Welcome to the new face of Yamagami’s Nursery Newsletter. I hope this more timely and environmentally friendly format will provide you with the tools you need to succeed in all your gardening efforts. Since 1948 Yamagami’s Nursery has been committed to the promotion of Beauty - and the plants, products and friendly, professional support needed to attain and maintain that Beauty. In my parents' footsteps (and Taro Yamagami’s before them) I promise to continue that tradition. I invite you to visit us in the nursery and on our website, yamagamisnursery.com for help making your yard into a beautiful garden.

Thanks for visiting,

Preston Oka, President
Yamagami’s Nursery
“When you want to succeed…the first time”

Written by Carolyn Villa-Scott,
Master Fruit Taster,
Advanced CCN Pro,
And Guacamole Lover.

The main things an avocado desires are rich soil, excellent drainage, and a thick layer of mulch over the roots. Allow the leaves that fall to remain under the tree; don't rake them up. (Avocados are best planted at the back of the garden where their large leaves won't look too messy.) Add additional mulch to young trees.

Remember, never cultivate or dig under avocado trees, because that would damage the roots and all your fruit might fall off. It's best not to grow anything under an avocado tree, especially if that something needs frequent irrigation. Wet soil promotes root rot of avocado.

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations we know of were ancient Greek spring celebrations in honor of Rhea, the mother of the gods. 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 4th 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 4th 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?

Cymbidiums need dividing when they overcrowd their containers or get too heavy to carry. Often they will simply break their plastic containers.

*      Water plants well before dividing them.

*      Use pruning shears or sharp knife to cut off the plastic container. If the plants are in a wooden tub, remove the old container with a hammer, and discard it.

*      Use a large kitchen knife kept for gardening to cut between the pseudobulbs (the bulblike structures growing above ground) and down through the roots. Aim for at least three productive pseudobulbs and four or five back bulbs per division. (Back bulbs are fully grown pseudobulbs that once bore leaves and flower spikes but now are bare. They act as storage containers for the remainder of the plant.)

*      Trim off all roots that are diseased, damaged, or simply messy. In all, you should remove about one-third of the roots.

*      Optionally, soak the divisions in a solution of 1 quart bleach to 10 quarts water for ten minutes to kill any fungus or rot. Air dry them.

*      To replant, choose containers that have plenty of holes in the bottom and are the next size larger, or approximately 4 to 6 inches wider than the top of the root ball. (Oversized containers slow growth.)

*      Hold the plant so that the bottom of the pseudobulbs is near the the top of the container. Fill around the roots with a fir bark or bark blend recommended for cymbidiums. Choose the bark or bark blend that most closely resembles the original potting material. It's important to make sure the roots are completely covered with bark mix but the pseudobulbs are totally above ground. (If the pseudobulbs are buried, they'll rot.) Use bamboo stakes to prop up the pseudobulbs until they are firmly rooted.

*      Water the cymbidiums thoroughly after planting, keep them in semi-shade, and wait two or three weeks before starting to fertilize with GROWMORE Orchid Food.

Meet Nick Esquivel, Yamagami’s Plant Buyer and Facility Manager. Nick’s outside interests include hiking, fishing and field observation and care of reptiles. Yes, that’s right, caring for snakes and lizards is his hobby. He has built custom vivariums for his Giant Savannah Monitor Lizard, Fred, (who is waiting for a Wilma) and his collection of snakes that includes Hognose Snakes, Kingsnakes, and Gopher Snakes. He also breeds these critters. Additionally he maintains vivariums with Dart (Arrow) Frogs and Mantella Frogs. So for any Herpetologists out there with questions about planting vivariums for your pets or  terrariums just for the enjoyment of plants, Nick is the man with the answers.