Feeling Springy

Spring has likely sprung by the time you are reading these words! This is the most wonderful time of the year if you are a gardener. Of course, we can’t wait to get out and start digging in the dirt. The winter rains have been wonderful, but we are ready for some sunshine and blooms, and we have a few plants we are looking forward to growing this season.

Foxgloves fit in that “all-time favorite” category for us. We are really excited by some of the offerings Annie’s Annuals has this season, which we will have in stock for you in our little nursery! Digitalis, the botanical name for foxglove, is a genus of plant that has about 20 or so species, but countless varieties. The common name of foxglove apparently comes from the fact that the plant grew on the hillsides where foxes had their dens. Though the idea of foxes wearing gloves is much more fun to think about, be we digress!

This season, we are excited to have very cool foxglove varieties in stock, including ‘Camelot Lavender,’ a stunner with lavender blooms and maroon speckles, ‘Dalmatian Peach,’ which boasts peachy blooms with pale orange spots, and a new to us variety called ‘Monstrosa,’ which has impressively large blooms that almost resemble a cross between a hollyhock and orchid. Foxgloves are fairly easy to grow. They require average water, sun to part shade in hot areas, and they attract butterflies and bees!

With all the talk of “superblooms” this year, we have poppies on the mind. Though to be honest, we kinda always have poppies on the mind. We are carrying some cool varieties of the official state flower this season. Our favorite is ‘Champagne,’ a peachy bloom that does remind one of a Sunday morning mimosa. We also have purple, red and apricot in stock. These poppies are the Eschscholzia genus, part of the larger Papaveraceae family.

All members of this genus are native to Mexico and the southern or southwest parts of the United States, making them very local! They take full sun and are pretty drought tolerant once established—though they need some water to really put on a show with their blooms, hence why those rain years bring out all the color on the hillsides in Southern California. True champs, they like poor soil, but need good drainage. They will quickly die if the soil is soggy.

Nicotiana is another plant we have really come to love. As the name suggests, these prolific bloomers are related—somewhat distantly—to tobacco plants. They are part of the Solanaceae family, which include tomatoes and eggplants. Turns out even plants have some crazy unlikely distant cousins!

We like Nicotiana because of how easy it is to grow—like super easy. The plant needs soil, water and sun, and basically will then do its thing, which is produce prolific, lovely-scented blooms. ‘Crimson Bedder’ is one of our favorites, as it can also grow in part shade and produces deep-red blooms like crazy once it is established. We also like ‘Only the Lonely’ because of its awesome name and how it produces beautiful white blooms that are incredibly fragrant.

We hope you are feeling inspired to get outside and play in the dirt! We’ll have all these plants and many more in stock in our gardens during the spring months. Come in and see us soon! •

In 2020, Dr. William Heide announced that he would retire the following year from his position as Minister of Worship and Music at St. John’s Lutheran Church of Orange. As a beloved figure of the local church community, he led his flock through the Covid years and made the transition as easy as possible. In November 2021, Alex Guebert stepped into the role.

“Dr. Heide prepared me really well while dealing with the challenges that everyone had to face at the time,” says Guebert, who had served as Assistant Minister of Music under Heide for four years prior.

An Orange native, Guebert attended Immanuel Lutheran School and Church and later went on to college at Concordia University in Irvine. He had originally intended on pursuing a career as a professional percussionist, but decided to take a different route.

“I realized that composing and arranging is my real gift, so I got my Master’s of Music Composition from California State University, Long Beach in 2014,” he says.

While in college, Guebert joined St. John’s highly regarded Handbell Choir. He was originally a fill-in, but eventually became a full-time member during the former director, Ramona Miller’s, final year. She noticed his exceptional talent and personally selected him to be her successor, training him for the job.

“We would work at my house together,” says Miller. “Alex can hear the music in his head, so we would be very quiet while he stood in front of a mirror. I would watch and teach him.”

Miller says it is easy to see why Guebert was able to move into the