SEPTEMBER 2018Serving You Since 1955

981 Alden Lane, Livermore, CA • www.aldenlane.com • (925) 447-0280

Featured Artist: Eleanor Burns •  Eleanor Burns  introduced her first Quilt in a Day book over 30 years ago and 

has been making an impact in the  quilting world ever since. She sought to bring the  tradition of quilt  making to a new audience with her  innovative  techniques. Her  aptitude for writing  instructions that were  concise and easy to understand made her books popular. It is not surprising these abilities  further lent themselves to a long career of  teaching in  person and on TV. She has had additional success by  developing her own fabric lines and special edition sewing machines. Alden Lane is thrilled to have  Eleanor Burns as our featured artist for our 2018 Quilting in the Garden.

Guest Artists exhibiting in the Greenhouse:• Park Bench Stories by Leni Levenson Wiener 

 consist of 39 pieces that represent people who have come to sit on a park bench at some point during a day, a week, or longer. The bench is implied until the very last piece in the exhibition, which shows the empty bench. Until that point, viewers are invited to imagine for themselves the bench and its location. The interactive connection makes this a good exhibition for school groups, writers’ groups as it inspires viewers to create their own  stories based on the pieces. Those  interested in fiber art, art quilts or the psychology of body  language also find this an  intriguing exhibition.

• Gail Sims: Art has always been a part of my life. In my earlier years, one of my closest neighbors was the Brooklyn Museum which provided hours of exposure to art in most of it’s forms. The Botanical Gardens and Prospect Park were sanctuaries of beauty and peace in the midst of high rise apartment buildings. As I studied mathematics, there was always an art class involved somewhere to rest my brain. Over the years, my journey has encompassed many art forms from painting to pottery, textiles in weaving, yarn, dying

and painting on cloth, and now, full circle to painting with wax (Encaustics) on boards and paper. My hope is to draw the viewer into my journey. I hope to make someone ponder, smile, find the combination of color, value, shape or design pleasing. My ultimate goal is that the viewer is as satisfied with the end product as I am.

 • Out of the Box’ers Exhibit: The Out of the Box’ers Friendship group is part of the Amador Valley Quilt Guild. We strive to improve our skills  creating art quilts. In the past four years we challenged ourselves creating 12" by 15" quilts with themes drawn from our notorious secret box! Each person interprets the word or phrase as they wish. We hope you enjoy the display. 

. . . is Here!Saturday & Sunday, September 22nd & 23rd • 9 am - 4 pm

Call or visit our website for Quilt Show workshop opportunities.

BUTTERFLY GARDEN SAMPLERSeptember 2018

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SalviasAdd Sun Loving, Long Blooming

Color to the GardenThe salvia family is endless! There are ornamental and edible members of this 

 expansive family. Indeed, salvia for every situation in the garden is a very plausible thought. Salvias love the sun, but will be happy with a little shade in some of the hotter areas of the valley. Many are long blooming, attract hummingbirds and butterflies and require very little care once established. Here are a few of our favorites:•  Salvia microphylla – This salvia is more leafy and dense than the Salvia 

 greggii. Bright red flowers are borne in 4-6 inch clusters. The plant itself can reach 3-5 feet tall. This salvia is easy to grow and can be cut back almost to the ground if needed without harming the plant. It has a very long bloom season in mild areas. Hummingbirds love it! •  Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’ – This is one of the most dependable butterfly magnets 

you can grow. This is a very long flowering perennial with inflorescences of blue-violet flowers and purplish calyces. It starts blooming in early summer and continues unabated until first frost. •  Salvia mexicana ‘Limelight’ – One of the most beautiful of the sages, this 

variety produces an abundance of vivid, royal blue flowers protruding from showy lime green  calyxes on upright spikes. Prune hard in the late fall or winter and you get many flower producing spikes that make long lasting  bouquets. Loves the full sun. Can reach 4 feet in height. •  Salvia leucantha – This variety 

is commonly known as Mexican Sage. Long velvety purple spikes set with small white flowers crown the top of  arching gray-green foliage. Long lasting bloom from  summer to the first frost. Makes  a good background plant in a border or large planting bed. Cut back in winter if stems have become too woody. •  Salvia greggii – Known as Autumn Sage, this variety is available in a 

number of flower colors - red, yellow, pink, white and purple. Erect growth to about three feet with medium green foliage. Plant in full sun. •  Salvia elegans – This has a different twist from some of its cousins. 

The light green leaves carry a fruity pineapple scent and taste when crushed. It produces red flowers on short spikes. Use the leaves in cool drinks or fruit salads. Plant near a path so it can be brushed against to release the fragrance. 

Win A Butterfly Garden Sampler!

No purchase  necessary. No need to be  present to win! Drawing to be held September 30, 2018.

