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January 2013
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Volume 2, Issue 9
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Garden Notes
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Greetings from Christianson's!
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"When you see someone putting on his
Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that
an Adventure is going to happen."
- A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
My most recent Big Boot adventure happened unexpectedly in the middle of the night, last week at Cannon Beach. At 3 am, my husband woke me up to say he was going out to take pictures. One of his endearing quirks is that he takes pictures of odd things at odd hours, so I wished him well and rolled over to go back to sleep. But sleep didn't happen. What happened was a growing sense of curiosity I couldn't ignore. What could he possibly see out there at that hour? What am I missing? Before I could stop myself, I was pulling on my boots and heading out the door to find out.
What I found was magic. A nearly full moon was rising over the beach and the sky was filled with stars. How is that even possible - a full moon and stars, all in the same moment? The moonlight illuminated the entire beach and made the water look like waves of mercury. Out on the horizon, I could see giant sprays of water leaping into the air with each rise and fall of the surf. It was surprisingly warm without a breath of wind. And down at the end of the beach, near Haystack Rock, I could see a lone figure with a tripod and camera.
As I walked down the beach towards him, I thought about how easy it would have been to miss this experience. Especially in the winter, I often do roll over and go back to sleep, or I skip my walks or postpone garden work because of the rain. But here's the thing: this walk on the beach was magical because it was 3 am. Working in the garden can be memorable (in a good way) because of the rain.
When we bundle up and step outside, even little doses of nature can turn out to be the best part of the day, especially in January. And isn't it true that when we return from our outdoor excursions and blustery garden work, the soup tastes better and the fire feels warmer? I love pulling off wet, muddy boots, putting on cozy, dry clothes, and taking that first sip of tea. Guess I have a few quirks, too.
Best wishes to all of you for a new year filled with good health and great gardening. May your boots be muddy and your teakettles well used. Cheers!
 Eve Boe, Garden Notes Editor
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Where To Find Us
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15806 Best Road
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
www.christiansonsnursery.com
360-466-3821
1-800-585-8200
Winter Hours:
Open Daily 9 am - 5 pm
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 January
by Rachel Anderson
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Photo from 'The Gardener's Eden'
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Here it is, a new year again! January is a great time to begin your planning for the coming growing season. Plant and seed catalogs are beginning to appear in mailboxes, tantalizing you with the latest and greatest in new varieties of just about everything. I always get sucked into the vegetable section of seed catalogs, with promises of bigger yields and more delicious flavor with less effort. Amazing! Every year I try something new in the veggie garden and sometimes it's successful and sometimes not so much. (Tomatoes usually fall into the not so much category - I like to blame it on the weather rather than take full responsibility). My space is limited, so when something doesn't work out it's pretty disappointing. But at least I've learned something! Just thinking about the new season ahead with its promise of lush green growing things, and sunshine and gentle spring rain and songbirds singing their hearts out and...and...I just can't wait!
In the ornamental garden:
- The boughs from your Christmas tree make a great mulch. Prune them off and either spread them out whole or chop them up into smaller pieces and spread them around. We always save the remaining trunk over the year and then on Christmas Eve, saw it up and use it as our Yule Log.
- Remove the older leaves from your hellebores to better show off the emerging flowers. In the spring, do the opposite and remove the spent flowers to allow the new leaves to grow unimpeded.
- Take advantage of any calm and dry days to spray a dormant spray, like Lime Sulphur, on your fruit trees and roses. Dormant sprays help with the control of some insect pests and some fungal issues like scab on apples and black spot on roses. Be sure to fully read and follow the directions on the packaging and always wear protective clothing. And be prepared for the possibility of smelling like a rotten egg afterwards. Again, calm days are key!
- It's the beginning of the pruning season, and if you're unsure how to take care of your fruit trees, roses, or other shrubs, take advantage of the several amazing pruning classes that we have lined up this year. If you have a garden that has suddenly (or not so suddenly) gotten out of control, check out Cass Turnbull's class. She's a real pruning know it all-in a very good way. Remember to always call ahead to reserve your spot in any class as they fill up quickly.
