FOREWORD 
Those who have received previous “Garden Aristocrats” (1934, 1935 and 1936) are 
familiar with our desire to avoid the usual nursery catalog style. Our idea is to de¬ 
scribe in each issue as accurately as possible a limited number of the best things, omit 
all “ballyhoo” and make the booklet worth saving for reference. It is very gratifying 
to observe how many have done this. 
By the way, we still have a fair supply of “Garden Aristocrats, 1936” and will 
send a copy upon request. 
For convenience we have this year divided it into three sections: 
Part I is devoted to novelties of very recent introduction, some being offered this 
season for the first time. 
Part II covers noteworthy plants, some of which are comparatively new. 
Part III is simply a price list, without descriptions, of our principal items which 
are not covered in the first two parts. It is assumed that these are well 
enough known so that we do not need to describe them. 
Our attention is devoted almost entirely to woody plants. We again emphasize 
the important point that these make up the permanent part of the garden; you live 
with them “year in and year out” so why not have the finest things? 
It will be a pleasure for us to have you visit our nursery which is located on the 
Oakland-San Jose Highway, a little over a mile north of the city limits of San Jose. 
Coming down the Peninsula you should cross the Southern Pacific tracks at Santa 
Clara S. P. Station; this (Brokaw) road ends at the nursery. When the Bay Shore 
Highway is finished to San Jose it will cross the Brokaw Road at the magnificent row 
of old Elms. Turn to the left there. 
PART I. 
BROAD LEAVED EVERGREENS 
RED ABELIA (Abelia floribunda). Remarkable for its astonishingly long rosy red 
flowers which are IV 2 to 2 inches in length and are borne in unbelievable profusion. 
Close to the sea it blooms all the year around; otherwise for quite a long period in 
spring. In sunny districts it must have at least partial shade and plenty of water. At 
first its growth is almost prostrate but later it makes erect but arching shoots which 
enable it to gain height gradually, but it will probably never get more than four feet 
tall. We do not yet know whether it will be hardy in Oregon and Washington, but it 
seems to be anywhere in the settled parts of California. Gal. can 114-2 ft. $1.00, I-IV 2 
ft. 75c; pot grown 114-2 ft. 60c. 
ABUTILON VITIFOLIUM. Grows quickly to a large shrub which bears a profuse 
crop of large, bell shaped, light blue flowers up to 314 in. wide. Pot grown 4-6 in. 25c. 
ASTER FRUTICOSA. This dainty slender-branched rather compact shrub grows only 
about 3 ft. tall and bears a profusion of daisy- 
like pinkish lavender flowers in late spring and 
early summer. One of those things that are uni¬ 
versally admired. Pot grown 8-12 in. 50c. 
RAFHINIA GALPINI. Unlike the more famil¬ 
iar Bauhinias, this is a half climbing shrub with 
flowers ranging from terra cotta to brick red. It 
is from South Africa and we do not yet know 
whether it is fully hardy here or not, but it surely 
is attractive. Pot grown 6-8 in. 35c. 
BOWK ERIA GERRARDIANA. This is a fair¬ 
ly vigorous South African shrub which may attain 
as much as 6-8 ft. The leaves are suggestive of 
Heliotrope; flowers are white, tubular and borne 
very freely. It is reported to stand considerable 
frost. Pot grown 6-8 in. 75c. 
BRUNFELSIA MACRANTHA (B. grandiflora). 
This is a decided improvement on B. calycina 
which is described in the second part of this book¬ 
let. This form has larger leaves, more open habit, 
and much larger flowers up to as much as 214 
in. wide. Grafted plants in gal. cans 8-12 in. $1.50. 
BLUE ATLAS CEDAR 
Cedrus atlantica glauca 
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