Choose some of the easiest and most dependable evergreens as the backbone of your indoor displays.

Many of them are tough enough for the more difficult positions around the home, and most of those suggested here are bold enough to be focal point plants too.

The glossy evergreens such as dracaenas, fatsias, ficus, scheffleras, palms and philodendrons generally make excellent stand-alone plants, but they can also be used as the framework plants for groups and arrangements. They will be far more robust than plants with thin or papery leaves, feathery and frondy ferns, or even those with hairy leaves.

You need these other leaf textures, as well as flowering plants, to add variety of shape and form and a touch of color, but it makes sense to use the toughest evergreens as the basis of your houseplant displays.

When a tough plant is needed for a cold or drafty spot, such as a hallway or near a back door, consider using some of the hardy foliage plants that have to cope with frost and gales when planted outdoors! Fatsia japonica is a glossy evergreen with fingered foliage, rather like the palm of a hand. Others to look for are variegated varieties of Aucuba japonica and Euonymus japonicus.

Ivies are also ideal if you need a tough climber or trailer. There are lots of varieties to choose from with a wide choice of leaf shape, size and color.

Roses must be pruned every year to maintain vigorous growth and to keep them flowering well. The best time to prune is while they are dormant.

Steps in pruning your roses:

• Think about each cut before you make it. All cuts should be at 45° angle and just above a bud that is facing away from the center of the bush.
• Remove the 3 D's--dead, diseased and damaged branches and canes.
• Remove old canes that produce only twiggy growth. If your bush is old and has only these old canes, save three or four and cut those back to 3 feet.
• The height to cut your canes back depends on the type of flowers you want. If you want the long stems for cutting, cut your canes back to 3 feet. If you want profuse flowers, but you're not concerned about stem length, cut the canes back one third.
• Remove all branches that are thinner than a pencil.
• Pull off all remaining leaves, rake up all debris, and put it in the trash. Do not use this for your compost pile, as there may be overwintering insects and/or diseases.
• Spray the pruned bush with dormant oil spray for over wintering insects and copper spray for over wintering fungus spores.

You can come in to Almaden Valley Nursery and pick up a FREE Rose Care Guide and Rose Pruning Guide. Feel free to ask one of our resident experts about dormant sprays or pruning techniques.

The variegated winter daphne is one of the most fragrant plants one can plant in a garden. The aroma from the sweetly scented blooms can stop you dead in your tracks. One deeply inhaled sniff and you'll think you've made it to heaven. No exaggeration here--the flowers smell that good!

Native to China and prized in Japan, the daphne was actually named for a female figure in Greek mythology. This beautiful evergreen shrub is prized for beautiful rosy-pink flower buds that open to white, sweetly fragrant flowers from midwinter to early spring. But the blooms are not the only great quality to this plant.

The glossy, almost waxy foliage is quite colorful too, with subtle yellow variegated edges on the bright blue-green leaves. Daphne makes a great foundation plant and grows moderately to 3-4' high and wide. It is relatively trouble-free--its only real requirement is that it must be planted in well-drained soil. It also doesn't like its roots disturbed once it has become established, so be careful planting bulbs or other seasonal flowers nearby.

Daphnes are ideal for north and east-facing garden spots, and look great against walls or can be planted near decks and windows, where the scent of the blossoms can be most easily enjoyed. The colorful foliage also makes for a good contrast with other semi-shade plants. Plant them near an entryway to allow all who visit to enjoy the delectable fragrance of these fragrant plants. We think there's no better way to say "Welcome to our home!"

Almaden Valley Nursery will receive a fresh shipment of winter daphne in the coming weeks. Feel free to call to see if it has arrived.

A great way to shake off the winter blues and get a jump on spring is to start plants from seed indoors. It's not only fun and easy to do but also rewarding, since it allows home gardeners the opportunity to grow plant varieties that may not be available from local plant growers. The opportunities are endless with many unique varieties of flowers, vegetables, and even ornamental vines available in seed form.

To get started, come visit our seed department. Once you have made your selections, look on the back of the packet for basic information such as germination time and an estimate of how long to grow the plant indoors before transplanting into the garden. Find out the average safe date for transplanting your plant in our area, and then count backwards to find out how early you can start your seeds. If you have a greenhouse or cold frame to transplant into, adjust accordingly.

