March 2016
Vol 5, Issue 11


Garden Notes
Garden Notes Logo Bird


Greetings from Christianson's!

Daffodils "We owned a garden on a hill, We planted rose and daffodil, Flowers that English poets sing, And hoped for glory in the Spring. We planted yellow hollyhocks, And humble sweetly-smelling stocks, And columbine for carnival, And dreamt of Summer's festival. And Autumn not to be outdone As heiress of the summer sun, Should doubly wreathe her tawny head With poppies and with creepers red. We waited then for all to grow, We planted wallflowers in a row. And lavender and borage blue, -Alas! we waited, I and you, But love was all that ever grew."
~Vita Sackville West

Many of you know about the story of Narcissus. In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a hunter from Thespiae in Boeotia who was known for his beauty. He was the son of the river god Cephissus and nymph Liriope. He was so proud he disdained those who loved him. Nemesis noticed this behavior and attracted Narcissus to a pool, where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it, not realizing it was only a superficial image. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus lost his will to live. He stared at his reflection until he died. Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a fixation with oneself and one's physical appearance.

So how was the lovely Daffodil blessed with such a botanical name? Narcissus were well known in ancient civilizations, both medicinally and botanically. Linnaeus formally described the plant in his Species Plantarum in 1753, but the exact origin of the name Narcissus is unknown. It is often linked to a Greek word for "intoxicated" (narcotic) and, for whatever reason, the myth mentioned above. The English word daffodil appears to be derived from Asphodel, for which it was commonly compared.

The species are native to meadows and woods in southwest Europe and North Africa with a center of diversity in the Western Mediterranean, particularly the Iberian Peninsula. Both wild and cultivated plants have naturalized widely and were introduced into the Far East prior to the tenth century. Narcissi tend to be long-lived bulbs, which propagate by division, but are also insect-pollinated. Unfortunately, some wild Narcissus species have become extinct, while others are increasingly threatened by habitat loss and tourism.
Long celebrated in art and literature, daffodils are associated with a number of themes in different cultures, ranging from death to good fortune, and as symbols of Spring. The daffodil is the national flower of Wales and the symbol of cancer charities in many countries. The appearance of the wild flowers in spring is associated with festivals in many regions, including ours.

March is the month for the Daffodil Festival in the Skagit Valley. The blooms are out early this year so enjoy the spring color despite the often turbulent weather March brings. We offer lovely pots of Daffodils in the Nursery to brighten your garden in this transitional month between Winter and Spring. Like tulips, daffodils look best massed in containers or in clustered groups or drifts in garden beds and borders. They are also charming planted at the base of mailboxes, fence posts and deciduous trees. Daffodils can also be planted in lawns as is the practice in Europe. They will naturalize and come up every year if they are left to die back before the lawn is cut for the first time in Spring. With so many different uses in the garden and the continuity of bloom throughout the years, daffodils are a bright spot in the seasonal march toward the 'madness' of Spring.

 


Debra Lacy,
Certified Professional Horticulturist & Editor
 
 
In This Issue
Seasonal Specials
Calendar Highlights
NW Flower & Garden Show
New Pieris Varieties
About Hugelkultur
It's Still Bare Root Season!
Nursery Expansion
Primrose Antiques & Gifts
Support Your Local Food Banks
Fresh Ideas
Closing Thought
Quick Links
 
 
 
   
  
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March Specials

March 1-17   
Bare Root
the best selection of the year
fruit, flowering and shade trees, berries, lilacs and hydrangeas 
20% off  


March 18-31 
Camellias
Winter and Spring flowering beauties - many still in bloom!
20% off
Calendar Highlights
Upcoming Classes & Events
 

.: MARCH :.

CLASSES:
Saturday, March 5
Saturday, March 12
Saturday, March 19
Saturday, March 26
Hugelkultur Demonstration -- 1 - 3 p.m.


The 2016 Rose List is now available. Click here for a PDF version.
 
For more information visit our web site at

Northwest Flower & Garden Show Highlights
Congratulations to John and Toni Christianson and their creative staff for receiving the award for Outstanding Plant Market Display at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, that took place at the Washington State Convention Center February 17 - 21. The booth design was a collaboration between Toni Christianson and our Nursery Visual Merchandiser, Cheryl Bonsen. The design process took several weeks of conceptual planning and selecting the products to display and place in the booth.   
The Northwest Flower and Garden Show had over 300 exhibitors and 23 full scale display gardens. The Christianson's are considering doing a display garden for next year's show. The last display garden they did was in 2011 for which they won many awards including a Gold Medal, People's Choice and the Founders Cup.


Views of our booth, front and back.
John Christianson receiving the award for Outstanding Plant Market Display. 
 
Enchanted Forest Collection - Compact Pieris for Compact Yards
From noted Oregon State University breeder, Sven Svenson is a collection of evergreen compact, late-blooming Lily of the Valley Shrubs, bred for their dazzling colors, improved disease resistance and better, superior growing habit. They love dappled shade and will reach five feet high and wide. Ideal for woodland gardens, they will develop buds in the fall that hold throughout the winter, providing a flame of color all season. All are hardy to our region. Monrovia has introduced four varieties, two of which are now available. We'd be happy to put you on our wish list and call you when the other two arrive:

'Gay Goblin': Beautiful, pendant clusters of vase-shaped flowers highlight the cool season. The abundant, long lasting pink blooms accent glossy foliage, with bronze-tinted new growth. Upright, slightly cupped growth on compact form is excellent for foundation or mass plantings. Slow grower to 5 to 7 ft. tall, 3 to 5 ft. wide. Put this on your wish list, as it is not quite available yet.

