Post: March 6, 2026

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Noxious Weeds in Skagit County

What Gardeners and Landowners Need to Know

By Deanna Hofmann, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Author Deanna Hofmann

Weeds are a pain to all gardeners, but some are worse than others. By identifying and managing the noxious weeds (also known as invasive weeds) most likely to appear in home gardens, along roadsides, and on rural properties in Skagit County, you’ll save yourself a lot of work and protect your neighbors, farm pastures and livestock, forests, wetlands, and stream corridors.

Get Started:

• Understanding Washington’s Class A/B/C system
• Knowing when control is required vs. recommended (which can vary by county)
• Avoiding buying, selling, or trading plants that are illegal to distribute in Washington

In Washington state, “noxious weed” is a legal term for invasive plants that are so aggressive they harm local ecosystems or disrupt agricultural production. They crowd out native species that fish and wildlife depend on, and they can cost farmers millions of dollars in control efforts and lost production.

Why This Matters: The Scale of Invasive and Noxious Weeds

Many invasive weeds spread quietly for years before their impacts become obvious-by then, they are far more expensive (and sometimes impossible) to fully remove. Putting the problem in context helps explain why early detection, prevention, and coordinated control matter.

Introduced weeds are estimated to cost the U.S. agricultural economy more than $26 billion per year (crop losses plus herbicide use), and non-native plant pathogens are estimated to cost about $21.5 billion per year (crop losses plus fungicide use). These figures highlight why farms, rangelands, and other plant-dependent sectors bear a disproportionate share of the economic impacts from invasive plants.

With more than 200 invasive species documented in Washington, it can be hard to pin down a single, county-specific dollar figure for Skagit’s noxious weed impacts. To get a sense of the problem’s scale, it helps to look at WSDA-supported statewide estimates that model impacts for a subset of high-risk species. In just one leading example-Scotch broom-we can see just how large the stakes can be. WSDA’s analysis estimates that $142.8 million in statewide business activity could be at risk, along with about 660 jobs and more than $36 million in lost wages. These impacts are paid in many ways: crop yield loss and herbicide costs; reduced forage and toxic plant risks for livestock; impaired forest regeneration; and degraded recreational access and habitat.

Here in Skagit County, local control programs track the problem through concrete on-the- ground metrics-acres treated, plants removed, and sites cleared. Skagit County operates WSDA grant‑funded programs for Spartina (cordgrass) and knotweed. In a WSDA progress report, Skagit County had the third‑largest Spartina infestation in Puget Sound. County updates also highlight priority work on Spartina, knotweed, poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), and giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)-a reminder that Skagit’s noxious weed challenges include ecological damage, agricultural costs, and serious human and livestock health hazards. Weed laws establish all property owners’ responsibility for helping to prevent and control the spread of noxious weeds-because plants ignore property lines-home gardeners, farmers, public landowners, foresters, and ranchers all have a role to play.

Top Noxious Invasive Weeds in Skagit County

The following species are on the WSDA quarantine list:

• Common cordgrass (Spartina anglica) and other Spartina species (S. alterniflora, S. densiflora, S. patens). Considered one of the world’s most aggressive weeds, these species can displace native plants, destroy habitat, and convert estuaries into solid meadows. Eradication (that is, complete removal) of these Spartina species is required. (Class A).

Know & Grow Series

Composting and Vermiculture for the Home Gardener

Tues., March 17 , 2026 — 1 p.m.
— Free, no registration required —
at the NWREC Sakuma Auditorium
16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon, WA

• Knotweeds, including Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica; synonym Fallopia japonica) and Bohemian knotweed (Reynoutria x bohemica; synonym Fallopia x bohemica). These plants have a major impact along streams and in other riparian areas, completely displacing native plant communities, causing streambank erosion, and altering the nutrient cycle of salmon and other wildlife species. Control of these knotweed species is required in Skagit County. (Class B)
• Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum). All parts of this plant are extremely toxic to humans and livestock. Growing up to 8 feet tall, it has caused livestock deaths. It readily colonizes roadsides, vacant lots, pastures, and waterways. There are several similar-looking species, so proper identification is essential. Control of poison hemlock is required in Skagit County. (Class B).

• Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius). This plant displaces grassland habitat and outcompetes native and beneficial plants. Scotch broom is of particular concern to the timber industry and is commonly found along Washington roadways. The plant’s volatile oils also pose a fire hazard. Control of Scotch broom is required in Skagit County (Class B).
   
  Scotch broom is a familiar sight along western Washington highways. It is a volatile fire hazard as well as displacing grassland habitat. It is estimated that Skagit County has 100 – 1000 acres of infestation. Image © Wendy DesCamp – WSDA
• Tansy ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris, formerly Senecio jacobaea) is toxic to livestock and capable of causing liver damage. Control of tansy ragwort is required in Skagit County. (Class B)
• Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is an aggressive, shade-tolerant plant that can completely dominate forest floors and displace native species. It releases compounds into the soil that inhibit the germination of other plants. Eradication of garlic mustard is required. (Class A)
• Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum). It can grow up to 15-feet-tall and causes severe skin burning and blistering. It outcompetes native plants and can be mistaken for cow parsnip. Assistance with identification and removal is strongly recommended. Eradication of giant hogweed is required. Giant hogweed is on both the federal and WSDA quarantine lists. (Class A).
• Italian arum (Arum italicum), also known as lords-and-ladies, Italian lily, or cuckoo’s pint. This ornamental groundcover has proven nearly impossible to remove once established. It is toxic to humans and outcompetes native species in sensitive habitats. For more information, consult the WSNB pamphlet titled Italian Arum. Control of the Italian arum plant is required in Skagit County. (Class C). Read our blog post about Italian Arum.
• Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), displaces large areas of wetland and riparian native plants needed by waterfowl and other wildlife for food, nesting, and groundcover. It alters nutrient cycles and food webs and can clog irrigation canals and drainage ditches. Control of purple loosestrife is required in Skagit County. (Class B).

Noxious Weed Classifications in Washington State

Class A noxious weeds are defined as having very limited distribution, and the goal is to completely eradicate them before they get a foothold in WA. Class A noxious weeds are the ones you are least likely to see, but they are the most important to report. If you see a weed that may be in this category, note the exact location and, if possible, take photos. Eradication of all Class A plants is required by law.

Class B noxious weeds are considered abundant in some areas of the state. The goal is to contain and reduce their occurrence where they are widespread and to prevent them from spreading to other areas of the state where they are less common. Many of these species have escaped from cultivation, having been introduced from other parts of the world and, in some cases, from other parts of the US.

Class C noxious weeds are widespread and/or of special interest to agriculture; counties may choose to require control locally.

WSDA Quarantine List (Prohibited Plants List) identifies plants whose sale or distribution is prohibited in Washington. It is illegal to transport, buy, sell, distribute, or offer these plants (or their seeds/plant parts) for sale in or into Washington, including online.

Important: A plant can be classified “not required for control” in your county and still be illegal to sell, swap, or share if it’s on the WSDA quarantine list. It’s important to check before buying, selling, or trading plants. See these websites for information and help: NWCB or WSDA. For online help identifying a plant, see WSU’s Hortsense. 

If You Think You’ve Found a Regulated Weed
For suspected Class A weeds or any high‑risk infestation near streams, wetlands, or pasture, document the location, take photos, and contact the Skagit County Noxious Weed Board for confirmation and next steps. County designation matters for many Class B and Class C weeds, so “required” vs. “recommended” control can change from one county to the next.
Noxious Weeds by Class
This list highlights many weeds most likely to affect gardeners, homeowners, farmers, and landowners in Skagit County. This is not the full state or county list.

CLASS A-Eradication is required statewide

• French broom (Genista monspessulana)
• Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
• Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
• Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata)
• Spanish broom (Spartium junceum)
• Bighead knapweed (Centaurea macrocephala)

CLASS B–Control required in Skagit County unless otherwise specified

• Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii; synonym Buddleia davidii)-on the WSDA quarantine list except “accepted sterile cultivars” (≤2% viable seed).
• Garden loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris)-Control not required in Skagit County.
• Gorse (Ulex europaeus)-Control is required in Skagit County.
• Hawkweeds: Orange hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum) and yellow hawkweeds (Hieracium subgenus Pilosellaand hybrids)-Control is required in Skagit
• Hanging sedge (Carex pendula)-Control is not required in Skagit County
• Knotweeds-can spread by root and stem fragments; yard waste dumping and moving contaminated soil are common pathways. Control of the following species is required in Skagit County. Bohemian knotweed (Reynoutria × bohemica; synonyms Fallopia x bohemica and Polygonum × bohemicum)
• Giant knotweed (Reynoutria sachalinensis; synonyms Fallopia sachalinensis and Polygonum sachalinense
• Himalayan knotweed (Persicaria wallichii)
• Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica; synonyms Fallopia japonica and Polygonum cuspidatum
• Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna; synonym Ranunculus ficaria)-toxic to humans and livestock.
• Malta starthistle (Centaurea melitensis)
• Policeman’s helmet (Impatiens glandulifera)
• Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum)-extremely toxic to humans and livestock; confirm identification because of similar-looking species.
• Rough chervil (Chaerophyllum temulum)-Control in Skagit County is required; it’s toxic to mammals.
• Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius)
• Spurge laurel (Daphne laureola)-toxic; shade‑tolerant and can form dense stands. Control is not required in Skagit County.
• Tansy ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris; synonym Senecio jacobaea)-toxic to livestock.
• Wild chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris)
• Yellow archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon)-Control is not required in Skagit County.

CLASS C-Infestation is widespread and/or of special interest; control of the following species is not required in Skagit County unless otherwise indicated

• Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
• Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare)
• Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense)
• Common holly/English holly (Ilex aquifolium)
• Common St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum)-toxic to livestock.
• Common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
• English ivy-four cultivars only: Hedera helix ‘Baltica’, ‘Pittsburgh’, ‘Star’, and Hedera hibernica ‘Hibernica’.
• Evergreen/cutleaf blackberry (Rubus laciniatus)
• Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus; synonyms include Rubus bifrons)
• Italian arum (Arum italicum)-toxic; extremely difficult to eradicate once established. Control is required in Skagit County.
• Japanese eelgrass (Nanozostera japonica; synonym Zostera japonica)
• Norway maple (Acer platanoides)
• Oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
• Shiny geranium (Geranium lucidum)
• Tree‑of‑heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
• Yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus)

WSDA Quarantine List: The “Don’t Buy/Sell/Trade” List
WSDA’s Noxious Weed Seed and Plant Quarantine (WAC 16‑752) makes certain plants illegal to sell, distribute, or transport in or into the state-including internet sales and informal plant swaps. All Class A weeds and many Class B and Class C weeds are included, along with some additional plants added to prevent new introductions.
 
The free Western Washington Field Guide to Noxious Weeds is a helpful booklet with pictures.
Management Begins with Identification and Prevention
Know your noxious weeds. Friends don’t let friends share noxious weeds. What may be a nice ground cover in one area of the state may be an invasive weed in another. Choose non‑invasive plants. When you identify a noxious weed on your property, remove it and dispose of it in the garbage. Do not put it in the yard waste or compost. Report high‑risk weeds early. 

This article covers Washington’s A/B/C classification system, a selection of key terrestrial noxious weeds relevant to Skagit County, the NWCB monitor list of plants of concern, and why WSDA quarantine rules matter for gardeners and landowners. If you have water on your property, be aware of the need to control aquatic noxious weeds.

Detailed and site‑specific, step‑by‑step control prescriptions can be found in the resources listed below.

SOURCES:

Skagit County Noxious Weed Control Board. (n.d.). Skagit County noxious weed information and species lists.

Washington State Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Prohibited plants and seeds in Washington State: A summary of current regulations on sales of noxious weeds and other invasive exotic plants (brochure).

Washington State Department of Agriculture. (current). Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 16‑752-Noxious weed seed and plant quarantine (prohibited plants list). 

Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board. (n.d.). Noxious weed profiles and publications. 

Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board. (2025). Washington State noxious weed list (printable common and scientific name lists).

Pacific Northwest Weed Management Handbook. (current). Pacific Northwest Weed Management Handbook 

DiTomaso, J. M., Kyser, G. B. (Eds.). (2013). Weed control in natural areas in the western United States. University of California, Weed Research and Information Center.

Additional References for the “Scale and Scope” Section

1. Fantle-Lepczyk, J. E., Haubrock, P. J., Kramer, A. M., Cuthbert, R. N., et al. (2022). Economic costs of biological invasions in the United States. Science of the Total Environment, 806, 151318.

2. Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board. (n.d.). Economic impacts of invasive species in Washington State (report).

3. Skagit County Noxious Weed Control Board. (n.d.). Skagit County Noxious Weed Control Board program information (Spartina and knotweed programs).

4. Washington State Department of Agriculture. (2020). Spartina Eradication Program: 2020 Progress Report (Skagit County infestation and funding metrics).

5. Skagit County, Washington. (2022). County noxious weed program update identifying priority weeds (Spartina, knotweed, poison hemlock, giant hogweed) (commissioner meeting materials).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Deanna Hofmann is a retired interpretive naturalist who became a certified Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener in 2025. She has a degree in Environmental Science from Huxley College, Western Washington University.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a master gardener may be directed to Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the Skagit County WSU Extension website.

Washington State University Extension helps people develop leadership skills and use research-based knowledge to improve economic status and quality of life. Cooperating agencies: Washington State University, US Department of Agriculture, and Skagit County. Extension programs and policies are available to all without discrimination. To request disability accommodations contact us at least ten days in advance.

Post: February 6, 2026

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Getaways: Public Gardens provide inspiration from coast to coast

Master gardeners share ideas for gardens to visit across the country

By Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners

Visiting a special garden in another part of the country can provide ideas, inspiration, and an education for all gardening enthusiasts. It’s no surprise that master gardeners often incorporate a garden visit into their travel itineraries, drinking in the beauty and diversity of the natural landscape in places near and far.

Of course, the focus is often on the anticipated beauty of blooms and color from spring to fall; however, many gardens host special events and features during the holidays and winter that offer lovely after-dark variations on trees, plants, and water features.

A column published this time last year focused on gardens in the Pacific Northwest. This time, several Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners expand their horizons to include interesting garden destinations across the United States, from Maine to California, and in British Columbia. Details for each garden include website links, contact information, and logistics to help prepare for a visit.

The Chinese Garden at the Huntington is one of the largest classical-style Chinese gardens outside of China. Photo © Pexels.com | Utsukushii

The themed gardens and conservatories at the Huntington feature over 84,000 plants, with extensive collections of rare plants. Photo © Pexels.com | Maxie T.

Huntington Gardens

By Ginny Bode, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Huntington Gardens, north of Los Angeles, offers a breathtaking blend of art, history, and nature. It is difficult to choose what to explore first – the stunning themed gardens, world-class art collections, or rare manuscripts.

Originally the San Marino Ranch, the estate was acquired in 1903 by Henry E. Huntington, a railroad and real estate tycoon. He and his wife, Arabella, created a place for their passions: Art, rare books, and plants. Since 1919, the Huntington has been in a public trust for education and enjoyment.

The entrance fee offers more than can be experienced in a day and includes the 130-acre botanical garden and conservatories, as well as the rare manuscripts and art collection. The living plant collection alone encompasses 84,000 individual plants, which are tended for education, conservation, and research.

The Huntington’s desert plant collection is known as one of the world’s largest and oldest collections of cacti and other succulents – and is worth the visit alone. The new Desert Conservatory showcases both old-world succulents and new specimens, such as the echeveria (Crassulaceae family) with its large rosette leaves.

In winter, 80 species of camellias and 1,200 cultivated varieties begin to bloom, peaking in January throughout the Japanese Garden, North Vista, and Garden of Fragrance.

The three-acre curated Rose Garden was updated in the 2010s, including the concrete trellis trees working alongside the classic sculptures and pergolas. The 2,500 individual roses are auditioned for show and smell, as well as their ability to perform well without the use of insecticides or fungicides. The initial bloom begins in March and extends through November.

The serene landscapes extend west with a view of the Pacific Ocean in the distance. Vibrant flora and a tranquil atmosphere provide a perfect escape, making it an inspiring destination for plant and art lovers year-round.

Visit the Huntington Gardens website
Location: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA, 91108
Hours and tours: Online ticket reservations daily.
Admission: $28 – $34
Contact information: 616-405-2100

Butchart Gardens

By Ginny Bode, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island, near Victoria, BC is a gem of a garden get-away. A visit can be made either by car and ferry, or by boat or float plane, accessing via the dock located below the Japanese Garden on Brentwood Bay. Those who remember visits from decades ago will not be disappointed-now in its 122^nd year, Butchart Gardens continues to be over-the-top-beautiful.

Designed in a depleted limestone quarry next to her husband’s cement processing plant, Jennie Butchart had an idea in 1904. She didn’t stop until it was fulfilled, using the couple’s personal wealth to create what is now a National Historic Site of Canada and drawing approximately one million visitors annually.

Butchart Gardens isn’t one single style but a collection of themed gardens, including the Sunken Garden, Japanese Garden, Rose Garden, and Italian Garden. A show garden rather than a botanical garden, Butchart Gardens is a prime example of horticultural artistry, rotating annuals alongside permanent features to create vibrant, ever-changing floral tapestries for seasonal impact.

Visiting in the fall is as beautiful as spring and summer, with fewer crowds to navigate. Though busy when we arrived in mid-afternoon (after docking the boat), we enjoyed the golden light of the day with very few others after the buses left at 5 p.m. The combinations of dahlias and verbena, or begonias and coleus, grow in large swaths of color to create inspiring combinations for planters and small areas in my own garden.

Surprisingly, most of the 55-acre garden is hand-watered, with only steep hillsides and grassy patches on timed watering systems. The garden is cared for by a team of more than 50 full-time gardeners, which swells to more than 500 summer employees. Since visiting, several fellow master gardeners have told of their visits during the “off” season and how beautiful the garden is year-round. Now I understand why the garden sells year-round passes. During the December holidays, the gardens are bathed in more than 300,000 twinkling lights and other features, including the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” for evening viewing.

