NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015Serving You Since 1955

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

i  i  Alden Lane’s Holiday Hours i   ii  Closed Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2015i  Christmas Eve, December 24, 2015 closing at 3 p.m. i  Closed Christmas Day, December 25, 2015i  Open December 26th – 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for our Annual Christmas Sale and all your gardening needs. All

Christmas Ornaments and Décor will be 60% OFF!i  Closed December 27th through January 2nd - Happy New Year!i  Open Sunday, January 3rd – 8:30 to 5 p.m.

Don’t Forget to Redeem Holiday Cash Thanksgiving til December 24th

“Bee Happy & Garden”Holiday Open House

. . . November 6th, 7th, & 8thJoin our Downtown Partners as we all celebrate together. Come visit Alden Lane,

Cooleykatz Toys, In Between Stitches, Main Street Designs, Outside In Etc, & Proctors. Pickup a passport in advance of the event at one of the participating stores. With stamps from each store during the Open House Weekend, you may enter to win $200.00 in Gift Cards.

Celebrate with us as we unveil our Annual Holiday Open House on Friday, November 6th from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

This evening promises to be a very special event, we are partnering with Sunflower Hill and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Sunflower Hill Gardens at Hagemann Ranch. If you're not familiar with this wonderful organization, now is the time to get to know them. Sunflower Hill's mission is to develop a community for individuals with special needs that provides for life-long residency options and quality activities/programming. The Sunflower Hill Gardens is their first program in which they are providing individuals with special needs educational/vocational opportunities in growing healthy food for living and then donating the produce grown to low income individuals. We love

supporting them and hope you will to!

•Candy, the recipe creator and owner of Break Brittle, will be on hand for our Sunflower Hill Garden Fundraising evening. Come sample her delectable cashew brittle confections that are gluten free, vegan and butter free. •Don’tmissaSANTA PHOTO OP for

kids and pets on Saturday, December 12th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. FREE! Bring your own camera!

Drawing to be held on Monday, November 16, 2015. No purchase necessary. Need not be present to win.

Win A Thanksgiving Turkey!!!

Fill out the entry blank and drop it in the contest box at ALDEN LANE

NURSERY by November 15th

You may win A FREE Turkey for

Thanksgiving! (The turkey will weigh

16 lbs or more.)

THANKSGIVING TURKEYNovember 2015

Name: ______________________________________

Address: ____________________________________

City: ________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________________

Email address: ________________________________ Yes, I would like to receive the newsletter online.

Drawing to be held December 20, 2015. No purchase necessary. Need not be present to win.

Win This Book“Cooking Season by Season”1000 recipes

to cook through the year.

COOKING SEASON BY SEASONDecember 2015

Name: ______________________________________

Address: ____________________________________

City: ________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________________

Email address: ________________________________ Yes, I would like to receive the newsletter online.

$35.00 Value

One of the easiest and most rewarding winter gardening projects to take on is forcing paperwhite narcissus to bloom indoors. In just 4 to 6 weeks after planting you will see slender stocks produce intensely fragrant and delicate blooms. By planting additional pots of paperwhites every 10 days to two weeks, you will have continuous displays of blooms all winter long. Also paperwhites in a dish make a wonderful housewarming gift for a friend.

In a 6-8" glass dish, or terra cotta cactus dish (preferably without a drainage hole, cover the hole with screen if need be), place 5 to 7 paperwhite bulbs pointed side up over a layer of soil, sand, pebbles, or florist’smarblessothattheshouldersofthebulbsarejust below the rim of the dish.

Force A HyacinthHyacinth are both fragrant and beautiful and can be grown in the garden or persuaded to

bloom early indoors. Among the collection traditionally forced indoors, hyacinth takes about over 3monthstoreachitspointoffragrantglory.It’sworththewait.• Startwithaspecial hyacinth glass that holds the bulb above a reservoir of water. • Suspend the bulb about 1/2" over the water and keep in a cool, dark, dry place like the

garage (or preferably the refrigerator). Pure, silky-white roots will stretch out and down to fill the vase. • After13weekswhentheshootis2-3"high,bring into a warm room, (60 - 70°). Keep in

an area with filtered light until the shoot turns green, and then place in full sunlight or bright light. Enjoy the fragrance and the bloom!

