Gong Xi Fa Cai! This Chinese New Year greeting loosely translates to "Congratulations and Be Prosperous!" The Chinese New Year 4075 is celebrated Saturday, February 7, beginning the Year of the Rat.  Those born in Rat years tend to be charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Flowers and plants are an important part of the celebration, symbolizing rebirth and new growth and foretell of future prosperity.

Kumquats, whose name translates as "orange gold," symbolize prosperity and are displayed and given as gifts.  We have a great selection of kumquats in tree and bush form, many with lots of bright golden fruit on them. Place a fruiting kumquat at your front door for a prosperous year. In addition to their ornamental value, Kumquats are very tasty. They are eaten whole as their skin is sweet while their flesh is tart. Cut them into salads, or use them in drinks, marmalades and sauces for flavor and color. It's easy to get hooked! They are easy to grow and are small enough to grow well in containers their whole life.

Yamagami's Nursery has been growing great since 1948! This year we are celebrating 60 years in the business of bringing beauty to the Santa Clara Valley. We are looking for a few new team members this spring. If you would like to grow your love of gardening into a part time career, enjoy helping others succeed, and would like to be part of the team at Yamagami’s Nursery, this is the opportunity for you!

We are currently looking for part-time cashiers, a part-time delivery driver, and experienced salespeople.  Applicants must be able to work one weekend day.  We are looking for friendly folks who will support Yamagami’s business motto – When you want to succeed...the first time.

Heavenly Hellebores are some of the easiest and most rewarding plants to grow. They begin to bloom in the colder months of the year when other plants are sleeping, making them the star of any late winter/early spring garden. These sturdy little evergreen perennials grow 12-24" high with handsome, striking foliage and produce bell-like flowers starting as early as late fall. They are deer resistant and drought hardy when established! Several species and lots of hybrids are now available, with flower colors ranging from slate grey, near-black, deep purple and plum, through rich red and pinks, to yellow, white and green.

Newer varieties include 'Pink Marvel', a real show stopper with rose pink stems and outer petals plus variegated foliage. The Immanence Series offers very prolific blooming at an early age with flowers that point upward (instead of nodding) in several colors.'Party Dress' offers frilly double flowers in colors ranging from purple to pink to white.

Nearly every garden has a spot for hellebores. They are excellent for bringing color to garden borders, under deciduous trees, or between other shrubs. They can handle shady locations, but perform best if given some morning sun. Treat them like any other acid-loving plant, and amend the soil with Gardner & Bloome Acid Planting Mix. Remove any old, tattered foliage each spring after blooming and feed them with Dr. Earth Rhododendron, Azalea and Camellia Fertilizer.

Perhaps nothing heralds the coming of spring like the magnificent flowers of the saucer magnolias (Magnolia soulangeana and hybrids) blooming on bare branches. These small deciduous trees or large bushes are some of the most popular blooomers in the home landscape. They perform best in sun but will still bloom well with some afternoon shade.

There are many cultivars of this hybrid species with large, 5-10" blossoms ranging in color from pure white to shades of pink and purple--and now even shades of yellow. The winter floral buds are large and fuzzy, giving rise to "candles" as they expand and open. Most of these varieties have an upright oval growth habit in youth, becoming rounded, spreading, and mounding with age. They make great small trees, with some varieties growing up to 30' ft high. Most varieties can be maintained at 10-15' with yearly pruning. The 6" medium-to-dark green leaves hold their color right through the end of fall, before they drop for winter.

Yamagami's Nursery offers some real beauties this year. Look for 'Elizabeth', a glowing yellow bloomer. 'Black Tulip' is stunning with rich dark purple blossoms. 'Athene' has extremely large flowers with outer petals shading from purple to ivory and inner color of creamy white. 'Daybreak' offers large fragrant pink blossoms weeks after other varieties for a late spring bloom.

Brush up on your winter gardening skills with a little help from Yamagami's Nursery. Resident experts and a couple of local professionals share their expertise in pruning and winter garden maintenance.  Classes generally last between 1 and 2 hours with plenty of time afterward for questions. Although classes are held under cover, we recommend dressing warmly and bringing a cushion for your folding chair. Space is limited so prepaid registration is requested. Walk-ins will be allowed only as space permits. Register for all classes by calling us at (408) 252-3347. 

Pruning 101 with Alan Tagami, Landscape Consultant. Many plants benefit from winter pruning, but some do not. Learn from an expert what and how to prune in winter. Alan will cover tools and techniques for the home gardener. Fee of $20 is rebated as a $20 coupon for merchandise good for a week after the class. Space is limited so prepaid registration is requested. Walk-ins will be allowed only as space permits. Class offered Sun., Feb. 10 at 2 PM. 

The ever-popular Pruning Japanese Maples with Alan Tagami, Landscape Consultant. Learn how to bring out the natural beauty of your trees. Fee of $20 is rebated as a $20 coupon for merchandise good for a week after the class. Space is limited so prepaid registration is requested. Walk-ins will be allowed only as space permits. Sessions offered Sat., Feb. 16 at 10 AM and 2 PM, Sun., Feb. 17 at 2 PM, and Sat., Feb. 23 at 10 AM.  

FREE Citrus Tasting hosted by Van's Nursery. Sample various winter-ripening citrus fruit to discover which you want to grow in YOUR garden. Sat., Feb. 9 from 10 AM to 2 PM. 

Cool Season Tomatoes! Steve Goto is bringing his organically grown heirloom cold-tolerant tomatoes and giving talks on how to succeed with them. Gisele Schonniger, organic gardening specialist from Kellogg’s, will be on hand to discuss soils and fertilizers. Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3 from 10 AM to 2 PM. Talks will be at 11 AM, noon and 1 PM both days. Get a jump on your summer harvests!

Exciting Asian Vegetables!  Maya Shiroyama of Kitazawa Seeds will be here to talk about some of the exciting choices in her seed line. Learn about varieties of Japanese cucumbers, Japanese eggplants, edamame, gourds and more! Sunday, March 2 from 2PM to 3PM. FREE!