Soquel Nursery Growers November - December  2006, January 2007 Newsletter

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Soquel Nursery Growers 3645 North Main Street Soquel, CA 95073 (831) 475-3533 (800) 552-0802 (831) 475-1608 fax

Holiday Schedule Closed Thanksgiving, November 23 & 24. Closed December 18 - January 1 Winter Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 – 4:00

Rock Garden Favorites If you have a well-drained spot in full sun or dappled light shade, we have a delightful combination of plants for you.
	Phlox subulata or Moss Pink forms a beautiful blue-green carpet of foliage covered with pink and white starry flowers. The variety ‘Candy Stripe’ blooms repeatedly throughout the winter and early spring.  It looks especially nice rambling around rocks and stepping stones.  Mix with Sedum reflexum for an elegant textural contrast. The Sedum reflexum will have yellow flowers in the summer, when the Phlox stops blooming.
Aquilegia flabellata is one of the earliest blooming Columbines. It has rounded, fan-shaped leaves and a compact growth habit to 15” tall. The flowers have the classic columbine shape in pink, white, or blue. This is one of the more mildew-resistant species. Sorry we don't have a picture yet!
	Saxifraga decipiens forms a low cushion of intriguingly serrated foliage, which turns crimson in the winter.  In the spring it has the cutest little pink flowers and bright green leaves.
	To make your rock garden complete, add Iberis ‘Alexander’s White’.  This evergreen Candytuft blooms reliably all winter. In full bloom it looks like a fluffy little white cloud.  It will have a few more flowers all year if you shear it occasionally and give it enough sun.

Breath of Heaven The feathery bright green foliage of Coleonema pulchrum makes it popular all year, but its tiny pink flowers really cheer up the grey winter days. Plant it near a path to enjoy the fragrance of the leaves. Coleonema looks great combined with just about anything. Try it with our Coprosmas or with Erica caniculata. You can shear it into a dense form, or selectively remove a few branches for an open, airy look. Plant it in a breezy spot to enjoy watching it wave in the wind.

Hardenbergia We are growing Hardenbergia violacea ‘Happy Wanderer’ in one-gallon cans this year, no fives. This vine will be covered with little purple sweet-pea flowers throughout the winter and spring. Gophers love it almost as much as people do, so you might want to plant it in a wire basket. This is a twining vine so give it something to curl around. Give it rich, well drained soil in sun or light shade. Hardenbergia ‘Happy Wanderer’ is one of the most hardy and vigorous selections.

Cordyline 'Red Sensation'

Cordyline has a wonderful bold texture that makes a dramatic focal point. The smoky reddish-purple ‘Red Sensation’ looks spectacular with silver and blue-gray foliage such as Artemesia ‘Powis Castle’, Juncus patens, and Westringia ‘Wynyabbie Gem’. Cordylines are often mistaken for Phormiums when they are young. When they get older they form a trunk, and get mistaken for Yuccas.  Cordyline ‘Red Sensation’ eventually gets 6’ tall or more. Cut it back when young if you want to encourage multiple trunks. Keeping it in a large pot will slow its growth. Change the potting soil periodically to keep it healthy.

DO YOU HAVE ANY COLOR? Yes, we do. In addition to color, we have many fabulous shapes and textures. If you buy from us, you have no excuse for a boring garden at any time of year, even the middle of winter. If you are visiting the nursery, the most fun thing to do is to stand up on an electric cart, or on top of the soil pile, and look out over our fourteen acres of color. This little list will help you out.

Violas or Pansies: Ultima Morpho (blue and yellow), Antique Shades (mix of peach, burgundy, yellow) and Imperial Frosty Rose (purple and white)

Nemesias will last and last and last. For best results, shear every six weeks and replace every three years. We have Nemesia fruticans 'Bluebird' and the best of the Sunsatia Series: Mango, Peach and Raspberry.   Say “Sun-say-sha”, like “Sensational”.

Arctotis or African Daisies bloom now and throughout the year. We have Burgundy, Flamingo, Golden Sunburst, Orange, Purple, Pumpkin Pie, and Sunspot. Check our on-line availability listing to see which ones look the best each week.

Lobelia cardinalis or Cardinal Flower blooms in the summer, but its dark red leaves look great all winter.

Euryops virgineus Euryops virgineus has finely textured needle-like leaves and masses of tiny yellow flowers. The sweet fragrance of the flowers gives it the common name Honey Euryops. This South African native grows to 4’x 4’ in full sun. Its bright green foliage looks fresh and tidy when out of bloom.