In addition to hyacinth, we also have paperwhites, various narcissus, & amaryllis, all of which can be forced to bloom indoors. Come in and see!

Forcing Paper WhitesCover the bulbs with an additional

layer of sand or pebbles and water the bulbs in. Maintain the water level just below the bottom of the bulbs so they are not soggy wet, just moist. Keep the bulbs in a cool place (55 to 60°) for a couple of weeks, until the sprouts are about 4" tall, then bring them into the light and warmth of your home where they will continue to grow and bloom. Pinch off spent blooms so you can continue to enjoy the unfurling beauty. Come see our selection of additional bulbs which may be forced to bloom indoors.

Notes for November & Decembere

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Cut your butterfly bush back to knee-high now. It will begin growing new foliage right away and will flush out next spring with graceful sprays of new stems followed by panicles of blooms next summer.

Tangy Onions Available in November. If you enjoy crisp slices of onions on hamburgers or in your salad then this announcement is for you. Bare root Stockton onions arrive by early November. Call first to make sure they are in.Choosered,yelloworwhite.Anddon’tforgettoaddsome zing to your cooking. Garlic starts are here this month. For the best results plant November through early January.

Thanksgiving marks the ideal weekend in our climate to plant fall bulbs. Select bulbs including tulips, hyacinth, muscari and narcissus. Plant out in the landscape or in pots and fertilize with Master Nursery Bulb Food. Your investment will be rewarded with beautiful of spring color.

If you like asparagus, horseradish and artichokes we have starts by mid November. Come by and let us help you choose your favorites.

Select Sasanqua Camellias now. These beautiful evergreen shade plants bloom and provide great winter color.

Prevent Peach Leaf Curl! Protect fruit trees and deciduous shade trees from over wintering diseases and pests. Use Monterey Liqui-Cop, or Bonide Liquid Copper Spray Now (even before leaf drop).

Come on by the nursery and pick up a gift card for your favorite gardening pal, the postal carrier or the baby-sitter.It’sagiftsuretopleaseanybodyandevery-body on your shopping list.

Poinsettias and cyclamen make wonderful hostess giftsandthankyou’stoworkassociates.Anddon’tforgetto treat yourself and decorate the home too.

Keep up your New Year’s Resolution . . . join the Livermore-Amador Valley Garden Club (www.lavgc.org) & the Mt. Diablo Rose Society (mtdiablorosesociety.org).

Think Strawberry shortcake!Bymid-monthwe’llhave all the perennial vegetables and fruits. You can set out strawberries, rhubarb, raspberry, blackberry and many other cane fruits.

Set out winter blooming annuals for a garden filled with color. Choose primroses, pansies, Iceland poppies, ornamental cabbage and kale.

Pruning Demonstrations – Alden Lane Nursery

Please call ahead to reserve a seat for these FREE informative classes. •Pruning Basics Class. Saturday, December 5th and Sunday,

December 6th, both days from 1:00-2:30 p.m. Learn the basics to shape deciduous trees and shrubs, prune fruit trees properly, or get any of your own pruning questions answered.

•Rose Care and Pruning Seminars. Join us on Saturday, January 9th and Sunday, January 10th for

these ever popular seminars. They will be led by the Mt. Diablo Rose Society on Saturday,

10:00-11:30 a.m.; and by the Alden Lane Staff on Sunday from 1:00-2:30 p.m. They will cover proper pruning techniques,

feeding, and general care as well as the best varieties for the Valley. Call (925) 447-0280 for more information.•Pruning Basics Class. Saturday, January 23rd from 11:00 a.m.-

12:30 p.m. for the last pruning class. •Grape Pruning. Saturday, January 23rd from 1-2 p.m., with Jim

Ryan, grape & wine consultant.

Get Yourself A Pair of Top of the Line FELCO Pruners

Felco brand pruning shears are the highest quality pruning shears we are aware of, worldwide. They are imported from Switzerland and are built with such quality they have been known to last for decades. We invite you to place a pair in your hands and compare the feel and fit to other pruners. We have a hands on display to help you explore your options. After you sample a pair we think you will want to add these to your own wish list . . . or you maywanttobuyapairforanothergardenerinyourhomewhowon’tmindif you borrow the pruners from time to time for your own use.

