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Crescent Hill Nursery November E-Newsletter 2012 The CHN e-newsletter is our show of gratitude to the loyal market customers at our many events aroun
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 Abutilon Dwarf Orange can be used in a hanging basket or in the front shade border, where its pendant blooms attract hummingbirds all year long. |
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) |
 Wildfire Milkweed, Asclepias curassavica 'Wildfire', is a must for bold displays of late season color, and attracts Monarch Butterflies as well. |
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 Cigar plant Cuphea oreophila 'Orange Flame' gives late season color sure to brighten the shorter fall days. |
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 Protea family member Grevillea 'Moonlight' shows off its 8" long pure white flower in the late afternoon light. |
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As the days become shorter, we now more than ever need brightening flashes of color to ignite both the landscape and the mind. Failure to include late season bloomers in the garden also negates the full advantage of California's long growing season. Here in the gentle Mediterranean climate, we have the ability, and some would argue responsibility, to have a lively garden space 12 months out of the year. Fall planting also offers the ideal conditions for a successful transplant; cooler temperatures and adequate moisture from natural precipitation. The slow adaptation prevents transplant shock, and yields already established roots and plants when spring rolls around. The soils have been softened from the early rains, and we have selected a whole new treasure trove of fall/winter perennials to commemorate our 10th year in business. See us this month for sure-fire solutions to the winter garden blues!!
Please join us for two events this November to usher in the fall planting season. This Saturday, November 3, Crescent Hill will be at the De Anza College Flea Market in Cupertino, Ca with a huge array of fall color. Please also join us this November 24-25 at the Treasure Island Flea Market in San Francisco, Ca. This market will feature a new collection of holiday wreathes and pine cone decorations done, of course, with a nod towards the rare and unusual. 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!! |
Plectranthus Mona Lavender*
If you are ready for an injection of vivid fall color that lasts right on through spring, the Crescent Hill Nursery November Plant of the Month certainly fits the bill. Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' is an exciting new cultivar bred at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in South Africa. Their crossing of two local local plants in this mint family Genus has yielded an incredible winter bloomer with outstanding two-toned foliage. This slightly serrate, glossy, green on the top/purple on the bottom, leaf pattern is attractive enough to alone merit inclusion in any Central Coast shade garden. But the real shock appears now in early fall, when many other garden perennials start to lose steam. It is at this time that Mona Lavender starts to unfurl her bounty of speckled, light lavender, tubular blooms set upon deep purple spikes. The sheer mass of the hummingbird attracting flowers has the ability to make an instant statement whether planted individually or in mass. Customers have dubbed Mona Lavender a "Salvia for the shade", due to the uncanny flower resemblence to its mint family ally. The only difference is that being from the southern hemisphere, Mona gives California gardeners vibrant color in our sometimes dark and dreary winter months. The November Plant of the Month thrives in shade to part sun gardens, and forms a rounded bush to 2 feet tall and wide. The more sun it receives, the more compact and intensely colored the foliage becomes, especially the richly purple leaf undersides. The versatile perennial can be used effectively in hanging baskets, mixed arrangements, or even as a houseplant in bright (mostly sunny) locations. In the landscape, the compact form points to placement in the front to mid border, where it especially shines in mass. We have had success combining Mona Lavender with taller variegated leaf plants like Abutilon 'Savizii', 'Thompsonii', and 'Paisley'. Here the contrast in color and flower shape can make an unforgettable shade garden experience. For the same reason, it is an indispensable understory plants for the wildly popular Abutilon 'Tiger Eye'. Wherever it is placed, Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' is sure to jumpstart the addition of fall/winter color in any shade garden. Crescent Hill is proud to offer extremely full, multi-branced specimens at all of our November markets. Hardy to 25-30 degrees F, tolerates light frost.
Special E-Newsletter Price; $6 per 1-gallon container!! Mention this review to receive discount. |
 In mass, the blooms create a veritable buffet for the resident hummingbirds. |
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 Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' showing off her speckled tubular blooms!! |
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With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, the yard and landscape can sometimes seem like an insurmountable task. This quarterly section attempts to provide ideas for weekend "projects" that will make the task less daunting, and hopefully fun as well!!
Fall Container Gardens
At local markets, its about this time every year that I start to hear the comment, "Nathan, my garden is full with a capital F." Whether your garden is busting at the seems or not, even if you live in an apartment with only a balcony or sunny window, there is always room for a decorative arrangement to indulge the senses as only the world of plants can. All that is needed is a little creativity and a few reminders about "the basics", and a stunning display can be created by avid gardeners and novices alike.
▪ . Containers
The first thing to think about when designing a mixed arrangement is the container. Here is the place to let inspiration guide you, as anything that drains can be used. Just remember that the smaller the container, the more frequent irrigation will be needed, especially in hot or windy areas. As for composition, terra cotta pots are very porous and dry out quicker than those made from glazed, plastic or metal materials. But once again ANYTHING can be used, from an old frying pan to a shell found on the beach, as long as drainage is present. A thought also must be given to durability and how the container will age over time. Even a perfectly chosen plant palette will not overcome a weathered and water stained plastic pot!! Drainage must also be considered, and whether you will need to provide catchment such as a saucer to prevent runoff. Let's not ruin the new oak floor by trying to get closer to nature. Last, but perhaps most important, is picking a planter style that matches the composition of the plant material as well as the location where the pot will be placed.
