Turn on the news anytime in the month of February and get lambasted with dismal weather reports from all around the country. Record freezes in the mid-west, ice storms on the East Coast, and snow in the Rockies...... All I can say, as i sit here in a short sleeved shirt, is Thank God for the blessing of living in California!! Negative wind chill factor - What's that? Our cool Mediterranean climate has given California residents the ability the garden year around, and of course the joy the tags along for the ride. This year's early rains have softened up the soil, and with the majority of the cold behind us, conditions couldn't be riper for winter planting. Planting now yields already established root zones comes springtime, which directly correlates with quicker fuller gardens, increased drought resistance, and a decreased water bill. This excludes the benefit the body/back will feel from not having to dig in rock hard summer soil. So take advantage of the 60 degree days, and let the coming rains water your plants in, as we all enjoy our bountiful California "winter." Please join us for a few engagements this February to get the season started right!! On Saturday February 2, we will be displaying at the De Anza College market, held in Cupertino, Ca the first Saturday of every month. February 8-10 will find us at the Peninsula Spring Home and Garden Show in San Mateo, Ca. This three day "free" event will give locals all kinds of brain fodder to make 2013 the best gardening season ever, and Crescent Hill will focus on the winter bloomers which can extend the graces of the garden for the full 12 months of the year!! 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!!

Carex buchananii 'Red Rooster'

If you have visited one of our local garden markets, I am sure you have heard us rant and rave about the need for "structural" plants in the garden. Crescent Hill's February Plant of the Month is a Grade-A example of this group, which often provides the stabilizing force or "backbone" of the garden. Structural plants, like Grasses, Flaxes, Cordylines, and Restios, punctuate and add depth to our beloved "functional" flowering plants. While landscapers and designers never fail to include structural plants to balance the garden, homeowners sometimes forget to include this vital link in the chain of garden harmony. This is often the case because the structural plants of the past failed to capture the imagination with their drab and uneventful color schemes. New breeding has completely flipped the script, and often the new age of structural plants steal the limelight from their functional brothers. Carex buchananii 'Red Rooster' is certainly no exception. The February Plant of the Month is a New Zealand native sedge who became an instant favorite due to its unusual coppery orange to crimson red hues. This eye-popping color certainly makes a statement, and is complimented nicely by its tidy form. Red Rooster is an erect, densely clumping plant which usually grows to about 2' tall X wide in either full sun or part shade. It is especially effective in the wind, where the "curly-cue" tips of the mature growth vacillate gracefully along with the terminal flowers. Unlike many popular grasses (Ex. Fountain Grass/ Pennisetum), it is hardy for most California gardens (to USDA Zone 7) and will tolerate any frost the Central Coast can muster. Additionally Red Rooster is evergreen, and this stability gives it a leg up on other popular grasses (Ex. Zebra Grass/ Miscanthus) which go deciduous in the winter months. One reason this plant has landed in the "landscaper' delight" category is its wide-ranging versatility. It especially shines on borders, where the gently arching clumps move with the wind to create texture. This also makes it a great choice for mass plantings, where the off-color tone can create a dramatic statement. Container gardeners also appreciate Red Rooster's upright form, whether used alone or in concert with other plants in a mixed arrangement. We love it with bold foliage plants like Mirror Plant/ Coprosma sp. or with any plants in the grey/green color range. Senecio mandraliscae is a creeper we have used in the past, but a whole list of succulents could effectively fit the bill. A true knock-out when used in combination with Cordyline 'Design-A-Line Burgundy', where the variable reds merge seamlessly. One of the absolute best plants for the late afternoon sun, and worthy of inclusion in any California garden. Let Carex 'Red Rooster' bring the structure to you!!

Special E-Newsletter Price: $5 per 1-gallon container. Mention this review to receive discount.

In this quarterly section, we will answer the question of the month. The customer chosen to ask the question of the month will receive a free one gallon sized pot of your choice!!

This month's "ask a nurseryman" question comes from Anand Gangadharan of Cupertino. "Nathan, I recently purchased two plants from Crescent Hill that you said required "well drained" soil. Can you please clarify the meaning of this term? My soil seems to have both clay and sand, and i want to insure the longterm success and proper placement of these wonderful perennials."

Anand, thank you for the question concerning this very important topic in the world of horticulture. Soil is often thought of as the boring part of gardening, and is thus easily overlooked or forgotten as we plan our landscape. But avid gardeners know that building a garden without the soil is like building a snowman without the snow. It is the foundation upon which our landscapes are build, and certainly influences which plants we should, or should not, include in our gardens. The basic components of understanding any soil system are texture and structure. Texture refers to the different sizes of the mineral particles that make up the soil. The terms sand, silt, and clay refer to the size of these mineral particles. Sand has the largest sized particles, and feels course or gritty to the touch. Its irregularly shaped particles prevent compaction and allow surface water to pass quickly through the substrate. Silt has the medium sized particles, and although irregularly shaped, feels smooth or floury to the touch. Clay has the smallest sized particles, and feels sticky to the touch. Its microscopic particle size leads to easy compaction, leaving little room for water or air to move through the substrate. Soil Structure, more relevant to Anand's question, is concerned with how these particles group/clump together to form what gardeners refer to as soil. As taking your soil to a lab for in depth analyzation is often cost prohibitive, there are a few do-it yourself methods that will give us a general idea of our garden's soil structure. The easiest way to do this is to moisten some soil from the ground and rub it between your fingers, essentially preforming a test "by touch." If the sample is stickier than gritty, you probably have more of a clay soil type, and visa-versa. The Squeeze Test, another easy way to test soil structure, is done by squeezing a damp ball of soil into your hand. Poke the soil ball with your finger to judge the resistance. If the ball easily breaks apart, we have a sandy soil. If the ball resists the prodding, but eventually breaks with more pressure, we are dealing with sandy or silty loams. These are often considered the best soils for gardening. If the ball rejects the prodding, and does little in the way of changing shape, we have clay. The Ribbon Test uses these same principles to judge soil structure. Moisten a sample of garden soil and press between your thumb and finger to create a thin ribbon of soil. If the ribbon is less than 1 inch, we have a sandy soil. More than two inches gives us a clay base, and anything in between is considered silty. Preforming all of these tests at varying depths is often beneficial to get a more complete picture of the entire soil substrate. Actually watching how quickly the water percolates through the soil during rains or irrigation is a good way to confirm the results of your findings. So Anand, a well draining soil is one that has a higher percentage of sand and silt, and allows the water to pass freely during irrigation or rainy spells. If there are areas of your yard with pooling water, they may be better suited to plants native to wet or boggy locations that can tolerate more of a clay structure. One way to fight this limitation without the influx of new soil is to plant on slopes/banks, where the water will fall with gravity away from the trunk of the plant. Thanks again for the great question!!

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