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

 
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Crescent Hill Nursery February E-Newsletter 2014

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Leucadendron Safari Goldstrike and its tulip-like flowers make a great addition to the drought resistant 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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Dry shade specialist Chorizema 'Bush Flame' shows off its vivid winter bloom. This water wise Australian native is also a member of the UCSC Koala Blooms collection, which supports the continued influx of new plant material from down under.

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Early January found Crescent Hill displaying at the California Home and Garden Show in the Santa Clara Convention Center.

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MONTHLY BULLETIN

The winter of 2013/2014 has generated a complicated new set of challenges for California gardeners to sort through as we plan our gardens for the coming year. The comment we have most often heard at recent markets is, "If it is not the freeze, then its the drought." Plant lovers are frustrated by losses from the cold in December and are trepidatious about planting due to the lack of rain. Although I sympathize, we also must remember that seeing these issues as challenges as opposed to problems is why we proudly call ourselves gardeners. We are traditionally one of the most innovative and ingenious sects of society, and have always been able to overcome due to our flexibility and understanding of the environment we hold so near and dear. This year will be no different. As we all pray for rain, why not use this as an opportunity to access our current water regiments and landscapes? Anyone who has visited our nursery or gone to one of our events knows that drought tolerant plants_can_ come in bright and shiny colors. Yes, we do live in a semi-arid region subject to occasional droughts, but that does not mean that we cannot have an eye-popping landscape. Water is our most precious resource, and we must continually look for ways to conserve. Why not do it through the landscape? Replacing the heavily irrigated lawn with water-wise plants could easily meet the goal of a 20% reduction proposed by many local water districts. Maintenance or installation of drip irrigation systems, use of plants from Mediterranean regions accustomed to a seasonal dry cycles, low-water grass alternatives, rainwater harvesting, and mulching are all ways we can conserve without sacrificing beauty. Embracing the present challenging situation is half the fun of being a gardener!! Crescent Hill looks forward to Gardening Year 2014, and working with our local plant family to create long lasting solutions and beautiful landscapes!! Please help us kick off the year right at our monthly plant party this Saturday, February 1 in Cupertino at the De Anza College Market. 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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Abutilon pictum 'Thompsonii' packs a colorful punch on a short frame.

FLOWERING MAPLE
Abutilon pictum 'Thompsonii'

Rarely do plant enthusiasts find shade specimens with as much panache as the Crescent Hill Nursery February Plant of The Month. The Abutilon pictum 'Thompsonii', commonly referred to as the Flowering Maple or Chinese lantern, is a drop-dead gorgeous hybrid known for its profusion of cup shaped orange flowers backed by dazzling mottled foliage. If this one does not catch the eye, then the viewer must be sight impaired!!! As a member of the Malvaceae family, 'Thompsonii' shares family ties with other important horticultural plants such as Hibiscus, Lavatera, and Hollyhock (Alcea sp.). Originally from South America, the Abutilon genus is gaining more and more traction every year as a "go-to" part-shade selection. Their popularity comes with good reason, as it is rare to encounter a genus with such a wide array of colors, long bloom cycle, and strong ability to attract hummingbirds. The pictum 'Thompsonii' is no exception to the rule, and has differentiated itself from others in the genus through its incredibly gold and cream splashed palmate green foliage. The "spottiness" of the leaves enlivens the shade garden and brightens even the darkest of nooks. Set on a compact (3-4' tall X 2-3' wide) and densely branched scaffold, the vivid foliage would be enough to provide year around interest to any shade garden. But the vegetation only paints half the picture of this sparkling specimen. In addition, 'Thompsonii' also features an almost continuous supply of cup shaped salmony orange flowers throughout the year. The pendant blooms are in mass, and it is common to find mature bushes with hundreds of blooms in the peak of summer. The extravagance of the bloom cycle, coupled with their heavy nectar production, provides an ideal habitat for hummingbirds, even in the depth of winter. It is a true joy to watch our fluttering friends avoid the center of the flower, but attack the area in between the petals and the sepals to get their lunch. They almost appear to be floating, and the effect on the eye is truly mesmerizing. With such a delicate appearance, most gardeners assume that Chinese Lanterns are very frost sensitive plants. This however is not the case, and although listed as hardy to 25 degrees F, here at Crescent Hill they withstood temperatures of 18-20 degrees F in the early part of December 2013. Gardeners in the UK have even had success with this species, where it is moved indoor as a potted specimen in the coldest time of the year. There, it is widely used as a houseplant, and is said to flower regularly in a sunny windowsill location. Of its many attributes, the thing that Crescent Hill finds most attractive about the February Plant of The Month is its ease of cultivation. It is fast growing, tolerates a multitude of soil types, and provides almost immediate satisfaction to even the most novice of gardeners. The two most important tips to keeping this Abutilon, and also most others in the genus, in prime form relate to position and pruning. Flowering Maples are part shade plants that thrive in a morning sun or dappled light location. Other than on the coast, they do not want to be in hot afternoon sun (2-6PM) for more than a few hours. Secondly, Flowering Maples require pinching or a light pruning at least once a year to keep an upright bushy form. Because they flower from the tips continuously throughout the year, this is the part that gardeners have the most trouble with. We must sacrifice the blooms and tip prune each branch to help maintain the structure and avoid the dreaded "legginess". The more we prune, the more branches (and thus flowers) we receive in the long run. Add to this a little fertilizer to keep the plants in flower, and we have a very easy to grow perennial that will keep both the hummingbirds and ourselves smiling. Whether used as a patio plant or directly in the landscape, the Abutilon pictum 'Thompsonii' surely warrants inclusion in any California shade garden, and we are proud to offer it as our Crescent HIll Nursery February Plant of The Month!!

