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Greetings from Christianson's!
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I often forget how well my garden actually looks after the winter smulch (slimy mulch) is cleaned up, the perennials are back and the leaves are on the trees. It's easy to look at the winter garden and feel like the whole thing's a mess, even though I planted "winter interest" trees and shrubs. I leave the perennial goo in over winter thinking that it helps mulch the plants, only to find out it's perfect wildlife habitat for snails! I spent a good part of spring lobbing snails into the street off my barberry bush and the driveway (and the house walls and fence!). I wish I could have ducks where I live, but those darn HOA rules prohibit it and my yard is too small. I guess I'll just have to find an authentic French guy instead. Right now I have an authentic Swiss guy who doesn't like cheese.
Everything came early again this year. In fact, my clematis never really lost all its leaves this winter, so I didn't bother pruning it back. The result is quite shocking because I've never seen so many humongous blooms on that vine since I planted it twelve years ago. My climbing rose on the fence didn't drop its leaves much either and it's blooming like crazy too! I have a five-leaf akebia that exploded, using the flowering quince planted ten feet away as a trellis.
When you wait until this time of year to plan your garden, the holes in your garden you saw in winter are already filled in. Unfortunately, in my garden, some of the fillers are horsetail. Since it has roots that go down seemingly several miles, it's really difficult to get rid of it. Cisco recommends covering it up with another plant. It's been my experience that it just starts popping up through anything else you plant over it. Not an advocate of nasty chemicals, I just cut it down to the base when it appears. If you break the stem off the root, 10 more come up. There's a reason it's considered a living fossil, having survived as a species for millions of years.
In Permaculture circles, weeds are considered an indicator of soil conditions and nutrient deficiencies in the soil. Many weeds are often dynamic accumulators, bringing up nutrients from deep in the soil, therefore some weeds are good for compost teas or as mulch. For instance, horsetail is rich in cobalt, iron, magnesium and calcium. It indicates that the soil is poor in nutrients, damp and acidic. If you don't want horsetail, change your soil conditions - good drainage, nutrient rich soil helps. Add a lot of organic matter. You can make a compost tea out of horsetail and use it as a foliar spray on fruiting trees. It has medicinal qualities for humans as well. Less face it, embracing your weeds is also less work.
I'm into less work this time of year because I've been very busy planning several big events at the Nursery: the Antique Fair and the Rose Festival. The Antique Fair is in its third year and we've added a Friday night special event party for the 21 and older crowd. Silver Bell Winery from La Conner will be providing wine tastings and Evolve Truffles from Bellingham is the Chocolatier. There will be door prizes and you get first crack at the antiques. It will be a great time and I encourage you to purchase tickets in advance through Brown Paper tickets or call us. If you can't make Friday's event the Fair will be open all day Saturday too.
This year, Lorene Edwards Forkner who is the editor of Pacific Horticulture Magazine will be the keynote speaker at the Rose Festival. She'll be talking about pairing perennials with roses, a great topic that I don't think gets covered enough. Also, Rosarian and past President of the Seattle Rose Society, John Harmeling will be talking about Rose Culture and the Tri-Valley Rose Society folk will be giving a talk on How to Rejuvenate An Old Rose. They will also host a Rose Show in the Schoolhouse.
The Friday before the Rose Festival, local author, Ashley Sweeney is giving a reading and book signing of her first historic novel, Eliza Waite. The book is getting great reviews and this event is her first book signing. We also have signed copies available in Primrose.
In addition to these events, we are also offering great classes with a lot of variety in topics. Be sure to check out the listings.
So, a lot is going on at the Nursery in June. We hope you can make it in and enjoy all the festivities and the lovely blooms of the Schoolhouse Garden.
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
Summer Hours
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 - 2014
Award at the 2015 & 2016 Northwest Flower & Garden Show for Outstanding Plant Market Display
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June Specials
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June 1 -16
Vines
clematis, honeysuckle, jasmine,
wisteria, akebia and more
1-gallon to 5 gallon sizes
20% off
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June 17 - 30
Perennials
our best selection of perennials ever:4-inch, quarts and 1-gallon sizes 20% off
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Upcoming Classes & Events
.: JUNE :.
Events:
Third Annual Antique Fair at the Schoolhouse
June 17 & 18
Special Antique Fair Event!