The best containers to use are shallow seed starting trays with covers, such as Jiffy Easy Grow Greenhouse. Another option is to use peat pots, but plastic or clay pots will do just fine in a pinch. If using containers from a previous growing season, wash them with a solution of one part household bleach to nine parts water to sterilize them. This helps prevent the transfer of disease.

For good germination results, fill your containers with a light soil mix that has good drainage and moisture retention properties We recommend Gardner & Bloome Seed Starting Mix. Do not use garden soil. Make sure to wet your soil mix and allow it to drain before sowing the seeds into your containers.

Find a warm location in your home with plenty of light, or an area where you can mount a light above the plants. Most plants only need moisture and warmth to germinate, but will need the light to grow once they sprout leaves. Plain fluorescent light bulbs are fine when starting seeds but consider using at least one "grow light" tube if you are going to keep the plants under lights for an extended time (if you are trying to get full-sized plants by transplant time, you'll need a grow light or a very bright window). Remember that seedlings will quickly become weak and leggy plants if they don't receive enough light.

Seeds generally need a soil temperature above 65º to germinate. If you have trouble maintaining that temperature, consider using a heating mat. Covering your containers with plastic will help hold in moisture and create a humid environment that encourages the seed to germinate. That's why covered seed starting trays are the easiest containers to use.

Make sure your plants don't get too hot under the plastic, especially if you have the containers in a sunny area or under a warm light. Remove the plastic as soon as you see any signs of germination. Keep the soil mix evenly moist, and use lukewarm water if possible. Water very gently to avoid disturbing the tender seedlings.

When your seed germinates, it will send up a sprout with two seed leaves called cotyledons. After that, true leaves will follow. Begin feeding your seedlings weekly with a half-strength solution of fertilizer (ask us which is best for what you are growing) when the first true leaves develop. Continue feeding the seedlings until they are ready to be transplanted. The plants will be ready when the entire root ball is held together by the plant roots.

Make sure to harden off your plants before transplanting them into the garden. "Hardening off" is the process of acclimating plants to the light, humidity, and temperatures found outdoors. Start by placing your seedling containers outdoors in a shaded, sheltered location for a couple of hours per day. Gradually increase the time spent outside by an hour each day for at least a week before transplanting the seedling. With the exception of tomatoes, plant the seedlings at the same level they were grown in their pot. Tomatoes can be buried deeper than they grew in the pot--they will grow roots from the buried portion of the stem.

After transplanting, if your neighbors ask where you bought all those wonderful plants, just tell them, "They're truly homegrown!"

What’s the difference between a leafy veggie, flower veggie, root veggie, and fruit veggie?

Answer:

"Fruit-type vegetables" generally grow in the summer and are identified as vegetables that produce a "fruit" along or at the branch stems. These include green beans, cucumbers, peppers, squash, tomatoes and zucchini. Peas would be considered a "fruit" type vegetable but prefer growing in the cool season.

Leafy vegetables include "leaf-type" vegetables such as cabbage, chard, kale, lettuce and spinach, whose leaves are edible. "Flower-type" vegetables are ones such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, whose "flower" is eaten instead of leaves. "Root-type" vegetables are those such as beets, carrots, radishes and turnips, whose roots are the edible part of the plant.

Now you are fully equipped to "enlighten" friends with this incredible information when you find yourself at a loss for subject matter at the next dinner party you attend.

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.

This week's featured recipe goes GREAT with last week's Spanish Chicken. Try them together...you'll love it!

Did you know that at the beginning of each new month, we put the recipes that ran in the previous month's newsletter on our website, in the recipe archive? You can check there for any favorites or for ones you saw and were meaning to try. We hope you enjoy the recipes we share. Please let us know if you try any and if you like them. Also, we would love more reader submitted recipes too so don't forget to send us your favorites!

What You'll Need:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• ½ green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilis
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt

Step by Step:

1. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Saute rice, onion, and bell pepper until rice is browned and onions are tender.
2. Stir in water and tomatoes. Season with chili powder and salt. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.

Tip: This is great served with Spanish chicken.