A $58.95  Value 

We’ll help you select five 1-gallon perennials to start your butterfly garden!

  Three  1 gallon plants at $10.99  Two  1 gallon plants at $12.99

Notes for September Gardeninge e

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Fall is a great time to refresh the soil in your vegetable garden  especially  if  you are planting a winter  garden. Bumper Crop, or Gold Rush will replenish the fertility of your soil as well as enhance the texture. Bumper Crop and Gold Rush include 15% chicken manure. See our Recipe for Good Garden Soil in this issue.

September  is  a  wonderful  time  to  set  out winter vegetables and flowers.  You  can  plant  carrots  or  radishes from seed. Mid-month we’ll have the full range of transplants available.

Revitalize your lawn now with these easy steps: Thatch, aerate, add Iron Sulfate, Gypsum, Master Start Fertilizer and topdress with Gold Rush, water  in with GroMore’s E-Z Wet. It’s also a great month to plant a brand new lawn.

Sow flower seeds. Many wildflowers and spring  annuals grow  from  seeds  scattered  now. Try California Poppy, Bachelor Button, and Alyssum. 

Chrysanthemums just say “Fall”! We  have many  wonderful colors  to choose  from. Use  in the garden,  for pots and for seasonal indoor decorating. New this year, our fantastic  local grower has added new varieties of mums sure to brighten up your fall garden. Come in and check out what’s new.

Feed your fruit trees  one  last  time until March  for  increased vigor in the spring. Use Master’s Fruit and Vine Food. 

Attend to acid loving plants  such  as  camellias,  gardenias  and azaleas now. Feed  them  this month with Master’s Rhododendron, Azalea and Camellia Food.  In October start feeding with Master Bloom 0-10-10 Fertilizer monthly through March.

Fall is a great time to plant old- fashioned favorites such  as  hollyhock,  Canterbury  bells,  and  foxgloves.  Planting them now will ensure a beautiful spring.

Houseplants 101Saturday, September 1 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.Need some helpful hints to spruce up your indoor garden or office 

space? Let Sue Fordyce be your guide as we explore the best suited plants for high light and low light, watering, fertilizing,  repotting and much more. We will touch on all the basics to uncover the  mysteries of growing plants indoors successfully. The cost is $10 – sign up with our Alden Lane cashiers to reserve your space today! Call (925) 447-0280.

Bulbs for Beginners!Saturday, October 13th from 9-10am

Are you a little confounded by what bulbs you plant when? How to plant them, and the best location for success? We’ve got the answers for you so you can have beautiful displays of showy bulbs in pots and in the ground. Enjoy the excitement each year when those beauties begin to emerge and herald the glories of the Spring season! Sign up with our Alden Lane cashiers (925) 447-0280 today to reserve your space. The cost is $10 per person.

Book Early & Get Great Deals on our 2019 Fruit Trees!Take advantage of our Advance Fruit Tree Sale. You can pre-book & pre-pay for your fruit trees from now 

until November 6th and get a 20% DISCOUNT OFF our 2019 fruit tree prices.

Come in and pick up a 2019 Price List & Order Form to select the varieties you’ve been longing to add to your backyard orchard. The list and order form are  available online too – www.aldenlane.com.

Welcome to Fall!It’s time for a seasonal change

and we are ready for it here at Alden Lane.

New ceramic dishware collections from Certified International are here. There's a  beautiful Tuscan theme in warm fall colors and a pumpkin theme perfect for fall entertaining. 

Michel Design Works has a new fragrance called Fall Symphony. Like a crisp fall breeze, you’ll find hand and body lotion to candles to their ever  popular foaming Shea butter hand soap. Pumpkin Melody and Pumpkin Pie fragrances are also available.

New pumpkins are here! We have metal and glass pumpkins in many sizes and styles. You’ll want at least one of our tiniest glass pumpkins that are less than 2 inches in size.

You'll get a laugh out of our adorable new  chipmunk mugs and napkins from PPD. They make a perfect gift for animal lovers.

We have new scents from Napa Soap Company. Made locally in Napa Valley, it’s hard to resist Grapefruit Mimosa, Pinot Guava, or Harvest Blend, just to name a few.

Roundtop Collection metal stakes are also back! From scarecrows to sunflowers, we have some great pieces for decorating the fall garden.  Pumpkin Parts are back too. Stick these metal pieces in a pumpkin to create a darling fall turkey, bat, or witch.

Announcements•  Watch the Valley Gardener on TV30 for great gardening tips with host  Jacquie Williams- Courtright at  7:30 am & 1:30 p.m. Monday -  Friday and  repeated on Saturday at 7:30 & 11:00 am, and 1:30 pm &  Sun. at 7:30 & 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm or catch the show on TV30.org.

