
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Hi, my name is , owner/broker of Realty in
... near the
beach.
My time here at the office seems to take up more and
more of my time.
So I won't be able to spend a lot of time
growing at this time. The
office here in ... is on a 50 x 100
lot with the building set on
the back of the lot. This leaves
us with a parking lot in
front...And, a city "free"
lot across the street. I have an idea of
selling native plants
from our parking lot. I have a resale license
and a business
permit here at the office. Would prefer to keep the
city out of
this anymore than they already are. Or try it until they
catch
me.
What do you think? How much would it cost to put in a
hundred plants
or so for starters? Would you consider
consignment?
What is your minimum for wholesale?
no real
minimum, but we require an ad in the yellow pages. (Too
many
people landscaping their home with the nursery license,
and if their
not serious enough to be the phone book they
usually are a pain.)
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you'll also need a nursery licence and be zoned for retail.
no
ok, lossing money is a sure thing, the market is just not
there. We have
to draw from
hundreds of miles to survive.
Having said that
there is a little nursery in Templeton that is pulling
it off with a
combination of herbs, natives, fresh vegetables, fruits
and fruit trees.
She is really a super saleman and does talks at the
garden clubs and
fairs. But she's only selling about $1000 and month of
natives, $6000 in
vegetables. If you planted some vegetables and
strawberries and
such in the back, or across the street and did a
multiple draw you
might survive. Maybe even a cut lavender stand? But
the numbers are
staggering to be profitable and all the secondary stuff
would probably hurt
the Real estate sales.... |
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three weeks ago, on a lark, i attended a cal state fullerton
arboretum presentation on natives...
somehow, i got "religion"
at the class and since then, i have napalmed my lawn, cut down my
eucalyptus trees (4 tall ones), yanked the ivy, pulled my shrubs &
flowers, and dismembered my drip irrigation system (actually,
quite new)... no second thoughts on this, as it just feels so
"right"
but, i AM dreadfully ignorant :-(
went out
and bought/read the books your site recommended, and have spent
hours getting acquainted with your site (which i find infinitely
more helpful than the books!! great job...great HUGE job!! can't
even begin to imagine the man hours you must have logged
creating/uploading all those pages)
anyroad, have decided to
focus the energy of my midlife crisis on converting my back yard
to orange county natives rather than buying a corvette, getting a
toupe, and chasing young nubile girls half my age.....well, at
least for now :-)
am in the process of creating my "orange
county natives" list, and as soon as i have it completed, my
pick-up and i will be hurtling down the 5 on our way to your
nursery
in the meantime, three of those "dumb"
questions
1. if i bring my list, a diagram of my design, and a
handful of soil -- can someone glance at it and say: "Yeah!
that will work." or "Whatever were you thinking?"
and point me straight?
2. would i be correct in thinking that a
weekday would be better than a weekend for looking at said diagram
and determining whether or not i have been smoking crack?
3.
read your site pages on oaks ---- and got really excited (please
do not mention this to my teamster brothers) -- am even dreaming
about oak trees (see #2 for drug testing)
have a spot 50' by
50' that would love to have an oak as a tenant...however...on one
side, i have a neighbor watering a lawn and at the other end of
that 50 feet is a neighbor's sewer line which cuts thru my
property...and from the age of the house (20s) and by the way the
grass and hedge was always greener above it - it's obviously
fertilizing and watering along its route to the street main
i
don't want to bring in an oak if this is going to injure it...but
if one of those dwarf-like forms of the dumosa/berderidifolia
would be be safe [from your site: Some forms of Quercus dumosa (Q.
berberidifolia) looks very much like a dwarf Coast Live Oak
(Quercus agrifolia)] i'll start digging right now!
off to call
state fullerton again this weekend (more "religion") --
finalize my list -- and then will be showing up at your eden
californica
thanks a lot!
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his reply/my reply
sometimes the plans are VERY screwed up and it is hard to not
cry or snicker according to the customer.
i cry and snicker at myself, so it's not anything i'm not used
to...fairly simple plan with repeating motifs...and now center
stage goes to the oak!!! am stoked!
If you are reading and trying
mynativeplants.com we're seeing some excellent homemade plans.
===================
believe in k.i.s.s. projects and plans...
and your web site (that thing is huge!) is really helpful with
the companion plantings and it's encyclopedic iniformation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
call Valerie and find a day when they have nothing overwhelming
and staff more than just the rabbits.
===================
perfect-o!
if you really like oaks, plant a few, they'll adapt and it
really
doesn't matter that they'll live for only 50-100 years instead
of
500-1000, think of the birds and bugs and the neighbors leaky
sewer
line, you can CREATE life, even at your age.
===================
what? more of them little blue pills? and gingsing? in the
planting holes or in my tea?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
when you are not raising Kane, (his name)
===================
kane raised...my baby is well into his 30s
what do you do as a teamster, break arms?
