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Garden Notes
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Greetings from Christianson's!
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Fireworks and flowers,
which one would you choose?
I'll go and get them for you,
that's why I love you.
If you like them flowers,
I'll fit them in the post.
Light the rest on fire,
took east by the coast. Oh!
-Lyrics from Fireworks and Flowers by The View
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On July fourth, many of us will file into the local park to watch brilliantly colored explosions of pyrotechnics form lovely symmetrical, cascading sparkles for a special few moments, just after dark. Each burst is fleeting, giving a momentary feeling of awe before fading into the past, allowing space for the next burst to take its place. The whole spectacle is done in minutes, then gets filed into our memories as an amazing climax to another Fourth of July day well spent.
Minus the smiley faces and planetary forms that seem to be so popular in contemporary fireworks displays - at least the well-funded ones - is the notion that many of the forms appear like flowers in full bloom. I wonder if the ancient Chinese, who invented fireworks in the 7th century looked to their gardens for inspiration, or if those sparkling forces of explosive compositions just happened to form like flowers. In my estimation, it's a chicken or egg question, really.
The early Chinese fireworks were originally displayed on poles that lit off like giant tree branches of colorful sparklers. Pyrotechnicians were respected for their knowledge of complex techniques in mounting firework displays. Rocket propelled fireworks came into existence in China around the thirteenth century; a technology that came out of uses of gunpowder in warfare that spread to the Arab countries in 1240. A Syrian named Hasa al-Rammah wrote of rockets, fireworks and other incendiaries referencing Chinese terms such as, Chinese Flowers. So, it appears that the similitude was not lost on the ancient Chinese.
Of course it's the anticipation of the fireworks show that is a great part of what makes the day so special. Family gatherings, picnics and a day saving that spot in the park - usually with a blanket that marks your territory - that's expected to give the best advantage for viewing the show. Personally, I'll be spending a great part of the day working in the garden rather than spending time in a park, weather permitting. As the regional joke goes, summer in the Pacific Northwest officially begins on July fifth.
For many gardeners, explosions of flowers are just as spectacular as fireworks, only in miniature. Although not as showy as the grand scale of fireworks, flowers aren't so fleeting either. And like the grand fireworks' displays, we will spend our time in awe looking at them, snapping images of them and engaging in family gatherings among them.
Debra Lacy,
Certified Professional Horticulturist & Editor
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Where To Find Us
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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
Voted Best Nursery
in Cascadia Weekly's
Best of Skagit Awards, 2014
Special Events
Giant Pumpkin Festival Info
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July Specials
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June 30 - July 6
hanging baskets, geraniums, impatiens,
petunias, fuchsias, lobelia and more;
annuals in packs, 2-inch and 4-inch pots
40% off
July 7 - 20
Hydrangeas
Our huge selection of summer-blooming
favorites includes "hortensias", lacecaps,
oak-leaf and peegee tree forms
20% off
July 21 - 31
Summer Herbs
basil, lavender, oregano, parsley, sage,
rosemary and thyme...and much more
20% off
We still have many rose varieties to chose from
Click here for our Rose List
Call for availability
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Upcoming Classes & Events
.: July :.
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
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The Garden in July
by Rachel Anderson
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Well gardening friends, I have good news and I have bad news. Let's dispense with the bad news first. I am leaving Christianson's Nursery after 13 years. I like gardening so much that I've decided to do it for a living! 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.
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Christianson's Great Design Plants
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Putting the red, white and blue theme aside, there are a lot of great flowers that can remind us of fireworks, but Dahlias and Alliums top the list. The beautiful flower forms that spike out in spherical explosions of color just add sparkle to any garden.
Dahlias
When driving through the valley, we see rows of beautiful Dahlia blooms growing in tidy rows. Often, dahlias are grown for their use in flower bouquets and for exhibition. On July 26, John and Kathy Willson, owners of Swede Hill Dahlia and Sunflower Farm will be here to teach a class on Growing, Tending & Harvesting Dahlias. The Willson's criteria for great dahlias grown for cut flowers include: blooming profusely over a long season; have stunning form and color and have long, sturdy stems. Here are their top 10 favorites:
Camano Sitka:
Nice large cut or show dahlia. Grows to 5 feet tall with a flower size of 6-8 inches. Stanley Johnson winner in 2009. (B-IC-LB BR/y)
Gloriosa: Features showy orange round flowers with yellow leaves remain green in color throughout the season. This cultivar grows to 4 feet and is a formal decorative type with flowers 6-8 inches. It was registered in 2003 by K. Connell, Tacoma, Washington. (B-FD-V Y/r)
Hy Sockeye: A great non-fading red flower that gets 5 inches across! Strong stems and lots of petals. Holds its form for a very long time. Grows to 4 feet. (BB-FD-DR)
Jomanda: A ball-type dahlia, this cultivar is a lovely autumnal burnt orange color, about 4 to 6 inches in diameter. Flowers are produced on long, straight stems that make them ideal for cutting and exhibitions. (BB-FD-O) |
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Camano Sitka
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Gloriosa
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Hy Sockeye
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Jomanda
