Yamagami's Nursery is proud to announce that we are now a Cupertino Certified Green Business. We earned our certificate by increasing our reusing and recycling efforts and other conservation methods.

You'll see composting bins in the nursery, and the office now uses mostly recycled paper products. Brittany Lambert headed up our efforts and is shown proudly displaying our certificate.

As a Certified Green Business itself, the City of Cupertino is both an ally and a collaborator of businesses interested in advancing principles, policies, and practices that improve the quality of life for your customers and employees, our community, and ultimately the planet!

To learn more abut the program see
http://www.greenbiz.ca.gov

Enter the Year of the Dragon

Chinese New Year starts January 23rd. It is a Year of the Dragon (water). All legendary stories about Chinese dragons say they are from the sky, which means heaven in China. The Dragon is one of most auspicious animals in China. People born in the Year of the Dragon share certain characteristics: innovative, enterprising, self-assured, brave, passionate, conceited, and quick-tempered. The Dragons are the free spirits of the Chinese Zodiac .

Fruit and flowers are an important part of the Chinese New Year celebration, especially citrus, whose gold color represents prosperity. Come to Yamagami's for Kumquats, Yuzu, and Mandarin Oranges. While here, you will also find many other Asian fruits, including Peento Peach (Donut), Chinese Dates (Jujube), and Asian Pears.

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon by planting something special in your garden!

For Special Savings on select Chinese New Year's Plants, look for coupons on Jan. 14th, 15th, and 18th in The World Journal or in the San Jose Mercury News on Jan. 12th or 14th.

Paper-potted fruit trees are here (most of them, at least). Time to choose yours! This year's selection includes old favorites and rising stars. Yamagami's offers FREE Planting Guides, Backyard Orchard Guide and a Fruit Tree Care Calendar to help guarantee your success. Not ready to plant yet? No problem! These trees can wait happily in their biodegradable paper pots for months even, until you are ready to plant.

'Braeburn' Apple is a rising star. Every year more people are discovering how crisp and tangy it is. More and more local growers are bringing Braeburn Apples to the local Farmer's Markets and creating new fans. It is from New Zealand, is self-pollinating, and keeps well. Its firm texture makes it ideal for baking as well as for eating fresh.

Another increasingly popular choice is 'Flavor Delight' Aprium. While it closely resembles its apricot parent in appearance, its flavor and texture are an interesting blend of both its apricot and its plum parent. This is a great fruit for the home garden, especially if you have had problems in the past growing apricots, as 'Flavor Delight' Aprium is more disease resistant.

'SpiceZee' Nectaplum is another interesting cross combining the sweetness of a nectarine with the sturdiness of a plum. Not only does it produce delicious fruit, it also is a beautiful tree, worthy of any garden. It blooms profusely in spring, followed by red foliage which turns a bronzy red in summer as its sweet and juicy fruit ripens.

These are just three of the newly-arrived taste treats. More will be arriving, including some fancy espaliers, some organic heirloom apples, and, by popular demand, quince! Check our Edible selection often for unexpected treasures. Let us know if there is anything you'd like, and we'll be happy to search for it for you. We want you to have the garden of eatin' you've dreamed of growing!

Come check out our newly restocked bedding color section for more ideas. Ruben does his best to keep it full of interesting choices!