Almaden Valley Nursery is now receiving many of our contract grown Hostas. Here are a few of our staff favorites:

Corralitos Moon - Corralitos is a small Central California village where the air is clear and the full moons are spectacular. This Hosta takes its name from this village where it was originally grown. This Hosta has very broad leaves, bright yellow when they first emerge, later taking on some chartreuse shading. I believe the flowers are white.

Diamond Tiara - This vigorous cultivar forms a compact mound of ovate to heart-shaped, wavy-margined, pale olive-green leaves, irregularly margined with creamy white and gray-green blotches. Bears violet flowers, in midsummer. Hardy perennials for shaded gardens with large, bold leaves often marked with contrasting colors. Leaves range in shape from round to lance-shaped, and colors can be yellow to green to blue, often with white, yellow or green marginal markings. Lavender or white flowers grow on 2 foot stalks in early summer. Wonderful contrast when planted with small-leaved plants, adding texture to the landscape.

Eskimo Pie - an amazing new sport from the popular H. 'Northern Exposure'. Each round, corrugated, blue-green leaf is highlighted by a large, creamy central pattern. As the season progresses, the central pattern lightens to a parchment white. This has proven to be a very good grower making a 3' wide clump topped in late spring with near-white flowers atop 30" scapes.

Patriot Hosta - the 1997 Hosta of the Year, a sport of 'Francee' with the same beautiful dark green centers and form, but with a much wider crisp white margin. It is very showy! Lavender flowers bloom in mid-summer. For the best results, plant in a morning sun location with moist, rich well drained soil. It grows to heights of 15-20 inches and widths of 24 inches. It does well in shade. The Patriot Hosta stands out in a crowd of Hostas, or serves as a specimen when by itself.

Sum and Substance - Biggest and most popular hosta in the world, this immense plant is sure to satisfy. Robust size makes a perfect focal point to set off with bronze and dark green plants. Stiff leathery leaves in bright chartreuse fading to gold as days grow long and warm. Flowers in 3 foot stalks decked in lavender bells around midsummer. Prefers fertile well drained soil and even moisture. Plant in shade and mulch in hot climates. Herbaceous perennial. Shade to part sun. Rapid growth to 2 to 3 feet tall and spreading to a mammoth 5 to 6 feet wide. Note how large the leaves are compared to my foot in the picture.

Thunderbolt - We don't get excited anymore at every new hosta that comes along, but here is one that we feel is truly special. This mutation of H. sieboldiana 'Elegans' from Rick Crowder of NC's Hawksridge Nursery is sure to become an industry standard. From a distance, it closely resembles H. 'Dream Weaver' except that the foliage is extremely blue and thick, which indicates probable tetraploidy. The thick blue leaves are highlighted with a creamy central band, producing a stunning, 3' wide clump. In late spring, the clumps are topped with 20" stalks of white flowers. If you have trouble growing H. 'Great Expectations', give H. 'Thunderbolt' a try. One of my favorites!

Tokudama Favocircinalis - The leaves have a blue center with wide gold margins that streak into the center. Heavily corrugated. Near white/pale lavender flowers, slug resistant, an outstanding hosta for your collection. 18" tall by 40" wide. A slow grower but good to consider when you're looking for perennials for shade.

Warwick Delight - lovely yellow center leaves with a good dark green margin. Lavender flowers. Medium mound size at maturity.

Some of these varieties are very limited so for the best selection, you should come in for yours soon.

All of these photos above were taken this week at Almaden Valley Nursery.

All plants are not created equal in the eyes of children. Although they don't differentiate when it comes to flowers over vegetables, annuals or perennials (in fact they're likely to plant them side by side), kids have their hands-down favorites.

Kids like extremes: huge flowers, like the classic sunflower, and small vegetables, like cherry or tiny grapelike tomatoes. If you have room, try 'Atlantic Giant' pumpkins; if you don't, try bush cucumbers and pick them early for tiny pickles. Try plants that come in surprising colors, such as purple carrots, striped beets, rainbow chard, and 'Easter egg' radishes.

Textured plants are irresistible. If your conditions are right for them, include the fuzzy woolly thyme and lambs' ears, the prickly coneflower and strawflowers, and the delicate maidenhair fern and columbine.

