Plant of the Week- May 21
Plant of the Week- Styrax japonicus Late May and early June in the garden is a time of flowering abundance. Most woody plants have flowered by now, but the annuals and perennials are just starting up. There are a few trees that wait to flower until now, though. One of the finest is the Japanese […]
Plant of the Week- May 3
Plant of the Week- Elaeagnus umbellata or Autumn Olive Autumn Olive is a deciduous shrub native to Asia. Growing to 8′-10′ in our climate, in the wild it can reach 20′ or more. This shrub has silvery foliage, small cream colored flowers, and fall fruit of bright red (or sometimes golden berries. In the Pacific […]
Pear Trellis Rust
This is a fairly recent disease in Whatcom and Skagit counties, but recently has been showing up with increasing frequency. Because of the accelerated spring, the spots are showing up earlier than usual this year. As with most rust diseases, this one has two host plants, fruiting pear trees and juniper (Juniperus sp.). Both must […]
Plant of the Week- April 26
Plant of the Week- Actinidia sp. or Kiwis Kiwis, kiwifruit, and Chinese gooseberry are some the common names for the fruit of vines of the genus Actinidia. In the produce section of most supermarkets, the kiwifruit found is the fruit of the Fuzzy Kiwi, or Actinidia deliciosa. Saanichton is the selection of this species that […]
Plant of the Week- April 19
Plant of the Week- Pinus species or Pines Walking around the nursery and the display beds at the farm this week, I can see the various pines are waking up and starting to grow. Their new growth tips are one of the true signals that spring is really here! Conifers (and other evergreens) provide structure […]
Plant of the Week- April 6
Plant of the Week- Pears Right now at Cloud Mountain, all the Asian Pears are just passing full bloom in the orchards, with the European Pears just starting to flower. Pears are a relatively easy fruit to grow in our climate, so I thought we should highlight them when they are also adding ornamental interest […]