Bouteloua 'Blonde Ambition' Blue Grama Grass | |
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Welcome to the world of GRASSES! An oft-overlooked corner of the gardening world, ornamental grasses can add desirable flavor to your garden whether as a centerpiece, backdrop, or accent. Plant one in a pot for a touch of elegance, or plant en masse to take advantage of their delicate flower plumes to achieve different-colored cloud formations. You can also mix and match varieties to play with color, form, and contrast. Plus, many are of interest year-round, contributing attractive textural elements even when not flowering.
Native grasses such as Festuca and Carex (sedge) can be used as an eco-friendly lawn replacement, helping to stabilize the soil and drastically reducing water needs in your yard. If you prefer a meadow look, Muhlenbergia are a wonderful choice. For coastal areas, consider Deschampsia and Calamagrostis. See some of our favorite in-stock recommendations in our Featured Plants section this month.
As we enter the very beginnings of the holiday season, take note: our fall sale is ongoing, with select 5-gallon plants (including some grass and grass-like varieties) at discounts up to 40% off while supplies last. Grab those sale plants now for the best selection as some have already sold out (go here to see sale plant photos and prices!).
We hope you are enjoying this beautiful autumn season and hope to see you in the nursery soon. Please let us know how we can be of help as you beautify your beloved spaces.
Happy gardening,
Jane
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Capitol Wholesale Nursery, 2938 Everdale Drive, San Jose, CA
Mon-Fri 7:30am-4:30pm, Sat 8:30am-4pm
cwnsales@gmail.com | 408-239-0589
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Ah, beautiful, diverse grasses! We had a hard time this month narrowing down our featured list to just five - in addition to those listed below, we also stock and source many other grasses, including more California natives. We encourage you to continue exploring the wide world of ornamental grasses after you are done reading this newsletter; please email us or call us to request specific items for will-call or delivery. Plus: Stay tuned for next month's newsletter where we will feature grasslike and grass companion plants! | |
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Calamagrostis foliosa
Mendocina Reed Grass
California native
A favorite for coastal areas (we also carry Calamagrostis nutkaensis x foliosa 'Little Nootka'), this little bunchgrass is endemic to northern California.
- Plant in north coast gardens, rock gardens, woodland meadows, pollinator gardens (host plant for native skipper), en masse, or as a border
- Grows 1-2' tall x 2' wide
- Plant in full sun to part shade
- Easy-care, deer-resistant
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Deschampsia cespitosa
Tufted Hair Grass
California native
Useful for stabilizing coastal areas, this pretty wild grass found naturally in wet and meadow areas up and down coastal and high-elevation areas in California can also be grown as an ornamental.
- Plant in wet areas, sea bluffs, mountain meadows, coastal prairies, pollinator gardens (host plant for two skipper butterflies), or under oaks
- Grows up to 3' x 3'
- Plant in full sun to part shade
- Gold flower tufts in summer
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Festuca idahoensis 'Clearwater'
Idaho Fescue
California native
This beautiful light blue cool-season bunchgrass is a host plant for skipper butterflies.
- Plant under oaks, for erosion control, as a container plant, as meadowgrass, in pollinator gardens, or in bird gardens
- Grows up to 2' x 2'
- Plant in sun or shade
- Flowers spring to fall
- Drought-tolerant once established
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Muhlenbergia rigens
Deer Grass
California native
A popular native bunchgrass that is low-water and easy to grow.
- Plant as groundcover or lawn replacement, in bird gardens (birds eat summer seeds), in pollinator gardens (host plant for moths), or en masse
- Can grow up to 4-5' tall x 4' wide
- Yellow flower spikes in spring
- Plant in full sun
- Drought-tolerant and easy-care
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Muhlenbergia capillaris 'White Cloud'
White Cloud Muhly
A taller, stiffer cultivar than Pink Muhly that flowers with delicate masses of white, cloud-like flowers from autumn through winter.
- Plant as border, focus, en masse, or in containers
- Slender, dark green leaves
- Plant in full sun
- Grows up to 3-4' tall
- Easy care, low-water, deer-resistant
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To learn more about using native grasses in your landscapes, consider these resources from around the web: | |
Native Grass Alternatives to Lawns - California Native Plant Society | With the ongoing drought, California native grasses and sedges are here to replace your water-thirsty lawns. | | | |
Designing with Ornamental Grasses | I've been designing with ornamental grasses for decades and consider them an indispensable staple not only in my own garden but in those I design. By Rebecca Sweet, Harmony in the Garden. | | | |
Adding CA Native Bunchgrasses to Your Garden | California native bunchgrasses can be beautiful and dramatic additions to your garden. | | | |
Production yard: soil and reused pots | |
As gardeners, a question that arises frequently for us is: What to do with all of my leftover plant pots? Fortunately, we have an eco-friendly solution: Bring them to the nursery on your next visit, and we will reuse them! See the photo above of our production yard, with the pots visible behind our giant pile of soil. We strive only to use repurposed pots for the plants we grow at the nursery, and we will take yours off your hands to be used for our next round of growing. We accept flats as well as one gallon and larger pots. | |
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You may have heard: the British Royal Horticultural Society recently declared snails and slugs - notorious garden snackers - as pests no longer. Now considered an essential part of the garden’s ecosystem, these slimy little fellows help to break down organic matter, which helps to build healthy soil, and serve as an important food source for wildlife, which encourages biodiversity in your garden.
Learn more about how to build a healthier, more diverse garden (and some humane slug and snail control methods) in this month's blog.
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From harvesting November fruits, to winter soil care, to frost date info and garden tool care, and lots more - read it all on the Santa Clara County Master Gardeners website. | | | |
Fall Garden Cleanup With Pollinators In Mind | Don't be in a hurry to clean up every autumn leaf. While it's important to clean up plant debris, we can also spare a thought for the beneficial bugs and birds which need shelter over winter. Let's strike the right balance. Here's how. | | | |
Fall Fest: DIY Lawn Conversion Workshop | Eventbrite - Our City Forest presents Fall Fest: DIY Lawn Conversion Workshop - Saturday, November 18, 2023 at Our City Forest Community Nursery, San Jose, CA. Find event and ticket information. | | | |
Womxn in the Weeds - Volunteer Workday at Pearson-Arastradero Preserve | Eventbrite - Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) presents Womxn in the Weeds - Volunteer Workday at Pearson-Arastradero Preserve - Saturday, December 9, 2023 at Pearson-Arastradero Preserve, Palo Alto, CA. Find event and ticket information. | | | |
Learning California Native Plant Communities | Eventbrite - California Native Garden Foundation presents Learning California Native Plant Communities - Thursday, April 20, 2023 | Thursday, January 11, 2024 - Find event and ticket information. | | | |
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You Design It
We Deliver It
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With our extensive inventory and trusted nursery partners, CWN is your one source for plants and planting supplies. The nursery is brimming with a wide variety of colors, textures, and sizes. We have in stock a complete mix to accommodate larger quantities of our best sellers, making it even easier to complete your orders more quickly. Here is a brief summary of what we can do for you:
· Assemble orders for “will call” or delivery
· Always use the best and most consistent materials available
· Contact you immediately if there is a quality or available issue
· Order out-of-stock or specialty materials using all available resources
· Guarantee that CWN materials will meet or exceed your expectations
Contact Information
(408) 239-0589
cwnsales@gmail.com
capitolwholesalenursery.net
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