If you are looking for azaleas that reliably rebloom, Encore Azaleas® are the plants for you! These hybrid azaleas bloom in spring and fall, plus we have heard reports of some summer bloom, too. They will tolerate full sun (with reflected heat) but much prefer full morning sun with filtered shade in the afternoon. We have received seven colors this spring, something perfect for any garden. They grow equally well in containers, too. For lots of color, add Encore Azaleas® to your life! Follow our Rhododendron, Azalea and Camellia Planting Guide for guaranteed success.

When fruit gets to be about the size of a nickel it’s time to start thinning so your trees won’t bear too much fruit. "What’s wrong with too much fruit?" you might wonder. Plenty! Fruit developing too close together is in greater danger of insect and disease problems. It will be smaller and can even be less flavorful.  Worst of all, it can cause branches to break from the weight of the fruit. It really hurts to lose a branch of nearly ripe fruit! It’s hard on the tree too.

Stone fruits (peaches, plums and apricots) and pomes (apples and pears) will often set far more fruit than they can actually bear. Sometimes they will “self-prune” by dropping extra fruit, but even that may not be enough. Go over your trees, carefully removing fruit by hand, leaving only 1 per cluster and spacing individually set fruit. One easy to remember rule of thumb is to thin to a fist apart (about 4”). 

Even if you have carefully thinned your fruit, branches can still be weighed down. Prop a Crop® to the rescue! We offer this now very popular handy reusable support for these bumper crop years (and for those who didn’t get time to thin). Its clever design resembles a crutch, which is exactly what is needed. Prop-a-Crop® is easy to use, install, remove and adjust. Lightweight and rustproof, it will last for many years.

When you are thinning fruit, it is also an excellent time to start "summer" pruning to control the height of your trees. If you are not sure how to prune this time of year, attend the "Summer" Pruning class with Nancy Garrison on April 25th. (See Coming Events, below, for details.) Let the Nursery Pros at Yamagami’s help you succeed with your garden of eatin’.

Once again Yamagami’s Nursery is hosting a Giant Pumpkin Growing contest. Giant Pumpkin Kahuna Stuart Shim was here to spread the seed and the word to all interested. If you missed out, we still have copies of his growing guide, which you are welcome to pick up. Unfortunately, we ran out of his seeds, though they are available online from various sources. Look for Atlantic Giant Pumpkin seeds for the truly massive pumpkins.

Details for the weigh-off are still to come. Last year’s winner, Nedra Lettunich of Saratoga grew a whopper of 823 lbs. and was the awe of all her neighbors! You can do it too! Come in to pick up Stuart’s special instructions and all the supplies you need to succeed. For a taste of what you missed, CLICK HERE to see a video of Stuart’s appearance at Yamagami’s Nursery.

While you are here, enter the nationwide Endless Summer Spa-tacular Sweepstakes for a chance to win a delightful day of pampering for you or your mom. A lucky winner will receive a $500 gift certificate to indulge in a day at a spa, and the runner up will receive a $100 gift certificate towards a spa treatment at a spa of your choice. Who deserves pampering more than a Mom?

The sweepstakes end May 22, 2009. Spa gift certificates are redeemable through spafinder.com. The sweepstakes is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Sweepstakes end 5/22/09. Sweepstakes open to all legal residents of the 48 United States or District of Columbia who are 18 years or older at the time of entry. Limited to one entry per household. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Click HERE for the official rules. 

By now, most of you know that Santa Clara Valley Water District has asked for a mandatory 15% water use reduction. Individual water companies will make their own decision and send out notices soon. Let Yamagami’s Nursery be your Water Saving Headquarters with the tools and information you need to succeed in saving water and saving your landscape too! 

For example, water restrictions don’t mean letting your lawn die.  Attend a Water-Wise Lawn Class on April 25th for advice on maintaining a healthy lawn with less water. (See details in Coming Events, below.) We do suggest rethinking how much lawn you really need before installing a new lawn. We offer many low-water use groundcover alternatives. 

If you need landscape plants, check out our Californian and Australian native plant tables for good candidates. Although they will need water to get established, they will save you water and money for years to come. 

Come to Yamagami’s Nursery for all your low water-using garden needs. We are here to help you succeed...the first time.

"Summer" Fruit Tree Pruning with Nancy Garrison, Fruit Tree expert.

Spring is the time to begin "summer" pruning to control the size of your fruit trees.

$20 fee per person, rebated as a $20 coupon for merchandise. Space is limited so pre-paid registration is STRONGLY recommended. To pay to reserve your spot, come in or call us at (408) 252-3347 and use a credit card. Walk-ins will be allowed ONLY if space is available.

Saturday, April 25th at 10 AM

Water-wise Lawn Care with Ron Kanemoto, CCN Pro. 

Learn how to water, feed and maintain a healthy lawn without wasting resources.

$10 fee per person rebated as a $10 coupon for merchandise. Space is limited so pre-paid registration is STRONGLY recommended. To pay to reserve your spot, come in or call us at (408) 252-3347 and use a credit card. Walk-ins will be allowed ONLY if space is available.  

Saturday, April 25th at 2 PM

Watering 101 with Alan Tagami. This is the time to adjust your watering for the upcoming water restrictions. Learn how to save your landscape (and property value), save money and save water! FREE!

Sunday, April 26th at 11 AM 

Avocado Day!

Aaron Dillon of 4 Winds Growers discusses avocado varieties for our area. Learn how to succeed growing your own guacamole!

$20 fee per person is rebated as a $20 coupon for merchandise. Space is limited so pre-paid registration is STRONGLY recommended. To pay to reserve your spot, come in or call us at (408) 252-3347 and use a credit card. Walk-ins will be allowed ONLY if space is available.  

Saturday, May 16th at 10 AM and 2 PM