'Impish Elf': Newly available at our Nursery, 'Impish Elf' is a compact, late-blooming evergreen with dark purple-pink buds that provide superb winter color, then burst into bloom with bright, bell-shaped flowers. Glossy new brick red foliage and deep red stems. A stunning foundation plant, ideal for massing plantings. Reaches 3 to 5 ft. tall and wide.
 
'River Nymph': Just arrived at our Nursery, 'River Nymph' is an exquisite, prolific flowering variety. Huge clusters of showy buds are on display through late winter, opening to pristine white, bell-shaped flowers. Glossy red new foliage follows. Excellent resistance to lace bugs. An outstanding foundation or accent shrub. Moderate growing, mounded form 5 to 6 ft. tall and wide.

'Sunsprite': One for the wish list, 'Sunsprite' has cascading clusters of dark rose-pink buds open to exquisite white blooms, lasting for over five weeks in spring. This hybrid offers a strong, upright form with glossy foliage that emerges fiery-red. Superb for foundation planting or massing in the shade garden. Reaches 6 to 10 ft. tall and wide.

 'Gay Goblin' 
 'Impish Elf'  'River Nymph'  'Sunsprite'

Another compact Pieris of note:

'Katsura': A favorite at the Nursery, arching racemes of dark pink bell-shaped flowers cascade over glossy foliage in the spring. Dramatic wine-red new growth emerges spring through summer. Lilac flower buds form in winter, extending the interest. This vigorous, fast growing selection makes an excellent container accent, foundation planting or hedge. Reaches 5 ft. tall and wide.


Hugelkultur....Hugel What?
Hugelkultur is nothing more than making raised garden beds filled with decomposing  wood. The structure is loaded with organic material, nutrients and air pockets to nurture the roots of what you plant. It develops into its own ecosystem. As it ages over the years, the deep soil of your hugelkultur becomes incredibly rich and loaded with microorganisms and other soil life. As the wood decomposes, it makes tiny air pockets, so your hugelkultur becomes a self-tilling system. During the first few years, the composting process will lightly warm your soil giving you a longer growing season. The woody matter helps to keep nutrient excess from passing into the ground water, allowing the excess to re-feed your plants in the future. The moisture retention will prevent the need for supplemental watering, even during a drought. Other benefits of having a hugelkultur include: 
  • grow a typical garden without irrigation or fertilization
  • has been demonstrated to work in deserts as well as backyards
  • use up rotting wood, twigs, branches and even whole trees that would otherwise go to the dump or be burned
  • can be flush with the ground, although raised garden beds are typically better
  • can start small, and be added to later
  • can always be small - although bigger is better
  • You can save the world from global warming by doing carbon sequestration in your own back yard!
  • perfect for places that have had trees blown over by storms
  • give a gift to your future self

Hugelkultur beds are usually planted with perennial edible plants, including berries and fruit trees. Annual vegetables and perennials that attract pollinators are incorporated in as well. A north-south orientation will give you the most exposure, although east-west exposure allows for shade or cooler loving plants to thrive on the north side of the bed.  

We are pleased to have Water Ecologist and Permaculture Designer, Kathy Anderson of Bountiful Landscapes teach a class on constructing a hugelkultur, Saturday, March 26, 1-3 p.m. During this two hour class, Kathy will explain the components of this amazing raised bed technique and demonstrate the process of constructing a small bed at our Nursery. Be sure to dress for the weather and wear gloves, because Kathy plans to have you get some hands-on experience! At the moment, Kathy is in Kenya, Africa working with a village to install permaculture systems, so she'll have some great stories to share about that experience too!

To make reservations, call us at 360-466-3821 or 800-585-8200. Class fee: $16. 
It's Still Bare Root Season!
Still plenty of varieties of trees and shrubs to choose from during March. The bare root season ends April 1st, when leaves emerge and the plants need to be potted into soil, so time's running out soon to get your bare root plants.

Bare root plants have many advantages over potted or balled and burlaped types. First, the roots adapt well to our native soil conditions. Second, bare root trees and shrubs cost less than potted or balled and burlaped because shipping from growers is less expensive and the labor to pot or wrap the root ball is missing. Finally, bare root plants are so much lighter and easier for you to transport - you can fit a whole orchard in your car!

It's important to keep the roots moist at all times. Ask one of our Nursery experts about how to properly condition and plant a bare root tree or shrub.
Nursery Expansion Update
We've been as busy as ever with our current nursery expansion. The new greenhouse will add approximately 2000 square feet of retail space which means a larger inventory of beautiful annuals and other seasonal plants such as herbs. The completion date should be around the end of March.



SE view of the new Retail Greenhouse expansion.
New tables and displays grace the expanded area.


The new roof in the retail house has vents to let out the excess heat.
Tables are being set up now. Pretty soon they will be filled with color!

Primrose Antiques & Gifts
It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it,
you want-oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want,
but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!"
- Mark Twain

Spring fever is sweeping through Primrose, our lovely little gift shop filled with fancy goods and antiques. There are treasures and delights everywhere you look, from spring decorating and  Easter entertaining, to beautiful soaps and candles, to practical items for the home, such as mud room floor mats and aprons. You may not know exactly what you need but the treasure hunt is part of the fun.  So please swing through and catch the fever!

 
Support Your Local Food Bank - Grow A Row!
If you have surplus vegetables or extra space in your garden, why not donate to your local Food Bank? Food Banks appreciate receiving fresh produce from local vegetable gardeners. The produce is much fresher and looks better than what they normally get and the quantities are manageable. So, when your planning your vegetable garden this spring, support your local Food Bank and grow a row for them.
Fresh Ideas
  
Closing Thought...
 
 
Garden Notes Editor:
Debra Lacy, Public Relations
Christianson's Nursery & Greenhouse
360-466-3821