I really had no intention of writing an entry into my blog at this late hour of the day, but as I wandered out to feed our chickens I happened to view the Alpine Current I had planted a few years (probably about 5 ) ago and marveled at not only it’s exsistance but it’s thriving exsistance. In full bloom with colorful yellow blossoms the plant looked like it belonged in a botanical garden!!! When planted, it was supposed to be in a line of regularly watered and maintained shrubs, but due to my sons “chucker raising” project the said shrubs were obscured from water and maintenance by the construction of lean-to sheds. Let me tell you, these plants are doing their thing and real proud of it! I must say that they did get premier planting treatment at the time, followed by generous waterings to get them established before they fell to neglect, but the end result is a testimony of their hardiness and durability.

This great plant gets to be about three to five feet tall and seems to be untouched by insects or disease. Trouble free and easy to grow. A great plant to attact wildlife as small birds and bees just love this species. After it blooms there will be a small red fruit that developes. Fall color is an additional positive feature of this hardy durable drought tolerant plant. If you are looking for this type of performance then this could be your plant. Alpine Currents would also offer a good alternative to traditional hedges. Happy Planting……………. Doug

     In recent times there has been a lot of talk and publicity about bamboo and all the things it might bring to our lives. With so much conversation I though it would be of interest for our “cold zone” gardeners to take a look at one of the species that “might” grow in our area. For several years we have stocked the “Nuda” bamboo with some positive results. It is rated for at least zero winter degrees. For the folks I have talked to that have had success they paid strict attention to planting details. VERY large amounts of a “manure” free compost worked very deeply into the soil along with the use of organic fertilizer. Water is essential especially in the typical dry cold winter season. Some have added an insulative layer of compost over and around the bamboo for the first year or so to help establish the roots. I would also recommend that the planting site be on the east side for additiional winter time protection. The genus name of the Nuda is Phyllostachys.

     We try to stock this plant whenever possible as there is a lot of local interest.    Happy Gardening     Doug

  Spring (Non-Fragrant) Blooms and then Wonderful Bird Freindly Vibrant Red Fruit

     In areas like ours this particular shrub  should be of GREAT value. It breaks dormancy early in the spring and us usually untouched by late season frost. Soon to follow will be the wonderful pink flowers that will color up the entire shrub. As I mentioned in the title intro the blooms do not have the staggering fragrance of the vine type honeysuckle. As the flowers fade they are followed by vibrant red berries that make it an ongoing treat for our feathered freinds. The leaves are thick and leather like thus holding up to severe weather conditions. I don’t think I have ever seen this shrub harmed by the freeze of cold dry climates. It warm climate areas many consider this shrub to be a touch invasive and not worth planting but for us it tickles us just fine.

     Once established this plant is EXTREMLY drought tolerant and holds-up VERY well to deer problems. It can be planted as a single plant in the back of the landscape (it gets to be about 5′-8′ tall) or you make a dandy hedge that will act as a screen, windbreak, or simply just dividing areas of your garden and landscape.

     If you are looking for TOUGH………. this plant is for you… Enjoy…Doug

I suppose if I had to pick-out the number one ornamental grass that we sell at Redmond Greenhouse if would have to be Calamagrostis x acutiflora Karl Foerster “Feather Reed Grass. It seems no matter how many of these plants we bring in from our select growers we just can’t seem to keep them in stock. Selected as the plant of the year (a few years back) this tall and stately grass has only gained in popularity. A quick starter in the early spring, a dramatic eye catcher throughout the summer, and topping it off with a GRAND finale in the late autumn season complete with dynamic seed heads, this grass seems to have it all. Other “extras’ you could tack on to this plant would be it’s drought tolerance, dandy deer resistance (almost proof), and complimentary texture variance. A small start of this plant will grow very rapidly in your garden providing unique interest and added depth. I have seen them as single specimans adding intriguing interest, and in contrary I have seen them planted in mass as well as in single lines creating privacy and hedge-type settings. As you can see this plant is a true value in the landscape. One last thing I would mention is the fact that is has no known disease or insect problems……… now we are talking……. happy planting     Doug

PS: feel free to make and add comments on this blog Cold Zone Gardening 

(more…)

