April 2014
Vol 3, Issue 12


Garden Notes
Garden Notes Logo Bird


 
Greetings from Christianson's!


...cool, scentless, and somewhat aloof... It is no accident that botanical illustrators and photographers have so often brought their scrupulous eye to bear on this particular flower:  it rewards that particular gaze like no other.
~Michael Pollan, Botany of Desire

There's that moment in spring when I walk out my door in the morning and realize that I no longer need a coat. The outside feels like room temperature for the first time since last year; a blanket of warmth washes over my face. I close my eyes and face a warming sun. Spring fever kicks in. At last, spring is really here.


Technically, sometime during the third week of March is the official start of spring on the calendar, but like the date of the Vernal Equinox, spring shifts. As March swings into April, spring can be deceptive. The month of April keeps me on my toes. I can get caught off guard by spring snow showers. I get annoyed when I see yet another morning of frost on my car's windshield. The temperature is near the 70's for part of the week, then it suddenly drops into the 30's! Nature can't quite decide whether it wants to advance into spring or not. My closet reflects it. Turtle necks, long-sleeved V-necks and short sleeve shirts all occupy the same space with polar fleece vests. Sweaters and wool socks aren't quite put away yet. Capris with leggings. Wool socks with sandals. Still, woolies in Wellies. Oh yeah, our region is known for its cold, wet springs, huh.

 

However, in the Skagit Valley, there is a clear and distinct season that typically defies nature's folly: tulip season, our official kick-off to spring. In a month of weather uncertainty, tulips can be like the warm embrace of a faithful old friend that comes calling after a long absence. These forces of flower power seem to defy nature with their weather-be-damned determined buds. It takes extreme weather conditions to dampen their bloom. As I drive along Pleasant Ridge to and from the Nursery, I gaze out into the valley looking for that quilt of many colors when the fields of tulips are in bloom. Their sight is reassuring that things are as they are supposed to be. There's a field right across from the Nursery this year. Gazing out from the office window into that field puts a smile on my face, anticipating the amazing colors emerging from a sea of green leaves.

Tulip fans are as determined to emerge as the flowers. Come rain or shine, these enthusiasts gather around the flowering masses with cameras in hand to get that perfect shot or to just enjoy the first real bloom en masse of the season. Perhaps we enjoy them best in field displays because they are a flower that demands it. There just isn't the visual impact when tulips are planted as onesies. I feel cheated when encountering a line-up of 5 individual tulips equally spaced along a long commercial planting strip. It looks wimpy. It says 'low budget'.

Here, at the Nursery, we are prepared for the season. Not only do we have potted tulips for sale, we are getting in new shipments of annuals, perennials and shrubs every week. As part of the festivities, the Stanwood Camano Arts Guild is hosting Art at the Schoolhouse again this year, beginning April 4th through April 27th. Judy and Annie's Philly Sandwiches and Crepes is back! New, this year is Queen Bee Espresso, which will be available most weekends this spring to create your perfect coffee concoction.
 
So, enjoy the Festival and the blooms. It's a rite of spring passage; the bridge between two seasons. Get out into the fields donning your turtleneck, woolies in your Wellies (it will be muddy) with your leggings tucked in and have a walkabout in the beauty of the tulip season.
 

   

 

 

Debra Lacy,
Certified Professional Horticulturist & Editor
 

 

In This Issue
Seasonal Specials
Calendar Highlights
The Garden in April
Tulip Season Highlights
Giant Pumpkins!
Great Design Plants
Primrose Antiques & Gifts
Fresh Ideas
Closing Thought
Quick Links

 

 2014 Rose List

 

Garden Gazette: April - June 2013  

Garden Gazette: Archives  

 

Christianson's Nursery

   

La Conner Chamber of Commerce  

Mt Vernon Chamber of Commerce

  

Where To Find Us

Basic Logo

 

15806 Best Road

Mount Vernon, WA  98273

Map and directions 

www.christiansonsnursery.com 

 

360-466-3821

1-800-585-8200

 

Spring Hours
Open daily 9 am - 6 pm

      

Weekly Radio Broadcast: 

Sunday Mornings at 10:30 am 

 The Garden Show
with John and Mike
KAPS AM 660 

 

Voted Best Greenhouse and Nursery

in Skagit Publishing's

People's Choice Awards for

2010, 2011 and 2012 

   

NW Flower & Garden Show

"People's Choice Award 2011"

 

Special Events 

Fourth Annual  

Historic Homes Tour

Saturday, April 5

10 AM - 5 PM

Skagit County Historical Museum presents its 4th Historic Home Tour.  This year features an eclectic group of homes and structures in the historic town of Edison. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 day of event, and are available at our Garden Store.  For more information, click here.

