Crescent Hill Nursery April 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 April E-Newsletter 2014

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Protea 'Brenda' showing off its otherworldly 6" wide blooms. Great cut, excellent dried, and a worthy addition to any water-wise garden.

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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One of favorite early season bloomers, Australian native Isopogon formosus is sure to make a splash in any spring planting.

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Shade lover Billbergia nutans pushing forth its interesting stout pink flower spikes.

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MONTHLY BULLETIN

Spring has sprung, and the Rain Gods have finally decided to loosen up the reins on our Central Coast Gardens!! And boy have the plants appreciated it. The hills have turned from brown to green, parched natives are finally showing new growth, and landscapes are flush with spring color. Recent landscape installations are thriving with the mild acclimation weather, putting down new roots, and poising themselves for the summer ahead. If we are not all breathing a collective sigh of relief, than something must be wrong with the picture. Although we are by no way out of the woods yet in terms of drought, lets keep those rain dances coming in hopes of continued late season downpours!! As experienced gardeners know, getting those perennials in early will take advantage of the soft soils and yield a decreased water bill in the hot summer months to come. Crescent Hill Nursery is teeming with a full stock of drought resistant plants ready to get their feet in the soil. Please join us for a whole slough of spring markets to usher in the perfect planting conditions. On Saturday April 5th, we will be splitting time between our usual spring soiree in Cupertino at the De Anza College Market and the Smart Gardening Fair in Carmel, Ca. Both trucks will be loaded to the gills with rare and unusual perennials as we eagerly await these favorite events on our calendar. For our North Bay Area customers, we will be displaying from April 11-13 at the Total Home and Garden Show in Fairfield, Ca. Aside from plants, this show offers ideas for home improvement, live music and entertainment, cooking demonstrations, kids rides, and over 225 vendors showing their wares. It is a well produced event having something for everyone, and is well worth the drive. Maps and directions to all events are available on the CALENDAR page of the website linked below. www.crescenthillnursery.com

Crescent Hill Nursery's website plant update 2014 is very near completion. Plant descriptions have been augmented, new selections have been added, and photos are increasingly available for all of our plants. Please take a moment to check out the new content. As always, your feedback is highly appreciated, and helps make our database a more complete and accurate reference for all Central Coast gardeners.

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.

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 wonderfully veined flowers of Abutilon 'Crouching Tiger' up close and personal.