Visit the Butchart Gardens website
Location: 800 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay, BC, Canada
Hours: Open year-round, with varying daily and seasonal hours.
Admission: $44.25 CDN
Contact Information: 866-652-4422

University of British Columbia Botanical Garden

By Diana Wisen, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

The University of British Columbia (UBC) Botanical Garden is the oldest university botanic garden in Canada. Visiting UBC Botanical Garden is a real treat for serious plant lovers. The garden was started in 1916 to collect, study, and showcase the wide variety of plants from the temperate regions of the world, particularly North America and Asia.

This science-based garden, about a 25-minute drive west of downtown Vancouver, BC, is known for its extensive collections of several species, including acer (maple), magnolia, sambucus, styrax, and rhododendrons, among others. These wild-collected specimens are for research as well as educating the public. Used for UBC research, this huge garden is designed to show natural habit and is not what you would call a park type or display garden. UBC offers self-guided tours as well as guided group experiences and team building (collaborative group activities).

Included in the tour options is the Nitobe Memorial Garden, a 2.5+ acre, traditional Japanese stroll garden and authentic tea house located at the University of British Columbia.

The UBC Botanical Garden gift shop is one of the best garden shops – a true shopper’s paradise. As the garden is in Canada, remember that most seeds or plants may not be transported across the border.

Visitors will gain a deeper appreciation for the great diversity and wide variety of plants that thrive in our temperate climate. Visit the UBC Botanical Garden website for current fee schedules. 

Visit the UBC Botanical Garden website
6804 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC, Canada  V6T 1Z4
Hours: Vary by season with special winter events.
Admission: Varies by season and age.
Contact Information: 604-822-4208. Email: garden.info@ubc.ca

Appreciating Native Plants and Incorporating Them into Your Garden
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 1 p.m.
— Free, no registration required —

Native plants do more than just look pretty in our landscapes. They provide services to the other plants and animals in our gardens – and to us gardeners too. This presentation, by Sarah Zabel and Nan Maysen, is about the role that native plants play in our backyards and offers ideas and inspiration for creating thriving communities of plants in various garden settings, along with their tag-along fauna!
Sarah Zabel is co-manager of the Salal Chapter of the Native Plant Society’s Native Plant Garden and has a life-long interest in native plants stemming from her hiking days. 
Nan Maysen had a 40-year career in environmental education including her own business, Natural Landscapes Design. She has been active with the Washington Native Plant Society since 1992.
at the NWREC Sakuma Auditorium
16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon, WA

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

By Diana Wisen, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

The garden is the artistic vision of its creator, Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969), and is surrounded by nearly 1,000 acres of meadows, farmland, and waterways. The views in every direction are important to the whole. The paths are an integral part of the overall design, curving rather than straight, following the contours of the land, passing around trees, and drawing walkers into the garden.

Winterthur is a unique home, garden, museum, and library created by du Pont and located in Delaware’s Brandywine Valley near Wilmington. The museum, garden, and library are best known for du Pont’s extensive collection of American home furnishings and decorative arts, which is considered by many to be the best in the country. Du Pont expanded the original home to 175 rooms to house his collection.

The naturalistic gardens, woodlands, and meadows offer 25 miles of hiking trails. Tours are offered, and visitors can also take a narrated tram ride. It’s a peaceful and quiet place, especially beautiful in spring. For a taste of the beauty at Winterthur go to YouTube and type in Winterthur Museum.

Visit the Winterthur website
Location: 5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE  19735
Hours: Vary by season with special winter events. The gardens can be explored on foot, or guests may take a narrated tram ride from March through December.
Admission: Varies by season and age.
Contact Information: 800-448-3883

When planning to explore the Brandywine Valley, you may also want to visit Longwood Gardens in nearby Kennett Square, PA, and the Wyeth Museum.

Longwood Gardens – Kennett Square

By Diana Wisen, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Longwood Gardens is a world-renowned botanical garden like no other that defies verbal description. In short, you have to see it to believe it. To maximize the experience, it’s best to study the garden website for several hours when thinking about visiting it. It is more than a garden with more than 10,000 different plant species and varieties, combined with mind-boggling showmanship.

The grounds feature 1,100 acres of gardens, woodland, meadow, conservatories, casual and fine dining, many kinds of musical experiences, fountains, model trains, and breathtaking seasonal displays. Ask anyone who has seen the hanging chrysanthemum globe or the poinsettia trees. You may want to plan for two days and visit other sites in the area.

Visit Longwood Gardens website
Location: 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA  19348
Hours: Vary by season with special winter events.
Admission: Admission is by time. Tickets purchased in advance.
Contact Information: 610-388-1000 or questions@longwoodgardens.org

New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill

By Kari Ranten, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Set on 200 acres about an hour’s drive from Boston, the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill is home to 18 distinct gardens – from formal to woodlands – in what is described as a “living museum.” The garden was founded in 1842 by the Worcester County Horticultural Society as “a place for people to experience the wonder of plants, learn about the natural world, and make joyful connections.” The public was invited into the garden in 1986 and now features a landscape crisscrossed with walking trails and accessible pathways. Water features, including ponds and fountains, are found throughout the gardens, which also offer many places to view the beautiful Wachusett Reservoir, the second-largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts.

A summertime visit to the garden yields views of colorful annuals and perennials, a test vegetable garden including heirloom tomatoes, water features, greenhouses, and the welcome cool of the woodland walk. The entire garden is dotted with interesting artwork, including the “Friendship Urn” in the woodland area, a replica of one originally displayed in Taunton, England, designed for the Massachusetts garden to honor two great English landscape garden designers, Henry Hoare and Sir Charles Tynte.

The garden showcases artwork throughout the year and, in summer 2025, featured “Art in Motion,” a collection of 17 fascinating stainless steel kinetic sculptures crafted by artist and engineer George Sherwood. Check the website for upcoming exhibitions that complement the gardens’ beauty.

Visit the New England Botanic Garden
Location: 11 French Drive, Boylston, MA, 01505
Hours: Open daily: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Check the website for special holiday hours for the garden’s annual “Night Lights” celebration.
Admission: Varies by day of the week and age.
Contact Information: 508-869-6111

The Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants

By Diana Wisen, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

The internationally acclaimed display of “flowers” at the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants at the Harvard University School of Natural History is a must visit while you are in Boston. It is worth making the effort to go see these “flowers that never fade,” a most astonishing and hard-to-believe exhibit you will ever see. The exhibit features life-size models so perfect that you will think you are looking at real plants. The collection features 847 flowers plus other glass models, such as a bee pollinator on a particular plant, and how both behave at the moment. Or the effect fungi are having on a rose, infecting it with disease. In all, the collection includes more than 2,000 glass models. This collection was created by the Blaschka father-and-son duo, Leopold and Rudolf, in Dresden, Germany, and was financed by the Ware family between 1887 and 1936. You have to see it to believe it. Check out the website for more information, including how the glass plants and flowers were made. It’s a good one to put on your East Coast bucket list.

Visit the Harvard Museum of Natural History website
Location: 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (excluding holidays)
Admission: General admission to the Harvard Museum of Natural History gives access to all exhibits, including the Glass Flowers Gallery. Tickets can only be purchased at the admissions desk and the museum shop.
Contact Information: 617-495-3045

Hands on Rose Pruning Workshop
Saturday, March 7, 2026 2-4 p.m.
— $10 registration fee, limited group size —
The Discovery Garden at 16602 State Route 536, Mount Vernon

Proper pruning can improve roses’ appearance and overall health. Learn the right way to prune roses: hybrid teas, climbers, and landscape roses. Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners will lead this two-hour, hands-on instruction in the Discovery Garden’s Rose Garden. Learn when the best time of year to prune roses, the right tools, how to sterilize tools, and techniques for ensuring healthy, long-lasting roses. No prior gardening or pruning experience is necessary.

Rain or shine! This activity is fully outdoors. Bring your clean and sharp bypass pruners, garden gloves, and dress appropriately for the weather. This is a hands-on outdoor workshop! Participants will work in small groups, space is limited.

Free parking is available at the Discovery Garden. Meet in the Pavilion, a short walk from the entrance on level ground. Workshop cost is $10 (cash and checks only). Advance registration and payment is required. Participants will need to sign a liability waiver on site before starting the workshop.

A limited number of reduced rate tickets are available for those with financial need. To register and for more information, contact Sue Moulton at (360) 428-4270 or smoulton@wsu.edu.

Coastal Maine Botanical Garden

By Kari Ranten, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

The splendor and variety of plants, coupled with the whimsy of the giant trolls found in the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden, make return trips to this venue inspirational every time, every season.

Started as a grassroots effort among friends, the garden is now the largest botanical garden in New England, with more than 300 acres along the Mid-Coast of Maine near the picturesque community of Booth Bay.

The buildings and central gardens are ADA-compliant, while the paths throughout the rest of the large campus range from gravel to trails. A shuttle runs throughout the gardens during open hours with convenient drop-off and pick-up locations.

Focal points for various gardens feature ponds, a focus on the five senses, rhododendrons, dahlias, irises, lawns, arbors, a children’s garden, a native butterfly house, and Burpee Kitchen Garden. In the woodland area, where trails offer views of the saltwater inlets and natural flora and fauna, a Fairy House Village encourages creativity among visitors of all ages.

An added draw is the collection of five giant, whimsical trolls, known as the “Guardians of the Seeds,” by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. The famed artist uses recycled wood to create the enormous trolls, tucked into the garden’s forests. Each has a name, a story, and teachings that put focus on sustainability and caring for the Earth. The troll that welcomes visitors is Roskva, which stands for the trunks and is described like this: “Roskva is the heaviest, hardest, and strongest of the trolls. Every day, Roskva climbs towards the sky, and every year she grows taller and wider. If a troll forgets something, they can always ask Roskva – she counts the seasons and remembers everything that happens around her.”

Dambo’s trolls are featured in installations around the world, with several located in the Pacific Northwest, including Ballard, Issaquah, West Seattle, Bainbridge Island, and Vashon Island.

Visit the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden website
Location: 105 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay, ME, 04537
Hours: The gardens are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from May 1 to October 19. “Gardens Aglow,” featuring thousands of colorful lights, runs evening hours from late November through early January, with advance ticket sales required.
Admission: Varies by age.
Contact Information: 207-633-8000

Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Discovery Garden

Close to home is the Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Discovery Garden located on Memorial Highway (SR 536), west of Mount Vernon. The garden is open daily from dawn to dusk at no charge. For information, or to take a virtual stroll around the Discovery Garden’s garden room, visit our website. First-time visitors are often surprised by the extensive collection found in the 1.6 acre garden. The well-maintained paths wind through 33 garden rooms, including a koi pond, an herb garden, a vegetable garden, and many benches for resting. Each garden focuses on specific plants that thrive in the Skagit Valley.

The Discovery Garden, which opened 30 years ago, is maintained by 150 volunteer master gardeners and is designed to inspire and educate the public. An annual open house is held in the garden from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the last Saturday in June, featuring a plant clinic and children’s activities.

These are just a few of the hundreds of beautiful gardens that await in every corner of the continent. Each unique destination will help educate and inspire visitors by illustrating the region’s flora and fauna, which are as unique as the region itself.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Diana Wisen has been a master gardener since 1991; Ginny Bode, since 2022, and Kari Ranten, since 2024.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a master gardener may be directed to Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the Skagit County WSU Extension website.

Washington State University Extension helps people develop leadership skills and use research-based knowledge to improve economic status and quality of life. Cooperating agencies: Washington State University, US Department of Agriculture, and Skagit County. Extension programs and policies are available to all without discrimination. To request disability accommodations contact us at least ten days in advance.

Post: January 16, 2026

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Bring Winter Color to Your Garden with Hellebores

Transform your winter landscape with these exquisite perennials

 
Jessamyn Tuttle

By Jessamyn Tuttle, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Even though we’re lucky enough to have mild, mostly green winters here in the Pacific Northwest, we’re already starting to get a little starved for flowers by January. If you’d love to see some color in your winter garden other than green and brown, consider planting some hellebores, a perfect way to get your flower fix. A well-behaved perennial that comes in a range of colors, hellebores can start blooming as early as December and continue the show through March.

There are about 15 species of hellebore, none of which are native to the United States. The most common garden species are Helleborus niger and Helleborus orientalis. H. niger is commonly called Christmas rose, because it starts blooming as early as December. A very sturdy plant with waxy leaves, it tends to be just under a foot tall, with masses of single white flowers with yellow stamens. H. orientalis, called Lenten rose, blooms later, usually late January through mid-March, and tends to be taller, from 1 to 1.5 feet high, with downward-facing blooms. Both species are hardy in zones 4-9 and prefer shade.

Hybridizers have developed hellebore cultivars with deep-purple, almost black flowers like this H. orientalis in author’s garden. Photo © Jessamyn Tuttle

H. foetidus is a showy plant with deeply dissected leaves and small pink and green bell-like flowers on stems. Photo © Jessamyn Tuttle

A bit less commonly grown is H. argutifolius, also called Corsican hellebore or holly-leaved hellebore, which is the largest of the hellebores at 3′ tall and up to 5′ wide, with showy stalks of white flowers. It’s happy in part shade to full sun, requires good drainage, and is fully drought-tolerant once established. A caulescent (stemmed) species, the flowers form at the end of the leaves instead of coming up directly from the base, and when bloom is over, the entire leaf stem can be cut. This category also includes H. foetidus, or stinking hellebore (not as smelly as the name would suggest), a showy plant with deeply dissected leaves and small pink and green bell-like flowers.

Helleborus orientalis with Epidmedium and native bleeding heart in author’s garden. Photo © Jessamyn Tuttle

Helleborus orientalis with primroses and bleeding heart in author’s garden. Photo © Jessamyn Tuttle

Most hellebore flowers tend to come in pink and purple tones, but include pure white, green, purple so dark it’s nearly black, and even yellow. Many have freckles or smudges, and there are double-flowered varieties for extra showiness. Hellebores had a resurgence of popularity in the 1990s. Since then, there have been considerable improvements in the quality and variety of plants, with new cultivars and strains coming out every year. One of the best is a hybrid strain called Winter Jewels®, developed by Northwest Garden Nursery in Oregon. These hellebores have fine foliage and elaborate flowers, like ‘Cotton Candy’, a double baby pink with dark pink freckles, and ‘Cherry Blossom’, a strawberry-streaked flower with a ruffled center like an Elizabethan collar. There’s also a yellow with raspberry veining and speckles called ‘Golden Sunrise’.

Other popular hybrids include ‘Ivory Prince’, a very tough, early-blooming plant with dark burgundy-pink buds that open to upward-facing, creamy white flowers, and ‘Monte Cristo’, with white/peach/pink flowers contrasting with blue/gray foliage. Another stunning variety is ‘Anna’s Red’, from the Frostkiss® series, with rich pink flowers that darken to burgundy and dark leaves marbled with cream.

Hellebores do best in bright shade and can tolerate a range of soils. Like all plants, they should be well watered for their first summer in the ground, but then are moderately drought-tolerant, although most varieties appreciate regular summer water.

Helleborus orientalis in author’s garden. Photo © Jessamyn Tuttle

Helleborus x hybridus ‘Windcliff Double Strain’
Photo © Jessamyn Tuttle

Plants grow in gradually expanding clumps and can reseed but are generally not invasive. The flowers remain decorative for some time after full bloom but can be cut off to prevent reseeding and encourage foliage growth. Like a sword fern, new growth comes out of the center of the clump as the previous season’s leaves fall to the ground. Since hellebores are very susceptible to botrytis, a fungal disease, and to keep things tidy, cut off old leaves as the new flowers rise in the winter or early spring. Plants can be divided to propagate them, but they prefer being left alone and will often take an extra year to bloom again if disturbed.

When planting new hellebores, make sure to put them where you can see them bloom in winter. Plant in combination with spring bulbs, especially early daffodils and crocus, and other winter-blooming plants like cyclamen and witch hazel for a fabulous winter garden, or mix with other tough shade plants like sword fern and Epimedium for year-round interest in a dark corner. They make a beautiful groundcover under deciduous trees, where the flowers can shine before the trees leaf out, providing them with summer shade. They can even do well in containers as long as you don’t mind the lack of summer flowers.

Hellebores at Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle, WA Photo © Jessamyn Tuttle

All hellebores, like many other plants in the Ranunculaceae family, are toxic to people and animals if ingested. However, this is rarely a problem because the leaves are tough and a bit prickly. Still, it also means that deer very seldom interfere with them. In addition to being deer-proof, hellebores seldom have trouble with insect or slug damage. Although aphids can occasionally crop up, they can be washed off with a blast of water from a hose and seldom do lasting damage.

Because many hellebores start putting up flower stalks in January, there’s always a risk that they’ll get snowed on or frozen. While this won’t hurt the plant, it can sometimes result in damaged stems. Usually, they’ll just pop right back up after the snow melts, but if stems are broken, cut the flowers and bring them inside to float in a shallow bowl of water for a beautiful table display. Bringing them in as cut flowers also lets you admire them up close without getting down on hands and knees in the muddy yard.

If you’re just starting to be interested in hellebores, take advantage of local nurseries holding special hellebore days, or visit garden shows and public gardens to see huge swaths of hellebores in full bloom in February and March, then take that inspiration back to your own garden to make next winter spectacular.

Resources:

Hellebores: Winter Jewels. Portland Nursery Blog, Portland, Oregon

Our Hellebores. Northwest Garden Nursery

Bunting, A. (2025) Hellebores: Care, Varieties, and Tips for Your Garden. The Pennsylvania Horiticultural Society

Poisonous to Livestock: Helleborus niger – Christmas Rose. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Plant Finder: Helleborus orientalis. Missouri Botanical Gardens, St. Louis, MO

Great Plant Pics: Corsican Hellebore. Elisabeth Carey Miller Garden.

Caulescent Hellebores… A Hint of Silver, a Touch of Platinum. Pacific Horticulture.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jessamyn Tuttle is a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener, Class of 2017. She is co-manager of the Perennial Plant House in the Discovery Garden on Hwy 536 west of Mount Vernon.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a master gardener may be directed to Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the Skagit County WSU Extension website.

