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November 2011
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Vol 1, Issue 6
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Garden Notes
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Greetings from Christianson's! |
Ah November. Time to button down the hatches, clean the bird feeders, tuck the bulbs into their beds, and cover the outdoor faucets with those insulation thingys. Nothing too exciting...just simple, practical tasks that are rewarded with bowls of hearty soup and wool socks at the end of the day.
On a personal level, it's a little more complicated. As we turn this corner into winter, it is often a time of quiet reflection and counting our blessings, yet it's also when we start ramping up for the holidays and spending time with family and friends. We might start the day by walking along kicking up leaves and spreading mulch, and then later that same day we find ourselves dressed up at a dinner party.
No matter what frame of mind you're in, the nursery is a good place to be this month. You can enjoy some quiet time and savor the last colors of fall as you stroll the gardens and greenhouses. You can meet four local artists at our Holiday Open House and Art's Alive Celebration (November 4 - 6). You can bring a friend and go to a class together, or take a garden walk with John Christianson. And on November 26, you can join us for our 16th Annual Holiday Tea, the arrival of Father Christmas, and holiday wreath making classes.
The one thing that you can be sure of this month is that no matter why you come or when you come, we are always delighted and grateful to see you. Best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving! |
Rose Hip Wreath Making class, October 29
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"Funny thing about joy...you only really find it when you are too busy having fun to go looking for it."~ Leigh Standley
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Where to find us |
15806 Best Road
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
360-466-3821
1-800-585-8200
Winter Hours: Open daily 9 am - 5 pm
NW Flower & Garden Show "People's Choice Award 2011"
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The Garden in November...with Ani Gurnee
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What a beautiful time of year! The blaze of sudden color, the clouds streaming across the sky, the crisp leaves raining from the trees, the sharp chill in the air. The snow geese are back. And waves of little birds are heading south, alighting to rest and feed along the way, skittering amongst the leaves and twigs, looking for seeds and insects. Think of these little birds as you begin fall clean up in the garden. The drifts of leaves, the dead stalks of perennials, these are rich reservoirs of food for the birds. - We have aspired to the habit of thinking that every possible bit of garden debris ought to be composted - in the compost pile. But when we manicure the garden excessively or put everything in the pile we are actually interrupting some of the processes of garden rejuvenation that we are trying to augment. Composting is great, but there is more to consider.
- Leave some of that debris in place or pile it off in the periphery of the garden. The idea of the brush pile is totally different from the compost pile. The goal is not to break down material for your own re-use but to let it rot in place, in contact with the ground and undisturbed over time, as food and habitat for birds and other small life forms that are also essential contributors to the health of the garden, such as spiders, over-wintering beneficial insects and their eggs, frogs and toads and salamanders. 'Undisturbed' is the key word. To manipulate these piles bares to the winter everything that found refuge there. In a small yard, it may just mean tucking some of the dead leaves and twigs behind an old rhody or creating a thatch of twigs under a conifer back in a corner. On a large property, it might mean creating piles or 'fences' (linear piles). Not to be burned, but as long-term havens.
- If you are in the habit of tidying up the sword ferns by removing the older, lower fronds, consider doing this in late spring. This leaves the thick insulating mat in place over the winter, helpful for the plant as well as over-wintering insects. If you have tender plants to mulch, sword fern fronds make excellent mulch. Their course loft has excellent insulating value and won't mat down heavily or blow away like straw.
- Snow in itself is an excellent insulator, but sometimes there are hazards in leaving snow on plants too long. Some plants, like big yews or emerald greens, which actually consist of a number of close ascending trunks, can splay apart under a snow load. If this happens, gather the trunks in to their original position and bind them loosely together. The plastic 'chain lock' (available at the nursery) works excellently for this and is adjustable and reusable.
- Any kind of mulch helps buffer the soil temperature in the winter and keeps weeds down. A few things to be aware of though. Mounding of mulch up around tree trunks can rot the bark and kill the tree. In particular, keep mulches and long un-mowed grass away from young fruit tree trunks, as the bark is especially tasty to rodents in the winter. In my pruning profession, this is one of the most common things I run into.