If there was one plant in our nursery that commands “TOP” spot in terms of popularity, quantity of sales, and “Stellar” performance in the landscape, that one plant would have to be Lydia Broom. Setting it apart from other species of this popular family is the fact that it is not upright and vertical but rather mounding and spreading achieving an overall height of about two feet or so. It is not invasive as are other species found on the western side of the Cascades. Lydia is evergreen and will grow at a medium rate. If you desire to prune this cascading plant the time to do so is right after it blooms. Remove no more than one third of the overall size of the plant. When this wonderful plants springs into seasonal bloom (usually late April or May) you had better grab your sunglasses. “Holy Cow” might come up short in terms of exciting words used to express ones feelings as you gaze upon this plant. Vibrant screaming yellow tiny blooms cover the long slender grass like branches of this plant. Blooms usually last for weeks creating a GREAT stir in your neighborhood.

            When planting make sure you amend the soil with liberal shovels of organic compost. I would also recommend about six to eight cups of our organic fertilizer “Cold Climate” which will feed the plant for an entire season as well as feeding the soil with microbes and Mycorrhizae.

            In conclusion, all I can say is, you need to get out and plant one of these plants as soon as you can before they begin to bloom in the nursery. The Planting season is now, the plants are still dormant, and you will have set the tone for a GREAT day in your rock garden when Lydia does its colorful “Spring Dance”……………..Happy Planting

I was driving down a rural street the other day and as I came around a corner I was confronted with the spectacular beauty of a stellar early Spring bloomer. The striking azure gold colors of the blooms from the old and reliable “Forsythia” were a simple treat for my eyes. It reminded me of the importance of early spring color. May and June have an abundance of color that will light up ones landscape, but the colors of early spring are usualy colors that realy excite our late winter senses.

The Forsythia is a tough as nails plant and should do very well in most garden landscapes. There are dwarf (2′-3′) as well as traditional varieties (4′-7′) that should find a special place in some corner of your landscape. The flowers are born on new wood from last years growth so if you have a healthy and well pruned plant you should see a spectacle of color. Just remember to give a pruning to these plants “Just” after they bloom so as to stimulate lots of new growth which will bear next years spring blooms. 

Although this family of plants will do well in poor soil I realy feel you owe it to the plant to give it a good start and well fed soil. Amend the planting site with ample shovels of good organic compost plus about ten cups of a good granular organic fertilizer (try our Cold Climate Organic). In goes the plant and you have set the stage for a ”Next Spring Spectacular’ . I find it an added treat to visit the garden a couple of weeks prior to bloom and clip a couple of branches for indoor forcing. My oh my what a treat this great plant is……….. You just have to love some of these “Early Spring Bloomers.

A touch more about forsythia Click Here

Now is the time to visit your local garden center and inquire about “Flowering Quince”. The medium height of this tough as nails plant will light-up your landscape if you get it planted in time. Colors of blooms range from a chiffon pastel pink to an explosive dynamic red. Blooms occur before the foliage appears making a very dramatic statement especialy when the overall structure of the branchs offer a slightly different oriental look. A few select branches may be clipped prior to bloom and brought inside for “forcing’ if you desire. Leaves that follow the blooms are glossy green in nature offering a great backdrop for other later blooming plants. Most species have a few very sharp spines so be careful not to place them close to a walkway or where children might play. Prune after blooms fade if needed. Great as an espaliated plant! Very adaptable to soil types and moisture but will certainly give a more dramatic stature if offered good soil and ample moisture. What else can i say, this plant is GREAT and should find some special place in your landscape. Happy planting………. see ya in the garden

for more info Click here

It was just yesterday that I was passing through our nursery and I spotted this glorious plant getting ready to burst into bloom. Some of the pink blooms had already burst into full spectacle along with a fragrance that had me staggering down the garden path. This particular plant just amazes me with it’s durability (it got down below zero this winter, plus this plant along with all the other containerized plants simply sits above ground, subjecting it to dramatic swings in day and night temperatures) and to top it all off it is usually one of the first to come into bloom. Best planted in  a location of early morning sun with afternoon shade, I am sure you will not be let down with it’s performance. Growth is slow so you may want to save a little longer and buy a bigger plant. It loves to wiggle it’s toes in a soil that has been deeply amended with manure free compost and fed a good organci fertilizer such as our “Cold Climate”. Better swing on by and get one of these planted while they are still  in budded form or you will hear me later on talking about how spectacular this plant realy is and you will have to wait until next year to see with your very own eyes how wonderful this plant realy is!