Washington State University Extension helps people develop leadership skills and use research-based knowledge to improve economic status and quality of life. Cooperating agencies: Washington State University, US Department of Agriculture, and Skagit County. Extension programs and policies are available to all without discrimination. To request disability accommodations contact us at least ten days in advance.

Post: November 21, 2025

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Dreaming and decision-making for a greenhouse

Questions and options to consider if a greenhouse is right for you

By Kari Ranten, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

 
Kari Ranten

The short days of the coming winter have gardeners missing the abundant growth, harvest, and busy days of the summer just past. Many are already dreaming about the potential of the upcoming growing season.

At this time of year, characterized by shortened days and gray skies in the Northwest, the opportunities for spring seem endless: What to grow? What seeds to buy? What were the favorites from seasons past that could be wintered over? Is there something new to try? More vegetables? More flowers? Something tropical?

With all of this potential, it makes sense that many gardeners’ thoughts turn to ways to fill the gardening void of winter. The likely answer may be to add a greenhouse to extend the growing season or make gardening a more year-round enterprise.

“When people make something by hand – with their own hands – it takes on a different level of value. So, it is with the food and flowers that we grow with our own hands. Having a greenhouse enables you to enjoy this therapy on a daily basis in any season,” writes Shane Smith, author of Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion, Growing Food & Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace (2000). Smith’s book is considered by many to be a must-have for those who desire or use a greenhouse. The Chicago Review Press notes Smith’s book is “The most comprehensive book on greenhouse gardening available today.”

The extension of the joy of gardening throughout the year is certainly a big draw. However, adding a “hobby” greenhouse requires considerable planning, decision-making, and resources. Winter may be just the season to spend time researching the idea of a greenhouse and to learn more about a potential project for the coming year. It takes some time to evaluate the right option for your specific goals, location, and budget, as well as address the myriad of questions that will come up. This column will pose some of the key questions you will want to ponder before moving forward with a greenhouse or other structure, such as a lean-to, cold frame, or tunnels. (Beddes, et al. 2022)

The most fundamental questions to start with are: What do you want to grow? How do you plan to use a greenhouse? Answers to these questions will help you get started as you dig into the details of location, space, materials, size, power, and lighting needs for a growing space.

A greenhouse can be used in a variety of ways. Before making a decision, know that each option presents a decision-making path to get to the ultimate plan for a structure that is right for you.

Here are a few considerations:

Want to start seeds? The first use that naturally comes to mind when thinking about adding a greenhouse is its use as a venue to get a head start on seeding flowers and vegetables, including tomatoes, squash, beans, and others, in early spring. Here, you will need to consider whether you want a heated or unheated space, based on the plants you plan to start.

“Because seeds like warm temperatures to germinate (often in the 65 to 75°F range), you will have to provide heat and light to help get your seeds to germinate. This can be done with LED grow lights and a heat mat, but that also means that you will need electricity in your greenhouse.” (Marshall, 2022).

Extending the season? A greenhouse can also be used as a season extender beyond summer, with fall planting of vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and other greens, for harvest and enjoyment throughout the winter months. Heat and light requirements will also apply in this case. (Beddes, et al. 2022).

Protecting fragile plants? Suppose you want a protected place for delicate plants to spend the winter out of the cold, including cuttings of favorite perennials such as fuchsias, clematis, or herbs. In that case, a greenhouse can be a handy solution. Additional candidates may include geraniums and other annuals you want to hold over for another season. Some may not require a greenhouse; instead, they may need a garage or basement (Howard, 2025).

Tropical plants require a different environment than growing vegetables. Knowing which types of plants you want to grow helps you make decisions. Photo:© Adobe Stock

Tropical ideas? A greenhouse can be a year-round place for plants that may need a slightly warmer environment than our Zone 8b provides (https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/), such as citrus trees and orchids. “For example, it is said that George Washington grew lemon, limes, pineapples, and other tropical fruit in a greenhouse in 1787 at Mount Vernon. Glasshouses, as they were originally called, became the rage in England and later in America. They eventually came to be called greenhouses because the plants inside stayed green all winter long.” (Marshall, 2022)

Free-standing or lean-to? Designs and materials? Take advantage of resources on design options and materials to build with, including fiberglass, plastic, polycarbonate, and glass. Floor materials can also vary, including a slab, pavers, or gravel. Many do-it-yourself kits are available on the market, offering a wide range of sizes and amenity options. Design plans are also available online, offering options for building with recycled materials, including windows, doors, shelving, and other reusable building supplies.

Power? Heat? Lights? Ventilation? Research the climate and weather patterns where you live and match them with the desired use for the space to determine if you need access to power for heating, lighting, fans, or ventilation. An extension cord from the house may be enough. Otherwise, running power to the facility may be the right choice. Options can include space heaters, heat mats, and grow lights, which can be set to timers and scaled as needed. Technology also enables in-home, real-time monitoring linked to your cell phone, allowing you to view 24/7 conditions in the greenhouse, including humidity and temperature. Thermally activated automatic vents can also be installed and adjusted for temperature control. A drip watering system on a timer is also an option, or you can rely on rain barrels and watering cans.

Where will you put the greenhouse? How big should it be? A greenhouse requires a level area (or space that can be leveled) and meets the size and light needs. Many greenhouse owners caution gardeners to be honest about the space they need, based on their goals for use, to avoid an undersized project. Also, consider whether storage for gardening items, as well as plants, is needed.

What is the correct exposure? Ideally, the space will afford a south or southwest exposure to meet the daily sunlight needs of a greenhouse, which acts as a collector of solar heat. (Smith, 2000).

What about shelving or spaces to hang baskets? Plants, including seed starts and succulents, require more shelf space compared to plants in large pots. Pay attention to the materials used in greenhouse construction or the kit to make sure additional shelving or a bar for hanging plants is included or can be easily added. Gardeners recommend allowing for maximum flexibility to move plants, lights, and heat mats around as needed, while avoiding overcrowding.

Have a budget based on your decisions: With all these considerations in mind, they must match up with the project budget. “Before spending time and money, it is best to define your crop production goals, budget, and local climate challenges.” (Beddes, et al. 2022).

It takes work! Remember, once in place, the greenhouse requires ongoing maintenance, cleaning, watching for evidence of pests (like aphids, scale, etc.), disease (fungal and bacterial) and over- or under-watering (like edema or damping off), as well as regular time and attention – even with timers and automation.

For now, enjoy the dreaming and promise of spring.

Resources for more information:

Extending the Garden Season from Utah State University Yard and Garden Extension. 

The Hobby Greenhouse by Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.

References:

Beddes, T., Caron, M., Hansen, S., and Gunnell, J. (2022) Extending the Garden Season. Utah State University Yard and Garden Extension.

Chicago Review Press. (2025)The Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion 

Howard, D. (2025). How to Overwinter Plants: Protect Geraniums, Roses, Herbs & Tropicals From Frost. The Old Farmer’s Almanac. 

Marshall, R. (2022) A Greenhouse for Everyone. Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 

Schnelle, M., Dobbs, S., Needham, D., and Dole J. (2017) The Hobby Greenhouse. Oklahoma State University Extension Fact Sheet HLA-6705. 

Smith, S. (2000) Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion: Growing Food & Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace. Fulcrum Publishing. Golden, CO.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kari Ranten is a retired journalist and health care communicator who became a certified Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener in 2024.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a master gardener may be directed to Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the Skagit County WSU Extension website.

Washington State University Extension helps people develop leadership skills and use research-based knowledge to improve economic status and quality of life. Cooperating agencies: Washington State University, US Department of Agriculture, and Skagit County. Extension programs and policies are available to all without discrimination. To request disability accommodations contact us at least ten days in advance.

Post: November 7, 2025

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Compost structures combine science, nature, and art

How to take an artistic approach to compost structures

By Kari Ranten, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

 
Kari Ranten

Showing home gardeners how to compost yard and garden waste successfully is a cornerstone of the teaching priorities embraced by the WSU Extension Master Gardener program. It’s an age-old concept of allowing naturally occurring microbes to convert leaves, grass clippings, and other garden materials into a soil amendment and home for beneficial insects, worms, and other creatures.

“Gardeners have used compost for centuries to improve their soil and help plant growth. Incorporating compost into light, sandy soil helps it hold both moisture and nutrients, while adding it to heavy soil improves drainage.” (Rosen et al. 2018).

About Master Gardener Herta Kurp

Herta Kurp has served as a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer since 1995 and, in addition to helping lead the composting program, is responsible for many of the creative installations throughout the Discovery Garden. Her projects include the archways at the main entrance and northwest corner of the garden; the plant house shade structure; a tall fence camouflaging the greenhouse and various benches, trellises, fences, and gates to individual gardens.

She also created the design for the dogwood sculpture near the main entrance, which was fabricated by the Skagit Valley College 2022-23 Weld Club. She also designed and helped construct the new worm chalet at the Skagit County WSU Extension office. Kurp grew up in Germany, where she developed a deep appreciation for agriculture and the environment. She studied architecture, came to the United States while in her 30s, and owned her own architectural firm specializing in residential design. Her latest projects have focused on building creative, attractive, and small-scale compost structures in the garden.

The process also reduces the burden on the environment. “Composting reduces the flow of wastes to landfills or burn piles and produces valuable organic matter for the soil at the same time… Composting is a simple, yet important way to improve our communities and the environment.” (Cogger et al. 2017)

Despite the proven benefits, a compost pile may not be the homeowner’s favorite thing to tend to or look at all year long. Gardeners often contain compost in an enclosure using wire or wood fencing, cement blocks, bricks, or a commercially available bin to prevent the materials from spreading or blowing away.

The good news is: There are more artistic options. The Skagit County Master Gardeners’ Discovery Garden provides examples of small-scale composting structures that take an attractive and creative approach, thanks to longtime Master Gardener Herta Kurp.

Kurp has been involved with the Discovery Garden since the mid-1990s, before trees were planted and structures built. She helped shape the plan and built environments of the garden and led the composting program. Until the past couple of years, a centralized system of bins was in use to support composting for the entire 1.5-acre garden.

More recently, Kurp and other master gardeners have started to explore the use of smaller composting stations within the 30 different garden “rooms” at the garden. So far, about 10 percent of the material generated for compost has been redirected to the individual gardens’ smaller compost stations, creating efficiency and points of interest.

Know & Grow

Creating Outdoor Holiday Arrangements

Free, no registration required
Just in time for the holiday season, Skagit County Extension Master Gardener Karen Bruce will demonstrate how to create a festive outdoor container display using a variety of readily available greenery and berries from the landscape, such as evergreen branches from fir, pine, cedar, spruce, and other greenery. If you have greenery to share with others, you may bring some along for attendees to take home for an arrangement.

Join us for this free, pre-holiday event!

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 – 1 pm – 2:30 pm

NWREC Sakuma Auditorium 16650 State Highway 536, Mount Vernon

At the Discovery Garden, Kurp has always focused on her keen interest in composting, permaculture, and caring for the environment, while also nurturing her creative side through hands-on design and building structures. The outcome is the development of a series of informal “habitat heaps” within individual gardens that carry an artistic flair, using materials readily available within the garden.

Kurp collects items pruned from the garden during routine maintenance and uses those supplies to construct interesting compost structures that blend into the garden landscape. Twigs, vines, branches, and raspberry canes are turned into small-scale compost piles, creating a natural, artistic look that blends into the landscape. This approach supports the insects, birds, and other creatures of the garden, is less expensive, and more attractive.

© Kari Ranten

“This stirred my imagination and creativity,” she said. “We can use all of the materials that would go into a burn pile or compost. The structure itself is organic and can become compost in the end.”

In the Meadow area of the Discovery Garden, a tall structure built of larger branches complements a nearby 15-foot tree snag that was intentionally left to support the environment. On a late spring day, a fledgling robin took a break on the compost structure during an early flying lesson. 

In other areas, a teepee shape is built and enhanced with wreaths made of dogwood branches that are pliable when first pruned and easily fashioned into a circle.

“It becomes a part of the personality of the garden and every season it looks different,” Kurp said of the natural structures. “In winter, the structure comes to the fore, like the skeleton of the garden. In other seasons, it blends more into the surrounding growth, providing a screen for the compost pile.”

The artistic compost piles have a serious, science-based task, but also create “whimsical, playful” shapes in the garden, she said. “We have some nice examples, and it’s a good demonstration, which is what we are all about at master gardeners. It’s an invitation to be creative in the garden in a new way.”

Visit the Discovery Garden, which is open to the public daily from dawn until dusk, to see examples of a variety of composting options:

• The creative compost structures made of branches, twigs, vines, and stumps can be found in Naturescape, the Children’s Garden, and the Meadow.
• The main, centralized compost station features a series of bins where master gardeners separate branches and green material, which is chopped into smaller pieces to expedite organic breakdown. Interpretive signs provide information, and master gardener volunteers are often on hand on Tuesday mornings from March through October to explain the process.
• A few small, classic wire enclosures are tucked into individual gardens, including one along the path in the Fall/Winter garden with explanatory signage that showcases the different colors of the layers of compost as it breaks down, with the dark mulch at the bottom and the latest additions on top.

Resources:

Resources readily available about how to get started with home composting; the benefits, different methods (including hot and cold), and storage structures include:

• Skagit County Public Works Solid Waste Division’s Home Composting
• University of Maryland: How to Make Compost at Home: 
• University of Minnesota Extension’s Composting in Home Gardens.
• Washington State University Extension’s Home Garden Series: Backyard Composting

References:

Cogger, C., Sullivan, D., and Bary, A. (2017) Backyard Composting. Washington State University Extension. Publication #EB1784E.

Rosen, C., Brown, D., Mugaas, R. and Halback, T. (2018) Composting in Home Gardens. University of Minnesota Extension.

Shell, L. (2020) How to Make Compost at Home. Based on HG 35 Backyard Composting. University of Maryland Extension

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kari Ranten is a retired journalist and health care communicator who became a certified Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener in 2024.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a master gardener may be directed to Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the Skagit County WSU Extension website.

Washington State University Extension helps people develop leadership skills and use research-based knowledge to improve economic status and quality of life. Cooperating agencies: Washington State University, US Department of Agriculture, and Skagit County. Extension programs and policies are available to all without discrimination. To request disability accommodations contact us at least ten days in advance.

Post: October 17, 2025

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Conifers in the Homescape

Selecting and caring for conifers will provide year-round beauty and function

By Alison Hitchcock, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Alison Hitchcock

Conifers make a valuable addition to any garden, providing a variety of landscape uses: hedging, windbreaks, ground covers, or specimen focal points. They provide year-round color, texture, and a range of appealing attributes. Once established, conifers require very little care, rarely need fertilizer, resist most insects and diseases, and pruning becomes an optional task.

The term conifer is derived from the Latin words “con” and “ferre, referring to the cone, and the term “to bear”. Broadleaved trees such as holly, laurel, or eucalyptus reproduce with flowers and fruits; conifers reproduce through cones. Both pollen (male) and seed (female) cones are formed; all are wind-fertilized. Most conifers are monecious (Greek, one house) with male and female cones occurring on the same tree, but several genera are diecious (two houses). The age at which a conifer bears cones varies, but it usually takes at least 10 years before cones appear. Maturation can vary from 1 to 3 years. Some dwarf varieties never develop cones.

Know & Grow Series:

Conifers in the Home Landscape

Free, no registration required
Listen to Master Gardener Alison Hitchcock speak on caring for conifers in the home garden. Alison Hitchcock has been a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener since 2001. Prior to retirement, she worked for the Department of Natural Resources as the Northwest Regional Silviculturist.

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 – 1 pm – 2:30 pm

NWREC Sakuma Auditorium, 16650 State Highway 536, Mount Vernon

While the majority of conifers are considered evergreen (foliage retained more than one growing season), there is a small group of conifers: larch, bald cypress, and dawn redwood that lose their needles every year, i.e., deciduous. Despite the term, conifers do not keep all their leaves indefinitely. Needles become less efficient as they age, accumulate surface debris, and receive lower levels of sunlight due to interior foliage. These unproductive leaves are shed over time, though the needle life span will vary by species. Pines rapidly shed needles every 3-4 years; spruce and fir needles turn yellow and drop gradually; yews turn yellow and drop in the late spring or early summer of their third year. Sequoias, redwoods, and arborvitae shed small branchlets. We witness the flagging of western red cedar each autumn as older foliage dies.

Tree and Site Selection
When selecting a conifer, there are several things to consider: function, size and space needs, sunlight, and soil needs. Numerous cultivars of all shapes and sizes are available from local nurseries and garden centers to meet the needs of your garden design.

A cultivar represents a deviation from normal characteristics common to a species. Though some cultivars are the result of human hybridization, most cultivars arise from mutations that give rise to dwarf and giant forms, variegated foliage, weeping, and prostate habits. If the unique traits are maintained over multiple generations, plant biologists can give a cultivar a new name and propagate it through grafts and cuttings.

When selecting a conifer, one must anticipate the tree’s mature size and space needs. The American Conifer Society has established four size categories for conifers: Miniature, Dwarf, Intermediate, and Large, to aid in landscape design. Once established, growth may vary slightly due to local environmental conditions, but registered cultivars should maintain their described size. It is essential to note that any conifer will continue to increase in size at the stated rate beyond 10 years. If your tree becomes too large, corrective measures are limited to perpetual pruning, relocation, or removal. In most cases, severe pruning will destroy the conifer’s natural charm, although some plants may recover over time. Often, removing and replacing a large tree is easier, although removal can be costly.

Shade and soil conditions can be particularly important when selecting the right conifer. Shade-tolerant species are able to thrive and reproduce under low light levels, while intolerant species require full sunlight and little or no competition. Most conifers prefer full sun and evenly moist, well-drained, neutral to acid soil. The few species that tolerate wet soils include Atlantic white cedar, dawn redwood, and some spruces. Drought-tolerant species include juniper, cypress, and pine.

Pruning and Shearing
The pruning needs of conifers are minimal if plants are chosen to fit their allotted space. Always prune a conifer for a particular purpose: removal of diseased or dead wood, control of size, and control of shape. Though the techniques sound similar, there are essential differences between pruning and shearing. Pruning refers to the selective removal of branches for the health and proper size of a plant. Shearing removes foliage to create a uniform surface or shape without regard to branch structure. Pruning cuts encourage growth throughout the plant, while shearing is generally limited to the current year’s growth.