- One way to have mulch available quickly in a sudden cold snap is to loosely pile dried leaves or straw in plastic garbage bags, which can be stacked and tied around a plant and then readily dismantled when the danger is over. Keep in mind that evergreens are dependent on light in the winter and don't like to remain covered for weeks at a time.
- It is sometimes tempting to dream of having a small greenhouse in which to overwinter tender plants. Remember, though, unless you are prepared to heat the greenhouse consistently that extra warmth can be more hazardous than beneficial. The trouble is small greenhouse and cloches build up heat on a sunny winter day, causing the plants to break dormancy. But the volume of space is too small to retain that heat overnight, leaving plants even more vulnerable to freezing. Plants that can be cut back and overwintered in a dormant state in a dark place that doesn't freeze - a garage, crawl space under the house, a barn - will be more likely to survive than in an unheated greenhouse. These include tender salvias, 'geraniums' (Pelargoniums), and fuchsias.
I cherish these last vigorous tasks of fall and am grateful for the opportunity to be out in my garden during this season.
Ani Gurnee is a popular and greatly-adored guest speaker at the nursery. Ani is the owner of Aulos Design and she can be reached at 360-445-2028. Ani will be teaching many gardening classes at Christianson's Nursery in the coming months (see our Winter Class Calendar below). She is also teaching a six-week class at the Anacortes Senior College called 'Gardening & Landscaping Basics'. For more information, visit Anacortes Senior College. |
Winter Specials
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NEW ARRIVALS AT THE NURSERY
Hellebores, including double-whites and double-blacks
Paperwhites and Amaryllis bulbs (12 kinds!)
SALES EVENTS
November 1 - 30 Roses - 50% off
end of season sale ~ hundreds of bushes from which to choose
Large Birch Trees - 50% off assorted varieties, balled in burlap, 12' and larger (excludes Himalayans)
November 1 -13
Rhododendrons and Azaleas -20% off
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Ground Covers - 25% off
kinnickinnick, ivy, juniper, salal, Cotoneaster, Vinca, Pachysandra, and Euonymous
November 14 - 30 Camellias - 20% off
winter and spring flowering Camellias in bud or bloom 1 gallon to 5 gallon sizes
December 1 -31
Christmas Holly - 20% off
traditional English Holly plus many rare and uncommon varieties 1 gallon to 6' sizes
January 1 - 31
House & Conservatory Plants - 25% off
tropical plants for home or greenhouse
(free repotting with plant and pot purchase)
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Winter Class Calendar
| To see full class descriptions, please visit the 'Classes & Events' page on our website
Saturday, November 12 Art in the Garden
Speaker: Kathy Hirdler 11:00 am - noon reservations required (class fee: $5) Conifer Walk with John Christianson 1 pm - 2 pm complimentary but reservations requested Following the Conifer Walk, plan to have 'Tea at the Granary' served by Margie Hart. This tea features sandwiches, scones, fruit, and dessert. Call La Conner Flats at 466-3190 to reserve your spot for this popular event ($14 per person). Saturday, November 19 Festive Holiday Cooking Speaker: Suzanne Butler
11 am - 12:30 pm reservations required ($10 class fee) Feeding the Birds for the Holidays
Speaker: Ani Gurnee 1:30 pm to 3 pm reservations required ($5 class fee)
Click here to read Ani's recent article 'Feeding the Birds', published in our Nov-Dec 2011 Garden Gazette.
