Crescent Hill Nursery March E-Newsletter 2014 The CHN e-newsletter is our show of gratitude to the loyal market customers at our many events around t

 
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Crescent Hill Nursery March E-Newsletter 2014

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Australian Astroturf (Scleranthus biflorus) makes an interesting accent for the front border, where its moss-like foliage thrives in full sun.

The CHN e-newsletter is our show of gratitude to the loyal market customers at our many events around the Central Coast. It will serve as a site for seasonal updates, "plant of the month" specials, the "ask a nurseryman" section, links to our partners, and a whole lot more. New for 2013 will be a "project" page which offers ideas for weekend garden activities, and more in-depth coverage of some of our recent landscape installations. The e-newsletter is a way to stay connected with our thriving and knowledgeable garden community. Please send us your comments on how to make this e-newsletter more useful to all, and don't forget to pass along the link to a friend!

Happy Planting,
Nathan Krupa (owner/grower)

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On a February trip to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg, Leucadendron 'Winter Red' fronts Leucadendron 'Pisa' in an explosion of cold hardy winter color.

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South African Restionaceae family member Elegia capensis exhibits its amazing new growth and feathery grass-like foliage.

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MONTHLY BULLETIN

Well, it looks like those rain dances have at least temporarily been answered, as a series of storms have finally broken down the high pressure system along the Central Coast. We'll keep our fingers crossed that the forecasts are correct and we get a few more in the weeks to come. We are not out of the woods by any stretch, so keep those dances coming. The benefit of course to the recent wet weather is that the soils have been softened up at the opportune time for spring planting!! Getting those perennials in the ground now will allow us to take advantage of whatever precipitation is to come, and help the roots get established before it gets too hot. With water rationing being proposed by many municipalities throughout the state, ranging from 10-25% reduction per household, why not think about drought resistant lawns or landscapes? If replacing a water wasting lawn or inefficient irrigation system, the reductions could easily be made in the landscape alone. Preemptively striking now and allowing perennials to slowly get established will surely reduce transplant shock and save water in the hot summer months to come. Since our inception, Crescent Hill Nursery has specialized in drought resistant plants for the Mediterranean Climate. We can assist with plants, consulting, landscape designs, and installations to create water wise California gardens done in a tasteful, unique, and beautiful style. Please let us know if our experience can help you plan ahead for whatever challenges the present gardening year has to offer. Hope we see you this Saturday, March 1 (rain or shine) at our monthly display in Cupertino at the De Anza College Market. Brave the rain and come early to see a few special "surprise" specimens we have stuffed up our sleeves before someone takes them away to a new home!!! Maps and directions to all events are available on the CALENDAR page of the website linked below. www.crescenthillnursery.com

Please don't forget to check out our constantly changing color collage on Facebook. The frequent updates feature a who's who of the present bloomers at the nursery, plus special updates and promotions. Find us at www.facebook.com/pages/Crescent-Hill-Nursery/207330655953337)
or click on the link below on this page.

In response to the numerous requests by our gardening family and partners, we are pleased to announce that an E-NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE link is now available on our website www.crescenthillnursery.com. Please take a moment to check it out, and also tour the newly updated PLANTS section and increasing content of color photos for all our selections!!

Nursery tours are encouraged. Please come out and see our 2 acre facility in Watsonville. With over 250 varieties grown, the growing grounds are turning into a little botanical park. Please call for an appointment. Groups are welcome.

Please remember Crescent Hill recycles all 1, 2, and 5 gallon plastic containers. Drop off available at all markets, or here at the nursery. Thanks again!!

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PLANT OF THE MONTH

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The shape of the reflexed neon yellow petals closely resembles the paw of a kangaroo..........

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......from which this plant gets its common name.

Dwarf Pink Kangaroo Paw
Anigozanthos 'Dwarf Pink''

If you are ready to start the spring garden off right with an interesting impact color plant, then Crescent Hill Nursery has got you covered with our March Plant of The Month. 'Dwarf Pink' is a tried-and-true cultivar of the Australian native genus Anigozanthos, which are all commonly referred to as Kangaroo Paws. Members of the Haemodoraceae family, Paws are native to Western Australia which, like California, has a Mediterranean climate accustomed to seasonal dry cycles. They are highly sought after garden plants due to their brilliant velvety flower clusters, which come in an array of colors and sizes. 'Dwarf Pink' is a stand out cultivar propagated through tissue culture by Rancho Tissue Technologies in Southern California, highly valued for its compact nature and prolific bloom cycle. This Paw forms a basal rosette of thin, sword-shaped, bright green foliage to 6-8" tall, which spreads by underground rhizomes to 12-18" in width. Abundant racemes of furry, tubular pink flowers with sharp greenish yellow petals reach 12-18" in height from spring through summer. Although bird pollinated, they are also regularly targeted by hummingbirds, who feast upon their nectar filled blooms. In California's current water situation, perhaps their most appreciated quality is their strong drought resistance. These water wise plants really like to dry out in between irrigation, and the sap in their roots allows them to withstand extended periods of summer dryness. In the landscape, the cheery blossoms and neat foliage make 'Dwarf Pink' a perfect choice for the full sun front border, where they especially shine in groups. The tidy compact nature of this variety also makes it an ideal selection for that impact patio plant or mixed drought resistant arrangement. 'Dwarf Pink' combines well with succulents, Restios, grasses, or shrubs like Grevilleas or Leucadendrons which have similar low water needs. Culturally, they prefer to grow in full sun and soils with good to excellent drainage. Gardeners with clay soil types can choose to grow paws in pots, or amend the soil with cactus mix, perlite, or lava rock to keep the roots from sitting in water. Paws also appreciate regular fertilizer to keep those flower stalks coming, especially if grown in containers. But most importantly, allow plants to dry out in between waterings. The majority of gardeners who do not have success growing this wide ranging genus overwater, thus opening the door for fungus or disease to enter the picture. When flower stalks and foliage begin to droop, it is time to irrigate. Don't forget to use Kangaroo Paws as cut flowers, where they can last a jaw dropping 2-3 weeks in a vase!! The late outburst of rains have yielded soft soils perfectly ripe for easy planting. Let spring begin with a treat from down under and check out our Crescent Hill Nursery March Plant of The Month!!

Special E-Newsletter Price: $7 per 1-gallon container!! Compare at other nurseries for $12 and above.

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SEASONAL CUT FLOWERS

We are happy to offer you a limited number of Protea Family cut flower displays at this month's markets. These beautiful blooms last from 2-3 weeks in a vase, and are also excellent dried. Flowers were all cut from our propagation stock plants, and thus serve as a "coming attractions" bulletin of the plants we will be offering later this season. Let us know if we can set aside a bunch for you.

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This bunch features the almost pure white blooms of Leucadendron 'Cloudbank Ginny' and the firey red Pincushion Leucospermum 'Tango'.

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This group features the bold pink Protea 'Brenda' and the bright yellow blooms of Leucadendron 'Little Bit'.

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CONTACT

phone: 831-246-1128
fax: 831-761-2219
website: www.crescenthillnursery.com
email: nathan@crescenthillnursery.com

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