Abutilon 'Crouching Tiger'
Crouching Tiger Chinese Lantern

While most of our time is spent lauding the virtues of plants discovered or bred by others, it is with great pride that we introduce one of our own as the Crescent Hill Nursery April Plant of The Month. As we make our rounds visiting markets in the various Central Coast locales, the wildly popular Abutilon 'Tiger Eye' Chinese Lantern has certainly been a hit. Sure, who can't resist the patio plant with the glossy foliage and perfectly unique flower that brings the hummingbirds in twelve months a year? As plant aficionados and amateurs alike oogle at the remarkable blooms, one question we often hear is; "Does the flower open any wider?" This got us thinking of a way to satiate everyones desire by mating the notoriously easily hybridized Abutilon with another in the genus with a bigger, more open flower. We chose the Abutilon 'Victor Reiter' with its nearly 3" wide, open orange bloom, which is commonly mistaken for its relative Hibiscus due to the size and shape of its flower. A few of our trials proved fruitful, and the result is one we feel maximizes the positive attributes of both of the parents. Crouching Tiger has the glossy boldly palmate foliage that 'Tiger Eye' is known for, but it is wider and more stout in general, like that of 'Victor Reiter'. This makes for a plant with a much fuller and robust stature from top to bottom, which is so important for the patio container. This selection is a great example of the origin of Abutlion's common name of Flowering Maple, and the untrained eye could easily confuse the foliage with that of a true maple (Acer sp.). While Crouching Tiger's foliage is sure to garnish attention, its flowers will certainly stop people dead in their tracks. The bright apricot hued cups are composed of overlapping petals with strong red veins, and a deep brick red center resembling that of 'Tiger Eye'. The difference is that Crouching Tiger has a much more open cup, which measures 2.5 inches in diameter! The result is that the flowers seemingly spring into your vision and demand that you look at their outrageously striking veined pattern. We promise you that the hummingbirds will not be the only ones flocking to this one!! Additionally, where 'Tiger Eye' can be a little reluctant with its blooms (especially when young), Crouching Tiger seems, at least from initial trials, to be more of a prolific bloomer like 'Victor Reiter'. We can only guess on the final size of this new selection, but would assume it will grow from 6-10 foot tall X 4-6' wide (depending on pruning) based upon its parentage. As with most Chinese Lanterns, Crouching Tiger will do best in morning sun or dappled shade conditions, unless you are right on the coast where the cool full sun is tolerable. They appreciate regular water and fertilizer, especially if grown in containers, to keep them blooming throughout the year. For as delicate as they look, Abutilon's in general are amazingly hardy perennials for our region. Although both the parents are commonly listed as hardy to 20-25 degrees F, we have had both take temperatures of 17-19 degrees F this past December at the nursery and keep all of their foliage. Flowering Maples in general also appreciate regular pruning to keep a more compact and branched nature. Unfortunately to do this, you will have to sacrifice a few flowers because Abutilons generally only bloom from the tips. The pinching of a few tops now will lead to more branching, and thus flowering, later. Other than as the attention piece patio plant, Crouching Tiger can also be used directly in the landscape as a focal shrub for the mid-back shade border. Alone or in groupings, the waxy foliage and elegant blooms will surely make a statement. Wherever it is placed, just know that this new selection is veritable hummingbird bait, and we have warned you in advance to not plant near anyone with a hummingbird allergy. Please join us in welcoming our new arrival, Abutilon 'Crouching Tiger', as the Crescent Hill Nursery April Plant of The Month!!

Special E-Newsletter Price: $20 per 2-gallon container or $35 per 5-gallon container!! Be the first to have this incredible new specimen!!!

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In mass, one can see how prolific of a bloomer this new selection can be.

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The shiny deep green foliage gives Abutilon its common name of Flowering Maple.

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The flowers of the two parents, Abutilon 'Victor Reiter and Abutilon 'Tiger Eye' (pictured to the left), in comparison to our new arrival Abutilon 'Crouching Tiger' on the right.

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LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Who says that drought resistant gardening has to be boring? As Crescent Hill stays busy helping gardeners rip out those lawns in exchange for water-wise plantings, we thought it may be a good idea to show our viewers some of the results. Beautiful landscapes with year around interest can be created which also easily eclipse the 10-25% water reductions being spoken of by municipalities in the Central Coast region. Mixing in low water perennials like those in the Protea (Proteacea) plant family with natives, succulents, and drought resistant grasses can create gardens that use 50% (or more) less water than the traditional lawn. Drip irrigation reduces transpiration, and mulches, ranging from ground tree bark to decomposed granite, also help keep water where it should be; nourishing the plants roots. Crescent Hill has specialized in drought resistant plants since our inception 12 years ago, and can help navigate the waters on which species can and cannot be planted in given soil, water, and sun circumstances. The possibilities are endless, ranging from the hard xeriscaped desert-like plantings to mixed Mediterranean plans that at first sight may not be recognized as drought resistant. We are happy to help with consulting, design, or actual landscape installations. Please let us know if we can put our experience to work for you.

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"Before" picture of this beautiful courtyard in Carmel Valley, including water sucking lawn.

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"After" photo shows a drought resistant mixed Mediterranean planting with decomposed granite beds, which was able to reduce water usage by over 50%!!

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"Before" picture of a cozy Cupertino residence and its water hungry front grass.

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"After" photo shows how water-wise plants and small bark mulch can yield curb appeal and a reduced water bill.

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CONTACT

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