September 2012

Vol 2, Issue 5

 

 

Garden Notes

  Garden Notes Logo Bird


Greetings from Christianson's Nursery!

  

  

"By all these lovely tokens

September days are here
With summer's best of weather 

and autumn's best of cheer."

 

- Anonymous

 

 

September already?  Does this mean our lollygagging days are over? It would seem so, what with school starting and the harvesting of all those fruits and veggies underway.  Even the holiday this month, Labor Day, is a celebration of workers.  Am I the only one feeling a little blue about this?  I feel like I'm the last kid in the deep end of the pool, hanging on to my swim noodle, chin on my hands as I stare at the bottom, starting to shiver in the fading light...but not quite able to get out.  Not yet.
 
If you're like me and you need a good excuse for a bit more lollygagging, here you go:  tonight is not only a full moon, it's a Blue Moon - our second full moon in one month!  Tonight's blue moon, rising at 7:31 pm, is especially noteworthy as it arrives on the eve of the holiday weekend.  Cosmic!  The next blue moon won't happen until July 31, 2015, so this really does call for celebration.
 
Speaking of celebrations, we are hosting the  Skagit Valley Giant Pumpkin Festival on Saturday, September 29 (coincidentally, the next full moon). All the details appear in the 'Upcoming Events' section below, but just know this - it's going to be really, really fun!  In addition to the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off, you'll find scrumptious harvest food by Tweets from Edison, gardening classes, live music, and free pony rides, face painting and family carnival games.  I'm perking up just thinking about it! 
 
Between now and the Pumpkin Festival we will be offering many great weekend classes, and our annual 'Fall is for Planting' sale will be going on into October, which means great prices on roses, perennials, vines, and so much more.  Now why was I blue about this month?
 
Best wishes for a great September.  I hope you enjoy every single bit of it, the work and the play.    Cheers!

  


Eve Boe, Garden Notes Editor    
In This Issue
The Garden in September
Fresh Ideas
New Arrivals and Specials
The Language of Flowers
Class Calendar
Upcoming Events
Closing Thought
Quick Links

Garden Notes - May  

 
Garden Gazette - Sept-October 

Garden Gazette - June-July-August 

Garden Gazette - April-May 

Garden Gazette - Feb-March  

 

Christianson's Nursery 

 

La Conner Chamber of Commerce  

Where to find us

 

 Basic Logo

15806 Best Road
Mount Vernon, WA  98273

 
360-466-3821
1-800-585-8200
 
Open Daily 9 am - 6 pm
Open Labor Day

Voted Best Greenhouse and Nursery
in Skagit Publishing's 
People's Choice Awards for 2011 

 

NW Flower & Garden Show

"People's Choice Award 2011"


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The Garden in September 
By Rachel Anderson

 

Here we are with the growing season winding down.  The days are shorter and the nights are cooler. Many trees and shrubs have begun to show early signs of fall color and late blooming perennials, such as asters, sedums, and rudbeckia, are fading towards dormancy. In the vegetable garden, the heat of August has caused many plants in the Brassica family to bolt or go to seed.  September is a good time to freshen up and tidy the garden in preparation for the quiet days of winter.

 

In the ornamental garden:

  • Stop pruning and fertilizing.  Allow trees and shrubs to slow down and go dormant.  Pruning and fertilizing encourages plants to put on new growth, and now is not the best time for that.  New growth that hasn't had a chance to harden off is easily damaged by frost, stunting and, in some cases, killing the plant.
  • Don't deadhead roses.  When you let the flowers fade on the plant, it tells the plant that it's time to slow down and get ready for winter.
  • Lift and divide perennials.  Many varieties benefit from being divided every 2-3 years, such as daylilies, sedums, iris, lady's mantle, and lots more!  Dividing is also an excellent way to multiply your favorite perennials, which you can re-plant in your own garden or share with others.
  • Plant bearded Iris.  There is a great selection to choose from at the Nursery right now.  It's better to plant bearded Iris sooner than later to give it a chance to put down roots before winter.
  • Go shopping at the Nursery for the best selection of bulbs for spring.  Plant in September and October. You'll be so glad you did when the first snowdrops and crocus pop up in the dreary months of February and March.
  • Bring in any houseplants that vacationed outdoors for the summer.  Be sure to check for any hitch-hiking pests.
  • September is an excellent time to plant new trees, shrubs, and roses.