Protect Your Fruit Trees Now!

Thanksgiving signals the time to start dormant spraying fruit trees. Even before trees are leafless in winter, they benefit from applications of disease and insect controlling products. Thanksgiving, New YearsandValentine’sDayareholi-days around which you should consider treating.

The first spraying should be just prior to or at leaf fall (about mid- November). A second spraying one week later helps ensure complete coverage.Theplants’bark contracts with the onset of cold weather sealing in disease-causing organisms such as shot hole fungus and peach leaf curl. It is therefore essential to spray before heavy frost or freezing weather sets in. Spray with Bonide Liquid Copper Fungicide when controlling peach leaf curl, brown rot, shot hole fungus, scab and rust. Bonide Liquid Copper Fungicide is made with micronized copper so less copper spreads further, protecting the plants with less active ingredients. If rains occur, reapply spray. Watch future newsletters for spray products for winter and spring sprayings.

Christmas Ideas for One &AllHere’s the NEWS: We now have two wonderful shops for you to enjoy! We have filled our Garden Store with

giftsgalore,andRuthie’sRoomisloadedwithdecoratedtreesandmoregiftsfortheholidays.Besuretosavesometimeto view both of our gift stores for all your gift and decorating needs!

Friday Night Open HouseNovember 6th from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Bee Happy and GardenThere’sabuzzinthegardenandwearehappytocelebrateourfavoritepollinator,the BEE!! Our

Gardening Tree takes on a new meaning for us this year as we partner with Sunflower Hill Gardens. We are sharing our profits with them from our Open House Night. Sunflower Hill Gardens will beheretotellyouabouttheircommunitygardenforindividualswithspecialneeds.You’llmeetsomeofthewonderfulyoung adults who are learning the basics of growing, harvesting and eating fresh and healthy food from the farm. We are so happy to be supporting this very worthwhile project here in Livermore. We’llhavePlentiful Pantry cobblers and cakes for sampling, honey tasting, Break Brittle samples, warm cider, and

more, so be sure to come and visit! Your purchases will help support this great cause.

In Ruthie’s Room, check out these themed trees and gifts.All Who Travel Are Not LOST: Nomatterwhatformoftransportationyouuse,it’sallaboutthejourney.This

globe inspired travel tree is for those of us who find ourselves through new experiences. Embrace the wanderlust and bring home a wonderful remembrance of your travels. Beer & Bacon: BACON, ENOUGH SAID! This theme area celebrates the happiness that only BACON and BEER can bring. We have beer starting kits, flavoring kits, and more. We even have BEER soap! Bacon hot chocolate! BEER jelly beans! BACON ties! Itjustgoesonandon,yougetit,IT’SBACONLICIOUS!!IT’SBEERRIFFIC!

Burlap and Lace: Burlap has a new partner, lace! For a pretty winter look, we have burlap swags, mason jars with lace andburlapdesigns,burlaptablerunnersandmore.It’sareallyfun way to add some trendy looks to your holidays and bring that homey feel to your decorating.

Glitter Wonderland: All that

glitters can be found in these adorable paper houses, brushy trees decorated withornamentsandhandfeltedsnowmenandSantas.You’lllovethese miniature pieces and they will definitely add some sparkle to your decorations.

Downton Abbey: This is our last year (as they are entering the last season ofproduction),ofcelebratingthisfantasticdramafromPBS.You’lldelightin our new Downton Abbey character ornaments and all sorts of vintage decorations.

Plum Delight: If you love shades of purple and plum, this is the theme for you! A dash of champagne colored ornaments make this a beautifully elegant collection for any tree.

Red and White Delight: This Swedish inspired collection of ornaments and decorations shouts Christmas. Red and white Santas, wood heart orna-ments, and the cutest gnomes with long beards are real charmers this season.

Ugly Sweater: Our ugly sweater collection is back. Do you have the ugliest sweater ever? Wear it to Alden Lane on the weekend of December 12th and 13th for a 25% discount on any one holiday decoration or ornament.