Saturday, November 26 Arrival of Father Christmas 10 am - 3 pm Professional photographs will be taken by Barb Roberson Holiday Wreath Making Classes
Instructor: Andrew Pickens 11 am - 3 pm (classes start at 11 am, noon, 1 pm, and 2 pm) reservations required ($5 class fee) Wear warm clothing and bring your pruners and gardening gloves Sixteenth Annual Holiday Tea noon - 5 pm complimentary but reservations required Tea seatings will be offered at noon, 1:15 pm, 2:30 pm, and 3:45 pm November 27 - December 24Independent Wreath-Making 9 am to 4 pm reservations required Thursday, December 1
Decorating with Botanicals 1 pm - 3 pm
complimentary but reservations requested Saturday, December 10
Bellevue Botanical Gardens ~ Holiday Lights Tour 12:30 pm - 8:30 pm reservations required ($40) Saturday, January 14
Orchids noon - 1 pm reservations required ($5 class fee) Saturday, January 21
There's a Deer in my Garden 11 - noon reservations required ($5 class fee) Sunday, January 29
The Virtues of Bareroot 11 - 12:30 pm reservations required ($5 class fee) For class reservations, call us at 360-466-3821 or 1-800-585-8200 To see full class descriptions, please visit the 'Classes & Events' page on our website |
Winter Events Calendar
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November 4, 5 and 6: Holiday Open House and Art's Alive! 2011 We will once again be celebrating Art's Alive! with a Holiday Open House. Highlights include 'Meet the Artists' and live art demonstrations, classical guitar music, fresh pressed apple cider, and molasses cookies. For more details about Art's Alive! 2011, click here. Featured Artists Schedule
Friday, November 4 noon - 4:00 pm Live art demonstrations with Northwest Fine Artist, Jack Dorsey 11 am - 5:00 pm Artistic metalwork by local blacksmith Andy Gladish Saturday, November 5
noon - 4 pm Classical Guitar in the Schoolhouse with Steve Small noon - 4 pm Live art demonstrations with Northwest Fine Artist, Kristy Gjesme noon - 4 pm Live art demonstrations with Northwest Fine Artist, Jack Dorsey 1 pm - 4 pm Handcrafted 'works of art' chicken coops by Tim Chomiak 11 am - 5 pm Artistic metalwork by local blacksmith Andy Gladish Sunday, November 6
1 pm - 4 pm Live art demonstrations with Northwest Fine Artist, Jack Dorsey 1 pm - 4 pm Handcrafted 'works of art' chicken coops by Tim Chomiak Saturday, November 26: Holiday Tea, Father Christmas, and Wreath Making
The Saturday following Thanksgiving is filled with a festive assortment of holiday events at the nursery. Please plan to join us as we welcome in the holiday season!
10 am - 3 pm: Arrival of Father Christmas Father Christmas will be in his bright red sleigh nestled among the trees in our South Greenhouse. He is excited to greet children of all ages and listen to their Christmas wishes. Come in your holiday finest and have your picture taken by professional photographer Barb Roberson who will capture this memorable occasion. 11 am - 3 pm: Holiday Wreath Making
Reservations required ($5 class fee) From mastery of the wreath machine to selection of greenery and composition, staff member and designer Andrew Pickens will be your guide as you create your one-of-a-kind wreath. Bring your own greens or select from our wide array of specialty boughs (sold by the pound). This one-hour class repeats each hour between 11 am to 3 pm (classes start at 11 am, noon, 1 pm, and 2 pm). Wear warm clothing and bring your pruners and gardening gloves. Noon - 5 pm: Sixteenth Annual Holiday Tea Complimentary but reservations required Tea seatings will be offered at noon, 1:15 pm, 2:30 pm, and 3:45 pm For well over a decade John and Toni Christianson have hosted this Holiday Tea to show appreciation to their customers and celebrate the start of the holiday season. Our 1888 Schoolhouse is the perfect setting for this gathering with a forest theme, candlelight and music performed by autoharpist Bob Harper and violinist Dennis Burkhardt. Enjoy tea sandwiches and assorted delicacies accompanied by tea, coffee, and apple cider. Take part in what has become a valley tradition and make your reservation today. Donations will be collected to benefit the La Conner Boys and Girls Club. Your contributions over the years have helped keep this program viable. For reservations for the Holiday Tea and Wreath Making classes, please call us at 1-800-585-8200 or 360-466-3821
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Closing thought...
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"The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly
changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools."
~ Henry Beston, Northern Farm
| John Holtman Photography |
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Garden Notes Editor:
Eve Boe, Public Relations and Events Coordinator
Christianson's Nursery & Greenhouse
360-466-3821
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