It’s been 8 weeks since our seedlings were planted. One little pumpkin has set on one vine and we have a female flower on the other vine that hopefully will have set by the time you are reading this. We are eagerly watching them start to swell. Their godfather, Alan Tagami, has named our pumpkins Brutus and Mighty Mabel. The vines themselves are growing by leaps and bounds. It’s been exciting to watch the pumpkins’ effort to take over that corner of the nursery.  




Don’t forget our Giant Pumpkin Growing Contest! The lucky grower of the heaviest pumpkin wins...(drum roll, please)...

A Gourmet Harvest Dinner for Four prepared by the professional chefs at Whole Foods! You may have that dinner served to you in a garden setting here in the nursery or delivered to your home! 

The weigh-off will be on October 4th, hosted by radio personality, Bob Tanem, America’s Happy Gardener. Prizes will also be awarded to every entrant whose pumpkin is larger than ours. (We, of course, will not be in the running for the grand prize.) 

Come in to check the progress of our young fruit, and send us pictures of yours!

We've just received a few members of the Protea family for those who want the showiest of tropical cut flowers. Contrary to what many believe, Proteas are NOT native to Hawaii. They just like growing there (and who doesn’t). Most members of the Protea family are native to South Africa, with a few native to Australia. Pick up our FREE "Succeeding With Protea" Guide for more information. 

In stock are the King Protea(Protea cyanaroides), the Limestone Sugarbush (Protea obtusifolia), and Safari Sunset (Leucadendron hybrid). The King Protea is one of the most popular cut Protea with HUGE dramatic blossoms measuring 6” to 12” in diameter. Pink bracts surround the creamy center and the cut flowers last for weeks! It is a compact grower, 3’ to 5’ in height and width, and thrives in a half barrel. It appreciates the perfect drainage it gets in containers and being moved to a protected spot during frosty nights. 


The Limestone Sugarbush is a larger bush, to 9’ tall, with dark pink overlapping bracts. Their stems are short so they don't make good long-stemmed cut flowers but are useful for drying and craft purposes. They are very tolerant of alkaline soils as long as drainage is good. They do need frost protection in the winter.  




Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’ is a tall plant (to 8’) whose claim to fame is the bright colored bracts that surround the insignificant flowers. It is much hardier than other Protea family members, more cold tolerant, more tolerant of clay soils and more tolerant of alkaline soils. It is frequently sold as tall cut stems tipped with the glowing red bracts of its summer growth and the gold centered red bracts of its winter growth. 

Members of the Protea family that are also in the genus Protea are frost tender, so cold protection in winter is important. The Leucadendrons are considerably hardier (to 20ºF). Pick up a “Protect Your Garden from Jack Frost” guide for tips and strategies. If exciting cut flowers or exotic garden plants interest you, come in quick while our limited supply is in stock. Let the Garden Pros at Yamagami’s help you succeed with Proteas.

• First off, consider converting your overhead irrigation to drip irrigation for all non-lawn areas, if you haven't already done so. This concentrates the water where it needs to be (around the plant root ball) while eliminating excess runoff and evaporation.
• Water early in the morning when the temperatures are cooler and the sun isn't as intense. Thus, more water will penetrate to your plants’ roots instead of evaporating into the air. The best time is between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.
• When hand watering, make sure to place your nozzle near the soil instead of above the plant, where water is wasted to evaporation.
• Water lawns more deeply instead of more frequently when it gets hotter. You should have your timers set to water only until your lawn reaches the point of runoff. After that no additional water can be absorbed. Most lawns can get by on 20-30 minutes of water every three days. They may not look as good but they will survive. Deeper watering encourages the roots to go down further to chase the water, which results in less heat stress on the roots. Raise the mowing height on your mower. Taller grass cools and shelters the roots below, helping to reduce the need for more frequent watering.
• Use liquid Soil Pick to help your compacted soil better absorb water. It also contains a polymer to keep your soil open to air and water, allowing roots to penetrate deeper into the soil. This also helps the lawn become more resistant to pests, disease and weeds.
• Cover open areas around plants and trees with a two to three inch layer of mulch to help reduce evaporation, to keep the soil moist and cool, and to prevent weeds.
• Make sure to pull weeds as needed to reduce competition for water
• Feed your garden at least quarterly with a Dr. Earth Fertilizer to prevent rampant, soft, fleshy new growth that uses lots of water.
• Leave a two-inch space between the top of the soil and the rim of your container so that there is enough room for holding water without it flowing down the sides of your pot. Place a layer of mulch or bark on top of the soil to help retain moisture.