- January marks the beginning of the bare root fruit tree, ornamental, and shrub season. We've got an excellent selection right now. Bare root trees are usually less expensive than potted or balled and burlapped, and they're lighter and easier to handle. This is when we have our absolute best selecion of fruit trees, and some varieties are limited so hurry in if you're looking for something specific.
- It's also rose season. We'll have our best selection of roses in stock this month, including tons of exciting varieties for 2013. Check out our newly updated rose list to see what's new. (Our 2013 Rose List will soon be available at the Nursery and on our website, and will also be an insert in the upcoming February-March 2013 issue of the 'Garden Gazette' newsletter.)
In the vegetable garden:
- Make plans!
- Consider creating a garden journal that includes a to scale drawing of your veggie beds. Make copies of your drawing and pencil in what you might like to plant where, and consider crop rotations too. Rotating crops even in small spaces helps to prevent disease and insect problems.
Happy New Year and happy planning! We've got a ways to go before we can do anything in earnest, but there's no harm in getting excited and looking forward to another great growing season.
To download a printable copy of this article, click here
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.
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Fresh Ideas
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Here's an assortment of creative ideas related to winter projects, garden planning, and cooking. Simply click on a photo you like (or the links below the photo) and it will take you to the website that provides all the 'How To' instructions. We hope you enjoy these fresh ideas and, if you try any of these projects, please let us know how it goes!
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Creative ways to organize your garage and garden shed
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Make comfort food,
like Sweet Pea Risotto
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Make stepping stones
with a cake pan
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If YOU have a favorite gardening tip or fresh idea you'd like to share in Garden Notes, please email your submission to eve.christiansons@gmail.com 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 'Fresh Idea' is selected for publication, you will receive a $20 gift certificate to Christianson's.
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Seasonal Specials
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Witch Hazel and Oregon Grape
Many plants in full bloom ~ great winter color!
Winter Heather
Hellebores
In bud and bloom
Bareroot Trees
Ornamental and Fruit Trees
Roses!
Click here to see our 2013 Rose List
COMING SOON...
Pansies, primroses, and a great variety
of early spring bulbs in bloom
 | This was a scene at the Nursery in late
January, 2012. Seems like just yesterday! |
EARLY SPRING SPECIALS
January 1 - 31
House & Conservatory Plants - 25% off
tropical plants for home or greenhouse
(free repotting with plant and pot purchase)
February 1 -14
Blooming Witch Hazel and Heather - 20% off
Hundreds of winter and spring flowering plants
February 15 - 28
Roses - 20% off
Our biggest Rose Sale of the year!
Includes antique, English, climbing, and drought-tolerant rugosa roses
March 2 and 3
Hellebores - 20% off
Huge selection of our favorite winter-flowering perennial
March 1 - 14
Bare Root - 20% off already low bare root prices
Our best selection of the year!
Includes fruit, flowering and shade trees, berries, lilacs, and hydrangeas
March 15 - 31
Camelias - 20% off
Winter and spring flowering beauties - many in bloom!
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Staff Picks
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 | | Andrew with Aloe arborescens |
This month our 'Staff Picks' come from Andrew Pickens, a Christianson's staff member for thirteen years. Andrew got his start in gardening at a young age when he joined his mom on her many road trips to nurseries around the state. He is a member of The Whatcom Horticulture Society and also a Washington Certified Nurseryman. He is a buyer and displayer of the pottery and the conservatory plants. The following are a few of his favorites for the month of January.
Outdoor Plants:
- Oregon grape: Attracts hummingbirds with its bright yellow flowers. Plant it in January and you'll be rewarded with cheerful color and bird activity.
- Hellebores: One of my favorites is 'Cinnamon Snow'. It has white flowers with just a touch of pink. It perks right back after a snow and it's long-blooming into March.
- Japanese White Pines: Silvery blue needles and cones that hold the frost nicely. Good for any sized yard.
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Cymbidium orchid
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Helleborus 'Cinnamon Snow'
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Indoor Plants: - Cymbidium orchids: Great for places in your home with cooler temperatures. Long-blooming, up to a couple months. These orchids come in a wide range of colors and some are even fragrant!
