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November 2014
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Vol 4, Issue 7
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Garden Notes
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Greetings from Christianson's!
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It has been an unchallengeable American doctrine that cranberry sauce, a pink goo with overtones of sugared tomatoes, is a delectable necessity of the Thanksgiving board and that turkey is uneatable without it.
~Alistair Cooke
 As the recently crowned local matriarch of my small family, I've been delegated the role by cultural tradition of hosting the Thanksgiving dinner (my folks blew out of town to Florida on their annual winter migration). This is my second year stuck... err... given this auspicious responsibility. Not that I mind too much. Last year I did the Debbie Macomber thing and it didn't turn out too bad. This year, I'm actually intrigued by the menu in the latest issue of Sunset magazine. One of the desserts involves bourbon.
There will only be four of us around the table this year, plus my first grandchild who is still toothless and may get a bite or two, pre-chewed. My daughter, who is a reformed vegan and son-in-law will probably bring the obligatory Campbell's Green Bean casserole and a dessert. I get to cook the turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy. She thinks this is an even exchange. Perhaps I can talk her into a salad too. Thanksgiving builds one's negotiating skills.
Now, I'm one of those people who dislikes standard grocery store turkeys, so I'll have to try and find a pasture raised, free-range, bug and scratch fed, organic bird for under $50 per pound. It's been my experience that you have to order this type of bird 6 months in advance, so at this late date, I might have to settle for a rare Narragansett at $100 per pound, shipped overnight by FedEx from the East Coast. Or maybe I'll stick with the menu theme and find a Bourbon Red. Fortunately, one of the newly developed family traditions at my house is to get my boyfriend to pay for the bird. After all, the 3 tablespoons of bourbon I need for the hazelnut-pecan pie will cost me $35 for the bottle. Since none of us drinks bourbon, the bottle will sit on a shelf until next year's pie. Or maybe I'll add a bit to the cranberry sauce. I've heard that aged bourbon tastes better, anyway. I've thought about raising my own turkey, but the HOA rules for my neighborhood forbid poultry, so I would had to hide it in the spare bedroom. Plus, having the mobile abattoir show up in my driveway would have the neighbors talking.
 Now, things may get complicated on Thanksgiving Day because my son-in-law is an avid football fan and, horrors of all horrors, I don't have television hooked up. So, with the Seahawks playing that day, I predict that I will be coerced into schlepping the Holiday fixin's up to their house where a big screen television with surround sound will be blasting the game into the cavernous space of their open floor plan. I'll have to time our meal around half-time, of course.
I believe I'm not alone in these circumstances. But, Holiday traditions being what they are, we adapt the ideal into our reality and carry on with a smile. It seems that it's the family experiences unique to each of us that give us the best memories.
Speaking of holiday traditions, be sure to scroll down and check out all the wonderful upcoming events at our Nursery this month and with that...
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Debra Lacy,
Certified Professional Horticulturist & Editor
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November Specials
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November 1 - 16
Kinnickkinnick, ivy, juniper, salal
Cotoneaster, Vinca, Pachysandra & Euonymous
25% off
November 1 - 30
Roses
End-of-season sale
50% off
November 17 - 30
Camellias
Winter and spring flowering Camellias
in bud or bloom
1-gallon to 5-gallon sizes
20% off
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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
Winter Hours
Open daily 9 am - 5 pmBeginning Nov 2
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
November 1 & 2 Holiday Open House
 November 29 19th Annual Holiday Tea
& Arrival of Father Christmas  We can mail Gift Certificates to your loved ones for the Holidays! |
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Upcoming Classes & Events
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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Arts Alive! at Christianson's Nursery November 1 & 2, 11 am - 3 pm
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Festivities fill Christianson's on the first weekend in November: Many local artists display their works at this celebration of the Arts that is held throughout the La Conner area. We'll have live music by Laurel Bliss & John Clark, cheese tasting from Samish Bay Cheese and apple cider served from our antique cider press.
Artists include:
Rochell Anderson: vinatage and Steampunk style jewelry
Judy Sullivan: oil and watercolor paintings and prints
Laura Campbell: hand-made rose hip wreaths
Sally Chang: pottery & tiles
Debra Lacy: hand-felted Textiles
Dan Sweaney: hand-blown glass birds
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Primrose Antiques & Gifts
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Holiday Open House October 31,November 1&2
Gather your friends and ring in the holidays with a special visit to our gift shop where you will find many wonderful ideas for entertaining, gift giving and decorating during this magical season. Our team of buyers, display artists and florists are planning a sublime Winter Wonderland as we hope to inspire your creativity and jump start your enthusiasm for the celebrations of Winter.