In the veggie garden:

  • Continue harvesting long-season crops like green beans, summer squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
  • Sow seeds for overwintering cover crops.  This is a great way to add nutrients and protect your soil over the winter.
  • Sow seeds or plant starts from the Nursery for overwintering veggies like kale, chard, lettuce, arugula, beets, carrots, and spinach.  Don't fertilize with a high nitrogen fertilizer as it produces fast, tender, watery new leaves that are susceptible to frost damage.  Also, be sure to thin seedlings generously to provide good air circulation.

 Above all, remember to enjoy the change in your garden as the season turns!

 

Rachel Anderson

 

 

Rachel has been gardening since childhood, thanks to her mom, and has been part of the team at Christianson's since 2002.  She's a Certified Professional Horticulturist with a passion for roses and vegetable gardening.  Rachel and her family enjoy gardening together and now share their urban garden with a menagerie of ducks, chickens, two cats, and a dog.   

Fresh Ideas
    

Using Plants as Natural 'Pest' Repellents 

By Eve Boe, Lily Hirdler, and Zoe Howell 

Agastache cana
Also known as 'Mosquito Plant'

 

As summer draws to a close, many of us are squeezing in our last cookouts, patio parties, camping trips, and gardening chores. We're also noticing the arrival of some uninvited guests, mosquitoes, flies and moths, to name just a few. Most of these 'pests' are simply annoying, but others can pose more serious threats. For example, avoiding mosquitoes has been in the news lately due to concerns about the West Nile Virus, which is spread by mosquitoes.   

 

Of course, the presence of insects is not only natural, it's an essential aspect of a healthy garden. The challenge comes in managing the 'pests' - those biting, veggie-decimating, marching-inside-the-house sorts of pests - while doing no harm to the microcosmic health of our garden, or to ourselves, our families, pets and wildlife, and the environment as a whole.

     

As organic gardeners who believe in treading gently and using natural solutions whenever possible, we'd like to share some ideas about using plants to help manage pests. Some plants are effective pest repellents just by virtue of being planted in the garden, while others need to be used in specific ways to get the desired benefit.

 

Take mint, for example.  Placing fresh mint in pantries helps deter ants, hanging sachets of dried mint in closets helps deter moths and flies (mint tea bags work as well), and rubbing crushed mint leaves on the coats of your cats and dogs can help deter biting insects.  One of our staff members has never once seen a flea on any of her three indoor-outdoor cats, possibly because the contained area of the garden that is their 'rest room' is filled with a variety of mint plants. Perhaps just walking through the mint garden is enough to cover their coats with mint oils and keep the fleas away.

 

The downside is that mint is an invasive plant. Instead of planting it directly in a veggie or ornamental garden, you may want to plant it in a contained area, or use it in pots placed around outdoor living spaces or near your herb garden.

 

The following are examples of plants that can help repel, or at least deter, some common pests. For specific information about how to use each plant to get the pest-deterring benefits you're seeking, visit the resource links at the bottom of this article.

 

Plants that help repel mosquitoes:

  • Agastache cana (a.k.a.  Mosquito Plant)
  • Catmint (In a study at Iowa State University, researchers found that the essential oil in catnip, nepetalactone, is 10 times more effective than DEET, the chemical used in most insect repellents)  
  • Rosemary
    Catmint
  • Basil
  • Lavender
  • Scented geranium  
  • Beebalm
  • Mint
  • Rue
  • Marigolds (an annual that needs to be planted every year)
  • Cedronella (a tender perennial that may need to be planted each year)

Plants that help deter ticks: 

  • Lavender
  • Garlic
  • Pennyroyal
  • Pyrethrum (type of chrysanthemum)
  • Sage
  • Beautyberry
  • Eucalyptus
  • Mint

Other pest-deterring plants:

  • Rue - especially good at deterring flies, Japanese beetles, slugs, fleas, and cats
  • Wormwood (Artemisia) - deters a variety of insects including ticks, flies and moths
  • Mint - deters beetles, fleas, moths, chiggers, mice, ants
  • Rosemary - in addition to mosquitoes, it also deters cabbage moths and carrot flies

As is always the case when making plant selections, it's important to understand the plant's benefits and possible hazards. For instance, while rue may be effective at deterring cats it's actually toxic to cats and dogs (other plants that are toxic to pets are wormwood, eucalyptus, pennyroyal, citronella, tansy, and sweet bay, among others).  

 

Fall is a great time to be thinking about what pest-repelling plants would work well in your landscape, especially near your outdoor living areas. Many of the plants mentioned in this article are available at the Nursery and can be planted now (a few of these plants are out of season or may be sold out so if you're looking for something specific, give us a call and we'll check availability). If you have questions or need help selecting plants that will work best for your situation, our knowledgeable staff will be happy to assist you.