Pruning of Douglas fir leader. Developing Quality Christmas Trees in the Pacific Northwest © Oregon State University Extension | Chad Landgren

Pruning Whorl-branched Conifers
(Douglas fir, spruce, true fir, true cedar, pine)

Whorl-branched trees will not form new buds on old wood, so do not cut back to the brown, aged stems. To control height or branch length, always cut back to a side branch or dormant bud. Pruning the outermost branch tips back to a bud will also encourage fullness. For a formal shape, shear in summer after new growth has expanded but before new buds form in the fall. To replace a lost leader, support the uppermost lateral branch to a vertical position with a splint and remove after one growing season.

Unlike other whorl-branched conifers, a pine’s current year’s shoots (candles) should be pruned in late spring. To slow growth or produce a more compact shape, pinch one-third to one-half of each candle; to maintain size, remove most of each candle. Shearing is not recommended for pines.

Pruning Random-Branched Conifers
(Juniper, Arborvitae, Chamaecyparis, yew, hemlock)

Pruning to maintain shape is best done in early spring so that new growth covers the cut ends. Snip branch tips back lightly. Hand pruning rather than shearing creates a more natural shape, but plants can be sheared in early summer once the tree stops growing.

Sheered topiary Photo David McElwee | Pexels.com

Yew and hemlock are exceptions to most conifers in that new growth will develop on old wood, and they are forgiving of poor pruning and very suitable for hedging. To maintain size, prune in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Avoid trimming the tops of hedges until the desired height has been reached. If shaping for fullness or a formal hedge, lightly trim back the outermost new growth using hand pruners or hedge shears. Shearing of new growth can continue into early summer.

Incorporating conifers into your garden design not only enhances visual interest but also promotes a resilient landscape with minimal upkeep. By carefully considering their size, light, and soil requirements these remarkable plants can thrive in your garden. Whether used as hedges, focal points, or ground covers, conifers will provide lasting beauty and functionality to your outdoor space. 

When to prune or shear is mainly dependent on conifer branching patterns, either whorl-branched or random-branched. Whorl-branched (determinate) conifers put on one flush of growth each spring. Buds at the tips of the tree flush in the spring, elongate until sometime in July, and then set new buds in the fall for the following spring. Random-branched (indeterminate) conifers produce new growth from buds at the tips of the branches and from dormant buds further back on the stem than the whorled-branched species. The result is that random-branched conifers can be cut back more severely and still produce new growth.

General guidelines for pruning:

• Remove dead, diseased, or broken branches anytime.
• Prune all conifers, except pine, before new growth starts in the spring or during the semi-dormant period in mid-summer after growth has stopped.
• If shearing, begin in late spring or early summer after new growth begins.
• Do not prune evergreens in late summer or early fall; new growth will not harden off and will be subject to winter injury.
• Do not prune into the inactive center because new branches will not form to conceal the stubs.
• For prostrate or open-grown trees, selectively prune individual branches rather than shearing the whole plant.

Resources and References:

American Conifer Society, accessed April 25, 2025, 

Welch, H., (1966) Dwarf Conifers – A Complete Guide. Charles T. Branford Company, Newton, Massachusetts

Landgren, C. (2025) Developing Quality Christmas Trees in the Pacific Northwest, Oregon State University Extension. 

Bird, R. (1994) Ornamental Conifers. Quintet Publishing Limited, London, UK.

Hartman, J., Pirone, T., and Sall, M. (2000) Pirone’s Tree Maintenance. 2000. Oxford University Press, New York, NY.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Alison Hitchcock has been a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener since 2001. Prior to retirement, Alison worked for the Department of Natural Resources as the Northwest Regional Silviculturist.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a master gardener may be directed to Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the Skagit County WSU Extension website.

Washington State University Extension helps people develop leadership skills and use research-based knowledge to improve economic status and quality of life. Cooperating agencies: Washington State University, US Department of Agriculture, and Skagit County. Extension programs and policies are available to all without discrimination. To request disability accommodations contact us at least ten days in advance.

Post: October 3, 2025

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Getting Your Garden Ready for Winter and Beyond

A fall checklist to prepare for next season’s success

 
Diana Wisen

By Diana Wisen, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

It’s been a lovely summer for gardening and your landscape may still be going strong, but the soggy, overcast days will soon be here. One late October morning you will wake up and your glorious dahlias are a black slimy mess, signaling our first frost occurred overnight. In our area, the first frost usually occurs around Halloween. With this, our dry summer and fall weather will come to a close, opening the door to November, often the rainiest month of the year here.

With the first frost most likely less than a month away, there is much you can and should do in your garden this time of year.

1. Assess Your Entire Landscape and Make Notes

Take a cup of coffee or tea and your camera and walk around your yard. (This is not the time for wine.) Ask yourself what is doing well? What do I like? What is not doing well? What don’t I like? What’s okay but could be better? What am I tired of? Is there anything I want more of such as color, shade, flowers, or that I want less of? What needs significant maintenance, pruning or removing? Think about rejuvenation, renovation, or no changes. Just seasonal maintenance? Don’t put them off. Now is the time to start dealing with your ideas.

2. Fall is a Good Time to Plant

Plant more flowering spring bulbs. Next spring you will be so glad you did. And most will naturalize and multiply over the years. If you have a deer or squirrel problem you will want to take precautions to protect some kinds of bulbs. This is the best time of year to plant perennials, shrubs, and trees. The ground is still warm enough for the roots to begin to grow. It may take at least a year or two for the roots of shrubs and trees to become fully established, which means they are able to take up enough water and nutrients to sustain the shrub or tree. When planting, dig a wide shallow hole. Set the plant in at the same level as the soil around the trunk (or a little higher). Refill the hole with the same soil you dug out. Water well to settle it in. Water regularly for the next year or two. Mulch with arborist chips about three-inches deep but not touching the stem or trunk.

3. Weed. Weed. Weed!

Pacific Northwest weeds are super survivors. That’s one reason they are weeds. Many tend to grow year around and set thousands of seeds that can last for years. The cool season weeds such as shot weed (aka hairy bittercress) are beginning to germinate and the summer weeds are still going strong. Dig out weeds while they are small, before they flower, and especially before they set seed. This is particularly true for the vegetable and annual flower beds. If not tended, weeds can overpower next year’s crops before they can get established.

4. Mulch

There are several reasons to mulch. It helps keep soil moisture stable, and prevent erosion and soil compaction. It thwarts weed seeds already in the soil from germinating. Using a plant-based mulch such as arborist chips or compost slowly adds organic matter and nutrients to the soil and can make the landscape look attractive. Wait until there have been some thorough rains before putting down the chips. Save your homemade compost to put around your perennials and roses to slowly feed them over the winter. Some bagged or commercial compost may have very little nutrient content (read the labels!) and is best used as soil cover or conditioner.

5. Help Your Soil

A wide variety of soil types and conditions can be found throughout Skagit County. Before amending your soil, have your soil tested. Without knowing what your soil needs, additives could be wasteful, harmful, and expensive, as well as just not needed. Local native soil tends to be on the acidic side with sufficient levels of phosphorus. Too much phosphorus actually causes problems. Adding organic matter such as homemade compost is a good way to enrich the soil. You do not need to add a lot-2-5% compost by volume is sufficient. Rain will leach out the nitrogen, so wait until spring to put it on your vegetable area.

Place interesting wire towers throughout your garden to make easy disposal of leaves for composting over winter. © Skagit County Master Gardeners

6. “Leave the Leaves”

As you cut back plants at the end of the season, leave the stems and leaves in place on the ground. By doing so, you are providing food for soil microorganisms, which is the beginning of the food web. They in turn provide food for insects that become food for birds and other small creatures.

As you clean up the garden, you may find diseased plant materials. Do not leave this in the garden or put it in your compost bin or pile. Put diseased plant stems and leaves in your garbage or commercial yard waste bin. Disease spores and microorganisms will overwinter in the soil or in a home compost pile. Pick up dropped and rotting fruit from under trees and handle the same way.

If you have an abundance of leaves in the yard, you can pack the slightly damp deciduous leaves into large black plastic bags and let them sit for a year or two. They make leaf mold, often called “black gold” by gardeners because of its excellent compost quality. For more info on improving your soil’s health see > Master Gardener Soil Health Tips

Know & Grow: Conifers in the Home Landscape

Free, no registration required
Listen to Master Gardener Alison Hitchcock speak on caring for conifers in the home garden. Alison Hitchcock has been a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener since 2001. Prior to retirement, she worked for the Department of Natural Resources as the Northwest Regional Silviculturist.

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 – 1 pm – 2:30 pm

NWREC Sakuma Auditorium
16650 State Highway 536, Mount Vernon

7. Pruning
Generally fall is not a good time to prune except for the 4 D’s–Prune out the dead, the diseased, the damaged, and the dys-functional (or deranged?) anytime of the year. However, pruning healthy plant material in the fall tends to encourage new growth, which you do not want during the colder months ahead. Tender new growth is much more susceptible to cold and wind damage. Pruning now might also cut off the flower buds of next spring’s flowering shrubs. If in doubt about when to prune flowering shrubs, a good rule is to prune right after a plant has bloomed, and not yet set next year’s flower buds. Roses are best pruned in late March, though you can cut back a bit the tall floppy canes of grandifloras now.
8. Lawn Care
Fall is also the best time to fertilize a lawn. Always read and follow the directions on the bag. Don’t use a Weed ‘n Feed until absolutely needed. A few weeds in a lawn are fine and can be dug out with a kitchen or Hori Hori garden knife if they bother you. Some people even plant crocus in their lawn for spring blooming.
9. Winter is Knocking
Water. Before you unhook your hoses make sure those big shrubs under eaves or large trees are well-watered. Rain may not reach their roots. Shallow rooted big rhododendrons can get quite thirsty in the fall.

Bring in tender plants and containers. Plants in containers could freeze and die because their roots are above ground.

Dig and store summer blooming bulbs, or take your chances on their survival.

Wrap arborvitae hedges with plastic deer fencing if you expect to get heavy snow. If you think a shrub or tree may have died during the winter, wait until June to dig it out. It may come back, just slower. Scrape and test for green tissue to see if it is still alive lower down.

10. Take Care of Your Tools and Equipment
Good, high-quality tools make gardening easier and more productive. We often have more than one pair of shears or shovel, using different sizes for different tasks and users. Take the time to clean and sharpen them. A freshly sharpened shovel or hoe is so much easier to use. Sharp pruning shears and loppers make it fun to prune. Do not use bleach as it corrodes the metal. Read our blog post on Tool Care and Maintenance
11. Refresh a Container for Seasonal Interest.
Stick some branch greens in a bucket or vase and put in a container. Add some seasonal plant material such as berries, pansies, leaves, colorful branches, pumpkins, or whatever you have in your yard. Do one for your front door and your back door. You deserve to look at nature’s beauty every day.

Have more fall plant or gardening questions? WSU Skagit County Master Gardeners are here for you. Plant clinics in Burlington and Anacortes are staffed through October. Check the Master Gardener Plant Clinic Hours. Throughout the year you can submit a plant problem or question. Or leave a phone message at 360-395-2368, or send an email to askamastergardener@skagitmg.org

RESOURCES AND REFERENCES :

Pacific Northwest Gardener’s Handbook: Growing for the Future. Washington State University Extension, Pullman, Washington. (Rev. 2025)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Diana Wisen has been a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener since 1991 and is the coordinator of the Hardy Fuchsia Garden at the Discovery Garden on SR 536 in Mount Vernon. Diana is a member of the master gardener training team each year, teaching on a variety of topics including tool maintenance, managing slugs and snails, and weed identification.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a master gardener may be directed to Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website.

Washington State University Extension helps people develop leadership skills and use research-based knowledge to improve economic status and quality of life. Cooperating agencies: Washington State University, US Department of Agriculture, and Skagit County. Extension programs and policies are available to all without discrimination. To request disability accommodations contact us at least ten days in advance.

Post: September 19, 2025

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The Joys of a Cut Flower Garden

How to plan, grow, and protect a wide variety of beautiful blooms

Editor’s Note: Author Karen Bruce is passionate about growing a cut flower garden. Over the past ten years, she has honed her skills and enlarged her Camano Island garden to be able to cut 100 – 150 blooms each week for events and giving to others. Like so many cut flower gardeners, she is grateful for the beauty of the flowers blooming and the joy she finds in sharing the results of her passion with others.

By Karen Bruce, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

 
Karen Bruce

A cut flower garden brings not only colorful flowers throughout the growing season, but also bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other beneficial visitors that come to enjoy the blooms. Gardening in general can teach us lessons if we pay attention. A cut flower garden’s lessons are vibrant in color and design. Planning a cutting garden begins in the fall with an assessment of this year’s garden and gathering seeds for next season.

The cut flower garden can consist of both annuals and perennials. Annuals grow and bloom for one year (occasionally they can overwinter but typically do not). Annuals can be planted from seed (most economical) or with starts or plugs from your local nursery, online sources, or the Master Gardener Plant Fair! Examples of annuals are sunflowers, zinnias, lisianthus, snapdragons, statice, Queen Anne’s lace, stock, and amaranthus.

‘Chantilly Bronze’ and ‘Madame Butterfly Bronze’ snapdragons © Photo: Karen Bruce

‘Love-lies-bleeding’ Amaranth and ‘Green Tails’ Amaranth © Photo: Karen Bruce

Perennials come back year after year; their initial investment is higher, but they will produce flowers that can be cut for many years. Examples of perennials that grow each year are alstroemerias, hydrangeas, hypericum berries, peonies, weigela, and astilbe.

Bulbs, tubers, and corms, if properly cared for, will come back each year. Examples of these are daffodils, tulips, anemones, ranunculus, lilies, gladiolas, and dahlias.

‘Bracken Sarah’ dahlia © Photo: Karen Bruce

Floral arrangement with lilies, dahlias, peach hypericum berries, apricot alstroemeria, ‘Spring Bouquet’ viburnum greenery © Photo: Karen Bruce
So you want to start a cutting garden of your own.
Things to consider when deciding what and how much to purchase:

• Why are you growing cut flowers? Is it for personal enjoyment? Are you creating bouquets and arrangements for special events such as weddings or memorial services? Are you growing to sell your flower bouquets at a farmer’s market or other venue?
• Are you are growing flowers for a special event next year? What colors, varieties and how many stems do you need? Consider the event date and which flowers will be in bloom at that time.
• What is your budget? Seeds can be purchased for as low as $4 to $6 per packet. Established plants will cost more but may be more predictable.
• How much space do you have? Will you incorporate the plantings into an existing garden? Are you going to create raised beds to grow your plants? Do you have a fenced area to protect your plants from deer or other critters?
• Do you have a greenhouse or area to start seeds, or do you need to purchase seeds that can be directly sown into your garden space?
• How much time and energy will you have to devote to your cutting garden?
  • Do you have the several months of time it takes to tend the growing seedlings?
  • Will you be around to take care of your plants, or do you have extensive travel plans?
  • Do you have adequate watering available?

Answers to these questions and your goals for your flower garden will help you plan for the season ahead.

Bells of Ireland © Photo: Karen Bruce

Peach Hypericum berry bush © Photo: Karen Bruce

Hops plant growing in garden. © Photo: Karen Bruce

There are many books available that can provide you with information about flowers you can grow to create beautiful cut bouquets. It is a good idea to look for an author who lives in your general growing area who will have an idea of what grows well in your gardening zone. A local favorite is Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Harvest, and Arrange Stunning Seasonal Blooms by Erin Benzakein, a well-known flower farmer and writer. Benzakein’s flower farm is located right here in Skagit Valley, and her New York Times best-selling book provides information on all types of flowers, along with photos of each flower. She also covers topics such as soil, tools, and techniques for seed starting and caring for your flowers once they have been harvested.

This Month in Your Garden

– September –

• Prune bamboo culms to thin your bamboo. Prune older (without sheaths), leaning, or damaged culms and cut them close to the ground. Prune any culms encroaching into an undesired area, and don’t forget root pruning to contain your grove.
• Stop dead-heading your roses and allow them to begin developing rose hips. The shortening hours of sunlight, along with allowing the rose hips to develop, lets the rose bush know it has done its job of making seed and can now prepare for dormancy. Remove wilted petals and any leaves with black spot, rust or mildew to keep any developing fungus away from plant.
• Deadhead perennials that self-seed, such as calla lilies, Shasta daisy, and crocosmia to prevent propagation.

Planning for next year’s cutting garden begins in the fall with the process of journaling and collecting pictures of what was successful, then making lists and ordering seeds, bulbs, tubers, corms, and plant starts and plugs.

In looking back at May/June, some favorite flowers were:

• Sweet peas
• Peonies – all colors
• Lilies
• Ranunculus – ‘Champagne’ and ‘Chamallow’

In assessing the July/August flower gardens, some current standouts this year are:

• Dahlias – Peach/coral and blush colors such as ‘Café au Lait’, ‘Sweet Nathalie’, ‘Castle Drive’, ‘Clearview Peachy’, ‘Nicholas’, ‘Ferncliff Copper’, and ‘Breakout’ are beautiful for event bouquets
• Snapdragons – This year, favorites are the ‘Madame Butterfly’ bronze/white and the ‘Chantilly’ pink snapdragons.
• Bells of Ireland
• Zinnias – The ‘Queeny’ series and ‘Benary’s Giant Mix’ provide big blooms in a variety of beautiful colors.
• Lisianthus – Because lisianthus can be challenging to start from seed, ordering plugs helps make growing them less anxiety producing. Farmer Bailey  is an online brokerage for starter plants and plugs for cut flower varieties suited to the United States. Here, lisianthus begin blooming in late August. If you want to try your hand at growing lisianthus from seed, check out our blog post Growing Lisianthus. 
• Alstroemerias
• Veronica
• Hypericum Berries – The peach hypericum (Hypericum inodorum ‘Kolmades’) or Magical® Desire St. John’s wort works well with other flowers from a cutting garden.