There will be new additions and old favorites including Christmas trees decorated with a mix of new and vintage ornaments and our mohair 'snow'. The mohair has been washed and carded by a processor in Maltby and Debra will be mixing mica into the fibers to create the glistening, silver frost look so beautiful on trees, mantles, shelves or even firewood. You can have a magical frosted Christmas tree without the mess of flocking or glitter plus you can remove and store the snow to use in future years.
Additionally, the antique French white ironstone soup tureens appearing in so many magazines this last year will be on center stage. We purchased them from a friend in France who understands our look. Tureens in perfect condition can be used for serving hearty soups and stews and the rest will be planted with hyacinths, paperwhites and hellebores for holiday displays. These tureens are lovely for the 'Vintage by Nina' look that is so popular and, when not in use, they will add an old world look to your kitchen, dining room and even living room.
We also have beautiful French floral antique quilts. Quilts such as these have moved out of the bedroom and into the living room where everyone can enjoy them. They can be thrown over the arm of the sofa, used as a partial slip cover over the seat and back of a chair or sofa or stacked in a cupboard or under a side table. Just being on display they add a sense of warmth and comfort to cold winter mornings and dark winter evenings.
~Toni Christianson
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Nineteenth Annual Holiday Tea & More.... November 29
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Holiday Tea Noon - 5 p.m.
reservations required
John and Toni Christianson extend their appreciation to customers with this complimentary Holiday Tea to celebrate the start of the holiday season. Come enjoy tea, cider and assorted delicacies in our 1888 Schoolhouse, decorated with a forest theme, candlelight and the live music of auto harpist Bob Harper and violinist Dennis Burkhardt. We have four seatings; make your reservations today for what has become a Valley tradition.
Arrival of Father Christmas 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
 Father Christmas will be in his 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 bring your cameras to take your own keepsake photos.
Holiday Wreath-Making Classes 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
reservations required ~ class fee: $8
 Deck the halls with ease by using our wreath-making machine and getting the practical and inspiring help of designer Karen Harper. These are five one-hour classes. We provide a delightful array of greens (sold by the pound); but feel free to bring your own. The cost of one wreath form is included in the class fee. Wear warm clothing and bring your own garden gloves.
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Rachel's Plant Picks
by Rachel Anderson
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Instead of her normal to do list, Rachel decided to make a list of her picks for seasonal interest throughout winter. You can access her November to do list here. In the mean time Rachel writes:
Do not despair for lack of flowers in your garden at this time of year! In the Pacific Northwest our mostly temperate climate allows us to grow many plants that bloom in the fall through winter and on into spring. With careful planning and plant selection, your garden can have something blooming all year long! I've made a month by month list of perennials and shrubs that bloom during our coldest darkest days, beginning in November and continuing into March. Read more .....
To download a printable copy of this article, click here.  Thanks to her mom, Rachel has been gardening since childhood. She was part of the team at Christianson's for 13 years before deciding to strike out on her own as a full time professional gardener and continues to contribute to Garden Notes. 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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Most of us have put our gardens to bed, but there are still some great plants for November show. No need to have garden doldrums, so here are a few suggestions:
Shrubs That Bloom in November!
Camellia Sasanqua:  Sasanquas are broad-leaved, evergreen shrubs in the Tea family (Theaceae) with leathery, dark, rich-green, shiny leaves about 2 inches long - usually darker green and smaller than the leaves of its cousin C. japonica. Prized for their abundant, beautiful flowers in fall to early winter, these plants are stunning in a mixed border when little else is flowering in the garden. Though the flowers are smaller than those of C. japonica, C. sasanquas are faster growing and the newer varieties are fragrant. Flowers are 1.5-4 inches in diameter and come in single, semi-double and double forms. Sasanquas have mature heights that range from about 1½ -12 feet tall, but 15 feet is not unheard of if they're grown under ideal conditions. Prefers morning sun and afternoon shade, but are tolerant of more sun with enough water. Our bestselling cultivar, 'Yuletide' (pictured) needs more sun to flower well and is a great red variety for Holiday color. Hardy to 0 degrees (F).
