Just arrived: Sansho, AKA Japanese pepper, is widely grown and consumed in Asia as a spice. Despite the name, it is not related to black pepper or to chili peppers. It is popular in the cuisine of China, Tibet, Nepal , Korea and Japan, among others. Sansho has a unique aroma and flavor that is not hot or pungent like black or white pepper, or chili peppers, but has slight lemony overtones and creates a tingly numbness in the mouth. In Japan, its dried and powdered leaves are used to make noodle dishes and soups mildly hot and fragrant. The whole fresh leaves are used to flavor vegetables, especially bamboo shoots, and to decorate soups.

The Sansho plant itself, a distant cousin to citrus, is frost hardy and easy to grow. It is an interesting looking, evergreen shrub topping out at about 6 tall and 4 feet wide. It grows well in containers and can be used as the tall element of a mixed herb garden. Try it in combination with cilantro (Chinese parsley), Chinese flat chives, and shiso for an Asian-flavor garden. Sansho plants can be either male or female. Our plants are all male, for leaf harvest ONLY. To get peppercorns you need a male and a female and at this time we are not able to get any female plants.

Other Asian food favorites from the citrus family currently in stock include yuzu and Thai lime leaf.

Yuzu is a type of Asian citrus whose fruit has been gaining popularity in fusion cuisine over the last few years. The fruits themselves look like a smaller, more shriveled version of grapefruit, with a tart flavor. Both the juice and the rind are used in Japanese and Korean cuisine. Yuzu juice, vinegar, paste, and powder are sold in many parts of the world for flavoring marmalades, glazes, and dipping sauces. Yuzu is one of the main components of the Japanese condiment Ponzu sauce.

The Yuzu plant is a frost hardy, sturdy Citrus that is easy to grow. Available in dwarf form, it grows to about 6 to 8 feet tall. It does well in a container. If you love marmalades and citrus glazes, yuzu is a must have.
Thai Lime leaf (AKA Kaffir lime) is an important ingredient in Thai, Indonesian, Cambodian, and Laotian cooking. The leaves are highly aromatic and are said to have various health benefits. The young, tender leaves are used whole in soups. Pick them and store them in zip lock bags in your freezer. They make great hostess gifts for your foodie friends, too.

Thai lime leaf plants are frost tender and will need protection during cold snaps. Container plants can simply be moved to a protected spot or even into a garage during those frosty nights. Pick up a copy of our FREE Frost Protection guide for more ideas.

Let the Nursery Pros at Yamagami’s help you choose some exotic plants for your own garden of eatin’.

Seeds for 2010 from Renee’s Garden Seed have just arrived with some exciting new choices. This is the time to get your fall garden growing. Vegetable-wise, it’s time for leaf crops and root crops. Renee is offering some new varieties of both.

'Sweet Baby' romaine is bred to be compact, perfect for container growing. Heat tolerant and slow to bolt, 'Sweet Baby' romaine has a wonderful sweet flavor and crisp texture. It will make perfect individual Caesar salads.

'Sea of Red' is a gorgeous mahogany red leaf lettuce that holds its color even in full sun. It is as beautiful in the garden as it is on your plate! This is a perfect candidate for adding to an edible landscape. Imagine this as a border for a bed of daffodils--wow!

'Golden Gourmet' beets are a beautiful honey color throughout. Tender and sweet, they are delicious when pulled young, and when harvested fully grown. If you’ve never tried golden beets before, this is the variety to grow.

Come see all the new seeds from Renee’s Garden. There are also several new flower varieties, too. This is the time to start sweet peas and Renee’s Garden Seeds include lots of different sweet pea choices. Let Yamagami’s Nursery Pros help you get your fall garden started, starting with seeds.

Alan Tagami, Yamagami’s Plant Doctor has been making house calls for about a month, investigating yard and garden problems for the landscape-challenged. He reports that the majority of the problems he has diagnosed are directly related to watering issues. His recommendations:

• Mulch everything! Cooler roots mean healthier plants (and soil).

• Water deeply but not often. The longer plants can go in between watering the deeper their roots will grow.

• Avoid watering the bark of trees; use soaker hoses wherever possible. 

If you are having problems in your garden, call Plant Doc Alan at (408) 252-3347 for an appointment. Fee is $100 per hour with $50 of that rebated as credit on merchandise. Travel time fee depends on your zip code. There is no travel time charge for the following 6 zip codes: 95014, 95030, 95070, 95117, 95129, and 95130. Travel time fees are not rebated.

We were thrilled to receive the following email from a happy customer along with photos of her container plants. 

I just want to thank the Yamagami Nursery staff for your incredible service!  I found everyone who helped me at your store exceedingly helpful to this novice gardener. I think I spent at least an hour and a half at your store before coming home with plants, pots, soil and fertilizer. I arranged my plants based on your 'thriller, filler, spiller' method, and am just loving the results! I couldn't have gotten these results without the expert advice of your staff! I now have a very green, tranquil corner on my little 6'x10' deck. It's a haven from my hectic work-a-day world.

Thank you so much!
Anna 

Well, that really made our day! The “thriller, filler, spiller" recipe for container gardens is from noted Garden Designer, P. Allen Smith. As you can see from these photos it is a very good recipe! 

We encourage you to share your inspirational success stories and photographs. Email them to InfoCenter@YamagamisNursery.com and let us know if you are willing to let us publish them. We will not print last names or addresses unless you request it.

Sir Galahad, our giant pumpkin, continues to thrive under the watchful eyes of Godfather Alan and Waterwench Poli. Godfather Alan estimates Galahad's weight at nearing 200 lbs! Now that Arthur (the vine) has been pruned back, all of Arthur’s energy is going to Galahad. Galahad is starting to color up in preparation for fall. We hope he will perhaps double in weight by harvest on October 10th in time for our Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off. Don’t miss this fun event with garden celebrity host, Bob Tanem, as judge. Last year’s winner was a whopping 825 lbs! We can’t wait to see this year’s contestants! 

Here are some shots of the giant pumpkins being grown by brother and sister, Levi and Romy Tam, who both attended one of Stuart Shim’s classes. They are having a sibling competition of their own! 

Go to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Cupertino-CA/Yamagamis-Nursery-Garden-Center/63172657808 for more frequent updates and photos. 

Send us reports of your own pumpkin growing experiences and photos to InfoCenter@YamagamisNursery.com to share with our readers.

FREE Dahlia Show!

Come see some amazing blossoms, get inspired and learn from the experts how to succeed in growing your own garden.

Saturday, Aug. 22 - 10 AM to 3 PM
Sunday, Aug. 23 - 10 AM to 3 PM

FREE Begonia Show and Talk!

The Santa Clara Valley Branch of the American Begonia Society will have some amazing Begonia varieties on display--and many for sale! Their selection will include fancy leaf types (like Rex), cane types (think Angel Wings), rhizomatus types (like Tiger Kitten) and others. They do not specialize in tuberous types.

They will conduct a FREE talk on the different types and their care at 11 AM.

Saturday, Aug. 29 - 10 AM to 3 PM
Talk 11 AM

Yamagami’s Fall Garden Fair

Look for guest experts, free samples, special savings and so much more! Stay tuned for details!

Saturday, September 19 and
Sunday, September 20