- Anthyrium: These plants make me think of Hawaii. Come in wonderful bold colors of reds, corals and pinks - always cheerful on winter day. If you put them in a bowl with moss on top (to help hold moisture), they will bloom for months.
- Ficus lyrata (also known as 'Fiddle-head or Fiddle-leaf Fig'): Great bold green foliage. Often grown in tropical gardens, but it also works well indoors as a small tree or bush.
- Ficus alii: A beautiful indoor tree, the alii has longer leaves than the common F. benjamina and has less leaf droppage.
- African Violets: Easy classics, almost perennially in bloom. Remember - don't water the leaves, just the soil.
- Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii): A great indoor plant that offers wonderful texture, interesting form, and great color (reds, pinks and whites).
- Aloe arborescens (or Tree Aloe): They are all coming into bloom right now and offer great color and texture. They are easy to grown and do fine in cooler temperatures. In South Africa, hummingbirds feed from them so, if you grow them in a greenhouse or near a window, you might also attract our winter hummingbirds.
Other tips for January: - Now is the time to add lime sulfur and copper to fruit trees and roses
- For those who are planning vegetable gardens, I highly recommend these two books:
- The Maritime Northwest Garden Guide by Carl Elliott and Rob Peterson
- Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades by Steve Solomon
  Note: Both of these books are BIG favorites with all our staff members and both are available for purchase at the Nursery
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Early Spring Calendar
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January and February Classes
Saturday, January 12
Growing Tea in the Valley
11 am - noon (reservations required - $5 class fee)
Saturday, January 19
Pruning Ornamental Trees & Shrubs
11 am - 12:30 pm (reservations required - $5 class fee)
Saturday, January 26
Orchids
11 am - noon (reservations required - $5 class fee)
Saturday, February 2
Point-and-Shoot Garden Photography
11 am - noon (reservations required - $5 class fee)
Saturday, February 9
Choosing Your Apple Trees
11 am - noon (reservations required - complimentary)
Saturday, February 16
Pruning and Training Young Fruit Trees
11 am - 12:30 (reservations required - $5 class fee)
Saturday, February 16
Problem Trees in Your Garden?
1 pm - 2 pm (reservations required - $5 class fee)
Sunday, February 17
Growing Giant Pumpkins
1 pm - 2 pm (reservations required - $5 class fee)
Upcoming Events
February 20, 21, and 22
Ride our 'Flower Buses' to the Northwest Flower & Garden Show
The Northwest Flower and Garden Show will be held in Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center from February 20 - 24. Once again, we are happy to offer our 'Flower Buses' so you can gather your friends and enjoy the show without the stress of driving and parking. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (February 20, 21 and 22), the Flower Buses leave the Nursery at 8:30 am and return at approximately 6 pm. The cost of a combination show ticket and bus ride is $52. Call the Nursery today (360-466-3821) to reserve your space.
If you're traveling to the show on your own, tickets for the show are available for purchase in our Garden Store. Tickets are $16 for early bird tickets and $20 during the dates of the show (February 20 - 24).
 While you're at the show, check out the cool plants
we will have for sale at Booth 2518
Monday, February 25
Deadline for entries to our Fifth Annual Winter Gardens Photography Contest
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'Reflection of Winter' by Carol Worrell
First Place winner in 2012 (Category 1)
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March 2 and 3
A Fascination for Hellebores ~ Seventh Annual Winter Festival
Saturday and Sunday from 9 am - 5 pm
Special Presentation:
Saturday, March 2, at 1 pm:
Guest Speaker Marianne Binetti will be presenting
"Hot Hellebores and Other Cool Plants for Early Color"
This talk is complimentary, but reservations are required so
call early to reserve your spot! 360-466-3821 or 1-800-585-8200
Full details about all of these classes and events can be found on our website
For class reservations, please call us at 360-466-3821 or 1-800-585-8200
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Closing Thought...
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"The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful."
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Garden Notes Editor:
Eve Boe, Public Relations
Christianson's Nursery & Greenhouse
360-466-3821
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