Viburnum x bodnatense 'Dawn':  Viburnum x bodnantense (cross between V. farreri and V. grandiflorum) is a deciduous hybrid viburnum that was developed at Bodnant Garden, Tal-y-Cafn, north Wales in 1934-1935. This shrub is noted for its extremely fragrant, tubular, pink flowers. In cold winter climates, flowers bloom on naked stems from November to March. Flowers appear in flat cymes (1-2" wide). 'Dawn' is a cultivar that was also developed at Bodnant Garden in 1934-35. It features rosy-pink flowers with purple-pink anthers. This is an upright, narrow, multi-stemmed shrub that typically matures to 8-10' tall (sometimes more) and to 4-6' wide. Toothed, narrow-ovate leaves (2-4" long) emerge in spring with bronze tints, but mature to deep green. Foliage turns attractive shades of burgundy-red in fall. Flowers give way to red berries (drupes) which eventually mature to black by fall. Hardy to -20 degrees (F).
Erica x darleyensis:
Erica x darleyensis includes many hybrids of Erica carnea and Erica erigena and is one of the easiest of all heathers to grow. It is suitable for almost any soil, needs very little pruning and is useful for smothering weeds. E. x darleyensis are the ironclads of the heaths. These plants are generally more bushy and are quite a bit taller than the carpeting Erica carnea, so keep this in mind when planning. Most varieties have pink or cream tips of new growth in spring and bronze foliage in the winter. Buds form in late summer or very early fall, and some cultivars begin blooming as early as late September, often lasting until May. The flowers open pale and deepen as the season progresses. Prune when they've finished blooming in May to create a bushier plant. 'Kramers Rote' has lovely magenta flowers; 'Furzey' has dark lilac pink flowers and for pure white, try 'White Perfection'. Hardy to -20 degrees.
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'Kramers Rote'
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'Furzey'
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'White Perfection'
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Golden Conifers That Glow!
Pinus contorta 'Chief Joseph':
 This amazing garden conifer has a compact tight shape bearing needles in bundles of two. During the summer months its foliage is green, as would be the case for shore pine (Pinus contorta var. contorta) but in early fall it morphs to a glowing yellow color which is retained until the following spring, when it once again reverts to green. This plant only grows 2"-4" each year. As with other dwarf conifers it typically will not exceed a height of 6' after 10 years. Widely adapted to most sites with the best winter color developing if this species receives full sun. Hardy to -20 degrees (F). Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Crippsii':  Cripps Golden Hinoki Falsecypress is a smaller conifer with sprays of feathery bright golden-yellow foliage which distinguish this superior cultivar for exceptional color for winter. This versatile upright grower makes an ideal soft background for flowering shrubs. A fine informal hedge, privacy screen or windbreak. Fast growing, 8-10 feet tall, 3-4 feet wide. Hardy to -30 degrees (F).
Cupressus macrocarpa 'Donard Gold':  Monterey cypress 'Donard Gold' is a narrowly conical evergreen tree with bright yellow foliage, coloring best in full sun. This upright branching conifer has distinctive two-toned foliage, contrasting beautifully with cinnamon colored bark. Chartreuse new growth fringes the bright lemon yellow inner leaves. Fragrant foliage is reminiscent of citrus. Provides an attractive tall backdrop for low shrubs. Makes a handsome hedge or screen. Slow growing to 20 to 30 ft. tall and 8 ft. wide; broader with age. Hardier than 'Wilma Goldcrest', 'Donard Gold' can take temperatures down to 0-10 degrees (F). Cupressus macrocarpa 'Golden Pillar':  Golden Pillar has dainty gold foliage that has an upright growth with a conical shape. Mature height to 20 feet tall. It is best in full sun to get the best golden color from the leaves. In part shade the foliage is a yellowish green color. Hardier than 'Wilma Goldcrest', 'Donard Gold' can take temperatures down to 0-10 degrees (F).
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Golden Showers':
 'Golden Showers' is a very graceful, delicate looking cultivar with a graceful conical to oval shape. The foliage is flattened with a fern-like look to it and has a light green base color, with very attractive creamy golden yellow overtones. The more sun this plant receives, the more pronounced this creamy yellow color is displayed. However, it does best in filtered sun in hotter climates. Makes a beautiful accent plant, or a nice selection for a medium sized planting around larger specimens. A very hard to find cultivar - we have a limited number of these available propagated by the late Bob Hart. Definitely a must for the gardener who enjoys having something beautiful and out of the ordinary. Hardy to -20 degrees (F).
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Fresh Ideas
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Here's an assortment of fun ideas, helpful tips and great recipes for November. 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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Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.
~Erma Bombeck
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Garden Notes Editor:
Debra Lacy, Public Relations
Christianson's Nursery & Greenhouse
360-466-3821
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