 

Additional Resources

'Mosquito-Repellent Plants' from Garden Design magazine

  '5 Easy to Grow Mosquito-Repelling Plants'

   'Herbs That Kill, Control and Deter Fleas, Ticks & Mosquitoes'

  'How to Grow a Pest-Repellent Herb Garden'

'Garden Plants That Help Fight Fleas Naturally'

   

    

This fresh idea came from our staff members, Eve, Lily and Zoe.  If YOU have a favorite gardening tip or fresh idea you'd like to share with Garden Notes readers, email your submission to  [email protected] and put 'Fresh Ideas' in the subject line of your email.  You are also welcome to send your submissions to us at:  Christianson's Nursery - Attn Eve Boe, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon, WA, 98273.  Be sure to include your contact information (name, address, phone and/or email address) and please print clearly.   

 

If your submission is selected for publication, you will receive a $20 gift certificate to Christianson's.  We look forward to hearing from you!

New Arrivals and Specials
 
NEW ARRIVALS
 

Bulbs
Fall veggie starts

Ornamental Cabbage and Kale 

Asters and Mums

Winter Pansies 

Summer Heathers 

Heather 'Anette'

AUTUMN  SPECIALS

 

September 1 - 16

Fall is for Planting - 30% off

 roses, perennials, vines, and hydrangeas 

   

September 17 - October 4

Fall is for Planting - 30% off

rhododendrons and azaleas, and fruit, flower and shade trees (to 14 feet)

October 5 - 18

Conifer Sale - 25% off 

tall and dwarf evergreens, including spruce, fir, cypress, pine, and juniper| 


October 19 - 31 

Hedging Sale - 25% off 

laurel, boxwood, photinia, Japanese holly, Leyland cypress,
privet, and arborvitae 
 
The Language of Flowers

Our featured flower for September is...the Dahlia!
  
Dahlia 'Melody Dora'
Now at the Nursery
The Language of Dahlias: 
In the Victorian language of flowers, the gift of a dahlia flower expresses sentiments of dignity and elegance. It's also a symbol of a commitment and bond that lasts forever, which makes the Dahlia a perfect flower to celebrate love and marriage. 

Interesting facts and tidbits about dahlias:
  • The dahlia is named after Swedish 18th-century botanist Anders Dahl who regarded it as a vegetable rather than a garden flower.
  • Dahlias are native to Mexico and South America.
  • There are over 50,000 named varieties and an individual flower can have up to 300 petals.
  • The dahlia is the official flower of the City of Seattle.  

Autumn Class Calendar 

   

Saturday, September 8

Gorgeous Grasses 

11 am - noon (reservations required  - $5 class fee)

Add texture and movement to your garden with some of the amazing assortment of ornamental grasses that grow well in the Northwest. Sara Burns of Wind Poppy Farm & Nursery in Ferndale will talk about some of the most versatile and successful grasses - and introduce you to some undiscovered gems that are worth exploring.  

 

Saturday, September 15

Preserving Your Harvest with Fermentation

11 am - 12:30 pm (reservations required  - $10 class fee)

Savor your September vegetables for months by preserving them with traditional, enzyme-rich, lacto fermentation. Scarlet Starkey - who has served as the Skagit County Fair's canning superintendent for the past several years - will demonstrate side dishes such as a Latin American sauerkraut (cortido), pickled roasted red peppers (tasting so good they're "to die for," Scarlet says), and the Russian beet beverage, kvass. Bring a clean quart jar and go home with some cortido of your own ... inspired by Sally Fallon's book, Nourishing Traditions.   

 

Saturday, September 22

Rhododendrons for the Rest of the Year  

11 am - noon (reservations required  - $5 class fee) 

In spring, the luscious colors of rhododendrons delight, but come fall and winter, do you think of them as just ho-hum background shrubs? Discover the fascination of leaves, bark and the overall form of rhododendrons in the "off season." Don Lee of Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens on Whidbey Island will show what a great variety of rhodies we can grow here for year-round interest, and he'll give tips for their fall care. Don was Washington's Master Gardener of the Year in 2009 and is president of Meerkerk's board of directors.  (A bonus:  This class is being held during Christianson's 30% sale on rhododendrons!)

