Manzanita

 Last summer we found three gallon sized manzanitas at Buttonwillow Nursery, for typical gallon size prices, maybe $6 each.  We had been researching and watching for a while as we both love these native plants, with their blue green leathery leaves and peely red bark.  We learned that in addition to good drainage manzanitas need mulch, and overhead sprinkling, mimicking rain.  Eventually they will need dry summers as if they were in the wild.  The two plants in more shade grew quite a bit over the summer and fall and we were a bit worried about the one that seemed to just sit there.  So you can imagine my delight when I was out yesterday and noticed it is in bloom.  These are buds and will open slightly to allow for pollination, but keep the urn shape. A good resource for information on native plants is Las Pilitas Nursery, located both in San Diego and the central coast.