Come see the rest of our decorated trees for all you gift giving needs and for that treasure that belongs to you alone!

Bring the Fragrance of Christmas Indoors! Decorate the house with fragrant holiday greens. Boughs of fresh Christmas greens are great garnish for tabletops and mantels. Our supply is here. All these greens are wonderful elements to make garlands, swags and wreaths. Stop in and pick up fresh pre-made pieces that are ready for you to customize with your favorite bows, cones, berries and ornaments.

Gift Giving Treasures from Alden Lane: Looking for a little something to perk up your home during the holiday season? Or maybe something to soothe your holiday weary body? How about a way to say thank you to special helpers? We have lots of suggestions! Alden Lane Nursery is a great place to pick up those last minute holiday gifts. Thinkofit‘aqualityshoppingexperience’...nolines,closein parking, sales staff that has time to help and free gift wrapping. When in doubt a gift card is always well received. Consider adding a little inspiration to the gift card with a box of fruit or a bouquet of flowers.

Stocking Stuffers: Alden Lane is an ideal shop for stocking stuffers. We have a large selection of “How-To books, gloves, tools, seed packets, and gift ideas for your favorite gardener.

For The Person Who Has Everything: Some great ideas for that “hard to shop for” person include: Rainchains, Bird feeders and seed for the bird lover . . . Charming Sundials tell the time and add beauty to the garden . . . A decorative hose faucet, an herb or bonsai book . . . An African Violet Pot will be a welcome gift for any friend . . . Alden Lane Gift cards for anything from tools to tulips to treasures from our gift department.

Consider a Culinary Christmas Tree: We will have a lovely assortment of topiary Rosemary to choose from: Trees, Spirals, Two Tier Poodle, and Patio Trees. Come bring the fragrance and beauty of rosemary home for the holidays and forever more. Keep plants on the dry side and they will last year after year!

Living Christmas Trees bring fragrance to your home and beauty to your garden! In addition to the traditional Colorado and Alberta Spruce we will have some lovely sheared evergreen options for your living Christmas tree. Select from Italian Stone and Aleppo Pines.

Clip and save this coupon for one of our Open House Days! Join us for “Bee Happy & Garden”.

25% Off Any One Item

One coupon per customer, per family.

Good for in stock regularly priced merchandise. Not valid on Special Orders or sod. Cannot be combined with other discounts or offers.

Thanksgiving Harvest of Ideas For Your Home

Come into the Garden Store for your Thanksgiving decorations! We can help you create the perfect mood for celebrating being together with your friends and family or help you find the perfect hostess gift. From scented candles to velvet pumpkins, you’llbeabletoreapthe beauty of the fall harvest.

Weekly Holiday Special Sales

O  December 2nd through the 8th: 25% Off Red and White De-light ornaments

O  December 9th through the 15th: Wear your ugly sweater and get 25% Off any one holiday decoration or ornament.

O  December 16th through the 22nd: Crazy sock week! Wear your craziest socks and get 25% Off any one holiday ornament or decoration!

O  December 23rd through the 24th: 25% Off Beer and Bacon tree ornaments

O  December 26th: 60% OFF! Christmas Clearance Sale!

Valid November 6th, 7th & 8th only.

Sunflower Hill is a 501c3 organization (Tax ID #80-0897595) was founded by eleven families of children with developmental delays. Our goal is to create a sustainable, special needs community not only for our own children – but for other individuals and families seeking programming and residential options.

With one in 68 children now being diagnosed with Autism, there is and will continue to be an enormous need for housing & programming support for individuals with Autism and other developmental disabilities who cannot live or work independently.

Sunflower Hill seeks to change the paradigm of both insti-tutional and home living options – by creating an intentional community that supports a sustainable, productive, warm and happy quality of life.

Inspiration By Invitation Seminars - Save the Date! You’re Invited!

February 13, 2016 10:00 am - 3:30 pm

Alden Lane features a full day of Seminars for Gardening Enthusiasts.A Great

Gift of our Finest Gardening Seminars

This Day of Gardening Seminars would make a perfect Holiday Gift for those special gardeners on your list, so call (925) 447-0280 and reserve your

tickets soon. The cost is $45.00 per ticket and includes lunch. Prepare to be INSPIRED!!