Rhododendron Flower Show
Saturday, April 26
10 AM to 3 PM

Rhododendrons put on one of the most eagerly awaited flower shows in spring. Not only do rhodies provide a burst of fabulous springtime color and add year-round interest to your landscape, their bud and blossom cuttings make stunning spring bouquets. Come get inspired by the Komo Kulshan Rhododendron Society's Flower Show, held in the Propagation House here at the Nursery. 
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April Specials
 

 

April 1-13
Magnolias
Hundreds of beautiful blooming trees with
white, pink, purple or yellow flowers,
including evergreen varieties
20% off

 

April 14-30  

 Rhododendrons and Azaleas
Thousands to choose from,
including evergreen and deciduous azaleas

20% off

   

We have many rose varieties to chose from

Click here for our Rose List 

 

Calendar Highlights
classtop
Upcoming Classes & Events
 
.: April - June :.

Saturday, April 5
1 pm:  Aeroponics Demonstration

April 4 - 27

10 am to 5 pm:  Art at the Schoolhouse

Saturday, April 26
10 am - 3 pm:  Rhododendron Flower Show

Friday, May 30
5 - 9 pm:  An Evening of Wine & Artisan Chocolate at the Schoolhouse

Sunday, June 1
1 - 3:30 pm:  Workshop: Indoor Suitable Bonsai

Saturday, June 7
11 am - Noon:   The Point and Shoot Camera: Every Gardener's Best Friend

Sunday, June 8

1 - 3:30 pm:  Workshop: Conifer Bonsai

Saturday, June 14
Saturday, June 14 
1 pm:  June Bloom Walk with John Christianson

Saturday, June 21
9 am - 5 pm: New! First Annual Antique Fair at the Schoolhouse

Saturday, June 28
9 am - 6 pm: 11th Annual Rose Festival

Saturday, June 28
11 am - Noon: Sustainable Rose Growing

Classes are very popular and fill up quickly. Please call us soon to reserve your spot at 1-800-585-8200.
  
For more information visit our web site at

The Garden in April
by Rachel Anderson

 

April is such an industrious month!  Birds are busy building nests, bees are out and about pollinating and building up their colonies, and slugs are on the warpath once again.  It's all happening in tune with the drone of the gardener's lawn mowers and the creak of sore backs bent low over the garden beds.  It feels good though, doesn't it?  It's so nice to be outside in the sunny now, cloudy a moment later weather that nobody seems to mind that the lunch hour has come and gone and the sun will be going down soon, setting the stage for the frogs to begin singing their love songs for all to hear.  Industrious as spring is, it's also very peaceful.

 

 Read more......  


 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.
   

Tulip Season Highlights at the Nursery 
Art at the Schoolhouse
April 4 - 27
10 AM - 5 PM Daily
Free Admission

 

For a seventh season, we will host an outstanding show of local artists from the
Stanwood Camano Arts Guild located in our historic 1888 Schoolhouse. New and returning artists will display a multimedia celebration of styles including, outdoor stained glass garden art, paintings, jewelry, cards, photography, fiber arts and more. A must-see stop while touring the picturesque daffodil and tulip fields of the Skagit Valley.

Judy & Annie's Philly Sandwiches & Crepes
April Weekends and Select Weekdays
11 AM - 5 PM

Back by popular demand, Judy and Annie will be offering their warming lunch fare during the entire month of April. In addition to Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and five kinds of crepes, they will also be offering their award-winning Crab-Shrimp Chowder and fresh-squeezed lemonade!


Queen Bee Espresso
April Weekends and Select Weekdays
9 AM - 3 PM
 

Satisfy that coffee craving with our new espresso service! Local Barista Tami Roberts of Queen Bee Espresso will artfully create your coffee concoction to perfection!

 

 

It's Time to Plant Giant Pumpkins! 
Photo by Eve Boe
Packets of Giant Pumpkin seed harvested from 3 of the biggest pumpkins of last year is now available to you at no charge! Each packet has one seed from each pumpkin and instructions for growing one of these giants. It's a first come, first serve deal, so hurry in to take advantage of this great opportunity!

April is when you need to start germinating your seeds of giant pumpkins indoors for transplanting outdoors later - and you'll want to be part of the fun this year, since Christianson's is planning its best Giant Pumpkin Festival! The Fourth Annual Skagit Valley Giant Pumpkin Festival is set for Saturday, September 27. We'll have great prizes for the pumpkin weigh-off, games and food, music and pony rides - a day not to be missed!

Great Design Plants

Spring has Sprung! 

 

This is the month when a profusion of white to light pink flowers blanket the landscape in a glorious display, still before leaves emerge. Here are a few great plants for April interest:  

Trees & Shrubs
Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Mariesii': If you have room for a large, wide-spreading deciduous shrub, this is one of the best multi-season shrubs you can grow. Doublefile viburnum develops a branching pattern with strong horizontal layers as it matures, which creates an interesting winter framework. It is difficult for any other shrub to match the brilliant floral display in the spring: Its smothered with flat sprays of pure white flowers, standing straight up off the branches. Later in summer clusters of red berries take the place of flowers. Fall brings a brilliant display of saturated reds. It is wide spreading up to 10 feet, so give it plenty of space to develop its spectacular form. For smaller spaces consider removing its lower branches to create a small, multi-stemmed tree. Hardy to -30 degrees (F).