   

Sunday, September 23 

Rain Gardens and Ponds for Winter 

2  - 3 pm (reservations required  - complimentary class)

Expert growers of water-loving plants, Kathy and Scott Ramin of Still Waters Aquatic Nursery in Mount Vernon, are teaching a timely class as we get ready for the rainy season: how to deal with all that runoff in soggy spots of the garden, and how to winterize a pond feature where you've been encouraging the aquatic plant life. Rain gardens use tough, often native plants to absorb and slow the rush of water, such as near a downspout. And garden ponds will benefit from some fall maintenance, such as dividing plants and dealing with leaves and needles. 

 

Saturday, September 29

Skagit Valley Giant Pumpkin Festival  

 

Cooking Class: So Much More Than Pumpkin Pie! 

10:30 am - noon (reservations required  - $10 class fee)

 As part of the Skagit Valley Giant Pumpkin Festival, Chef Suzanne Butler returns with creative ideas for putting pumpkin on the plate: Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Pumpkin Crisps, Pumpkin Gnocchi with Crisp Fried Sage Leaves, and Pumpkin Maple Ice Cream. Suzanne, Culinary Arts instructor at Skagit Valley College, was "Galloping Gourmet" Graham Kerr's cooking assistant for many years and manager of the Mount Vernon Farmers Market. 

 

Making Hard Apple Cider at Home

1 pm - 2 pm (reservations required  - $10 class fee)

Learn the basics of making hard cider with some simple and rather inexpensive equipment in your own kitchen. Master cidermaker Drew Zimmerman will be at Christianson's to discuss choosing the right apple varieties, hygienic practices and the steps that will take you through fermentation, racking off and bottling for drinking in the spring.   

 

 

For class reservations, please call us at 360-466-3821 or 1-800-585-8200    

 

Preview of October Classes and Events...  

 

Saturday, October 6  

Asian Pears for Western Washington 

11 - noon  (reservations required - $5 class fee)  

 

Saturday, October 6 

Fresh Cider Pressing with John Christianson 

12:30 - 2 pm   (complimentary)    

Constance Funk and
one of her works of art,
a mosaic watering can


Saturday, October 13

Mosaics for Garden and Home

1 - 5 pm   (reservations required - $35 class fee)    


Saturday, October 13

Fall Color Walk with John Christianson 

1 pm   (reservations requested - complimentary)


Saturday, October 20 

Starting a Veggie Garden From Scratch 

11 am - noon   (reservations required - $5 class fee) 

  

Saturday, October 27 

Hedgerows and Habitats 

11 am - noon   (reservations required - $5 class fee)


  

Upcoming Events  

     
Saturday, September 29 
9 am to 6 pm 

 

Skagit Valley
Giant Pumpkin Festival
 
 

Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off  * Harvest Food Classes *  Live Music
and Free Pony Rides, Face Painting, and Family Carnival Games

 

A $2,000 cash prize for the biggest pumpkin! 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

 

9 am - 1 pm:   Giant pumpkin entries accepted Come see the parade of special deliveries!
Entries will also be accepted on Friday, 
September 28, from 9 am to 6 pm.

 

10:30 am - noon:  Cooking class: "So Much More than Pumpkin Pie!"

 

11 am - 3 pm:   Tweets, the scrumptious caf� in Edison, offers 'Tastes of the Harvest'

 

Noon - 2 pm:  Live music performed by Laurel Bliss and John Clark  (Old Time & Bluegrass)

 

1 - 2 pm:   Class: "Making Hard Cider at Home"

 

1 - 3 pm:  Free pony rides with Lang's Traveling Ponies

 

1 - 3 pm:  Free face painting and family carnival games

 

2 - 4 pm:  Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off

 

4 pm:  Giant Pumpkin Award winners announced 

(prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers)

 

Giant pumpkins will remain on display at Christianson's through

Sunday, September 30th. 

 

Reservations are required for both classes (class fee: $10 for each).
Please  call the Nursery at 360-466-3821 or 1-800-585-8200 to make your reservation.  

 

Our generous sponsors for this event include the Pacific Northwest Giant Pumpkin Growers, Coastal Farm & Ranch, Skagit Valley Food Co-Op, and Skagit Farmer's Supply   

   

Check out the Pacific Northwest Giant Pumpkin Grower website to learn more about growing giant pumpkins, local events, and much more! 

Closing Thought...

"
Why try to explain miracles to your kids when you can
just have them plant a garden."

~Robert Brault
  
 
Avalon Renninger (l) and Genna Wright (r) 

Avalon is the daughter of Phil Renninger, a giant pumpkin grower from Coupeville and the winner of our Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off last year with this pumpkin - weighing in at 933 lbs! 
 
Garden Notes Editor:
Eve Boe, Public Relations
Christianson's Nursery & Greenhouse
360-466-3821