Crescent Hill Nursery August E-Newsletter 2012 The CHN e-newsletter is our show of gratitude to the loyal market customers at our many events around

 
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Crescent Hill Nursery August E-Newsletter 2012

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Gaillardia aristata 'Gallo Dark Bicolor' gives BIG color on a compact plant!!

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 2012 will be a category which features highlights from our tours of clients gardens in 2011, as well as a "project" page which summarizes 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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Abutilon X Hybridum 'Victor Reiter' provides excellent shade color for hummingbirds and humans alike.

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California Fuchsia(Zauschneria canum 'Catalina') erupting in a pool of drought resistant summer color.

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MONTHLY BULLETIN

Crescent Hill meets the summer planting rush every weekend this month with four markets in the local area. Brazen summer color will be on display at De Anza College Market this Saturday, August 4 in Cupertino, Ca. For those closer to the SF Bay, please join us at the Burlingame ArtzFest in downtown Burlingame on Saturday and Sunday, August 11-12. This street fair features a plethora of interesting local artists, plus great food, and of course wonderful perennial plants. The third weekend (August 18-19) finds Crescent Hill popping up at RCR Fabrication in Santa Cruz. Finally on August 26 we will be showing at the always fun Niles Antique Fair & Flea Market just outside of Fremont, Ca. The long running event brings perennials, freaks, and antiques together in the quaint Bay Area town of Niles. Bring your sunblock and enjoy the people watching!! 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!!

New for 2012 We are proud to offer Digger's gopher baskets at our 2012 markets, and here at the nursery. The industry standard, these well made baskets last 6-10 years in the ground, and are the ONLY real solution to gopher problems. Why purchase expensive plants only to have them eaten by our friends from below? Protect your investment in three sizes: 1 gallon baskets are $3.50 each or 2 for $5, 5 gallon baskets are $5 each, and 15 gallon tree sized baskets are $8 each.

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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Iochroma grandiflora, a tomato family subshrub with elegant tubular blooms.

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PLANT OF THE MONTH

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Violet blooms topped with light purple wings!!

Lavandula stoechas 'Silver Anouk'

Crescent Hill's August Plant of the Month is the smooth and dignified Silver Anouk Lavender. This Spanish type is an outstanding new selection known for its velvety inviting foliage clumps, which shine in almost pure silver. Its upright bushy form is topped with dark violet flower spikes, holding lighter purple wings, from late spring-fall. The dark/light contrast of the foliage and flowers produces quite a statement, especially when held on such an erect (non-flopping) scaffold. But in the eye of the grower, the real benefit of this plant is its remarkable pillowy foliage, almost worthy of purchase without the flowers. Whether used in mixed potted arrangements or in any pure sun garden location, it immediately stands out as an interesting accent color puff. Like most Lavenders, Silver Anouk has scented foliage and flowers, and attracts butterflies to the garden. It has culinary, medicinal, and aromatic uses and is a worthy addition to wreaths, potpourris, and cut/dried flower arrangements. This Lavender is also drought and deer resistant, and invites inclusion in everything from cottage gardens to mixed Mediterranean xeriscapes. Let's not forget that Silver Anouk's versatility makes it a perfect candidate for a drought resistant potted plant that releases its heavenly scent whenever one brushes by!! In the landscape, the tall (to 3') form leads to a nice pairing in the mid-back border with other free blooming summer perennials like Salvia, Penstemon, Polygala, and Coreopsis. Silver Anouk especially sparkles when paired with the dark foliage tones, such as fronting a Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple') or set behind the grass-like Cordyline Design-A-Line Burgundy. Hardy to USDA Zones 6-10, this tough perennial will tolerate winter lows of -10 degrees F. Crescent Hill is proud to offer this unusual new selection, now in full bloom at all of our August markets!!!

Special E-Newsletter Price; $6 per 1-gallon container!! Compare at other nurseries for $10 and above. Mention this review to receive discount.

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The stately flowers and form of Lavandula 'Silver Anouk'.

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GARDEN TOUR 2011

Towards the end of 2011, in celebration of our 10th year in business, we invited ourselves over to customers homes to get a chance to see Crescent Hill's stock "out in the wild." It gave us an opportunity to understand more about the local microclimates where our customers (and plants) live, and further our relationship with the gardening community. This regularly occurring section will chronicle those landscape adventures.

One of the most peaceful gardens we visited this past fall was that of Glen and Cathy in Mountain View, CA. The minute we stepped into this garden it felt as if we entered an oasis from the desert of urban living. Immediate tranquility was the result of a 70 foot tall plus redwood planted by the homeowners over 20 years ago. The only tall tree in the immediate vicinity, this hulk of a specimen gives the yard a unique, warm, forest-like feel and beckons one to come and enjoy a break from the pavement and sun. Loyal customers from Day 1, Glen and Cathy have been filling the understory of the foundational tree with Crescent Hill plants for years, visiting us at the monthly De Anza College market. The creeping Plectranthus ciliatus is the primary groundcover, and its two-toned (purple/green) foliage carpets and spills throughout the pathways, only to unleash its hummingbird attracting blooms in the winter months. Punctuating the cover, Glen and Cathy have added interest with Chinese Lantern(Abutilon 'Tiger Eye'), Spotted Leopard plant (Farfugium japonicum 'Crested Leopard'), Glorybower (Clerodendrum bungei), Restio family member Elegia capensis, and the White Lion's Tail (Leonotis leonurus 'Alba') drifts towards the sunnier parts. Another personal highlight was the nicely formed hedge of Blue Evergreen Hydrangea(Dichroa febrifuga) below the front entry window. We were told how the metallic blue/silver berries add a different dimension to the garden come winter, and provide a food source for local birds. The mixed mosaic provides both interesting foliage and blooms, which attract hummingbirds and humans alike to the garden. As for the human aspect, well positioned benches allow the gardeners and guests to actually enjoy the garden with a front-row seat. Countless hummingbird zipped by our heads as we chatted with our gracious hosts in the shade of the late afternoon sun. We thank Glen and Cathy for including us in the design of their personal oasis,and for taking the time to give us a tour!!

Please enjoy more pictures of Glen and Cathy's garden on our Facebook page, reachable from the link below. If you are interested in participating in Garden Tour 2012, please drop a line and let us know.

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The hulk of a redwood subtended by the flowering Plectranthus ciliatus groundcover.

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Flowering maples (Abutilon sp.) and Lion's Tail dot the understory.

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Plant geeks enjoy an afternoon in the shade.

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CONTACT

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