And don’t forget to have an ample supply of greenery to add to the look, color, and texture of an arrangement. These can include:

• Eucalyptus
• Viburnum ‘Spring Bouquet’
• Salal

October/November blooms will include chrysanthemums that are starting to form buds now. One of the first to bloom is a golden decorative chrysanthemum called ‘Honeyglow’.

Light pink lisianthus (or prairie gentian) © Photo: Karen Bruce

Floral arrangement with pink dogwood and mock orange © Photo: Karen Bruce
Every gardener benefits from reviewing and documenting successes and challenges.
To have continual blooms from June to October requires planning. Flower gardeners, such as myself, who grow flowers for events and sharing require 100 – 150 blooms per week. How is this possible you ask? Many flowers are cut-and-come-again. This means that you can cut from the plant, and new growth will provide additional flowers. For cut-and-come-again flowers to be successful, you must continually cut blooms from the plant and/or deadhead the ones that you do not use. Examples of cut-and-come-again flowers are dahlias, zinnias, cosmos, scabiosa, sweet peas, strawflower and statice.

Most cut flowers need to be planted in a sunny location with six to eight hours of sun per day. They also need to be watered on a consistent basis. A drip watering system saves time and avoids the need for much hand-watering. The consistency and deeper watering that comes from a drip system is helpful. Cut flowers also need regular fertilizing. Some years, annuals like snapdragons can survive our temperate winters. This past winter, many snapdragons survived, so that was an added success, providing many beautiful blooms earlier than usual in early May. As the snapdragons that overwintered finished blooming, the snapdragon seedlings started in the greenhouse provided new blooms later in the season.

Staking and plant supports are critical to protect flower stems from unexpected wind and rain storms.

Save the seeds of the flowers you like, this will increase your seed stock for next year at no additional cost. Some of the easiest seeds to save are sweet peas. After sweet peas are finished blooming, they form a pod that looks like a pea pod. When this pod turns brown and the outside feels like sandpaper, pick the pods and store them in a paper bag. If you open the pod, there will be several dark brown seeds per pod. Save these seeds to plant early next year. Other easy seeds to save are scabiosa, Bells of Ireland, Queen Anne’s lace, and zinnias. Be aware, some flowers, like zinnias are cross-pollinated and the seeds may result in a mix of colors and traits in the new plants. Learn more about seed saving at: Seed Saving 101

The greatest challenges to a cut flower garden tend to be deer, bunnies and slugs

If your property is situated next to the woods, you may have many resident deer. Gardeners protect their beloved flowers in various ways. The surest preventive measure is to build a fence around the areas devoted to flowers (and edibles.) For this gardener, a seven-foot-high fence was a good first start. Some gardeners even erect two parallel fences to thwart the most athletic deer. After discovering that the local deer do not seem to eat my dahlias, my dahlia beds are outside of the fence. Often, not all plants can be planted inside a fence, and scent-based repellents like Liquid Fence may also be helpful. Learn what deer like to eat and spray repellent around those plants about once a week (and after a rain) during the growing season. For more information see Washington State University fact sheet > Deer Damage

Know & Grow: Conifers in the Home Landscape

Free, no registration required
Listen to Master Gardener Alison Hitchcock speak on caring for conifers in the home garden. Alison Hitchcock has been a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener since 2001. Prior to retirement, she worked for the Department of Natural Resources as the Northwest Regional Silviculturist.
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
1 pm – 2:30 pm
Sakuma Auditorium – NWREC WSU
16650 WA-536, Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Rabbits can also be a problem and some years can be worse than others. Fencing can work, but only if the fencing material is buried 6-12 inches deep and stands at least 2 to 3 feet high. Chicken wire cages around plants are helpful but also must be buried like fencing. Applying a pet- and child-safe rabbit repellent, such as Liquid Fence, is helpful, though it may take several weeks of attention. It also helps to have a dog or cat roaming the property to chase them away. WSU’s Hortsense website offers more tips and methods for protecting plants from rabbits> Rabbits

Healthy slug and snail populations are ever-present in western Washington gardens. Sluggo and Sluggo Plus are organic iron phosphate products that can be your best friend. Neither is harmful to animals or children and have been the effective way to deal with slugs and snails when applied according to their label directions. Some gardeners manage slugs and snails with early morning or late evening garden checks, manually picking and disposing of them. For more information check out:

• Skagit Master Gardener Blog article: Midnight Marauders≥ Midnight Mauradors: Managing Slugs and Snails

As summer is winding down and fall approaches, I am thankful for the flower season and the joy it has provided, as the giver and to those receiving flowers this season. Start small if you have never grown flowers before. See what you like and keep track of what grows well in your space and microclimate. Flowers provide joy to many and you will not be disappointed!

RESOURCES AND REFERENCES :

Benzakein, E. (2017) Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Harvest, and Arrange Stunning Seasonal Blooms. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA.

Managing Slugs and Snails. Oregon State University Extension Service. 10-Minute University™. (2025). Oregon Master Gardener™ Association – Clackamas County Chapter in Cooperation with Oregon State University Extension Service University. 

Vertebrate: Deer Damage. Washington State University (WSU) College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS). (2025). WSU Extension Hortsense Fact Sheet. 

Vertebrate: Rabbits. WSU. CAHNRS. (2025). WSU Extension Hortsense Fact Sheet.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Karen Bruce has been a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener since 2019. She is co-manager of the Cottage Garden at the Discovery Garden on SR 536, west of Mount Vernon.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a master gardener may be directed to Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: www.skagit.wsu.edu/mg

Washington State University Extension helps people develop leadership skills and use research-based knowledge to improve economic status and quality of life. Cooperating agencies: Washington State University, US Department of Agriculture, and Skagit County. Extension programs and policies are available to all without discrimination. To request disability accommodations contact us at least ten days in advance.

Hooray for Hydrangeas

Gardeners are quick to show you their favorite hydrangeas, but many question how and when to prune them

By Diana Wisen and Janine Wentworth, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners

Authors Diana Wisen and Janine Wentworth

Hydrangeas, with their stunning blooms, have been captivating flower enthusiasts for centuries. The ability of some varieties to change color based on soil pH adds an element of magic. They can be big and bold or lacey and layered. All varieties grow well in sunny locations, perhaps with some afternoon shade-all varieties like acidic, moist, humus-rich soil that drains well. While hydrangeas can tolerate neglect, they do better if watered in the high heat of summer. Additionally, a layer of arborist chip mulch spread well beyond the outer drip line of the branches will help retain moisture.

How to Prune Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas do well in the Pacific Northwest, thriving in our climate and native soil. They do not need to be pruned to do well, but many homeowners like a more tidy look, which requires pruning. Others prune to keep their hydrangea varieties smaller than their normal growth habit. Sometimes, severe winter cold causes damage to the current season’s buds, and you may want to remove the damage. For most varieties, the best time to do all of this is in the spring before they leaf out.

The first step to pruning any hydrangea is to know what kind it is. Different kinds are pruned differently, and if you don’t know what kind you are pruning, you may be cutting off all the potential flowers by pruning at the wrong time. Save the plant tag and learn to recognize the variety you have. That is the key to a successful start.

Hydrangeas start blooming in mid-summer and bloom for a long time. There is no need to prune in winter. In fact, leaving on the dead flower heads can protect emerging buds from freezing. Hydrangeas are deciduous, but their leaves hang on well into fall. Leave them where they fall on the soil.

Learning to recognize dead wood can be tricky with hydrangeas. Older stems often look dead, but they are not. Dead stems are usually three or more years old. On some specimens, the dead stems may even be ten years old. To identify dead wood, look for stems with no buds or leaves. These can be cut back to the base of the plant. If you are unsure, start cutting from the tip of the branch and look for a greenish interior on the stem, or scrape the bark with your fingernail. If it’s brown, crisp, and very dry, it’s dead. You can cut the dead wood on any hydrangea back to the ground. You can also prune out wayward-looking stems or those that are too crowded.

The most common kind of hydrangea is H. macrophylla or bigleaf hydrangea, of which there are two types: mophead and lacecap. © Crowell Photography

A lacecap hydrangea has flatter inflorescences or flower clusters with small sterile flowers around the edges and tiny fertile flowers in the center, giving it a delicate lacy appearance© Pexels.com | Dayong Tein

Now for the Differences
The most common kind of hydrangea is H. macrophylla, or bigleaf hydrangea, of which there are two types: mophead and lacecap. All bigleaf hydrangeas bloom on wood formed the previous year and on buds set last summer. When all danger of a hard frost is past in late spring, remove the dead flower heads by cutting back to a pair of healthy fat buds, which will be your flowers. Slender buds are the leaves. Even if you choose not to remove or prune the dead flower heads from last season, H. macrophylla will still bloom just fine.

The standard bigleaf hydrangea wants to be big and tall genetically. It is difficult to reduce the size of a mature hydrangea. If pruned hard, it will grow back to its original height but have weak stems and no flowers that year. It is better to cut select older stems to the ground to reduce the size of the plant. Doing this will shorten your plant and will necessarily sacrifice flowers. Some newer cultivars have been bred to stay small. These may be a better choice for your landscape than constantly pruning to reduce the size of a large hydrangea.

A popular mophead type is ‘Nikko Blue’. The flowers are big, rounded heads consisting of all sterile flowers. If the blossoms begin to turn pink and you prefer blue, make the soil more acidic by adding aluminum sulfate to the soil in the early spring. It may take more than one year and additional servings of aluminum sulfate to achieve blue blossoms. Note: Concrete sidewalks or foundations can leach lime into the soil resulting in pink hydrangea blossoms. However, some hydrangea varieties are naturally pink and will not turn blue in acid soils.

A popular lacecap hydrangea is ‘Mariesii’, with flatter inflorescences, or flower clusters, with small sterile flowers around the edges and tiny fertile flowers in the center, giving it a delicate lacy appearance. Lacecaps do not typically grow as tall as their mophead cousins.

Panicle hydrangea flowers are large, cone-shaped, up to 12 inches, blooming on sturdy stems, sometimes up to 10 feet tall. Panicle hydrangeas are best pruned in early spring to promote new flowering wood. © Ginny Bode, Photographer

Smooth hydrangeas (H. arborescens) like this cultivar ‘Annabelle’ have large snowball-like clusters and bloom on new growth of the current season so it can be pruned to the ground in early spring, leaving 2-4 inches. © Crowell Photography

Another popular hydrangea is H. paniculata. ‘Limelight’ and Grandiflora ‘PeeGee’ are popular panicle cultivars with many more on the market. Panicle hydrangea flowers are large, cone-shaped, up to 12 inches in length, and bloom on sturdy stems, sometimes to 10 feet tall. Flower color varies from creamy white to pale green, transitioning to pink hues as they mature later in the summer.

Panicle hydrangeas bloom on new wood, meaning the flower buds form on stems growing this season. Thus, you should prune all the previous season’s stems to two or three pairs of buds in the spring, which will bloom in the coming summer, giving you a low structure. You can also do selective pruning and cut some older stems way back while leaving some a little longer. If you don’t prune it all, the flowers will be so high up that you will not be able to enjoy them after a few years. Panicle hydrangeas are best pruned in early spring to promote new flowering wood.

Another kind of hydrangea is H. arborescens, or smooth hydrangea. An old and still popular cultivar is ‘Annabelle’. It has large snowball-like clusters of white flowers, which are white regardless of soil acidity. The flowers may fade to a soft pink near the end of the season.

Smooth hydrangeas flower on new growth of the current season, so stems can be pruned to 2-4 inches from the ground in early spring. Most have a rounded growth habit to 5 feet in height and width. There are newer cultivars on the market that are bred to stay smaller.

A hydrangea gaining popularity in the Pacific Northwest is H. quercifolia, commonly known as oakleaf hydrangea. Though native to the Southeastern United States, oakleaf hydrangeas do exceptionally well in the PNW and are known for spectacular fall color. The flowers and the leaves turn rich shades of red, orange, and purple in the fall and can last several months for additional seasonal interest. Its leaves look like large oak leaves and stay on the plant well into fall.

Oakleaf hydrangeas are one of the easiest hydrangeas to care for. They do not need to be pruned except to keep them out of a walkway. Plant them where they can have plenty of space to look their magnificent best, because over-pruning makes for weak, floppy stems. Plant them in full sun for good color.

H. anomala petiolaris, commonly called climbing hydrangea or hydrangea vine, needs support such as a tree trunk or fence to cling to; otherwise, it will spread among neighboring plants and be challenging to care for. Be patient; climbing hydrangeas are slow to begin blooming, sometimes waiting 3 to 5 years to begin flowering. They need very little pruning, and once established, climbing hydrangeas bloom on new shoots. You can deadhead the spent flowers if you wish. However, this variety can grow to 50 feet tall or more, so plan accordingly. And be forewarned-deer love to eat this kind of hydrangea

There are other kinds of hydrangeas: H. serrata and H. aspera, commonly known as mountain hydrangeas, are native to Japan and Korea. These are not widely planted in the Pacific Northwest. Mountain hydrangeas bloom on the previous year’s wood.

New cultivars are constantly being developed. A little over 20 years ago, a remontant (reblooming in same season) hydrangea was discovered in Minnesota. Years of intensive breeding trials resulted in a new, reblooming bigleaf hydrangea cultivar branded Endless Summer^®. The world of hydrangeas changed dramatically with this cold hardy hydrangea that would reliably bloom on both old wood and new wood the same summer, offering an extended season of fresh blooms. Since then many cultivars of repeat blooming hydrangeas have been released. These reblooming hydrangeas should be pruned only after the first blooming period.

Hydrangeas are a beautiful, easy-care additions to your landscape, providing cut or dried flowers and color to the landscape throughout their long bloom season. The stunning varieties require minimal pruning if planted in the correct location for size and growth habits. Always read and save the plant tag. Study your plant and learn its growth habit by observation throughout the season. Using these basic tips, your hydrangeas should bloom successfully year after year.

Listed below you will find a number of excellent resources for learning more about hydrangeas, including a book by Dr. Michael Dirr who identified the first reblooming hydrangea and worked with it to develop the cultivars branded under the name Endless Summer^®.

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RESOURCES:
Crosbie, C. (2007) Easy Pruning: Simple Steps to Success. Royal Horticultural Society and DK Publishing

Turnball, C. (2021) Guide to Pruning. (3^rd Edition) Sasquatch Books

Kourik, R. (1987) Hands on Gardener – Pruning. Workman Publishing, New York, New York.

Joyce, D. (1999) Pruning & Training. Eyewitness Garden Handbooks. DK Publishing.

Bird, R. (2006) Pruning Trees, Shrubs, and Climbers. Anness Publishing.

Reich, L. (2010) The Pruning Book. The Taunton Press.

Dirr, M. (2024) “Hydrangeas for American Gardens.” Timber Press.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Diana Wisen has been a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener since 1991 and is the coordinator of the Hardy Fuchsia Garden at the Discovery Garden.

Janine Wentworth is a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener, Class of 2018. She is the coordinator of the Front Door Garden, the most recent addition to the Discovery Garden on SR 536 west of Mount Vernon.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a master gardener may be directed to Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: www.skagit.wsu.edu/mg

Washington State University Extension helps people develop leadership skills and use research-based knowledge to improve economic status and quality of life. Cooperating agencies: Washington State University, US Department of Agriculture, and Skagit County. Extension programs and policies are available to all without discrimination. To request disability accommodations contact us at least ten days in advance.

Warmer Summers Impact Local Rhododendrons

From sun scorch to lace bug, local gardeners protect their beloved rhododendrons with these conscientious tips.

By Sonja Nelson, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Author Sonja Nelson

Rhododendrons in our gardens, along with the native state flower Rhododendron macrophyllum, the Western or Pacific rhododendron in our woodlands, are facing the vagaries of climate change here in the Pacific Northwest as well as worldwide. Gardeners in our moderate climate can no longer assume our benevolent climate will continue its unstinting support for the genus Rhododendron. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the average global temperature in 2024 was the warmest year on record at about 2.7° F or 1.55° C above preindustrial levels. Higher temperatures do not bode well for rhododendrons. They like moderation!

Rhododendrons have a long history in the Pacific Northwest. Native Americans used the flowers of rhododendrons in their dance rituals long before western plant hunter Archibald Menzies identified the R. macrophyllum. Menzies was the surgeon-botanist for Captain George Vancouver on board the British ship ‘Discovery’ in 1792. The R. macrophyllum, or Western rhododendron, was sent to King George III and introduced to the Kew Gardens in London. The discovery brought together the British and American plant people who eventually produced a creative milieus communities of rhododendron enthusiasts that made the rhododendron the “King of Shrubs” on both sides of the Atlantic.

References to the Western rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum) date back to native Americans using rhododendron flowers in their dance rituals long before the late 1700s. © Photo: Sonja Nelson

One hundred years after Menzies documented finding the Western rhododendron, the state of Washington sought a representative flower to display in the 1893 Chicago World Fair exhibit. The Washington State Fair Commission asked the state’s women to decide. A letter-writing campaign began, pitting the native rhododendron against, among others, the clover. (The vote was Western rhododendron 7,704 and clover 5,729.) It was officially designated the Washington State flower in 1959.

However, between the time the Western rhododendron was presented at the Chicago World Fair, rhododendron species from Asia, particularly the Himalayas, had been discovered by dedicated British plant hunters and sent back to Britain to adorn gardens there with their vibrant colors and to hybridize. Many Asian species and hybrids were also brought to America, where nurseries introduced them to the Pacific Northwest. Gardeners welcomed them with enthusiasm and love. And the rhodies loved them back with their stunning performance!

Meanwhile, Washington state’s native Western rhododendron grew in its native woodlands as the quietly attractive relative of the more flamboyant Himalayan species. In the 1970s the Western rhododendrons regained popularity as gardening with native plants became popular with the backing of  WSU Extension and the Washington Native Plant Society. In 1979, the First World Climate Conference declared climate change a global issue, and rhododendron gardeners’ concern turned to the native Western rhododendron and its environment, along with concern for their rhododendron species and hybrids from afar. The natural environment of the Pacific Northwest, so well suited for much of the genus Rhododendron, was becoming jeopardized by temperature increases and other disturbances to its blissful climate.

