March 25, 2005

Unusual plants, flowers abound in Santa Cruz mountain nursery

By Shari Kaplan
Editor

There isn’t much I like better in springtime than observing the formerly dormant trees and plants burst into bloom with fresh green leaves and colorful flowers.

When it comes to actually doing something “springy,” however, my favorite activity (at least for the past four years) is helping out at the annual open house events of Bay Laurel Nursery, which this year take place for five consecutive Saturdays, beginning April 9.

The nursery’s 48 acres in Scotts Valley are so quietly ensconced off Bean Creek Road that most people would never know it was there—unless they were told.

Bay Laurel Nursery is one of the hidden gems of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and is only open to the public a few weekends every spring.

Most of the year, that’s just how owners Pete and Laurie Moerdyke like it. Bay Laurel is a wholesale operation that only sells to other wholesale nurseries, retail nurseries and landscape professionals throughout the Bay Area. During the spring open houses, however, the Moerdykes open four to five of their most beautiful acres to the public for walking, picnicking (free barbecue food provided!) and, of course, shopping.

The specialty is rhododendrons and their close relatives, azaleas. Pete has been growing and propagating rhodies for more than 25 years. He can identify literally hundreds of different cultivars and varieties, just by briefly looking at their flowers and foliage. It might sound cliché to say he carries these shrubs in every color of the rainbow and every size from small to tall, but it’s also the truth!

Despite his unassuming nature, Pete turns into a walking, talking encyclopedia when asked about his favorite plant, or any of the others he grows in significant quantities, including camellias, pieris (lily of the valley bush), hydrangeas, Japanese maples and pink- and white-flowering dogwoods. Lesser “crops” include viburnum, lilac, boxwood, New Zealand flax, leucothoe, huckleberry, ginkgo, columbine, flowering cherry and deciduous magnolia. A professional horticulturist and certified arborist will be joining Pete to answer questions about these and other plants, or just about gardening in general.

One of my Bay Laurel favorites is kalmia (Kalmia latifolia), also called mountain laurel or calico bush. Despite its common name, kalmia is not in the laurel family at all. The evergreen shrub is actually in the same family (Ericaceae) as rhodies, azaleas, heaths, heathers and blueberries! Although native to eastern North America and the state flower of Pennsylvania, it flourishes in the Santa Cruz Mountains and can be seen in small quantities at the nursery, both in the wild and for sale.

Before they open, kalmia flowers resemble tiny turbans or fluted pinwheels, surprisingly different from other members of their family. Another surprise comes when they finally bloom, as the cup-shaped flowers sometimes are differently colored inside than they are outside. Some are even multi-colored. Most kalmias come in varying shades of white, pink, red, purplish-red, maroon, burgundy and cinnamon.

If you can successfully grow rhodies or azaleas, you’ll probably have good luck with kalmias, as they have similar needs. Kalmias grow best in moist, acidic soil that’s rich in organic matter, although they’re not stuck-up about where the “riches” come from and will accept it from a proper fertilizer. They also grow best in partial shade or filtered sunlight; morning sun is fine.

Along with all the greenery for sale, Laurie Moerdyke will be selling the garden decorations she carefully collects all year for this event, including fountains, sculptures, vases and mosaics. Note cards of original nature photography will also be for sale—courtesy of this writer.

Although Bay Laurel Nursery is dog-friendly, all dogs should be on-leash, as they may be distracted by the three other canines who call the nursery home, not to mention two felines and various native animals like birds, frogs and lizards.

For directions to the nursery, or for more information about the open house, visit www.baylaurelgardens.com or call (831) 438-3999.