NOVATO, Calif. — Chris Bikle could say horticulture is in her genes.

“I have a bachelor of sciences in environmental horticulture with an emphasis on greenhouse management from the University of California- Davis; and my mother has a master’s in landscape architecture,” she said. “I spent a lot of time in retail nurseries, and growing up, all of my school science projects involved plants.”

Summer Winds was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho. It has five California locations: Campbell, Cupertino, Dublin, Novato and Palo Alto. It also has three stores in Arizona: Phoenix, Glendale and Mesa.

The retail nursery sells a vast selection of plants, from 4-inch tomatoes to 15-gallon patio Marina Strawberry Trees (Arbutus Marinas) and an extensive selection of house plants and succulents.

The locations encompass between one and two acres. While the nursery does not raise any plants, it works with a group of vendor partners.

“As a member of the Independent Nursery Group, it is our privilege to work with a diversity of growers and suppliers,” she said. “This allows us to provide the widest possible selection for our customers. It gives us the opportunity to try new plants as well as bring in more eco-friendly fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.”

Steve Long, a sales associate at the Novato location, said he has noticed customers’ buying habits today have changed from the previous years.

“They are not as interested in drought-resistant plants like they were last year,” he said. “They are buying plants like hydrangeas and similar selections that require more water.”

What plant is the hardest to raise? The hardest plants to keep healthy and beautiful are the New Zealand tea tree. It’s an evergreen bush with tiny leaves and flowers, usually in pink, red or white. The shrub usually gets about 6 feet tall.

But, Bikle said, “One missed watering (day) and they are toast!”

This year the Canna Cleopatra has been generating excitement, she said, adding that the chocolate variegation (differently colored zones in the leaves and sometimes the stems and fruit of plants) is gorgeous.

The most popular native plants are the Matilija Poppy closely followed by the Allen Chickering Sage, whose foliage is comprised of deeply wrinkled gray-green leaves that are aromatic when crushed. They also grow blue-purple flowers for several weeks in early spring.

Cleveland sage is also gaining popularity. It grows in hot, sunny exposures, and its leaves can be used to make pesto and fragrant dried sachets.

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