Fragrant plants transport the imagination. If you grow them now, your child will always remember the scents of heliotrope, mignonette, roses, peonies, and lilacs. If you show them which plants to rub between their fingers, they'll never forget lavender, pineapple mint, lemon balm, rosemary, basil, and scented geraniums.

Butterflies are beloved in the garden. Everyone says plant monarda, butterfly weed, and salvia to attract them. We say plant parsley, dill, milkweed, thistles, and knapweed — wild plants are the diet butterflies expect.

Night bloomers fill summer evenings with magic. Children will never forget the nights they went out with flashlights and saw the sphinx moths zooming among the nicotiana and moonflowers. Four o'clock strikes and evening primrose open, as their name promises.

Positively pickable plants get the thumbs up from kids. While mom's landscape may be off-limits for bouquet gathering, children should have free rein over certain cutting gardens. Cosmos, snapdragon, salvia, zinnia, coleus, and celosia are just a few that produce more vigorously if picked.

And besides all these high-performance plants, parents shouldn't overlook those stalwarts of the nursery trade. Common annuals or tender perennials are common because they bloom reliably all summer long. That's what kids want, so include these hard-workers in the mix:

For full sun: geraniums, morning glories, marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias, salvia, snapdragons, strawflowers, and sunflowers.

For semi-shade: begonias, forget-me-nots, impatiens, Johnny-jump-ups, and pansies.

For deeper shade, flowering annuals are hard to come by: abutilon, variegated ivies, sensitive plants, and ferns.

Don't overlook bulbs and corms — especially the tiny ones such as daffodils and irises. Grape hyacinth, crocus, and snowdrops are naturally small. 
Please stop by with your children for all your gardening needs!

A backyard retreat means something different for each of us. It could be a quiet corner in the shade with a comfortable chair for reading, or a chaise lounge in the sun. Perhaps it is a table for two for quiet dining or a large table seating 6-8 with an outdoor kitchen perfect for large dinner parties. Whatever your choice, needs and desires, include other features such as a bubbling fountain, koi pond, trees and flowers in a container arrangement.

Most of these ideas can be incorporated in part no matter what the special area is for this special retreat. It could be a balcony, tiny patio garden or large backyard. Everyone can have a private customized retreat.

When designing a garden retreat, first take time to imagine the future dream garden that you desire. A multitude of questions will come pouring into your mind as you begin to envision your future garden. Or, for those less aware of just what to do, consider what your answers are to these questions.

1. Do you want a retreat for serenity after hectic days at work; do you want a space designed for entertaining.
2. How much space do you have? Is this a patio transformation, a small grotto along the side of your house, or the entire backyard?
3. What ever your desire, next consider what 'look' you would like - be it tropical, formal, informal cottage garden, or Asian.
4. Color and texture choices. Color and textures can be added in many different ways. Through the plant foliage, fabrics, walls and flooring (you could paint them!), pottery, statuary, garden art and more.
5. Sound. Quiet water, bubbling water, splashing water, birds singing and/or leaves rustling in the breeze?
6. Water feature. Do you want a fountain, pool, pond, pond with waterfall?
So you see, there is much to consider when planning your very own backyard retreat. Join us at the garden center. Wander through our fountains, pottery and plants - experience the various outdoor settings that we have displayed here for you.

Yes, the nymphs are sucking at your plant, but the damage is minimal at worst. If you don’t like the "spit" look all over you plants, just hose it off. That’s all you have to do to clean up after the spittlebug!

If you want to eliminate the problem permanently, use Ortho Systemic Insect Control.

Matt was born and raised in San Jose (Almaden Valley). After graduating from high school, Matt left Almaden to attend Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo, where he received a degree in Ornamental Horticulture, concentrating in Landscape Design.

Matt first worked as a foreman with a landscape maintenance company at the Stanford Research Institute and then at another retail nursery before joining Almaden in 1993. In July 2006, Matt and his wife Jeni purchased Almaden Valley Nursery. Matt is very active in the industry and has served as president of the local chapter of the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers and now serves on state boards for the same organization.

Matt has an extensive wine collection as well as rock 'n' roll art memorabilia. In his spare time he likes to go wine tasting with his wife Jeni and big game fishing with his friends in Mexico. Matt and Jeni have two boys--Ryan and Shane.