The earliest Mother's Day celebrations we know of were ancient Greek spring celebrations in honor of Rhea, the mother of the gods; the ancient Romans also had another holiday, Matronalia, that was dedicated to Juno. But those were in honor of one particular mother. England's "Mothering Sunday," begun in the 1600's, is closer to what we think of as "Mother's Day." Celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England.

In 1907, Anna Jarvis started a drive to establish a national Mother's Day. In 1907 she passed out 500 white carnations at her mother's church in West Virginia--one for each mother in the congregation. In 1908, her mother's church held the first Mother's Day service, on May 10th (the second Sunday in May). That same day a special service was held at the Wanamaker Auditorium in Philadelphia, where Anna was from, which could seat no more than a third of the 15,000 people who showed up.

By 1909, churches in 46 states, Canada and Mexico were holding Mother's Day services. In the meantime, Ms. Jarvis had quit her job to campaign full time. She managed to get the World's Sunday School Association to help; they were a big factor in convincing legislators to support the idea. In 1912, West Virginia was the first state to designate an official Mother's Day. By 1914, the campaign had convinced Congress, which passed a joint resolution. President Woodrow Wilson signed the resolution, establishing an official national Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May.

Many countries of the world now have their own Mother's Day at different times of the year, but Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Japan, and Turkey join the US in celebrating Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May. Britain still celebrates Mothering Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent--but they now call it Mother's Day. By any name, and at any date, it's a special day to honor a special person.

Having trouble thinking of a gift? Why not do something a little different for Mother's Day? Instead of giving her a bouquet of roses, plant her a rose garden! If she already has a rose garden--add to it! If she lives in an apartment, consider a potted rose plant--many roses will do quite well in containers (ask us for suggestions).

Why give one bouquet that will soon fade away, when you can give years of pleasure from living roses instead?

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If you see either of these (or think you do), bring a sample of the plant to the Info Center for positive identification and diagnosis. Early identification makes a big difference in ease of control.

A Taste of the Islands in Your Own Garden

Yes, we have some banana trees--bananas that will bear fruit here. After much experimentation by dedicated banana lovers, certain varieties have proven themselves hardy enough to fruit even in areas like Modesto. A recent article in the California Rare Fruit Growers newsletter featured a list of cold-hardy bananas and Yamagami's has brought in four of them. Choose between 'Cardaba,' 'Dwarf Orinoco,' 'Misi Luki 'and 'Thousand Fingers.' 'Thousand Fingers' is a fascinating variety growing to 12 feet tall with a flowering stalk that grows 8 feet long, almost to the ground! It bears hundreds of tiny (1.5 inches long) sweet, tender fruit.

In addition to the bananas, other island fruit in stock are avocados, 'Frederick' passion fruit, and dragon fruit. All of these will appreciate some cold protection in their first few winters, but once established they can usually winter over with minimal damage. All appreciate good drainage so be sure to follow our Citrus and Avocado Planting Guide. All will benefit from being planted in a warm spot protected from wind.

Many of these trees are in very limited supply, so if you want these tastes of island life at home, come in now. More sub-tropicals will arrive later this summer but the ones we have now may not be restocked. If you have a favorite, let us know and we will try to locate it for you. Let Yamagami's Nursery get you growing your own garden of eatin'.

Sunflowers are spectacular in the garden and easy to grow. A lot of hybridizing has gone into developing an amazing array of colors and heights of these garden beauties, especially the cut flower types. If you enjoy growing your own bouquets, it's time to add sunflowers to your garden. They are easily to grow by seed in a sunny spot. Dwarf forms can even be grown in containers. Many varieties of the cut flower types are available as seedlings (Annie's Annuals offers some real beauties) and seed. Seeds should be planted in May. Come in to see our fantastic selection, especially from Renee's Garden Seed.

Giant Sunflowers are both highly ornamental and highly nutritional. Growing them is fun for kids and the kid inside us all. Sunzilla from Renee's Garden Seed can grow to 16 feet tall! Try planting a row of these giants for some garden WOW. Sunzilla produces plump, meaty, delicious seeds. You can plant them for your birds or keep them all for yourself! Click here for Sunzilla growing tips from the experts at Renee's Garden Seed.

Come to Yamagami's Nursery and get growing Sunflowers in your garden. Let our helpful Nursery Pros show you all the possibilities for both cut flowers and tasty treats. We are here to guide you to success...the first time.

Thin Your Fruit for Better Harvest and Healthier Trees

It can be hard to do for new gardeners, but thinning (removing) excess fruit is important. Many trees, especially stone fruit (peaches, apricots, plums) will set more fruit than they can safely carry to term. Just ask anyone who has suffered the heartbreak of seeing a heavily laden branch snap off just before the fruit ripens. Additionally, fruit too close to each other increases the likelihood of both diseases (from inadequate air circulation) and insect pests (more places for them to hide). Yet another problem is that if you allow all the fruit to ripen, it will be small and even the quality of the fruit can be inferior.

To thin fruit without damaging branches, gently twist (rather than pull) fruit from tree when it is about the size of your thumbnail (about 1"). Thin most fruit to about a fist apart (about 3 to 6 inches). Ideally, air should be able to move between the fruit when it is ripe. Generally, European plums, prunes, cherries, and pears do NOT need thinning.

Sometimes, especially on young trees, no matter how carefully you thin, young branches can still snap just from the weight of large juicy fruit. Protect those branches with a Prop-a-Crop! Essentially, they are a crutch for branches. Made of fiberglass, they are lightweight, adjustable, easy to install, and last for years.

Summer pruning (for size control) of your fruit trees is best started while you are thinning your fruit. You can see where the fruiting wood is and preserve it. Summer pruning makes it possible to maintain your fruit trees at the height you choose. Pick up our Backyard Orchard Culture Guide for more information. Better yet, attend our Summer Fruit Tree Pruning class on May 8th with Nancy Garrison for tips and techniques. See Coming Events for more info.

Come to Yamagami's Nursery for all your edible garden needs. We are here to make sure you succeed...the first time!

One of the nastiest garden pests to arrive in recent years is the Giant Whitefly. It can transform a green healthy plant almost overnight into a ghostly white with streaming sticky white filaments trailing from the leaves and branches - Yuck! Giant Whitefly targets certain plants, notably hibiscus and xylosma with some interest in citrus. Giant Whitefly breeds rapidly in warm weather so if you have these plants in your garden, keep an eye on them so you can treat at the first sign of infestation. Other plants are somewhat susceptible, so it is a good idea to nip any problem in the bud before it gets totally out of hand.

Yamagami's Nursery recommends starting treatment by using a BugBlaster to remove the pest and its debris from the plant. The BugBlaster is a specially designed hose attachment that uses water and pressure to remove pests without damaging your plant. No poisons! Once the plant has dried, spray the plant with a solution of Vegol, a canola oil spray, to smother any eggs or larvae that may have remained. Again, no poison!

Yamagami's Nursery will always try to recommend the least toxic controls possible first. Serious infestations may require a stronger response. Bayer Tree and Shrub will control Giant Whitefly without spraying. It is a systemic insecticide which is mixed with water and applied to the soil of the infested plant. One treatment lasts for 12 months.

As always, if you see something that looks "funny" (not ha ha) on your plants, we ask that you bring a good-sized sample of the plant, in a sealed plastic bag, to the Info Center for diagnosis. Let our Nursery Pros help you succeed in all your gardening efforts.