Bananas, avocados, citrus and other sub-tropical fruits are now arriving and ready to be planted. Summertime is the best time to get your sub-tropicals planted. The warm soils and air will encourage rapid root growth enabling your plants to make it through the cold winter more easily. This summer we are thrilled to offer, in very limited quantities, a few new selections which have been frequently requested.

Yuzu (Citrus juno) is a highly prized citrus favored by the Japanese. It is about the size of a Mandarin orange, yellow and quite sour with a very fragrant rind, which is the part used in cooking. The tree itself is actually very frost hardy (down to 10 degrees F).

Curry Leaf (Murraya koenigii) is another ethnic treat used in Indian cooking. Fresh or dried leaves are cooked in oil and used for a distinct flavoring. It is a pretty plant with glossy leaves and white flowers but is quite frost tender. You’ll want to take precautions for the first few winters at least.

White Sapote Suebelle are small and green with incredibly sweet white flesh. They are hardy to about 22 degrees F. They are difficult to ship and must be hand-picked, so they are difficult to find but easy to grow.

Other sub-tropical taste treats include Dwarf Cavendish Banana, Dwarf Holiday Avocado, MacBeth Loquat, and lots of citrus varieties. PawPaws are not sub-tropicals but taste tropical, kind of like a cross between Mangos and Bananas, and look tropical with large lovely leaves. Follow our FREE Citrus and Avocado Planting Guide for guaranteed success with all of these and enjoy your tastes of the tropics.

Written by Carolyn Villa-Scott,
Advanced CCN Pro,
Master Fruit Taster

As a self-proclaimed fruit bat, I love nothing more than learning about and sampling different fruit. In my travels, I visit every Farmers Market and produce stand I see, always trying something new. I've been at Yamagami's Nursery for nearly 20 years and have been given the opportunity to participate in many fruit tastings. As a result I am a "Master Fruit Taster" and a member of the California Rare Fruit Growers. Many of our customers, originally from other parts of the world, have taught me about the fruits and vegetables of their homelands. There is always more to learn and sample!

One thing I've learned about growing plants is that it is frequently worth pushing the envelope of what can be grown here. The efforts spent in protecting plants from frost, or counteracting a heavy clay, alkaline soil are nothing compared to the satisfaction derived from that first flower or fruit. Living in the Santa Cruz Mountains means lots of experimenting and paying attention to the microclimates in my own garden. I love to help the willing-to-experiment with suggestions on how to succeed in growing what they really want. Of course many of my favorite fruit require no extra efforts for bountiful harvests. Persimmons, pomegranates, and feijoa, for example, have been pest-free and have thrived with little care. Whatever your priorities or garden space, you can harvest your own fruit, and I'll be happy to help you succeed.

By Tamara Galbraith

One of the easiest (too easy, for some) perennial herbs to grow is allium schoenoprasum, commonly known as onion chives.

Every herb gardener or fan of the loaded baked potato should have, at the very least, a pot of chives to clip from now and again. In fact, this clumping, grass-like plant is a wonderful seasoning for many foods, including eggs, soups and salads.

Keep the pretty pink flowers clipped off when growing the plant for culinary use, however, to ensure the foliage gets the best flavor. (The flowers make a lovely vinegar.) Removing the flowers also prevents the chives from reseeding and spreading, which some gardeners may find to be a problem.

Dividing the clumps and pulling out the old brown foliage every year will also go a long way in keeping your chives tidy and under control. They require little else, except full sun, well-drained soil and the occasional baked potato to bask upon.