▪ Soil
Soil selection is based strictly on the plants chosen to fill the pot. Most perennials prefer an organic matter based blend which contains perlite for drainage, and vermiculite or peat for water retention. The richer the better for the "black gold" loving containers who quickly turn the extra nutrition into knockout color all season long. Whereas Salvias, Polygalas, and Cupheas appreciate this extra organic matter, other plants such as succulents prefer a more well draining mix. Soils for this group generally contain more sand, perlite, or lava rock to keep the water draining rapidly away from the roots. This also hold true for many of the Australian and South African plants in the Protea family, whose showy, drought resistant members can be used to create a low maintenance arrangement loaded with fall/winter appeal.
▪ Compatibility
Another important concept to think about while designing your container is selecting plants with common light, water, and size requirements. Here it becomes important to know the culture of each plant selected for the arrangement. Putting shade lovers in sunny locations, or sun lovers in the same pot with shade lovers, leads to inconsistent and inefficient results. The same applies to water needs, where the apples to apples/pears to pears idiom rings especially true. A sure path to a dead spot in your arrangement is inclusion of plants with dissimilar water requirements, which can lead to an unsightly and unbalanced end product. Pairing plants with compatible size specifications is also relevant as some plants grow quicker than others and will quickly "choke out" a pot. An overwhelming selection can destroy the balance of the anticipated creation. The simple lesson taken from all three examples is that even if plants look great together in the nursery, make sure they are compatible culturally to insure long lasting results.
▪ Special Consideration
Watering in general is an especially important topic for mixed arrangements, which lack the insulating capacity of a larger soil substrate. Full sun pots can require irrigation up to twice a day in the hottest locations/times of year, depending on pot size and sun strength. One remedy to this quandary is to add polymer crystals to the soil prior to planting. These plastic based crystals or polymer coated sand crystals expand with water and slowly release as the soil dries out, extending the time between waterings. They are available at most garden centers, are easy to use, and do work as advertised. Be careful to use gingerly in shady locations or those which receive extra rainfall as water logging may be a problem. Saucers are another way gardeners can help fight dry out, as excess water is collected and allowed to "wick" back up into the root zone as the soil dries. And of course a healthy layer of mulch on top of the soil is the time-tested water saver, which also keeps roots cool and happy.
Fertilization is another special consideration which should not be taken lightly. Containerized plants rapidly flush through food and organic matter due to their regular irrigation cycle. Nutrition must be provided regularly to keep the container in "tip-top" form. The easiest way to do this is the addition of slow release fertilizer to the soil substrate. Depending on sun aspect, some slow release pellets can last up to 9 months, and will drastically reduce the need for supplemental feeding. Bi-weekly applications of balanced (Ex. 10N-10P-10K) water soluble fertilizer can be used as an alternative. Don't forget to eliminate Phosphorus fertilizers from the diet of those Protea Family members.
So now that we have "the basics" covered, it's on to the fun part: designing our plant palette!! The major question we must ask ourselves here is whether we are aiming to create a long term arrangement or one that will be seasonal. Seasonal pots are those injected into the landscape to produce a short term effect such as a punch of color for the summer patio. These can be as simple as an annual color bowl, easily replaceable as the flowers fade. They can also be thought of as seasonal showcase of some of our favorite blooms. The individual pot of the summer blooming Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos sp.) does not provide much interest in the winter, but certainly comes to life when the weather is warm. Seasonal pots can be composed of one or many species, but can not be counted on for a year around show.
Alternatively long term arrangements, when designed properly, can give the gardener joy for years on end. Single species can be used to create a stately effect, such as NZ Flax (Phormium sp.) or Restionaceae members (Elegia, Ischyrolepsis, Cannamois), especially when flanking entrances or walkways. Conversely, a combination pot can be designed which creates a melange of color, flowers, and textures which shine at different times of the year. One of our favorite strategies is to provide a taller structural centerpiece to the display, and design around that. Examples include grasses or upright forms of Cordyline like C.'Torbay Dazzler' or C. 'Pink Passion'. In all of these instances, the structural plants will provide the backbone of the arrangement, dazzling in the wind and of year around interest. For a tropical look, one could experiment with Bananas, Angel's trumpets, or Elephant ears as this structural core. Around them can be placed succulents for texture, and bloomers to attract in our hummingbird friends. Let us not forget the foliage, which can be evergreen or deciduous, and often lends itself to accent color infusion or the draping effect over the edge of the pot. The world is really our oyster here, and experimentation will lead to the correct composition of the pot, as long as we follow the basic rules stated above. Have fun in the creative process, and know that we are here to help with any questions on the specifics!! |
 Restio family member Chondropetalum tectorum provides a dramatic vertical feature compatible with the taller glazed ceramic pot. |
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 A mature Cordyline 'Design-A-Line Burgundy', pictured here at the UCSC Arboretum in Santa Cruz, can provide a dramatic effect with a single plant., |
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 A strong central specimen like the Cordyilne 'Pink Passion' can be the key to creating a successful mixed arrangement. |
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