Ribes sanguineum 'King Edward VII': Our native flowering currant is a reliable performer for the spring garden, blooming every year without any special care needed. 'King Edward VII' makes a compact, upright plant that drips with dark red flowers, starting in April. Blue black berries are a favorite of birds. A more compact grower than most, at 3 to 6 feet tall and wide, it is excellent as a hedge or in a mixed shrub border in native landscaping. Deciduous. For a white flowering form, 'White Icicle' is a heavy blooming local selection. Plants can be left unpruned, but for the best performance it is worth cutting the branches that have flowered back to a strong pair of buds just after they have bloomed. Hardy to -10 degrees (F).

Pieris japonica 'Katsura': This evergreen shrub is noted for its continuous new growth through spring and summer; large glossy leaves that are wine-red in color before turning green with age, and rose-colored flowers. In late spring, blooms cascade over green foliage, and new growth afterwards comes in glossy red again. The elegant flowers, born on rose-colored racemes are lilac-white with a lilac skirt. The habit of this broad upright bush is compact and reaches 4' to 5' high in 10 years. Pieris 'Katsura' thrives in well drained, humus rich, lime free soil similar to its native mountain forest habitat in sun or light shade. 'Katsura' makes a stunning addition to a Japanese themed garden. Hardy to -10 degrees (F).




Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum 'Mariesii'
Ribes sanguineum
'King Edward VII'
Pieris japonica 'Katsura'

Rhododendrons in Red
R. 'The Honourable Jean Marie de Montague':
This is the highly rated red rhododendron that is the standard for all other reds. 'The Hon. Jean Marie de Montague', often affectionately shortened to 'Jean Marie', produces a profusion of large, bright red flowers in early to mid-May. These contrast nicely with its leathery deep green leaves that cup like taco shells and are often softly freckled. Plant Himalayan white birch (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii) nearby for contrast with the red flowers or Japanese Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia) for fall color interest against the deep green leaves. This cultivar is sun tolerant which is unusual for a larger leaved rhodie. Grows 5 - 7 feet tall and wide. Hardy to -10 degrees (F).

R. 'Taurus': A hybrid between 'Jean Marie' and strigillosum, this evergreen rhodie is an impressive, high-impact shrub  with deep red buds that contrast nicely with handsome, deep green leaves. Mature plants bloom early to mid-season with large, glowing red flowers. Similar to Grace Seabrook, with a larger stature. Excellent choice for foundation or hedge plantings.  Reaches 6 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide. Hardy to -10 degrees (F).

R. 'Grace Seabrook': Another red rhodie with 'Jean Marie' parentage, 'Grace Seabrook' blooms early (late March), with bright, blood-red flowers. It is also a hybrid of R. strigillosum, and this shows in the light indumentum beneath its handsome leaves. Grows to 4 feet tall and wide. 'Grace Seabrook' may be hard to find but we have it here. Hardy to -10 degrees (F).




R. x 'The Honourable
Jean Marie de Montague'
R. 'Taurus'
R. 'Grace Seabrook'

Species Tulips
Species tulips grow best in well drained soils without summer water, in full sun. It is ideally suited for rock gardens or gravel strips. Plant potted starts slightly below soil level in the container. Add a bit of bulb fertilizer when planting. After blooming, allow the plant to dieback naturally so all its energy goes back into the bulb. It is very drought tolerant once established. They are very cold hardy but don't need an extended cold period to bloom which makes them well suited for the Pacific Northwest.

Tulipa tarda (syn. T. dasystemon): Yellow flowers with white tips opening to 6-pointed stars provide a great splash where happy, forming large lemon and white sweetly scented patches. Also known as botanical tulips, their fascinating colors will look magnificent amongst rockeries, borders and wild gardens alike. Originally from the mountains of Central Asia and the Mediterranean, they are happy to cope with our climate if planted in well-drained soil.
 
Tulipa gregii 'Calypso': The 12-inch-tall Tulipa 'Calypso' is known for being reliably perennial. It has decorative stippled leaves and large orange-red flowers rimmed with primrose and a black base. A true stunner for containers or groupings in the garden.

Tulipa kaufmanniana 'Shakespeare' : Tulipa kaufmannia produces striking orange flowers. Tulips in this class have been developed from the Tulipa kaufmanniana species, which is native to Turkestan. They are some of the very earliest to flower. The flowers on short stems open in sunlight to form an almost flat hexagonal star. They are well suited for rock gardens and can be kept in the ground where they easily multiply.

 
 
 
Tulipa tarda
Tulipa gregii 'Calypso'
Tulipa kaufmanniana
'Shakespeare'


Primrose Antiques & Gifts 
Add a touch of sweetness to spring with our hand-made whimsical Easter decorations along with a stunning collection of mercury glass vases embellished with white florals.


 

Adorable hand-made sheep with porcelain heads and natural wool fiber over a light weight concrete body for stability. Different sheep breeds are represented so it's fun to collect a herd. 







 

Fresh Ideas
Closing Thought...


The equation of flowers and beauty was apparently made by all the great civilizations of antiquity... the love of flowers is almost universal... Let's say we are born with such a predisposition-that humans, like bees, are drawn instinctively to flowers.

~Michael Pollan: Botony of Desire
    
Garden Notes Editor:
Debra Lacy, Public Relations
Christianson's Nursery & Greenhouse
360-466-3821