•  The Livermore Amador Valley Garden Club will meet  Thursday, September 13th at 7 p.m. at the Alisal Elementary School multipurpose room, 1454 Santa Rita Road,  Pleasanton. Visitors welcome. Come hear Mark Brunnell speaking on Winter Vegetable Gardening. On October 11th Peter Beiersdorfer of Livermore will talk about Succulent Tidbits from Four Continents. Visit www.LAVGC.org for more information.

•  The Mt. Diablo Rose Society will meet Wednesday, September 12th at the Dublin Library, 200 Civic Plaza, Dublin at 7:30 p.m. You can listen to Tom Carruth talk about his body of  hybridizing work in a talk  tentatively titled “The Little Soulieana Seedling That Could”.

•  Bonsai Club meetings: 3rd Saturday of each month – 2 p.m. at Alden Lane  Nursery. Come one, come all!

•  Fall Festival coming in October! Mark your calendars for our Fabulous Fall Festival on October 13th & 14th. The Festival hours are 11 am to 4 pm. See you there! 

•  Attention Rose Lovers! Our 2019 Rose Pre-Order program will begin on  Sept. 1st. Check out the offerings on the web or drop by for a list. By  pre-ordering and paying you will enjoy a 15% discount. The program begins on  Sept. 1st and ends  Dec. 1st. Watch the Newsletter for further  information.

•  The Annual Rose Show will be held the  weekend of October 13th and 14th at Alden Lane Nursery. All are welcome and  encouraged to enter and share their lovely roses, so mark your calendars. See inside for details. 

•  Sign Up for the Alden Lane Nursery's E-Newsletter. Take 30 seconds and sign up today for our email version of the newsletter. Go to www.aldenlane.com and follow the prompts. 

Jewels in the GardenThe first bulbs to arrive for fall planting here at Alden Lane are  sparkly 

and spectacular. Bulbs in the landscape, like jewels, add glimmer to the  setting and they surprise with color when the light hits them just right. Many of the bulbs arriving now are water-wise and California friendly. 

They go into the ground now and bloom in spring with jewel-toned colors.“Dig, drop, and done”, as the saying goes. These bulbs are easy to plant. 

Let  nature care for them over winter and be surprised when they bloom in Spring!

Bearded Iris: Colorful, bold and impressive, Bearded Iris are quite  forgiving and require a minimum of maintenance. That is because their rhizomes (bulbs) are  actually nutrient “storage” areas. Like  camels, Bearded Iris can tolerate periods of benign neglect and are quite drought tolerant because they have this reserve storage that gets them through. But, rhizomes are both their strength and their  weakness. Rhizomes are quite sensitive to moisture so be sure 

to keep them well drained and NEVER over water.Freesia: Known for being quite fragrant, freesias are nice planted among low groundcover plants where their floppy nature can be well supported. They also work well in containers. Plants bloom at about a foot high in late spring. Full sun. Watsonia: Bold, spikes of  Gladiolus type flowers, Watsonia makes a great cut flower. It looks best when allowed to develop large clumps. It reaches to  3 or 4' in height; plant in full or  morning sun.Sparaxis: Clusters of  kaleidoscope-like patterned and colored flowers fill this plant that can reach up to 2' wide. A  spectacular addition to borders, rock gardens, and container  plantings, Sparaxis is typically less than a foot tall.Anemone: Also known as Wind Flowers, these are some of the first to bloom in spring. Soak your bulbs for a few hours in  lukewarm water to “wake them up”. Dig area and plant the anemones 1"-2" down. Water well, soaking the area again after planting.Ranunculus: Another early bloomer. These truly  magnificent, rose-like  blossoms are wonderful as cut flowers.  They bloom in a profusion of colors.

What to do with those Green Tomatoes?

We’ve all got a few hanging around, and this recipe is pretty  amazing – because if you tell anyone it is made from tomatoes (much less green tomatoes!) – they won’t believe you until they see the label! This little gem tastes just like Raspberry Jam! You have to taste it to believe it!

Mock Raspberry Jam•  Boil 5 cups of partly crushed green  tomatoes and   5 cups of sugar for 20  minutes. •  Remove from the heat and add 1 large (6 oz.   Raspberry Jello Package (dry)•  Place in sterilized jars & seal. Makes 6½ pint jars.

Natives are a Natural in your Garden!We’ve made more room for our collection of California native plants. These sturdy, wildlife friendly selections would 

love to be planted in Fall, with its promise of cooler, moister weather. As with all plants, deep watering and a little TLC for new plantings during the first season or two will pay off over the long term in plants which thrive in their new home. Here are a few staff picks to use in various ways in your landscape:

For Screening: Pacific Wax Myrtle makes a large evergreen hedge. Or try Toyon with its bright red berries.