The complexity of a warming climate makes it difficult to predict precisely how rhododendrons will be impacted by our specific climate and what to do if it does. For instance, if temperatures increased enough to leave visible sun spots on the leaves of rhododendrons, the rhododendrons could simply be moved to a site with partial shade. However, the effect of a warming climate on plants is not always straightforward.

One solution to protect rhododendron gardens from climate change damage is to find varieties-both species and hybrids-that are tolerant of temperature increase and ensuing weather extremes.

A member of the American Rhododendron Society, C.J. Patterson of Massachusetts, has focused his interest in rhododendrons on finding drought-tolerant rhododendrons for East Coast gardens. He writes that “rhododendrons, in general, are mostly very resistant to dry conditions once they are established,” citing R. carolinianum, R. maximum, and R. catawbiense as drought tolerant. He says one of the most drought-tolerant rhododendron hybrids is the hybrid ‘PJM’ (R. minus var. Carolinian Group x R. dauricum) and other hybrids of the same cross.

The director of the German Rhododendron Society, Hartwig Schepker, supports the idea that the genus Rhododendron is diverse enough to cope with the challenges posed by extreme climate conditions, saying we find them or create new hybrids that will be up to the job.

Another rhododendron expert is Glen Jamieson, the editor of the Journal American Rhododendron Society, who often writes about the impact of climate change on rhododendrons, which, he says, has been relatively minor annually. In coming publications, he plans to summarize the weather impacts on his garden in British Columbia over the past 40 years, where there have been extreme cold, heat, precipitation, and wind events-all of which can be attributed to a changing climate.

Since it is difficult, if not impossible, to predict precisely the effects of climate change on rhododendrons in the future, conscientious basic care is the best way to help them survive hard times in the future. Washington State University lists watering, fertilizing, and mulching as basic care.

Basic Care for Rhododendrons
Washington State University Extension recommends this regimen of basic care:

Watering

• Water rhododendrons at least once a week, or when the top inch of soil feels dry.
• Avoid waterlogged soil, which can damage rhododendrons.
• Water well in the fall to prepare for winter

Fertilizing

• Use a fertilizer made for acid-loving plants.
• Fertilize in the spring when buds swell and in the fall after flowering.
• Follow the product label recommendations.

Mulching

• Use coarse organic mulch, like wood chips, to cover the root zone.
• Keep mulch at least 4 inches deep, but don’t let it touch the base of the plant.
• Mulch helps conserve water, reduce weeds, and moderate soil temperatures

Other Tips

• Plant rhododendrons in well-drained acidic soil
• Avoid dense or compacted soil
• Provide shade or semi-shade
• Prune out dead flowers
• Avoid overhead watering
• Maintain good air circulation
• Prevent injury to reduce the chance of infection
• Clean up and destroy fallen leaves

A Unique Opportunity to Observe Local Climate Change Impact
The coordinators of the various gardens within the WSU Extension Master Gardener Discovery Garden west of Mount Vernon were questioned about possible damage in their gardens due to recent summers with high temperatures. Five coordinators reported no change, and four coordinators reported slight changes. Ironically, six coordinators reported damage from unusual cold spells. The Rhododendron Garden coordinator, however, reported extensive damage to a large planting of small-leaved rhododendrons due to warming temperatures.

Rhododendrons are divided into two natural divisions: the lepidotes and the elepidotes. Small-leaved rhododendrons belong to the lepidote division based on the tiny scales on the undersides of their leaves. Elepidotes do not have scales and tend to be large-leaved.

Sun scorch on the leaves of rhododendrons has long been an occasional problem for gardeners, but the warming caused by climate change has introduced a new, insidious avenue for damage–the rhododendron lace bug (Stephanitis rhododendri). Believed to have migrated from California, lace bugs have taken advantage of the longer growing season in the Pacific Northwest and can complete their life cycle, where, in 2023, in the Rhododendron Garden, it laid eggs and, as a result, destroyed a planting of rhododendrons.

Rhododendron lace bug (Stephanitis rhododendri Horvath) © Insect Images Photographers: Seastone, L. and B. Parks

Azalea lace bug (Stephanitis pyrioides) © Photo: Jim Baker, North Carolina State University, Bugwood.org

The lace bug affected rhododendrons with small leaves, mainly in the island meadow section of the Rhododendron Garden, namely hybrids ‘Ramapo,’ ‘Ginny Gee,’ and ‘Patty Bee.’

The rhododendron lace bug has one generation per year. It overwinters as eggs laid on the underside of leaves. Nymphs are about 1/8 inch long and are spiny. Adults are about 1/8 inch long and whitish tan with lacy-looking wings. Damage is usually apparent by early to mid-July. The lace bug sucks on the undersides of leaves and causes stippling on the upper surface of the leaves and tar-like deposits of excrement on the lower surface. Repeated infestations may result in yellowed, sickly plants. Spraying the undersides of the plants to remove the lace bugs was considered impossible because the leaves grow so densely and so close to the ground; thus the affected plants were removed. New planting will take place in 2025.

The related azalea lace bug (Stephanitis pyrioides) has four to five life cycles annually. It infects rhododendrons also but has not been found in the Rhododendron Garden section of the Discovery Garden. Both types of lace bug overwinter.

Lacewing insect © Insect Images: Photographer: Johnny N. Dell

The lace bug is not to be confused with lacewing insects (Chrysoperla species) which are native to the Pacific Northwest and important natural predators providing biological control of aphids.

Treatment for Lace Bug
For non-chemical treatment, Washington State University recommends hand removal of adults and nymphs regularly to limit the amount of visible damage. This can be done with a strong spray of water.

If you choose to use a chemical treatment, two recommended pesticides that are legal in Washington are:     

• Safer Brand BioNEEM Multi-Purpose Insecticide and Repellent Concentrate [Organic] Active ingredient: azadirachtin [EPA registration number: 70051-6-42697]
• Safer Brand Garden Defense Multi-Purpose Spray Concentrate [Organic]
  Active ingredient: clarified hydrophobic extract of neem oil [EPA registration number: 70051-2-42697]

The best time to treat is May and June. For more information, download the WSU fact sheet on rhododendrons and lace bugs

The Rhododendron Garden in the Discovery Garden allows the public to view plants as they grow in our specific climate. The damage to some of the small-leaved rhododendrons is sad to see, but it gives gardeners the knowledge to make necessary changes in their gardens to keep them beautiful.

Soon, spring will once again bring forth the eye-catching, luscious blooms on the rhododendron hybrids planted in our gardens and the quietly elegant blooms of our native Western rhododendron at the edges of our woodlands.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:
Dale-Crunk, B. (2024) Personal communication.

Global Temperature Data Indicator. NASA

Skagit Climate Science. Air Temperature and Precipitation 

Washington State University. (2024) Rhododendron: Rhododendron and Lace Bug fact sheet.

Pojar, J. and MacKinnon, A. (1994) Plants of the Pacific Northwest, B.C. Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing

Nelson, S. (Compiler) (2001) The Pacific Coast Rhododendron Story American Rhododendron Society. Binford & Mort Publishing, Portland, Oregon.

University of Washington: Pruning and Caring for Rhododendrons. 

Washington Native Plant Society (2022) Coast Rhododendron: Washington’s State Flower 

World Meteorological Organization (2025) January 2025 Sees Record Global Temperatures Despite La Niña

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sonja Nelson is a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener, Class of 2009.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a master gardener may be directed to Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: www.skagit.wsu.edu/mg

Washington State University Extension helps people develop leadership skills and use research-based knowledge to improve economic status and quality of life. Cooperating agencies: Washington State University, US Department of Agriculture, and Skagit County. Extension programs and policies are available to all without discrimination. To request disability accommodations contact us at least ten days in advance.

Is Bamboo for Your Garden?

If you love bamboo, be a good neighbor and understand how to select, grow, and maintain the plant.

By Kay Torrance, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Bamboo is alternatingly loved and hated by home gardeners. Typically, gardeners are firmly planted in one camp or the other. Full disclosure: I love bamboo. With its soft green glow and exotic sculpted leaves rustling in the breeze, the impact of bamboo in a garden can be transforming. It invokes tranquility and quiet contemplation. Bamboo is unlike any other plant in the garden.

Bamboo resists drought, deer, pests, and disease.  As a landscape plant, it is self-mulching and evergreen. It grows well in poor soil. With all this going for it, why do so many cringe at the thought of growing bamboo? Bamboo has a reputation for being invasive and difficult to maintain. Is that a tired stereotype? Bamboo is not maintenance-free, few plants in the garden are. It requires at least annual maintenance and more extensive care every 3-4 years. Much less than a fruit tree but more than a cactus.

Often, bamboo is planted as a fast-growing evergreen privacy border, with the expectation that no pruning or maintenance will ever be needed once it is grown. Is that reasonable for any plant? Before planting, was the selected bamboo evaluated to see if it had a clumping or running habit? Whether it was short or timber-sized? The key to being in zen with your bamboo is understanding how to select, grow, and maintain the plant.

Phyllostachys Edulis ‘Moso’ is a common timber variety growing in Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto, Japan. Photo © Bobbi Lemme

Phyllostachys nigra ‘Black Bamboo’ showing smaller canes from the purchased nursery pot in the back and the new larger green culms produced two years later. Photo © Kay Torrance

What is Bamboo?
Bamboo is the tallest member of the grass family. Believed to originate in China, over a thousand species are growing worldwide in various climates. Some timber varieties grow over 100 feet tall with culms over a foot in diameter. In lush tropical environments, varieties can grow three feet a day. You can also find bamboo thriving in the snow-covered foothills of the Himalayas. Most bamboos originate from Asia, but several species of the genus Arundinaria are native to the Southeastern US.

Botanically, the plant is an evergreen perennial. Like all grasses, it has a woody ringed hollow stem known as a culm (commonly called canes). The joints along the culms are called nodes, and branches grow out above the nodes. The plants have an underground stem called a rhizome, and roots are clustered along the rhizome. New plants erupt from rhizomes as buds. These are called shoots once they emerge from the ground. New culms are protected by papery sheaths, which fall off when they mature and harden.

Not only is bamboo beautiful, it is functional. Strong enough for buildings, furniture, and fences, it is still used today in Asia as scaffolding to build skyscrapers. It is a renewable resource for home décor, garden stakes, brooms, livestock food, and charcoal. Tender baby culms are a dietary delicacy.

How Bamboo Grows
Bamboo produces new culms from rhizomes in the spring. They grow rapidly for 30 to 60 days, obtaining their full height. Only then will they start producing limbs and leaves. After the spring surge, bamboo does not generally grow taller or produce new culms until the following year. Individual culms can last 5-15 years before dying if not damaged. Bamboo rarely flowers, and it is typically propagated by division.

Bamboo is generally grouped by rhizome growth habits such as clumping or running. Growth habit is the single most important consideration when choosing a variety for your landscape! Clumping bamboos have U-shaped rhizomes that produce culms that are a shorter distance from the parent. Running bamboos naturally spread by sending new rhizomes many feet away from the parent plant. One hears stories of bamboo taking over yards and damaging sidewalks and foundations. To avoid such problems, carefully choose a variety suited to your selected location. Consider pots or containers instead of direct planting.

Newly divided bamboo typically takes 3-5 years to reestablish its root system and produce full-size canes. More vigorous running varieties take less time, and clumping varieties take longer. In an established grove, the new culms are roughly the same size as the existing ones. Proper sunlight, water, and soil nutrition will establish new plants quickly. Adequate watering in the first year is essential while the roots are established.

The growth habit of above-ground branches also varies between bamboos and is important when selecting bamboo for the right look in your yard. Some bamboos suppress branches on the lower nodes, creating a very upright and open appearance. Some are naturally weeping and have a more informal look. Some have a single branch emerging above a node, while others have multiple branches at each node, producing dense foliage. These branches can be pruned, but selecting a variety with the desired growth characteristics is easier than pruning each year.

Qiongzhuea tumidissinoda ‘Walking Stick’ bamboo has enlarged nodes. It is a fun variety that grows up to 12′ (less in a container). It is an aggressive running bamboo, sending rhizomes a long distance from the source, and likes to jump barriers. Best for a container. Photo © Kay Torrance

Bamboo garden and planter studio. Photo courtesy of Bamboo Garden Nursery

Varieties and Selection
The American Bamboo Society lists almost 500 kinds of bamboo grown in the US and Canada. Sizes vary from under a foot to over 100′ tall. Many bamboos have gold, blue, red, black, and variegated canes. The nodes can be straight or bulbous, like the walking stick bamboo in Bu Belly or Chinese. There are even varieties with zigzag canes. See the section below for a list of varieties suited for the PNW.

The Pacific Northwest is not an ideal growing location for bamboo. Bamboos grow slower in our cool summers with limited rain. Some bamboos that are invasive elsewhere are not a problem here. For example, Phyllostachys aurea, common ‘Golden’ or ‘Fishing pole’ bamboo, has a reputation for being invasive. However, here, bamboo grows slower than in climates where summer temperatures average 90+ degrees Fahrenheit. If you plant it in the shade, the growth will be slower. A neighbor planted Phyllostachys aurea next to a water garden over 50 years ago. Initially, it thrived, but as conifers grew up around the area, it struggled for light and recently died. Like other grasses, most bamboos can take full sun and will thrive in it. Some prefer part shade. None will grow in full shade.

Is bamboo right for you? Before adding bamboo or any plant to your garden, think about your goals and expectations:

• What do you want to accomplish? Privacy? Texture? Most people select bamboo as a natural evergreen privacy screen or a focal point for their garden.
• How much room do you have? Do you want a forest, a clump, or a pot on your deck? There are varieties appropriate for all of these uses.
• How much maintenance do you have time for? Clumping varieties require less root pruning and are less likely to escape.
• How tall should the plants grow? Although bamboo tolerates pruning well, the resulting boxy look might not be desired. Selecting a variety that matures to the desired height without topping is better.
• Do you want small, delicate leaves that tinkle in the wind or large leaves that rustle? I have a patch of Pseudosasa japonica ‘Japanese Arrow’ bamboo. Its large leaves rustle delightfully in a breeze, growing only to 15′. It provides year-round privacy but is a running bamboo, so its growth needs to be limited with semi-annual root pruning.
• Is there a color preference? In addition to solid green, culms can be yellow, orange, red, blue, silver, or even variegated. Leaf colors can be shades of green, yellow, blue, silvery, and variegated. Beware that many colorful bamboos are from the tropics, so choices for the PNW are limited.
• Do you want pencil-width stalks, medium size, or a diameter measured in inches? If you want a cane that is an inch across, make sure you have room for a forest. If you choose a large-diameter bamboo, you can have bamboo canes for projects around your home. Small-diameter culms can provide endless plant stakes, craft supplies, and weaving material. Having uses for pruned canes makes maintenance enjoyable.
• Are you looking for an open upright structure or a dense natural fence? Running bamboos have more space between the culms and a more upright appearance. Clumping bamboo culms grow more closely together. Some bamboos have more horizontal branches that make a good privacy screen.

Phyllostachys nigra ‘Black Bamboo’ grown against a foundation and contained by a sidewalk at the Elisabeth C. Miller Library in Seattle. In this shady contained location, it will not grow to its unconstrained height of 35′. Photo by Kay Torrance

If you are considering bamboo:

• Avoid buying large (over ½ mature culm size) running bamboo unless you are committed to containing and maintaining it. See maintenance requirements below.
• Avoid planting a hedge of any type of bamboo along a property line for privacy and not building a containment system along the property line to keep it on your side.
• Avoid planting bamboo in areas where there is irrigation or where you fertilize routinely. It will grow fast and require more maintenance. Bamboo planted next to turf lawns will soak in all that water and fertilizer and grow quickly.

Planting and Management
Even though bamboo is likely filling the role of a shrub or tree in your yard, manage it like the grass it is. If you want to contain a plot of grass, you either put a barrier in the ground to redirect the root growth, or you can edge (cut) the roots. The same method is required to contain a stand of bamboo. Bamboo rarely seeds and is surprisingly difficult to propagate from seed. 
Container Planting
The most obvious barrier to preventing bamboo spread is planting it in a pot or container. Like any potted plant, it will need to be thinned every few years or become a root-bound mess. Choose straight-sided pots and use a perennial root-cutting blade to reduce the size. You can build wooden planters with a removable side, making thinning easier. Don’t wait too long. The job just gets more challenging.
Root Barriers
You may have a natural root barrier, such as a rocky terrain or a pond. Despite its tropical appearance, bamboo does not like wet feet. It makes a great companion planting around ponds and will grow best on a small mound, elevating its roots from moisture. You can use a densely forested area as a natural barrier, as bamboo needs some sun. You do not want to plant larger or timber bamboo close to your home, driveway, or sidewalks. Clumping bamboo can also put a lot of pressure on a barrier or pot. Allow room on all sides of the barrier to do maintenance. Don’t install a barrier right on a property line. Set it back about two feet so you can manage the back side.

Most yards do not have suitable natural barriers, so fabricated barriers are needed. Typical bamboo root depth is around 8-12″, with some timber bamboo roots reaching around 18″. A healthy bamboo with vigorous roots will try to dig under or over the top of your barrier, so a barrier height of 24″ is common. Barriers up to 30″ may be required for timber bamboo. If you mound your bamboo, a shallower barrier can work.

You can use metal, wood, or fabric as barriers. Metal will rust and disintegrate over time, and wood will rot. The most long-lasting barriers are either rigid 40 mil HDPE (high-density polyethylene) or flexible EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer). Alternatively, you can buy a thick EPDM pond liner and cut it to size. Standard landscaping fabric is insufficient for control. You can buy molded pond liners in various shapes and fill them with dirt instead of water. You will need to cut holes in the bottom so they drain, but don’t cut them too close to the sides.

Barriers will do a good job of containing the bamboo, but you still need to inspect the area during the spring and summer and check for the occasional rhizome trying to go over or under the barrier. The bamboo stand will overgrow its area over 3-7 years and must be thinned. It is best to do this before the roots become a solid mass and are hard to cut. Plan on removing a third of the bamboo every 3 years. Battery-operated or electrical reciprocating saws with long wood or pruning blades make the job easier.

