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September 14, 2011   You are receiving this email because you requested it, if not see the end of this email.


In This Email Update...
Succulents at Markham's Nursery
Markham Has Gardening Books for Sale
---Books For Sale at Markham About Succulents

Succulents at Markham's Nursery

Many of you who have wandered through Markham's nursery beds on shopping days are familiar with our great selection of California native plants and drought tolerant perennials. Sometimes overlooked underneath the gazebo in front of the greenhouses is another collection comprised of an array of interesting succulents. Used frequently in many landscape designs, succulents are favored for their sculptural qualities, unusual colors and even their showy flowers. They work well in the landscape of houses with a wide range of architectural styles from minimal contemporary to mission revival to Italian Tuscany. They look good in borders, terraced slopes, or tucked inside the small spaces of a rock garden. They look spectacular grouped in low bowl like containers. I like to use succulents in containers because I can move them underneath the overhang by my front door in the winter. This protects them from too much cold and too much rain and gives me a little color during the winter.

   Because succulents store water in their leaves and roots, they are able to tolerate periods of low watering but most will like weekly watering during spring and summer. They do like good drainage (another reason to use containers or raised beds) and a sunny location. Markham has some succulents in gallon containers and a very good selection in 4" pots. If you've not tried succulents before, you might try putting a few small varieties together in a low container and see if you get hooked too by these easy and colorful plants. 

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Markham Has Gardening Books for Sale (cont.)

We have picked out some new interesting garden books as well as some of our old favorites to offer for sale at our Saturday plant sales. They are now priced at 10% off list price for all customers and 30% off for our members. During the next few emails, we will be providing brief descriptions of the books we have available.

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Books For Sale at Markham About Succulents

Designing with Succulents

By Debra Lee Baldwin

From the publisher, Timber Press: "Succulent plants offer dazzling possibilities for garden design and require only minimal maintenance to remain lush and alluring year round. Featuring the work of more than 50 professional garden designers and creative homeowners, this complete design compendium is as practical as it is inspirational. Lavishly illustrated with over 300 photographs, it gives design and cultivation basics for paths, borders, slopes, and containers; hundreds of succulent plant recommendations; and descriptions of 90 easy-care, drought-tolerant companion plants. Beginners and experienced designers, landscapers, and collectors alike will find what they need to visualize, create, and nurture the three-dimensional work of art that is the succulent garden."

 

Succulent Container Gardens:
Design Eye-Catching Displays with 350 Easy-Care Plants

By Debra Lee Baldwin

From the publisher, Timber Press: "With their colorful leaves, sculptural shapes, and simple care, succulents are beautiful yet forgiving plants for pots. If grown in containers, these dry-climate jewels - which include but are not limited to cacti - can be brought indoors in winter and so can thrive anywhere in the world.

In this inspiring compendium, the popular author of Designing with Succulents provides everything beginners and experienced gardeners need to know to create stunning container displays of exceptionally waterwise plants. The extensive palette includes delicate sedums, frilly echeverias, cascading senecios, edgy agaves, and fat-trunked beaucarneas, to name just a few. Easy-to-follow, expert tips explain soil mixes, overwintering, propagation, and more."

 

The Garden Succulents Primer

By Gideon Smith and Ben-Erik van Wyk

From the publisher, Timber Press: "Succulents and rock garden plants have become popular for their ease of cultivation, diversity of form, and striking colors. Their natural drought tolerance makes them especially useful for gardens in arid climates and water-conserving gardens. The Garden Succulents Primer is a user-friendly identification guide. It includes detailed descriptions of more than 400 well-known succulents and their close relatives that will allow readers to quickly determine the family to which a succulent belongs. Descriptions are supported with 450 color photographs that showcase each plant's distinctive shape and color. Also includes chapters on use, conservation, cultivation, and propagation."


  Come and Visit the Nursery. Summer is finally here. Visit us and be prepared to get your summer (fills), and fall (starting to think ahead?) garden finished/started and on its way with the warm weather. Our volunteers are normally here on Tuesday morning from 9 until noon to help you find and make the appropriate selection for your garden.

The Nursery is located at 1202 La Vista Avenue (off Clayton Road) in Concord (map). On Tuesday's you can drive all the way into the Nursery area. The office phone is 925-681-2968 or you can email to info@markhamarboretum.org.

 

We look forward to seeing you soon! ... from all the volunteers!

Plant Sales every Tuesday from 9 until noon
Saturday Plant Sales Scheduled for 2011:  10am - 2pm
 Upcoming 2011 Saturday Sales:
 September 10th, October 15th, November 5th

Most 4" pots @ $3      Most 1 Gallons @ $5