 Sips, Savories and Sweets Party
Friday, June 17, 2016
5 - 8 p.m. $10 at the door or go to www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2522214. Free parking Must be 21 or older to attend
Get the first chance to shop our lovely Antique Fair and enjoy a  fantastic evening of complementary wine tasting provided by Silver Bell Winery of La Conner and delectable chocolate truffles from Evolve Truffles of Bellingham. Purchase a delicious entrée from Random Acts of Food. Enter the drawing for Door Prizes. Enjoy the lovely blooms of the Rose Garden while you shop for antiques and collectibles on a beautiful June evening! The Nursery will also be open. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, June 18, 2016
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Complementary admission, free parking
 Located under the 'Big Tent' and in the 1888 Meadow Schoolhouse. With Skagit farmland, the Cascades and Mount Baker in the distance, our Rose Garden is the perfect setting for a garden party featuring antiques and vintage collectibles gathered together in our very antique one-room Meadow Schoolhouse and under the 'Big Tent.' We will have both returning and new vendors gathered together for a wonderful weekend of fun and laughter.
 Eliza Waite Reading & Book Signing Friday, June 24 6 - 8:00 p.m. Join us under the 'Big Tent' in the Schoolhouse gardens for a book signing and reading of local author Ashley E. Sweeney's new historic fiction novel, Eliza Waite. Part diary, part Klondike Gold Rush history, and part authentic pioneer recipe file, Eliza Waite transports readers from the San Juan Islands to Skagway, Alaska in 1898 during a rough and raucous time of American history. Eliza Waite will interest book clubs, history buffs, and foodies alike. Books will be available for purchase at the venue.
 A native New Yorker, Ashley E. Sweeney lives and writes in La Conner, Washington. She is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts and is an award-winning journalist in Washington State . Eliza Waite is her first novel. Complimentary admission. Wine and cheese will be served. Signed copies are also available for purchase in Primrose.
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A Rosy Day Out: Thirteenth Annual Rose Festival Saturday, June 25 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Complimentary admission, free parking  Keynote speakers Lorene Edwards Forkner and John Christianson will discuss the many perennials that work well with Roses: Creating Something Great from the Sum of Their Parts. Author, speaker and avid gardener/cook, Lorene Edwards Forkner lives and gardens in the Pacific Northwest. She is the author of 5 garden titles including The Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening: Pacific Northwest, and Handmade Garden Projects, bestselling titles from Timber Press. Lorene is editor of Pacific Horticulture magazine, a quarterly magazine for West Coast gardeners, and she is passionate about the beautiful, fruitful, and innovative landscapes of our region. Observing nature, digging in the garden, mixing things up in the kitchen, or on the written page-Lorene believes there's always a good story to tell. Before Lorene, we are pleased that Rosarian, John Harmeling will be teaching a complimentary class on Rose Culture and Tri-Valley Rose Society will give a talk on How To Rejuvenate An Old Rose, all located in the Big Tent. And, as always, we will have our Rose Ice Cream Social at the end of the day. For more information and a schedule, go to www.christiansonsnursery.com
For more information visit our web site at
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Tips on Hanging Basket Care For The Best Results All Season!
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There are five requirements for a beautiful hanging basket that will last from May to October. A large container (contains more soil to nourish the plants), premium soil (lightweight with water retaining properties), slow release fertilizer (no need to remember to fertilize often during the summer) and the perfect hanger that doesn't require lifting to turn (turn one quarter around every time you water). This helps the flowers and trailing plants grow evenly around the basket and not become lopsided from growing toward the sun. The fifth and most important requirement is the addition of old/new favorite flowers. Old favorites like lobelia and bacopa had to be groomed to continue blooming all summer. The new favorites including lobelia, bacopa, petunias, allysum and other annuals have been hybridized and are self-cleaning. They will bloom all summer without deadheading. So, all you need to remember is to water and turn the basket If your basket has a geranium or a begonia, it will need to be deadheaded. But that's it. No fail, stunning hanging baskets for your patio or deck. Please ask our staff to point you toward our custom baskets located in the new greenhouse addition.
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The three Basketeers - Elisa, Toni & Laura.
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Beautiful custom hanging baskets.
