When we are planning a spring re-do of our entryway or patio, this is the time to think of something quick and easy, with a bold display of color that will impress all our visitors for Easter or Passover get-togethers.
I often visit Bamby’s Florwers, a tiny but well-stocked garden center and florist, at 2763 State Street in Carlsbad, where I always find the most beautiful array of flowering plants for indoors and out.
FAMILY OWNED FOR 20 YEARS
Luz and Angel Ortega and their daughter Adriana have lovingly operated this family business for over 20 years, maintaining their huge inventory and delivery business on their own. I have great admiration for the daily (they are open every day, including holidays) work that they accomplish as one of the last family-run garden centers in the area.
The shop creates floral designs for all occasions and provides a magnificent display of seasonal annuals, perennials and succulents to brighten your front porch or backyard patio.
THE SPLASH OF COLOR FROM A HANGING BASKET
In North County, we never quite know when it is going to rain, so these pretty posies require special care not dependent upon the weather. Once you have chosen your baskets and find a place to hang them, they must be watered on a regular basis and kept out of high winds. As long as you have a sunny area, with a fair amount of overhead cover, these annual baskets will last from spring to summer.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLANT FOR THE RIGHT LOCATION
The Ortegas offer dozens of baskets in such a wide variety of colors and textures. It is always hard to pick just one or two, so come prepared to buy enough to decorate your porch.
• PETUNIAS – This springtime wonder comes in colors from the deepest shades of purple to bright white or pale yellow. The Grandiflora produces huge, ruffled blooms each day, with blooms that do not need pinching. The Multiflora variety sports a tinier bloom on a longer stem. The white variety actually shimmers in the moonlight, and the brilliant purple will light up your patio all day. Gone are the days when you had to “pinch your petunias” every day, since the new varieties drop their own blossoms when spent.
• BEGONIAS – This old-fashioned favorite bloomed all summer on my grandmother’s front porch in Milwaukee. And, as the ever-thrifty gardener, she clipped the longest stems every week to make more plants from cuttings. The Ortegas’ hanging baskets filled with pink, white and red begonias can be purchased in the angel-wing variety or the miniature pink and red variety. Any of the varieties do well in semi-shade and would be suitable under a breezeway or patio overhang.
• FUSCHIA – Adults and children alike are fascinated by this complicated flower that upon close investigation looks just like a dancing ballerina! The plants are perfectly suited for our slightly damp summers and thrive in cooler weather. Trim back in early spring to promote growth for summer. The varieties range from pink and white to purple and white, are suitable for partial shade and should be protected from wind.
• GERANIUM – Although many longtime gardeners are tired of geraniums, the recent explosion of new colors and varieties produced over the last 10 years have breathed new life into this classic. The Ivy Geranium has shiny leaves and is available in pink, red, white and lavender with new varieties now available in multi-color. Don’t be afraid to make cuttings and share with your neighbors.
VISIT THIS CARLSBAD LANDMARK FLOWER SHOP AND GARDEN CENTER
Bamby’s offers such a wide scope of plant material and services, it is hard to believe they fit into their tiny space at the end of a driveway next to the newly renovated New Village Arts Center. Call Luz, Angel and Adrianna Ortega at 760-828-3554 to order flowers for any occasion or visit them Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. or Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Jano Nightingale is a Master Gardener and Horticulturist who teaches gardening classes in Carlsbad. Contact her at [email protected].