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Just Peachy: Blooms have yellow centers blending beautifully into pink and orange that get 4 to 6 inches across. This variety is a strong plant, on sturdy stems and is a heavy bloomer. Grows to 4 feet tall. (BB-SC-LB PK/y) Kenora Wow: A 2005 introduction and so aptly named because when you see the color, the first thing you say is WOW. This cultivar grows to 5 feet and is a top winner in it's class, and a great cut flower. (B-SC-DR) Mary's Jomanda: This cultivar grows a perfect, 2.5- 3 inch dark pink ball flower, winning an astonishing 446 National Dahlia Society Show awards in one year! This is a good show dahlia. The stems are long, growing to 3.5 feet tall. It also is a great cut flower. (BA-DP) |
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Just Peachy
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Kenora Wow
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Mary's Jomanda
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Nenekazi: Nenekazi is a Small Fimbriated Dahlia. 6-8 inch delicate pink florets shade to a cream yellow base. Grows to 4 feet tall. It is a most attractive bloom suitable for exhibition and garden use. (B-LC-LB DP/y)
Ruskin Diane: Ruskin Diane is a Small Decorative Dahlia with blooms 4-6 inches across. This beautiful pure yellow variety will brighten any garden and looks good as a cut flower and for exhibition. (BB-FD-Y)
Trelyn Rhianon: A small Cactus Dahlia with blooms 6-8 inches across. Its petals have a yellow base that shades through to red at about half their length through to the tips. It is an attractive plant which adds color to the garden and makes a great cut flower. (B-C-DB DP/y) |
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Nenekazi
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Ruskin Diane
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Trelyn Rhianon
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Alliums
These are mostly spring blooming bulbs during May and June, but in anticipation of July fourth, they are fun to have in the garden. Like fireworks, the more the merrier. Right now, the blooms in our demonstration gardens around the Meadow Schoohouse are drying to form interesting textures. We'll have allium bulbs available in the fall.
Shubertii: The satellite onion is by far the classic form for a fireworks display in the garden. An impressive display of rose-purple flowers bloom in giant, spherical umbels (each to 9-12" in diameter) in late spring. This plant is native from the eastern Mediterranean to central Asia. It typically grows to a modest 12-24" tall. Strap-shaped, blue-green, basal leaves (to 12-16" long) form a clump of foliage in spring surrounding a stout scape rising to 1' tall. Leaves begin to wither as the flowers begin to bloom. Each flowerhead contains as many as 50 small, rose-purple, star-like flowers which bloom at the ends of pedicels of varying lengths (fertile ones to 4" long and sterile ones to 8" long). Seed heads dry after bloom, and can be left on the plant for ornamental reasons or picked for flower arrangements. Some gardeners will take a can of silver or gold metallic spray paint to them after peak bloom for an ever bigger sparkly impact.
Globemaster: A classic round ball of lovely, exploding lavender color. 'Globemaster' is a hybrid cross between A. christophii and A. macleanii. Strap-shaped, gray-green, basal leaves form a clump of foliage in spring. As the leaves begin to wither in mid-spring, stout flowering stems rise to 20-30" tall topped with huge, globular, deep lavender to silver-purple flower heads (terminal umbels to 6-10" in diameter) packed with individual star-shaped florets which collectively display a metallic sheen. Flowers appear in an impressive, long-lasting, spring bloom (May- June) in which new florets continue to develop as the original ones fade. Flower heads dry after bloom and remain ornamental in the garden well into summer. Flowers generally lack fragrance. Leaves and bulbs have an oniony aroma when cut or bruised.
Purple Sensation: The brilliant flowers of Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation' are truly an intense, yet bright, shade of magenta-purple. The four-inch flower heads are held high on stems up to three feet tall and dance above the surrounding plants. They are great for sandy soils and hot dry locations. This tough bulb is completely drought tolerant. Ivory Queen: Not every allium explodes in purple. This short, squat perennial bulb looks great from the moment it emerges in late winter until it dies down in summer. It is one of the few ornamental onions with beautiful foliage. Two fabulous soft gray blue-green broad leaves give an early show. Then in early spring a short flower stalk emerges and opens to a perfect globe of white stars. Once the flowers finish the faded seed heads look like small sunbursts on dried stems. This drought tolerant bulb is excellent for hot dry sites and loves to bake during the summer months. 
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Allium 'Schubertii'
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Allium 'Globemaster'
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Allium 'Purple Sensation'
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Allium 'Ivory Queen'
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Primrose Antiques & Gifts
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 Soft, leather bound journals are the perfect gift for your graduate to chart the next phase of their lives whether it be college or a journey abroad. A lifetime in words is a lifetime remembered. Vintage slips make lovely summer dresses or nightgowns in hot, sultry weather. We also have a line of sumptuous summer nightgowns, soft as silk for comfort.
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Fresh Ideas
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Here's an assortment of fun ideas, helpful tips and great recipes for May. Simply click on the link below the photo to learn more. We hope you enjoy this month's collection of fresh ideas! |
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Closing Thought...
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The Skagit Valley above Hamilton
Photo by Laurel Ramseyer
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O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
~Katharine Lee Bates,
from the original 1893 poem Pikes Peak
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Garden Notes Editor:
Debra Lacy, Public Relations
Christianson's Nursery & Greenhouse
360-466-3821
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