Attendees will be able to design their day according to their

interests – & we have lots of incredible seminars and instructors to choose from!

More information will follow so check our website for further

details (www.aldenlane.com – click on Events).

Cyclamen For Winter ColorBrighten your winter garden with the colorful cyclamen!

Miniature Series: These cyclamen grow 8 to 10 inches tall and wide. They are fragrant, perfect for a focal point, as a border and are ideal for contain-ers. They come in the following colors: white, red, rose, purple, pink & flame. Flame Series: A large flowering bloom that has a thin white line gives this cyclamen a unique look to its flowers. It grows up to 12 inches tall and wide. Boast heavily silver marbled leaves with green accent which con-trasts nicely with these flower colors: pink, rose, red, white, wine and lilac.

Protect Your Tender Plants From FrostTypically, this is the time of year we expect our first hard frost. Take the time and effort required to protect your frost

tender perennials and tropical plants (such as citrus, hibiscus, some palms, bananas and bougainvillea.)Here are some ways to help your frost tender plants weather the big chill:S  Ifthere’sroomindoorsbringinsmallpottedporchorpatioplantschoosinganareathatprovides

bright light. S  Wrap plants with protective plant bags or a frost blanket – a spun material that breathes easily but

keeps out cold air most may be left on during the winter.S  For outdoor plants simply remembering to keep them well watered in between rain storms is a plus. S  Spray the leaves of frost tenders like: citrus, tropical hibiscus, philodendron, bougainvillea, with

CLOUD COVER monthly through the winter. This product coats the leaves and stems providing 2 to 8 degrees of protection. S  Decorate cold sensitive plants with non-LED outdoor Christmas tree lights. The heat radiated

moderates the cold air temperatures. You can maximize this heat source by draping or tenting your plants with translucent “plant blanket” material to create a greenhouse effect. The plant blanket alone will give you 2 to 3 degrees of protection and may be left on all winter. S  Godowntoyourlocalhardwarestoreandpickuppipeinsulation.It’snotonlygreattokeepwaterpipesfrom

freezing but works wonders when used to protect the trunks of small trees. This pre-split foam tubing is so easy to use.

Announcements• Watch the Valley Gardener on

CTV30 for great gardening tips with host Jacquie Williams- Courtright at 7:30 am and 1:30 p.m. Monday - Friday and repeated on Saturday at 7:30 & 11:00 am, and 1:30 pm & Sunday at 7:30 & 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm. Or catch on tv30.org.

• TheLivermore Amador Valley Garden Club will meet at 7 p.m. at the Alisal Elementary School multipurpose room, 1454 Santa Rita Road, Pleasanton. On November 12th join Nicky Hughes from Gold Rush Nursery speaking on plants that deserve more limelight. On December 10th the topic will be Fruit Trees for Home Gardens with speaker, Ann Ralph. Visitors are welcome. For more info see www.LAVGC.org or call Bev at 925-485-7812.

• JoinJacquie&herhusbandTom on a July 2016 English Garden Tour. The trip includes the Hampton Court Flower Show and Gardens of the Cotswolds. We will meet David Austin of the Austin Rose fame & visit their show garden.There’saverygoodchancewe’llseeHighgrove,PrinceCharles’garden.We’llalsohaveaLondontheater evening. All in all it will be a wonderful “Bucket List” trip. For more details call Carol Lehman at Destinations Unlimited 925-462-0402 or email carol@travel-desk.com.

• TheMt. Diablo Rose Society’s meeting is the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm at the Dublin Civic Center. For details, visit www.mtdiablorosesociety.org.

• Bonsai Club meetings: 3rd Saturday of each month – 2 p.m. at Alden Lane Nursery. No meeting in December.

Victoria Shade Series: A truly astonishing plant – compact but vigorous growth habits make this cyclamen a must have for the garden. It has white flowers that are beautifully crowned in violet or magenta. Leaves are shaded with silver marbling which contrasts with its unique flower shape and coloring.