Special E-Newsletter Price: $8 per 1-gallon container!! Compare at other nurseries for $10 and above.

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Speckled variegated foliage can brighten even the darkest of nooks.

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Candy for the eye, and nectar for the hummies!!!

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PARTNERS

In this quarterly section, we introduce our industry partners that may be of interest to the Crescent Hill gardening family. Focusing on local innovative entrepreneurs and institutions, the PARTNERS section seeks to highlight whats new and exciting in the Central Coast gardening world. Below we given our partners the forum to introduce themselves to our readers. Don't forget to let them know where you heard about them!!

AUSSIE RAIN TANKS

In 2005, while on a business trip to Australia, Bill Channell saw that Australians were taking the ongoing drought head on by installing rain harvesting tanks in their homes and businesses. Bill instantly saw the similarities in the dry Australian conditions to his own native southern California. He also saw that the tanks were manufactured in a process similar to his factory in Temecula, California. Bill was so impressed with the design and simplicity of the rain tanks that he bought the molds to some of these tanks and started producing the ‘Bushman’ range of tanks in California.
Bushman USA now manufactures the largest range of rainwater harvesting tanks in North America. You can purchase tanks with storage capacity from 205 to 4,050 gallons. Rainwater harvesting is an ancient practice but modern rain tanks come in a variety of shapes and colors to fit into almost any property. Now with drought hitting California hard, many people are installing Bushman tanks to maintain a water source for landscape irrigation. Drought tolerant plants thrive when irrigated with untreated rainwater. Its slightly high acid content and lack of minerals make it a natural winner over treated or well water.
And even with dramatically reduced rainfall levels, Bushman tanks are collecting and safely storing enough water to help irrigate landscapes in times of water restrictions. Just one inch of rain on 1,000 sq feet of roof will produce 600 gallons of water. That water can be collected in a Bushman tank and stored for months due to innovative designs such as UV resistant, food grade quality polyethylene, screened overflows and openings that minimize insect and light penetration.
Bill Channell is so confident in the durability of his Bushman tanks that they come with a ten year warranty. Let’s help the drought doesn’t last that long.
For more information, go to www.bushmanusa.com

Editor's Note With the present water situation, Crescent Hill thought it may be an apt time to reintroduce Aussie Rain Tanks to our readers. We have been working with this fine product line for years now, and have been thrilled not only with their durability, but also their improved selection of different sized and colored tanks that can merge seamlessly with any home. Add to this a pleasant and knowledgeable staff, and one can see why the Bushman brand has become so successful here in California. Check out their website, and don't be afraid to give a call to see if Aussie Rain Tanks may have an option that is right for you!!

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BSLT629 Sant Cruz Mtns
BRTT205 mocha

Tanks come in a variety of colors and sizes that can accommodate any household.

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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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