Perimeter Trench
Another method of containment is a loosely filled perimeter trench. Dig an 18″ deep trench about 12-18″ wide around the bamboo location. Fill it with sand, pea gravel, or loose soil. Don’t use soils with silt or clay, as they will compact and harden over time. Bamboo rhizomes will continue to grow and expand freely when they enter the trench. In the fall or early spring, use a spade (the ones with serrated blades work best), root saw, or reciprocating saw with a long blade and work around the perimeter, cutting off and removing any new growth that has entered the trench. Make sure to pull out all of the rhizomes. You do not need to worry about the fibrous roots.

Fargesia nitida ‘Jiuzhaigou’ is a clumping bamboo. This cultivar is ‘Red Fountain’ with pencil sized red canes. Cultivars of this variety can be found with different colored canes. © Photo by Kay Torrance

Fargesia robusta ‘Campbell’ is a clumping bamboo with ¾” canes. © Photo by Kay Torrance.

Removing Shoots and Mowing
Another method of control is simply removing unwanted shoots at the ground level or just below. It is easiest to do in the spring when they are tender. They will not grow back. For smaller-diameter bamboo, you can use your lawn mower to run over unwanted culms anytime.
Pruning the Foliage
Bamboo foliage doesn’t need a lot of maintenance. Varieties with many horizontal branches can be legged up to showcase the culms better. If you need to control the height, bamboo is very tolerant of topping. However, it saves work to choose the right-sized bamboo for your location. 

You should thin the canes every year or two. If the canes are not thinned, the grove can become very dense and vase-shaped as culms compete for sunlight. Cut the canes anytime during the year at or below ground level, removing no more than a third of the canes each year. New canes are not as strong, so thin the oldest canes. Old canes have many uses, so think of this as harvest time.

Rejuvenation or Removal
Rejuvenation often requires removing a large portion of the bamboo grove. The easiest way to kill all or part of the plant is to remove the unwanted canes at ground level or just below it and not let them grow back. Remove bamboo with small-diameter canes with a lawn mower; larger canes will require a lopper or a saw. 

Bamboo needs nourishment from the canes and will die without it. It is best to use this method right after the new culms have reached full height in early summer. The plant has just expended a great deal of energy sending up the culms and will be severely weakened by pruning. It will try to regrow, so make sure to follow up. It can take one to three years before the plant is completely dead. Make sure to shut off irrigation and sprinklers in the area. This method leaves the roots in the ground but they will rot in a year or two.

If you need immediate removal of the plant and rhizomes, the only solution is digging. It is best done when the soil is moist. Cut the canes at one foot (or so) above the ground and use them to help pull out the rhizomes. Get all the rhizomes, but don’t worry about the fibrous roots. As for other methods, there are many: applying chlorine, salt, vinegar, and even gasoline. These contaminate the soil. They may kill the bamboo, but they will destroy the soil ecology and everything nearby. 

Fargesia dracocephala ‘Rufa’ ‘Dragon’s Head’ at the WSU Discovery Garden. This clumping bamboo has a loose weeping habitat so the hedge has been pruned to keep it off the path. Bamboos tolerate pruning well as long as adequate leaves are left for plant health. © Photo by Kay Torrance

Purchasing Bamboo
If you are still reading and anxious to start, don’t rush out and buy the first plant you find. Many nurseries carry only one or two varieties of bamboo. Often, they choose varieties that grow fast and are easily divided, which may not be what you want. 

When choosing plants:

• Avoid plants that are pot-bound with circling roots. These plants will usually have the culms growing right next to the outer edge of the pots, and sometimes, the pots will bulge where the rhizomes are overcrowded.
• Like most plants, a larger pot with more mature culms will establish quicker than a recently divided plant with one or two culms.
• Pay attention to the label. Expect that it will take 3-5 years for plants to reach its established height. The old adage about the first year a plant sleeps, the second it creeps, and the third it leaps is very true of bamboo. It is normal for nursery wholesalers to prune the stalks when dividing or transporting stock, so don’t go by what you see for height.
• Check the label for growing zones. Cold tolerance is important. Some lovely bamboos are marginal for our area. A hard, prolonged freeze might kill them, or they may die down to the ground. If the rhizomes survive, they can take years to recover.

If you can’t find what you want locally, consider mail order. Many bamboo specialty nurseries and Japanese botanical gardens have groves of mature plants for reference. Do research online. There are lots of pictures of bamboo staged with a person for scale. Plan to plant your bamboo in the spring or early summer to establish roots before any freezes. For the first summer, bamboo needs regular water and heavy mulch.

Variety Suggestions

• Fargesia nitida ‘Jiuzhaigou’ is a short and slender clumping variety of bamboo that grows 8-10′ tall. Many colorful cultivars are available, such as ‘Red Fountain’ and ‘Black Cherry’. The canes are pencil-thin with tiny leaves. It has a dramatic vertical growth habit and is very manageable both individually and as a hedge.
• Fargesia rufa ‘Sunset Glow’ is a small clumping bamboo that grows 5-10′ tall with 1/3″ red-orange canes, medium-sized leaves, and a weeping growth habit. Suitable as a shrub in a grouping or a short, dense hedge to provide color.
• Fargesia dracocephala ‘Dragon’s Head’ is a clumping bamboo that grows 8-12′ with 1/2″ canes. It also has a weeping fountain-shaped appearance with medium-sized leaves that sway in the wind. Good for a dense hedge, but allow room for it to lean.
• Fargesia robusta ‘Campbell’ is a clumping bamboo that grows to 12-15′ with ¾” canes. The canes start green but age to a pale yellow. Very upright and tight culm spacing with large leaves. Makes a very dense hedge or large 15-20′ grove. It tends to become vase-shaped if culms are not thinned to allow light to reach the center. Canes are straight and strong.
• Qiongzhuea tumidissinoda, known as ‘Walking Stick’ bamboo, has ½” canes with enlarged nodes. It is only recommended for containers as it is an aggressive and agile runner. It grows 10-15′ but less in containers.
• Pleioblastus viridistriatus is commonly called ‘Greenstripe’ bamboo. It is widely available and grows 2-3′ with tiny canes. It has chartreuse and cream-colored variegation in the leaves. It is unusual because it is deciduous, losing its leaves in the winter. It is a great container plant or tall ground cover. Due to its small size, many people control it with their lawnmower instead of barriers or pruning.

Finally, if you are looking for the impact of a bamboo forest, look for a medium-height running bamboo to plant inside a barrier or container. The iconic Phyllostachys nigra ‘black timber’ bamboo is a good choice. However, the variety is currently undergoing a mass flowering event. Bamboos only flower every 30-120 years, depending on the species. After flowering, the entire plant dies. Since most bamboo is propagated by division, the plants of a particular variety are all identical. They will die en mass worldwide until they return from the notoriously tricky seeds to germinate. That is what is happening now with the beloved black bamboo. For now, if you are looking for the aesthetics of a timber bamboo, try one of the Phyllostachys. The variegated Phyllostachys aureosulcata ‘Yellow Groove’ is a good choice that sports an occasional zigzag cane or perhaps the classic Semiarundinaria fastuosa ‘Red Temple’, for more color.

Is there a blog topic you’d like to learn more about?
Share your ideas with the blog editors in the comment section below.

RESOURCES:

Heinricher, J. and Flemmons, K. (2006) Discovering Bamboo. Boo-Shoot Gardens LLC

Meredith, Ted Jordan (2006) Timber Press Pocket Guide to Bamboos, Timber Press, Portland, OR

Farrelly, D. (1984) The Book of Bamboo: A Comprehensive Guide to This Remarkable Plant, Its Uses, and Its History.Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, CA

Stangler, C. (2001) The Craft & Art of Bamboo. Lark Books; New York, NY

American Bamboo Society. https://www.bamboo.org

WSU Vegetable Research and Extension. https://vegetables.wsu.edu/crops/bamboo/

Kay Torrance

AUTHOR:
Kay Torrance has been a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener since 2019. She is garden coordinator of the Naturescape garden and pond in the Discovery Garden on SR 536 west of Mount Vernon. https://skagitmg.org/home/discovery-garden/

Enjoy a Day Trip to Tour a Pacific Northwest Garden

February is an excellent time to look ahead and plan a visit to one of the many public gardens showcasing a range of plants from native to tropical beauty

By Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners

Creating and appreciating a garden is a dynamic, creative process that benefits from the inspiration of others’ work, traditions, and history. Gardeners in the Pacific Northwest are fortunate to have access to many garden styles and a wide variety of plant combinations at gardens and nurseries that are open to the public – all within range of a day trip from Skagit Valley.

In this article, several Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners share observations from their recent visits to a sampling of regional display gardens. Each author highlights the visit with inspirations ranging from the native rhododendrons of Meerkerk Gardens on Whidbey Island to the amazing cloud forest of the Seattle Spheres.

Perhaps you are hosting visitors this summer or in charge of planning an outing for a group of friends; use these ideas as a springboard for your next garden inspiration. Details for each garden include website links, contact information, logistics, and admission information to help prepare for a visit.

University of Washington Biology Greenhouse Photo © Kay Torrance

University of Washington Biology Greenhouse Photo © Jessamyn Tuttle

University of Washington Biology Greenhouse

Location: Lower level, southwest side of the Life Sciences Building, at 3747 W Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA. Map

By Kay Torrance, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

In 2023, a group of Skagit Master Gardeners toured the UW Biology Greenhouse, the Elizabeth C. Miller Library, the UW Botanic Gardens and the Washington Park Arboretum. Though this excerpt focuses on the biology greenhouse, I recommend each of the venues as a treasure trove of plant learning,

The UW Biology Greenhouse is a 20,000-square-foot facility opened in 2022, showcasing over 6,000 plant species. According to the website, the new structure “replaces the original Botany Greenhouse, where the UW’s biology department had amassed one of the country’s most diverse plant collections over a period of 65 years.” Led by docents, the group explored four themed garden rooms: Desert, Tree of Life, Warm Tropics, and Cool Tropics.

The Desert Room features North American cacti and plants from Africa, including a Welwitschia from Namibia. Next, the group walked through the Tree of Life room, where plants are displayed in evolutionary order. Next, the tour moved into the warmth of the Warm Tropics Room, filled with palms, gingers, and orchids. The tour then took the Master Gardeners to the Cool Tropics Room, showcasing high-altitude tropical plants. The greenhouse also includes climate-controlled rooms for research and education, benefiting university students in fields such as plant ecology and landscape architecture.

Read an entire blog article about the 2023 visit to the UW Biology Greenhouse at https://skagitmg.org/visit-uw-botanic-garden/

Website: https://www.biology.washington.edu/facilities/greenhouse

Hours and tours:

• The UW Biology Greenhouse is open to the public from noon to 4 p.m. on non-holiday Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month-docent-led tours for groups of more than eight people by arrangement.
• The UW Botanic Gardens and Washington Park Arboretum are open daily to the public. https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/

Admission: Free

Contact information: https://www.biology.washington.edu/facilities/greenhouse/contact

Amazon Spheres Photo © Laura Kuhn

The Seattle Spheres

Location: 2111 7th Avenue, Seattle

By Laura Kuhn, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

The Seattle Spheres is a private biosphere space created at Amazon headquarters near downtown Seattle in 2018. The space, which includes three glass-enclosed spherical conservatories, is open by reservation only to the public on the first and third Saturdays of each month.

This lush and beautiful facility supports a cloud forest environment – think rainforest tree canopy – supporting flora ranging from tiny begonias and orchids to large tree ferns and aloes. A highlight is the “living walls” that boast over 25,000 plants woven into 4,000 square feet of mesh in what the organization calls an “innovative demonstration of biodiversity.” Trees are planted in pots in the Canyon Living Wall area, and the vertical gardens are more than three stories tall.

There are over 40,000 plant varieties, with many plants in bloom in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes. Visitors may explore four stories of plants accessible by stairs or elevators.

Website: Seattlespheres.com

Hours: By reservation only, open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the first and third Saturdays of each month. If you do not have a reservation or go to the location on another day of the week, visit the Understory or the Urban Arboretum found outside of The Spheres.

Admission: Free

Contact Information: For details and to make a reservation, go to https://www.seattlespheres.com/the-spheres-weekend-public-visits

Chihuly Garden and Glass

Location: 305 Harrison Street, Seattle

By: Kathy Wolfe, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Chihuly Garden and Glass highlights a beautiful combination of the iconic glass works of artist Dale Chihuly set in a vibrant garden showcase. The Glasshouse and adjacent displays and exhibitions opened at the base of the Space Needle in Seattle Center in May 2012.

The stunning Chihuly glass art, coupled with beautiful gardens, is a collaboration that inspires visitors from around the world. Chihuly has worked with public gardens – large and small – in the US and internationally to create colorful blends of plants and glass that meld into complementary natural vignettes. Gardeners can be inspired by the clever combinations of glass and plants.

Depending on the time of year, visitors to the Glasshouse may see a wide range of camellias blooming among dogwood, along with scarlet daylilies and fuchsias, accented by icicle-shaped glass towers and spheres incorporated to embellish the scene. The gardens are transformed seasonally, and a master plant list used by the landscape design team is available on the facility’s website.

In addition to the garden area of the exhibit, ticket prices include the Exhibition spaces containing Chihuly’s glass creations, drawings, large architectural installations, and personal collections. A theater offers a short film on Chihuly’s artwork; a free audio tour is available. The Bar restaurant provides food and beverages; and a bookstore offers a selection of gifts, cards, and books.

Website: https://www.chihulygardenandglass.com

Hours and tours: Hours vary daily, so check the website for details. The venue can be closed for private events. Highlight tours are offered three times daily and included in the price of admission.

Admission: Tickets should be purchased in advance. Prices range from $22 to $37.50 depending on a guest’s age (free for children under four) and the time of year.

Contact Information: For general information, call 206-753-4940 or contact guestservice@chihulygardenandglass.com

Happening now: “Winter Brilliance” is a light and music installation containing more than 700 hand-blown glass forms that runs until February 28, 2025, in Gallery 1.

Elizabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden Photo © Crowell Photography.com

Elizabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden
Photo © Crowell Photography.com

Elizabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden

Location: 79 Olympic Drive Northwest, Seattle

By Nancy Crowell, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

In Western Washington gardening history, there are a handful of people all serious gardeners should know about because of their incredible, prolonged influence on gardening in the region. One of those people was devoted horticulturist Elizabeth C. Miller, whose name is now associated with the Elizabeth Miller Library at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture and the Elizabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden – commonly known as the Miller Garden.

Elizabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden
Photo © Crowell Photography.com

The Miller Garden, which was developed on six acres of Miller’s private home, has established collections and themed areas. However, the key to why a diehard gardener should take a tour here is that this garden is where Great Plant Picks tests and chooses the plants recommended for our Pacific Northwest gardens. The garden’s website describes the Great Plant Picks as “recommendations for a comprehensive palette of outstanding plants for the maritime Pacific Northwest.” The website states that more than 1,000 plants have been selected to date for gardeners living west of the Cascade Mountains from Eugene, Oregon, to Vancouver, British Columbia.

The garden was designated a public garden in trust after Miller died in 1994, unbeknownst to her neighbors in the exclusive neighborhood. As a compromise to neighbors concerned about large numbers arriving in the neighborhood, the garden is limited to 500 visitors a year, and the coveted entry tickets are sold out months in advance. In fact, the entire 2025 tour season is already sold out.

The garden is well established, yet still a work in progress as caretakers update and refresh the original plantings. A tour reveals surprises around every corner. Fall is a favorite time to visit due to the vast collection of established Japanese maples, though a midsummer visit was equally impressive.

Miller and her horticultural adventures are fascinating. Read more at https://millergarden.org/, then toss your name into the tour lottery. I hope you get a call.  

Website: https://millergarden.org/

Hours and tours: All visits to the Miller Garden are by reservation only with a staff member as a guide. The garden website states, “due to an unprecedented response, the 2025 tour season is now filled.” Early bird reservations for 2026 will open in autumn 2025. A “virtual” tour is offered online at https://millergarden.org/the-garden/

Admission: Free

Contact Information: To be added to the email list for class or tour date announcements, send a message to info@millergarden.org

Heronswood Photo © Heronswood

Heronswood
Photo © Heronswood

Heronswood

Location: 31912 Little Boston Rd NE, Kingston, WA Note: Ferry wait times to the Olympic Penninsula can be long so make reservations and plan accordingly.

By Anne Hays, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Nestled in the charming town of Kingston on the north end of the Olympic Peninsula, Heronswood Garden can feel like stepping into a living dream. This enchanting botanical garden, established by renowned plantsman Dan Hinkley, is a paradise for anyone who cherishes nature’s quiet beauty.

The gardens opened in 1987 and comprise 15 acres and more than 8,000 varieties spread across six distinct yet integrated gardens.

As guests pass through the garden gate, they are immersed in a world where every path leads to a new discovery. Heronswood’s collection of rare and unusual plants is astounding, curated from all corners of the globe. The garden’s thoughtful design blends exotic with native plants, creating a seamless tapestry of textures and colors that change with the seasons.

The garden bursts to life in spring, with rhododendrons in full bloom in a variety of vibrant hues contrasting with the surrounding lush greenery. A fern glade mesmerizes visitors with the delicate interplay of light and shadow.

As one of the state’s “hidden gems,” the gardens offer tranquility and intimacy, allowing guests to wander for hours enjoying the color, listening to the birdsong, and gaining inspiration.

For some visitors, Heronswood is more than a garden-it’s a haven. For plant lovers, artists, and anyone seeking solace in nature, it’s a destination that lingers in the heart long after.

Website: https://www.heronswoodgarden.org/

Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed major holidays. Summer opening hours start April 2, 2025.

Admission: $10 for adults, $5 for youth aged 7 to 17, and free for children aged 6 and younger. 