Cyclamen prefer bright shade to morning sun and like to be on the dry side before they are watered. Pick faded flowers to encourage a longer blooming season. Enjoy flowers all winter into spring.

Beach in a JarLonging for distant shores, sea

breezes and a taste of the tropics? We have the instant (and economical) solution to your daydreams! We are now offering a unique little Tillandsia (Airplant) Terrarium we like to call “Beach in a Jar”. Our kit includes a quart canning jar, California beach sand, natural sea shells, gorgeous blue beach glass, lime green reindeer moss and a lovely, live tillandsia (air plant). Instructions are included, and takes less than 3 minutes to put together. It is extremely easy to care for. It is great gift for land locked friends, and it would be a nice addition to your desk at home or work as a living reminder of past summer memories – or better yet – vacations to look forward to! Get yours today at Alden Lane for only $14.99 plus tax, and we will ship this item for an additional charge.

Orchids 101Saturday, November 14 • 10:00 to 11:30 amAre your orchids looking bedraggled, leaving you befuddled a

little bummed out? Behold! We have solutions that will leave you beaming and your orchids on the way to blooming! Our orchid expert will teach you to understand the language of orchids and nudge you on the way to being an orchid whisperer. It is amazing what a little practical information (hands on – not from books or videos) can do for your confidence in dealing with orchid issues. It doesn’thavetobecomplicated,justabasicunderstandingofwherethey come from and their needs, just like any other plant. But they are NOT just any other plant – they are extraordinary in their vari-ety and beauty! So join us, and ask questions to your hearts con-tent. You are also invited to bring in a plant or two that you have questions about. The cost is $10.00, and you can bring a friend for free. Sign up with our Alden Lane Cashiers today! (925) 447-0280

Alden Lane’s Pre-Season Rose Special - SAVE 20%

Order September 1st through December 1st Stop by the nursery and pick up our FREE 2016 Alden Lane Rose List.

Over 250 varieties are featured and we provide lots of information on fragrance, size, color and bloom frequency. We also have special handouts pertaining to the following topics: Exceptional Fragrance, Cutting, DiseaseResistance,andAldenLane’sEmployeesFavoriteVarieties.Youcan also access these lists by going to our website: aldenlane.com.

Good CRAFTERNOON!Small Concrete

Bird Bath / Bird Feeder

Saturday, November 28th

from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.Join us for another fun

make and take workshop – this time crafting a lovely, classic (approx. 10-12" tall and wide) bird bath / bird feeder standing on a shapely pedestal for setting out in the garden, or even on a table. I think it would also look lovely with succulents mounded in it!

If you loved working with the quick dry concrete in our past classes, you will also love this garden delight.

Very easy and fun! Appropriate for ages 12 to 112. We provide all the materials – you provide the creativity. With the holi-

days are just around the corner, this would be great for gifts or filling it with Yuletide bling! The cost is $38.00 plus tax. Sign up soon, as classes fill up fast. Call our cashiers at (925) 447-0280 or drop in and see our sample in person!

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT #274Livermore, CA

IMPORTANT!Time Critical

Please Deliver Promptly

11-12-2015

HOW TO FIND ALDEN LANE

NURSERY

To all our customers & their families, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. We hope you all enjoy this special time with family and friends.

Present this Coupon & A Canned Food Item TO RECEIVE A

SPECIAL COUPON FOR NOVEMBER

SPECIAL COUPON FOR DECEMBER

Present this Coupon & A Canned Food Item to receive

Food Donations are Optional. All donations go to local relief agencies. One coupon per family, please. Offer Good December 1-24, 2015.

1 HOLIDAY DOLLAR you can apply on any regularly priced merchandise purchase of $2 or more.

$1.00 OFF A BLOOMING CYCLAMEN 4" or larger of your choice.Food Donations are Optional. All donations go to local relief agencies.

One coupon per family, please. Offer Good November 1-30, 2015.

981 Alden LaneLivermore, CA 94550

(925) 447-0280 aldenlane.comNursery Hours8:30 to 5:00 Daily

Closed Thanksgiving Day!Closed Christmas Day!Closed December 27th -

January 2nd!Open Sunday, January 3rd