Ground Covers: Buckwheats blaze with color when in bloom. ‘Emerald Carpet’ Manzanita stays neat. ‘Diamond Heights’ and Carmel Creeper fill in where needed.

Shadier Sites: Try California Anemone, Oregon Grape, Claremont Currant, Pacific Coast Hybrid Iris, Hummingbird Sage, Spice Bush.

Color:  California Wild Lilacs bloom in many shades of blues and purples. California Fuchsias bloom with oranges and reds in late summer.  Sages add variety.

Accents: Flannel Bush lights up with large  cheerful yellow flowers. Western Redbud is a  graceful, three season  performer. ‘Roger's Red’  Grape turns scarlet in fall.

Grasses: Leymus ‘Canyon Prince’ adds a gray green note. California Fescue makes a full,  round, knee high clump.

FLANNEL BUSH ANEMONE

HUMMINGBIRD SAGE

Don’t Forget Autumn Flowers!! If you haven’t made plans to perk up your seasonal flower-

beds do so today. Alden Lane has a full  range of transitional annuals that bridge the seasons. For instance, vinca,  marigolds and cosmos will add vibrancy  until the cold weather really settles in the area. Some of the fall line-up includes pansies,  violas, stock, snapdragons, Iceland poppies and  alyssum. Use our Recipe For Good Garden Soil & Soil Moist Granules to get them off to the very best start. 

Recipe for Good Garden Soil!Good Garden Soil Starts Here!!

For each 100 square feet add: 10 cubic ft. of soil conditioner: Master Gold Rush or Bumper Crop ® (5 - 8 bags). 5 lbs. Iron Sulfate to acidify and add iron. 10 lbs. Master Vegetable Food or Master Flower Food, Master Formula 49 can be used for ground covers. 40 lbs. Gypsum. It loosens hard soils as it adds sulfur & calcium. (An excellent addition in our heavy soil.)

Mix well with your soil to an 8" depth and water well.

If you are preparing a vegetable garden now or just  dreaming about it, it’s still a great time to improve the soil. Follow our “Recipe” to improve the texture and fertility of your little piece of earth. This should be a part of your  vegetable garden routine 1 to 2 times a year. Amend the valley soils to give your plants their best opportunity for growth. Keep this recipe handy for your planting needs.

It’s A Fall Fun Kid’s Tour!It’s an hour of pure fun for your kids. They will . . .

  Take a hayride  Plant a seed  Tour the farm   Go apple fishing  Get a goodie bag 

. . . all for $10.00 per child. 

Minimum group size is 15. Maximum is 25.Call to reserve a spot early as this books up quickly. Our tours will be held on October 16th - 19th, 23rd - 26th, and 30th.

  See the  Pollinator Barn  Learn about owls and their special role at the farm 

  Visit the pumpkin patch to choose the perfect Jack O' Lantern

Pick Up Your 2019 Rose List Today!This is the month to drop by the nursery and pick up your  2019 Rose List. Pre-orders are now  being taken through   December 1st for the 2019  season and will be given

a 15% DISCOUNT at the time of order.

There are lots of new and exciting roses to pick from! Pre-ordered roses will be available for pick-up starting in mid- December.

Come & Enjoy Our 25th Annual Fall Rose ShowSaturday, October 13th, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.  •  Sunday, October 14th,  

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Awards given out at 3:00 p.m. Alden Lane Nursery, 981 Alden Lane, Livermore, 925-447-0280. 

This show is co-sponsored by the  Mt. Diablo Rose Society & Alden Lane Nursery

Public Entries Welcome!  Roses can be entered on Sat., October 13th from 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.

HINT: Cut the stems long. We can shorten them up when you arrive. Be prepared to delight in the sights and fragrance of  hundreds of beautiful roses. 

Bring your note pad so you can jot down those v arieties you can’t live without. And, don’t  forget, you can pre-order and  purchase your favorites and ---

earn a 15% Discount until the first of December. See you there!

981 Alden LaneLivermore, CA 94550

(925) 447-0280 aldenlane.com

Nursery Hours8:30 to 6:00 Daily

Labor Day, Monday: 8:30 - 5:00

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT #274Livermore, CA

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Please Deliver Promptly

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NURSERY

Nursery Labor Day Hours: Monday, September 3rd — 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

SPECIAL COUPON

Food Donations are Optional. All donations go to local relief agencies. One coupon per family, please!Offer Good September 1-30, 2018.

Have you been longing for that fountain, birdbath or specimen tree? This is a great way to save on that special garden accent or anything else in the Nursery.May be applied to all except sod, sale items, multiple priced merchandise and special orders.

 25% OFFANY ONE REGULARLY  PRICED ITEM IN STOCK

Present This Coupon & A Canned Food Item TO RECEIVE