Our 2007 Rose catalog is hot off the presses and full of rosy possibilities. Lorena, our rose buyer, carefully selects the best choices for our area from the thousands of roses available. New beauties and old favorites can be found on every page. Not just descriptions of our rose selection are contained, but also personal recommendations from Lorena for color and fragrance as well as staff favorites can be found within.

New fragrant choices include the gleaming white floribunda, Moondance; the warmly glowing grandiflora, Strike It Rich; and the cherry-red and cream hybrid tea, Baronne Edmond de Rothschild. Moondance is an All American Selection with clusters of large white blossoms that shade to yellow in the center. It has a strong rose fragrance with a hint of raspberry. Our test plant is still full of fragrant flowers in October. AARS winner Strike It Rich sports clusters of orange gold blossoms with a strong fruity/spicy fragrance. Baronne Edmond de Rothschild (1968) is not a new rose but is new for us. Her exhibition size blossoms, disease resistance and strong rose fragrance make her a highly desirable addition to any garden.

We invite you to peruse our selective catalog for the perfect rose for your garden. You will find that Lorena has assembled a delightful collection. We can also supply you with everything you need to for guaranteed success from FREE Planting guides to alfalfa and worm castings. Lorena and our friendly sales staff can guide you to a rosy future. We are here to make sure you succeed…the first time!

I have been working at Yamagami's Nursery for nearly ten years. I began as a phone person, and then a nurseryperson and rose buyer. I love all plants and flowers, and my garden reflects that love. My garden is registered as an official wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. I have a small water garden with goldfish and frogs, and have many places to sit and enjoy nature. My love for gardening is in my family heritage; my adult children Mark and Michelle have lovely gardens along with raising my wonderful grandchildren. They also have discovered a garden doesn't have to take a lot of time, but it does give back a lot of joy.

I love to travel. This year I visited family in Texas and Oregon. Most recently, I just got back from a wonderful trip visiting gardens, and hiking in Bali. Over the past years I have visited private gardens and botanical gardens in 7 states. I have enjoyed personal tours after hours with a wonderful group of friends, The Berkley Horticultural Society. I frequently see gardens I've visited featured in magazines. These trips have been educational as well as enjoyable. My horticulture knowledge has been greatly enhanced through these tours.

I enjoy the challenge of helping customers, whether it be landscape consulting, designing a container garden, helping with shade gardening or plantings for a balcony. In my opinion, if you desire it, you can have a garden no matter what your space.

Working at Yamagami’s Nursery is a rewarding experience for me. We are like family. Come on in and see us and let us help you create the garden of your dreams.

If you are one of those hundreds of people who have long been interested in bonsai but are unsure of your ability to succeed, attend one of our FREE upcoming Bonsai for Beginners Classes. Sunday, November 5 and Sunday, November 12 at 2 PM. Nick Esquivel, our bonsai enthusiast, will craft a bonsai tree for the class explaining each step as he goes. He will discuss tools, techniques and plants in a straightforward and easy to understand way, especially for beginners. Starter pots, tools and plants will be available for sale. Class size is very limited so get here early for a good seat. You too can succeed in crafting bonsai!

Pruning season is here, so break out your old pruning shears or invest in a new pair of Bahcos, our favorites. We've got good news and bad news about Bahco Pruning Shears. The bad news first: prices are going up and the packaging is changing from a complete kit to the shears alone. The good news is that we have a few dozen in stock still at the old prices and in a kit! The kit includes Sap-X cleaner, two different spring tensions and a tool to tighten or change parts as needed. Take advantage of last year's prices and get the kit accessories too. Pick up a pair of Bahco Pruning Shears to make your pruning jobs a lot easier.

By Tamara Galbraith and Carolyn Villa-Scott

Calendula, widely recognized as the Winter Marigold, comes from the Latin word calendae, meaning "throughout the months." Gardeners who plant this long-blooming herbaceous annual will find it certainly lives up to its name blooming from fall well into spring. In warm tones of oranges and yellows, its blooms add some heat to your chilly winter garden.

Although it is a member of the marigold family, the calendula's needs are quite different. They actually prefer cooler temperatures and evenly moist soil. If you're putting in transplants, use Harvest Supreme to amend your soil and Dr. Earth Starter Fertilizer at planting time. Calendulas also thrive in containers.

As your calendulas grow and flower, prune back spent blossoms to prolong blooming. Calendulas can continue to perform even after they're cut. Add the dried flowers to vinegar and use as a fish marinade or salad dressing. (In fact, the leaves themselves can be harvested for salads.) Tea made from calendula flowers is said to make a soothing eye wash, a mild treatment for skin irritations or a remedy for upset stomachs.

Give this hard-working beauty a try, and you'll be enjoy calendula -- as its name says - "through-out the months"!

P.S. - Amazingly, deer do not enjoy Calendulas!