Feeling a space crunch in your garden. Looking for ways to bring in more fruit trees? Let them climb your walls! Espaliered (trellised) fruit trees take advantage of blank walls and turn them into flat orchards. Fences, garages and walls of your home can all be used to produce a harvest. Many fruit trees can be trained flat and some are available already trained. We are now offering espalier-trained apples, cherries, pears and citrus. The espalier-trained trees have the great advantage of already having their scaffold structure set so that maintaining it is pretty easy. Espaliered trees are easier to pick too!

For the apples, cherries and pears the other major benefit is that they are multi-grafted with pollinators so that they are very productive in a small space. This also means that the harvest season happens over a much longer period than any single variety. The espaliered apple trees are grafted with Fuji, Golden Delicious, Gala, Bisbee Red Delicious, Gravenstein and Braeburn. The espaliered pear is grafted in three tiers (like the apple) with Bartlett, Comice, D’Anjou, Flemish Beauty, Bosc and Red D’Anjou. What a treasure trove on these trees!

The espaliered cherries are grafted in 2 tiers with Bing, Van, Royal Ann and Lambert. Instead of a forty foot tall tree, you’ll be able to keep this tree under ten feet and still harvest a good crop. Bird netting/protection is also a lot easier with a ten foot tree.

Warning! These trees are always the first ones to sell out. Come in right away if you have a sunny wall you’d like to transform into your orchard. Be sure to pick up our free planting guides and Backyard Orchard Culture Guide for success… the first time.

Summer garden glory is locked in the bulbs and tubers now arriving from Langeveld Bulbs. Begonias, gladiolas and dahlias carry the promise of beautiful blossoms to come. This is the time to pick up the new and exciting varieties that sell out first.

Beyond the big three listed above, we also offer many less frequently seen gems like crocosmia, a hummingbird favorite; fragrant tuberose, for island ambiance; and bletilla, the Chinese ground orchid. Bareroot plants are also arriving, like daylilies, clematis, and peonies. The lily family is well represented with colored calla lilies, canna lilies, oriental lilies and more.

Be sure to pick up our free Spring Bulb Planting Guide as a handy reminder of planting depths. Use Dr. Earth Bulb Food when planting for guaranteed success. Get the best bulbs early while selection is at its best. Be sure to catch Chris Maclaggan of Langeveld bulbs when he’s here Saturday, February 24th. Though his focus will be dahlias, he will also cover all the beauties to be found in our Spring bulb collection. See the Winter Class schedule for details.

One of my favorite veggies to grow and to eat is green beans. There are so many tasty varieties, each with their own appeal. Those tough so-called “wonder” beans found in supermarkets bear little resemblance to the sweet crisp wonders found throughout Europe. Many of those varieties are seldom seen here except in discerning restaurants or Farmers' Markets. Luckily green beans are easy to grow from seed and Renee’s Garden Seeds offers many tasty choices. There are bush forms that require no staking and pole forms that do need support, but can produce more in a limited space.

The French Filet or Haricot Vert is available from Renee in bush form as 'Rolande' and in pole form as 'French Duet' (green and yellow colors). These beans offer delectable flavor and a crisp texture far surpassing “wonder” capabilities. These set the standard for green beans.

My personal favorites though, are the 'Roma' type (flat pod) beans. These are the steaks of the green bean world. Renee offers improved 'Roma' in bush form and 'Musica' (from Spain) in pole form. I found 'Musica', labeled only “Italian” in a local produce market and found it to be the best bean I had ever tasted. Renee’s staff was able to identify them as 'Musica' and I can’t wait to grow them this year. They are broad and crunchy with an amazing meaty quality and unbelievable flavor.

Green beans are a great crop for families with children. The seeds are large enough for children to handle and the seedlings grow quickly enough to keep their interest. Pick up a free copy of our Green Bean Teepee Guide for a fun family project. Renee’s Tricolor Pole Bean seeds might be of special interest to kids because they produce green, gold and purple pods.

Be sure to catch Renee Shepherd in person here at Yamagami’s Nursery on Saturday, February 24th. See the Winter Class Info below for more info. Bringing in guest experts like Renee is just one way Yamagami’s Nursery helps you to succeed…the first time...in all your gardening efforts.

When Amanda is not here at work she is usually chasing after her two sons, now 15 and 12. A busy mom, Amanda also serves on the School Site Council for Baldwin Elementary. Her special talent is her ability to identify See’s Candies from their shape. For relaxation she enjoys reading, playing with Tuna, their kitty, and going for long walks. She enjoys traveling with Barry, her husband, and takes the kids camping every year.

Her favorite part of her job here is interacting with the staff and our suppliers. With her experience in holding her own household together, she manages to keep the info and paperwork from all our suppliers straight. Many times it is Amanda who will call you to clarify or assist with your special orders. If you should hear from her, be sure to thank her for a job well done. Amanda is one of the invisible members of the staff that keep everything going smoothly so that you will succeed…the first time!

Winter classes at Yamagami’s Nursery continue through March. Class fee is $20 per person per session, which is rebated as a merchandise credit good for the day of the class. Classes last between 1 and 2 hours, allowing time for individual questions after each session. We suggest you dress warmly and bring a cushion for your folding chair.

FREE Citrus Tasting with Roger and Deanna of Van’s Nursery on Saturday, February 3rd from 10 AM to 2 PM. Come sample California’s winter gold. Try before you buy citrus trees for your own backyard orchard, even if it’s just in a pot. Roger and Deanna will be happy to answer all your questions about growing the different varieties. Drop by!