Welcome to Mid City!

Here are a bunch of pictures I took of the nursery this past summer!

Backyard Orchard Culture

Learning about Dave Wilsons methods for high density planting excited me so much I wanted us to have a display dedicated to it. I think everyone in the nursery had a hand in putting it together and it turned out really nice. I want to educate the public on how they can have their own orchard, not just to sell more trees, but because every family should be able to enjoy affordable, fresh, organic fruit.
Im not going to say much more about it on here though because www.midcitynursery.com has extensive information already, as does www.davewilson.com.
Please, go check it out and maybe you will be as inspired as I am.

Heaven Scent

Last week Mel came up and asked if I noticed that "that big shrub that's in the 15 gallon tree section but isn't really a tree" is now in bloom, and smells amazing. Now I don't want it to sound like we keep all of our plants around for years, but this one is in a big (30gallon?) and has been there awhile. She said she couldn't remember the name but every year someone goes and looks it up when its in bloom an every year all of us employees talk about giving it a home.

I ran over to see. WHAT could she be talking about? I pride myself in knowing the name of 99% of our 3 acre stock.....I hot footed it over there.

Oh. That thing. I admit, I didn't know what it was. It looked like Prunus carolinia, or maybe my beloved Michelia dolstopa. BUT, basically it looked like a big, evergreen, plain SHRUB. That I had never bothered to take a seond glance at...and yes I feel bad, ok?

BUT NOW! It had hundreds of creamy, waxy, quarter-sized blooms placed auxiliary all along the stem. And it smells WONDERFUL. I want it! Ok, I cant get it but...I WANT A SMALL ONE!

Luck would have it that the boss was off that day. A phone call was put it to a former employee who knows everything, just ask him (love ya Shanon), but he couldn't figure out what we were talking about. I went home and read my Sunset, did weird Google searches....NOPE.

FINALLY, John get back and we find out is: CLEYERA JAPONICA! Now we used to always carry this plant my first time around, but it was in 1 gallon cans, in the shade, and had a tricolor leaf. In reading about it I find out it only blooms when older, so...that explains why I never put that scent with that plant. And if this didn't make me feel dumb. Right in the very front....right by where I walk all the time....was a second one! Also UN noticed until the bloom! JEEZ, wake up Tina!
I DID however put both tags on them, so next year.....

INFO: Also known as SAKAKI
Native to warm areas of Japan, Korea and China
Moderate growth to 8-10 tall, evergreen
Sun, part shade, moist soil
When older produces very fragrant flowers by fruit