===================
glory days are gone ... anymore, mostly just break wind :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
thanks for unbelivably quick turn-around time (hey! how can i
be sure the mimulus aurantiacus isn't the one who's really writing
these replies?) especially for the green light on the oaks!!! am
trying to convince my wife that we could tear down the house and
plant even more....got the usual "we'll talk about that
later" answer (along with the "usual" look)
see you in a two weeks...gives me time to get in the "2
weeks before" watering, finish my treasure map designs (x
marks the oaks!), and figure out where to place the bird baths and
butterfly water dished out rocks
i'll be the excited guy in the red chevy s-10 pick up, who's
talking with the oaks
thank you! kind sir
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How does one go about getting an entry level job in a nursery
or
> greenhouse (watering, moving dirt, cashier, etc), but
in a different
> state than one lives in?
>
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I have no idea, we will not hire unless people show up with
resume in hand |
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Recently the director of the school for whom I work, expressed
an interest in planting palm trees as a
> > possible
future "cash crop", i.e. the ability to sell them for
funding
> > if necessary sometime down the road. Although
I don't particularly
> > advocate that idea, I have
suggested we plant the only native palm in
> >
California, the Washingtonia filifera. I notice that your
nursery
> > doesn't have any currently in stock, and am
wondering why that is and
> > what the status and
availability of those beautiful trees is. There
> > is a
beautiful specimen at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 45
>
> minutes north of us. Can you shed some light on the
possibilities and
> > what would be involved in growing
those palms?
> >
> > Thanks. I LOVE you website,
and spend way too much time looking at it
Just curious...
why do palms elicit your ire? Is there something I should
know,
drawbacks, etc.? Unpruned, they do provide nesting sites for
birds,
rodents (is that why?), bats, etc., and the unpruned
"skirts" are quite
impressive. My brother did rip
open his armpit on one (a long, deep wound
requiring sutures)
while playing chase around it when we were kids, but
since you
don't know him, that can't be it.
Aaahh, yes. My heart breaks
too over the raping of habitat. From the
clearing of the land
to the tree corpses that create framing for
ridiculously huge
"better than the Jones'" homes... I get a sad,
sick
feeling in my stomach. Our species has much to answer for.
I hope we can
develop the strong compassion needed to cease
this madness. As for me, a
straw bale house (or yurt with
sustainably produced framing), solar power,
rain collection
system, on 10 or 20 acres that could be purchased and
protected
from further development and (except the veggie garden and
compost
piles), shared with all our brothers and sisters of other
species...
a dream that can only be realized with a dump truck
full of cash.
Unfortunately, all we have now is an '82 Volvo
wagon and paycheck to
paycheck subsistance. We do all we can,
however. I continue to plant
natives around our rental in a
small attempt to recreate some of the local
lost habitat... we
won't be here long, but would like to leave something for
the
wildlife that will last (hoping the next renters give a
crap...)
Thanks for all you do at Las Pilitas. Another
dream of mine is to open a
native nursery in our neck of the
woods. The closest one is about 45
minutes away, a half-tank of
gasoline...
yeah... sound like you guys really work very
hard at what you do, what with
chasing deer away clad only in
your underwear, etc. It takes a lot of
commitment and passion.
Just the website alone is a HUGE undertaking. If I
had a bunch
of cash, e.g. a lottery win or something, I'd send y'all
some
"thanx" for your efforts. I know the Nature
Intelligences appreciate you
(you know, Nature Spirits, Devas,
etc... Findhorn, anyone?) |
personally I HATE plams and the people who like them.....
>
so I'm glad I do not have to work where you do.
> We've just
have not got back to growing them, did in the past and never
>
sold a one. Native plant people seem to hate them also.
> As
to where to find them, seed is available(not from us but one the
>
web), why do you not get the kids to grow them in small strofoam
cups
> and plant them out as a class project.
> Or
better yet, sneak down the the garden and get some dates for
>
yourself, and share the seeds.
all of the above, but more
>
The folks from the big city move into the clean chaparral, rip it
all
> out and plant garbage with the biggest palm trees they
can crane in.
> The ugliest houses seem to have the biggest
trees and fort like fences
> around them
> we, and
many of our customers have noticed the pattern
the other dream
is easier and cheaper. |
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I had to laugh at ABOPS. Six months ago we bought this house in
Santa Maria that the former owners had had it"landscaped"
to better sell their home. I love the house , nice big sunny
kitchen, room for the kids...BUT..you will roll your eyes... back
yard is a "landscape" of ABOPS, drip irrigation, total
lack of understanding of plant habits..(.apple tree planted in a
raised flower bed under planted withVinca and shrubs and you
guessed it-- more palms. Orange tree planted in a little dark
corner ACK) What a well intentioned mess. So I had to laugh at
your Palms comment. I have no less than SIX palms in my standard
size back yard. Am not looking forward to moving all this stuff
around, but I'm young
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