Seasonal

Blooming Winter Wonders

At this time of year, we reflect on the year gone by, we plan, dream, and

appreciate all that our gardens give us and anticipate the promise of what

the New Year holds for us.  These winter months bring us surprising gifts

in the garden, such as beautiful blooming Hellebore, Camellias, and the

fragrant blooms on shrubs like Viburnum x 'bodnantense' (Pink Dawn),

Edgeworthia 'chrysantha', Hamamelis x 'intermedia', (Witch Hazel) Daphne

 'odora', and Sarcococca 'ruscifolia', (Sweet Box) that provides us with

 reminders that spring is not that far away.

Planting Your Living Christmas Tree

Now that the holidays have passed and we are looking forward to the

 new year, it is time to transition our living Christmas tree to our landscape.

 Allow your tree three to four days of transition time from your home to

 your landscape by acclimating it to the outdoors in a garage or enclosed porch.

When preparing the planting hole, always use a good-quality compost, such as

 Gardener & Bloome Compost, with the existing soil. Dig the hole the same

 depth as and slightly wider than the root ball of your tree. The tree should sit

 a little higher than the finished grade so that the trunk flare is not covered over by

 the soil. Set the tree in the hole to the correct depth, carefully cut the twine on top

of the root ball, and unravel the burlap from around the trunk of the tree. You can

 push the burlap down into the hole or trim the excess portion of the collar away.

Do not disturb the original root ball. Apply a quality starter fertilizer to support

 root growth, such as Espoma Bio-tone Starter Plus. Backfill with the amended soil,

 to the same depth as the original soil in which the tree was grown. Water the tree

 deeply to help the soil settle in. Pay special attention during dry weather patterns

 that can occur during the spring and summer months by irrigating regularly. Adding

 a couple of inches of mulch around the base of the tree (keeping it away from the

 trunk) is recommended and is also a good rule of thumb during times of drought.

 Enjoy the new addition to your landscape, an enduring symbol of Christmas past.

Heavenly Hellebore

Often called the Lenten Rose or Christmas Rose, Hellebores by any name

are a jewel in the winter landscape. These evergreen perennials are available

in many forms, cultivars, and colors. The leathery foliage found on these

stalwart beauties vary from a deep, rich green to marbled and variegated

patterns. While the flowers have a delicate appearance, they are in fact a

remarkably hardy perennial that blooms through winter's chill and in a blanket

of snow. With varieties that bloom in the fall, while others bloom in winter

through early spring. Their form and flower have an understated elegance that

makes them an excellent choice for shady woodland gardens, a Northwest

 theme, or a container arrangement. This lovely low-maintenance perennial

 features blossoms that are borne in nodding or outward-facing clusters. From

 fair, freckled-faced flowers to deep, rich, almost black blooms. With a range of

flower and foliage styles, there is sure to be one that will catch your eye and

 capture your heart. Currently, we have our annual collection of these garden

favorites in stock now. Varieties include the Ice N' Roses series, Wedding Party

series, Honeymoon series, and more.

National Houseplant Day

Founded by The Gardener's Network in 2012, this special day reminds

 people of the benefits of houseplants.After losing the festive color and

twinkle of holiday decorations, houseplants offer the perfect opportunity

 to liven things up. Fresh new accents will brighten your home and office

 as we wait out winter's melancholy.  This popular hobby is scientifically

 proven to improve your health in many ways. Reduce stress levels,

improve sleep and air quality, enhance your mood and mental health,

 and strengthen your immune system with these lively companions.

Come into the nursery on January 10th and celebrate National

 Houseplant Day and see our collection of stunning and colorful

 indoor plants.

Colorful Conifers

While many of our beloved perennials and deciduous beauties sleep away

the winter chill, it's time to look out and see what the bones of your garden

What structure do you see?  What colors stand out?  What views are framed?

What structures and pathways are softened?  Many of these elements can be

established by using a few conifers with character.  They add upright or stout

structure throughout the landscape, and are perfect for guiding paths and softening

hard lines exposed in the winter months.  They also add an array of textures and

colors often amiss this time of year, adding colors that include blue, gold, and

varying shades of green, or even bronze.  Some great examples of these stunning

 and sturdy conifers are the Golden Spreader Nordmann fir, with its prostrate

growth and bright gold winter color reaching 4 feet tall and about 5 feet wide.

Or if you are looking for something with a dark green hue that has a more

upright habit, the Banderica Bosnian pine is a fine choice, reaching 6 feet

tall and 3-4 feet wide. Another example in a silvery bluish shade is the dwarf

Korean fir called Ice Breaker. This compact-growing conifer is perfect for a

smaller area in the landscape. Here at the nursery, we have a great selection

of these hardy, colorful, and easy-to-grow conifers in stock now, so come on

down and speak with our friendly staff about adding these to your landscape.

January Garden Tasks 

As our gardens are dormant, it is a good time to apply dormant oil spray to treat for

damaging insects. We recommend All Seasons Horticultural Spray Oil. 

Prune out any dead, damaged, or diseased

 wood from trees and shrubs. 

Repurpose your cut Christmas

 tree for mulch.

Remove snow loads from trees and

shrubs to prevent damage.

Refresh containers with evergreen plantings

 to endure through the winter months.

Check containers and beds that are underneath the eaves of your home,

 they may need supplemental watering during the winter months.

We recommend staying on top of slug and snail control with environmentally

 and pet friendly Sluggo and Sluggo Plus.

Mulch your garden beds with high quality Gardner N Bloome Soil Building

 Conditioner, which will also increase your soils fertility with

 composted plant material and manure.

Plan your vegetable garden and purchase

 seeds to start indoors. 

Dream of your garden to

 come in the spring.