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A closeup of a lovely
custom basket creation.
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June Blooms with Gaillardia!
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Named for the blanket-stripe appearance of its ray flowers, blanketflower ( Gaillardia species) is drought tolerant, thrives in poor soils and full sun. Hardy to -40 degrees (F), blanketflower is a moderately long-lived perennial with a very long blooming time - from early summer until frost. This Plains and prairie native attracts butterflies (including fritillaries and skippers), moths, native bees and beetles, and the bristly seeds are important fall food for small seed-eating birds. It is also deer resistant. Before the plant blooms, blanketflower stands out with an overall sparkly or fuzzy appearance. The alternate lance-shaped leaves are long, with a prominent central vein and sometimes roughly toothed edges. After the petals have dropped from the inflorescence, the central disk forms a ball-shaped seed head that is bristly. Each seed has papery bracts below it and is covered with silvery hairs. The plants grow from a central taproot that can reach 2 feet deep. Gaillardia, the botanical name, honors Gaillard de Marentonneau, a French patron of botany in the 18th century. Blanketflower shines in xeric gardens and parking strips, whether planted as a mid-border component in formal beds, or as an informal component of meadow or prairie-style plantings. Excellent for cut flowers, with nice long stems. Removing faded flowers will encourage constant blooming. Plant in full sun. Here are several varieties we carry: G. x grandiflora 'Burdundy': Wine-red blooms measure a whopping 3 inches across! In the middle of these striking red petals is a button-like center which emerges bright yellow and then slowly changes to oxblood-red. Grows to 24 inches tall. G. 'Goblin': Scarlet-red petals with sunny yellow tips surround the reddish-brown cone. These daisy-like blooms are highly valued for their hot red and yellow hues and they attract butterflies. Since the flowers just keep on coming from early summer into fall, they provide continuous color in containers and will keep your vases full of fresh blanket flower bouquets all season long. Grows to 12 inches tall. G. x grandiflora 'Fanfare': Brilliantly colored red, orange and yellow petals form spectacular blooms over a long season. Grows to 18 inches tall. G. x grandiflora 'Mesa Peach': Strong, upright, well-branched plants produce warm sunny colors of intense peach tones surrounded by radiating yellow tips. Like bursts of sunshine all summer! Nicely mounding foliage of bright green provides the perfect backdrop for the blanket of prolific 3" flowers produced all summer. Grows to 18 inches tall. |
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Primrose Antiques & Gifts
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Featured this month...
Something old, something new,
Something borrowed, something blue...
 Looking for that special finishing touch for the bridal trousseau or perhaps a one-of-a-kind wedding or shower gift? Our Primrose gift shop may have just what you're looking for!
For the bride and wedding party, we have a lovely selection of antique and vintage wedding items, such as tiaras, coronets and veils, gowns, slips, and camisoles, gloves, garters, garden hats, antique silver hand mirrors and brushes, and vintage millinery florals and ribbons for bridal adornment and bouquets.
For shower and wedding gifts, we have new and vintage linens, beautiful soaps and lotions, jewelry, antique wedding silver, ironstone place settings, furnishings for the new home, and so much more!
Antiques
armoires, cupboards, tables and chairs
❁ small treasures and gift items from England and France seasonal antiques for decorating and entertaining ❁ garden urns, cloches and tools French floral fabrics and hemp and linen sheets ❁ European bridal tiaras and coronets antique and vintage gowns, camisoles, and accessories Fancy 'New' Goods one-of-a-kind gifts ❁ home decor for everyday, special occasions and holidays specialty soaps, lotions and bath products ❁ decorative candles ❁ seasonal paper napkins hats from practical to fancy ❁ jewelry ❁ umbrellas, totes and travel bags ❁ ladies clothing fine linens, kitchen towels and aprons ❁ kitchen accoutrements and edibles books ❁ music ❁ greeting cards www.christiansonsnursery.com
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Fresh Ideas
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Here's a collection of interesting ideas, helpful tips and great recipes gathered together to inspire and inform. Always on the look out for information on best practices, new approaches to horticultural related topics and delicious recipes, we hope you enjoy this month's collection of fresh ideas!
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Garden Notes Editor:
Debra Lacy, Public Relations
Christianson's Nursery & Greenhouse
360-466-3821
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