Contact Information: 360-297-9620, Info@heronswoodgarden.org. To learn more about classes and events, go to https://www.heronswoodgarden.org/event

Meerkerk Gardens
Photo © Anne Hayes

Meerkerk Gardens

Location: 3531 Meerkerk Lane, Greenbank, WA (Whidbey Island)

By Anne Hayes,  Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Nestled just 50 miles from Mount Vernon is Meerkerk Gardens, described as a well-curated “peaceful woodland garden.” The grounds provide a conveniently accessible garden, one of Whidbey Island’s best-kept secrets.

Established by Ann and Max Meerkerk, the grounds include a 10-acre Northwest woodland display garden and 43 woodland acres lined with nature trails. The gardens showcase native flora, including rhododendrons, azaleas, and companion plants, in a variety of garden rooms. Visitors may stroll along the curving, easy-walking paths through the splendor of rhododendrons galore – featuring vibrant shades of colors from white to pink and vibrant red to purple. Today, the Meerkerk Rhododendron Garden nonprofit manages the gardens and woodlands, established in 2002.

In addition to garden access, the website offers detailed information about seasonal guided walks, concerts, children’s programs, nature classes, rhododendron care classes, and guided tour information. The website also features a bloom report so guests can time a visit to experience the complete joy and bloom of the gardens. The garden features color and texture during all seasons.

A special addition is the onsite nursery, open by appointment only in the fall and winter months, reopening in March on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Website: gardeninfo@meerkerkgardens.org

Hours: Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

Admission: $10 for adults and free for children under age 13. Dogs on leash are welcome.

Walks: Guided walks are offered during some seasons, starting at 1 p.m. at the Gatehouse and lasting about 90 minutes. Walks are free for Friends of Meerkerk (and children under 13); the cost is $15 per person for non-members.  Preregister at www.meerkerkgardens.org/events

Contact Information: 360-678-1912

Is there a garden you love or hope to visit soon?
Share your favorite display gardens in the comment section below.

Urban Meadow at Bellevue Botanical Garden Photo © James Gagliardi, Bellevue Botanical Garden Director

Yao Garden at Bellevue Botanical Garden Photo © James Gagliardi, Bellevue Botanical Garden Director

Bellevue Botanical Garden

Location: 12001 Main St., Bellevue, WA

By Diana Wisen, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

As one of the most beautifully designed public botanical gardens in the United States, the Bellevue Botanical Garden is a “must-see” for anyone who loves gardens in the Pacific Northwest. The garden spans 53 acres in a wondrous mixture of cultivated gardens, restored woodlands, natural wetlands, and native plant collections. The paths lead visitors through hillside rock gardens, ponds, and a stream, through forests, past a gnome door hidden under a tree, and a Chinese garden, all with lovely works of garden art throughout.

Urban Meadow with irises at Bellevue Botanical Garden Photo © James Gagliardi, Bellevue Botanical Garden Director

Visitors will likely see varieties of trees they have never seen before. Visitors may wish to bring a cell phone to use the QR codes on the signage for more educational information about the plants. A small professional staff maintains and manages the garden along with local groups and individuals who donate nearly 20,000 hours a year to maintain the gardens.

The garden is known for its winter light display called “Garden d’Lights” during December, with tickets sold online.

The garden is currently hosting a special traveling exhibit called “The Lost Birds” through September 2025. The display features hauntingly beautiful giant bronze statues of extinct birds placed in a circle.

The Trillium Store gift shop and Copper Kettle Coffee shop both have seasonal hours.

Website: https://bellevuebotanical.org/

Hours and tours: Open daily from dawn to dusk, including all holidays. Free public tours are available on Saturday and Sunday, April through October. Private docent-led group tours can be scheduled online.

Admission: Free. Service animals are only allowed in the garden.

Contact Information: Administrative Office may be reached at 425-452-2750. To contact the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society, email bbgsoffice@bellevuebotanical.org

Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Discovery Garden

Location: 16650 State Route 536 (Memorial Highway), Mount Vernon, WA

By Ginny Bode, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

The Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Discovery Garden, located on State Route 536 west of Mount Vernon, always amazes visitors. A stop at the gardens is an easy addition to the list of area attractions.

First-time visitors are often surprised by the extensive collection found in the 1.5-acre garden. The well-maintained paths wind through 25+ garden rooms, including a koi pond, an herb garden, a vegetable garden, and many benches for resting. Each garden has a focus on specific plants that thrive in the Skagit Valley.

Visitors will find many educational opportunities and kiosks about growing fruits and vegetables, ornamental and native plant gardening, pollinators, and composting.

The Children’s Garden at Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Discovery Garden Photo © Sue Wren

A highlight is the Children’s Garden, which is filled with colorful plants and whimsical structures. It is a place where children can touch, smell, and explore different textures, as well as vegetable patches and flower beds that encourage curiosity about how food grows and foster a love of nature and gardening.

The Discovery Garden, designed to inspire and educate the public, is maintained by 150 volunteer master gardeners. An annual open house is held in the garden from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the last Saturday in June, featuring a plant clinic and children’s activities.

Adjacent to the Discovery Garden are two additional public display gardens on the WSU NWREC property: the 0.5-acre Salal Native Plant Garden and the 6-acre NW Fruit Garden.

Website: https://skagitmg.org/home/discovery-garden/

Hours: Open daily during daylight hours

Admission: Free

Contact Information: For information, go to https://skagitmg.org/home/discovery-garden/

THANK YOU TO THE AUTHORS:
Kay Torrance, Laura Kuhn, Kathy Wolfe, Nancy Crowell, Anne Hays, Diana Wisen, and Ginny Bode with the introduction by Kari Ranten. All are Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners who love visiting and finding inspiration in display gardens near home or on holiday.

Hummingbirds in the Garden: Food Sources and Benefits

Food sources for resident Anna’s and migrating Rufous hummingbirds and tips for safely hosting a feeder in your garden.

By Joan Stamm, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

There’s a wealth of information out there about our beloved hummingbirds-fascinating mythology, a horrifying feather trade history, descriptions of dazzling aerial dynamics, and arduous migratory habits-but this article will focus on beneficial food sources for our resident Anna’s and migrating Rufous, as these hummingbirds are not only an important part of our ecosystem that helps control insects, but are great pollinators. If this weren’t enough, they are simply a delight to watch.

Let’s start with the basics:

In early spring, Anna’s hummingbird finds nectar in the red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) © Photos: Mason Maron | Audubon Society 

Insects and Spiders
The least glamorous but one of the most important hummingbird food sources is insects. Female Anna’s, when raising their young, can eat up to 2,000 bugs per day. In fact, Douglas Tallamy, a professor of entomology at the University of Delaware, claims that although “Hummingbirds like and need nectar … 80 percent of their diet is insects and spiders.”

Native trees and shrubs, more than “introduced” varieties, provide the highest potential for attracting native insects. To ensure a steady supply of native invertebrates that all birds, but especially hummingbirds, enjoy, plant a variety of native plants in your garden. Another way to increase insect populations is to leave the leaves in the fall. Many insects hide and winter in leaf litter. Instead of tidying up and throwing all those wonderful leaves in the compost bin, pile them up around your plants and postpone cutting away all the dead flower debris until spring. These practices will increase your insect population, and hummingbirds will help keep your bugs in check.

Make the choice to avoid pesticides.
Pesticides containing neonicotinoid insecticide are widely used by farmers and homeowners, and on pets for flea and tick treatments. Even though neonicotinoids are relatively less toxic to beneficial insects and pollinators, and their use is supported by WSU and USDA, many gardeners prefer to avoid their use. Some research institutions have found that hummingbirds exposed to systemic neonicotinoid insecticides for even a short time can disrupt their high-powered metabolism. Hummingbirds are pollinators. They can visit hundreds of flowers in a day. Any pesticide that can harm bees will likely harm hummingbirds.

Though not native to the Pacific Northwest, the brilliant red flowers of Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ attracts hummingbirds throughout the summer. © Photo: Nancy Crowell | crowellphotography.com

 The Rufous hummingbird is attracted to ‘Black & Blue’ anise sage (Salvia guaranitica) © Photo: Phil Green | philgreen.net

Tree Sap
We don’t often think of tree sap as being an important food source for birds, but when flower nectar is scarce our migrating Rufous hummingbird will turn to sap in tree wells left by red-breasted sapsuckers and woodpeckers. If your garden can accommodate aspen, birch, or pine, you will create another potential food source for our Western Washington hummingbirds; plus providing important nesting and perching habitat.
Native and Non-native Flowers
Along with the protein, fats, and amino acids found in insects and the minerals found in tree sap, other nutrients important to hummingbirds are found in flower nectar. “Scientists have learned that the richness of the nectar matters more than the color of its source,” which in most cases would come from plants native to our region. A perfect example is our native snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) which has tiny pink (not red) flowers that hummingbirds return to again and again. They also like our native nodding onion (Allium cernuum) with its tiny pinkish mauve flowers. Even osoberry (Oemleria cerasiformis), with its white pendulous flowers, offers good quality nectar early in the season as they are one of the first native trees to bloom.

But if you want to give hummingbirds their preferred red-orange range, try our native red paintbrush (Castilleja miniata), western columbine (Aquilegia formosa), red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum), Cascade penstemon (Penstemon surrulatus), and hot pink and scarlet monkeyflower (Mimulus lewesii and cardinelli) to name a few.

Along with natives, and to ensure a steady supply of flower nectar throughout the year, there are many introduced varieties that hummingbirds love. Most notably in my garden are the salvias- ‘hot lips’ and ‘black and blue.’ They also like bee balm, crocosmia, fuchsia, and weigela. For winter bloomers, Ciscoe Morris, the NW gardening guru and host of “Gardening with Ciscoe” recommends witch hazel, Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide,’ sweetbox, Daphne odora, Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn,’ Grevillea victoriae, and the Asian hybrid Mahonia x media.

During breeding season, the hummers helicopter from plant to plant until they get their fill, mixing nectar with insect protein to feed their young, which is strictly the female’s job, along with nest building. The males resume their independent lifestyle.

Western columbine (Aquilegia formosa) is native in our area and provides food for Anna’s hummingbird © Photo: Phil Green | philgreen.net

Many enjoy feeding hummingbirds, but doing so comes with the responsibility of keeping the feeders clean and free of bacteria to avoid harming the birds. It may be easier to grow native plants such as snowberry and red currant to help the hummers through late winter. © Photo: Nancy Crowell | crowellphotography.com

Hummingbird Feeders
If you are going to use hummingbird feeders-and it’s really the overwintering Anna’s that mostly benefit as the Rufous is long gone by the end of summer-then the overwhelming advice from experts is that feeders be clean, clean, and clean. Some say feeders should be cleaned every 3 to 4 days, some say 5, and others say if the weather is above 65 degrees, they should be cleaned daily to prevent the sugar water from fermenting. “Sugar water is a nursery for bacteria, mold, and potentially dangerous pathogens.” Fermented sugar water can enlarge a bird’s liver imperiling its health. “Ten percent or more of the hummingbirds who wind up in rehabilitation centers have yeast infections from improperly maintained feeders.” Clean feeders with hot, soapy water or vinegar. Never use bleach as any residue is not only toxic to birds but to the environment in general.

The recipe for the sugar solution is one part plain white non-organic refined sugar to four parts water. Do not use red coloring or any commercial product with chemicals or dye. Boil the solution, let it cool, and fill your feeder. Hang more than one feeder to avoid competition. Hang them away from a window to prevent hummingbirds from flying into the glass and breaking their neck. In summer, hang them in the shade. In winter, hang them in the sun. If temperatures drop, you will need to rig up a heating element to keep the solution from freezing or rotate your feeders throughout the day. If all this sounds like too much work and responsibility-inadvertently harming hummingbirds rather than helping-it might be easier to grow a variety of nectar-rich flowers instead and leave the rest to nature.

Learn from the experts at the
Country Living Expo
& Modern Homesteading
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Stanwood High School 

Learn More and Register Here >>

These Gardening Topics and More:

• Fruit Tree Pruning
• Microclimates in the Garden
• Garden Design
• Roses
• Bee Keeping
• Growing Vegetables, Herbs and Flowers
• Tool Care and Maintenance
• Small Fruits: Elderberry and Blueberries
• Growing Lavendar

https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/countrylivingexpo/

Mahonia x media, pictured here, is an Asian hybrid that blooms in winter. Several native Mahonias also attract hummingbirds and bloom in early spring. © Photo: Nancy Crowell | crowellphotography.com

The coastal hedgenettle (Stachys chamissonis) is a native plant in the Pacific Northwest that thrives in moist soil near forests and provides support to birds, bees and butterflies. © Photo: Nancy Crowell | crowellphotography.com

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

BOOKS:

• Link, R.Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 1999
• Shewey, J.Hummingbird Handbook. Portland: Timber Press. 2021
• Stark, E. M..Real Gardens Grow Natives. Seattle: 2014
• Tallamy, D.Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard. Portland: Timberpress. 2019

ON-LINE:

• All About Birds –https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Annas_Hummingbird/
• Beyond Pesticides: https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2021/02/hummingbirds-are-being-harmed-by-the-same-pesticides-killing-off-bees-butterflies-and-other-pollinators/
• Georgia Department of Natural Resources:https://georgiawildlife.com/out-my-backdoor-beyond-hummingbird-feeder.
• The Humane Gardener: https://www.humanegardener.com/a-fighting-chance/#:~:text=Hummingbirds%20are%20more%20visible%20to,in%20our%20yards%20as%20well.%E2%80%9D

Joan D. Stamm

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joan D. Stamm, is a certified Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener and the author of several books, including The Language of Flowers in the Time of COVID:  Finding Solace in Zen, Nature and Ikebana.

Tips to Making Strategic Vegetable Seed Selections

Helpful Ideas for Choosing What to Grow in the Vegetable Garden

By Kari Ranten and Cathy Markham, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners

Planning a vegetable garden for the upcoming growing season is the perfect indoor activity for the cold gray month of January in northwest Washington. Those plans all begin with the process of choosing the right seeds for the produce you want to plant, grow, harvest, eat, and preserve.

Shopping for seeds can be just as fun and educational as any step in the vegetable garden.

Giving a gardener a stack of seed catalogs is like the veritable “kid in a candy store.” These volumes, filled with colorful images and tempting descriptions of dozens of vegetables – from asparagus to zucchini – create a shopping experience like no other. As certified Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Cathy Markham notes, “The problem is there are thousands of choices and, yet, that’s the fun part.”

The challenge in seed selection is to remain focused, strategic, and practical in making the right choices.

Start your research of seed options after making a list of favorite vegetables and evaluating your space, facilities, and skill level. Begin with learning how to read a seed description in a catalog, on a website, or a seed packet.
Photo © Cathy Markham, used with permission by Skagit County Master Gardeners

In our area warm-season crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and melons need to be started indoors. Cathy uses a soil-blocking method (pictured above) to start seeds. This allow roots to grow vigorously without confinement and minimizes transplant shock.
Photo © Cathy Markham, used with permission by Skagit County Master Gardeners

Getting started
Here are some important considerations to help narrow down what seeds to purchase:

• Grow your favorites: Think about the produce that is most used and appreciated at the dinner table or preserved in the freezer or pantry. Putting a priority on these vegetables can help pare down the list of what to grow and the seeds to purchase. Cathy is a tomato aficionado, and pours over the seed catalogs and websites for her favorites and opportunities to try new varieties.
• Space: Based on the favorites list, look at the pots, raised beds, or garden space available for growing vegetables. Look at the space with an eye on directional exposure, light, and surroundings. An experienced vegetable gardener, Cathy grows a little bit of everything, including lots of tomatoes plus greens, peas, beans, and root vegetables. While she once had five acres, she now has a small garden space and works hard to maximize the potential by mapping out a plan for the garden space each year. She records progress notes to help in future seasons. In planning, also keep in mind that some crops, such as tomatoes, a member of the nightshade family, need to be rotated to a different area of the garden each season to limit pests and disease.

• Equipment: When choosing seeds for warm-season crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and melons, remember that these need to be started indoors at home or in a greenhouse to be successful. A greenhouse is not required as many compact options are available to set up lights and heat mats on shelves indoors or in a garage.

• Skill level: For beginners, start on a smaller scale and add more vegetable varieties in future seasons. Also, consider doing some research and ask friends or neighbors with experience with vegetable gardens. Experienced vegetable gardeners rely on previous experience and notes taken during prior seasons on successful varieties and harvest results.

• Expense: Think about the vegetables that can be more expensive at the store or market and compare them to the cost of seeds and the season’s labor of love by the gardener. It can be easy to go crazy in the seed “candy store” so be mindful to purchase only the number of seeds to accommodate the space and objectives for the garden.

A greenhouse is not required to start seeds. Many compact options are available to set up lights and heat mats on shelves indoors or in a garage. Read more about building a DIY grow stand here > DIY Indoor Grow Stand  Photo © Cathy Markham, used with permission by Skagit County Master Gardeners

Research and understand seed options
After evaluating favorite vegetables, space, facilities, and skill level, research seed options. For starters, it helps to know how to read a seed description in a catalog website or seed packet. The gardener also needs to understand key terms, such as cultivar, heirloom, open-pollinated, hybrid, and resistance, as outlined in an article by Kym Pokorny and Nicole Sanchez of Oregon State University titled “Learn the Terms on Seed Packets to Make the Right Selection.”

When looking at seed options, consider the following key elements to consider for success in the maritime climate and relatively short growing season of northwest Washington:

• Days to maturity: It’s key to check how many days the crop needs to reach maturity. Cathy recommends choosing “early” varieties with 55 to 60 days to maturity to gain a successful crop. Seeds with 70 to 80 days to maturity can work; however, they may be more challenging. Seeds identified as reaching maturity at more than 80 days are rarely suited for northwest growing conditions.

• Understand the Zone: Check out the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to confirm and learn more about the environment of the garden location.

• Consider Pacific Northwest-based seed producers: Several seed producers are located in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia that may provide seed options designed for the region’s climate. Longtime Northwest seed producers include Ed Hume Seeds, Territorial Seed Company, and West Coast Seeds.

• Disease resistance: Look for seeds that will produce disease-resistant plants. The Pacific Northwest Vegetable Extension Group of Washington State University, Oregon State University, and University of Idaho has a great deal of information for gardeners at https://mtvernon.wsu.edu/path_team/
• Bolt tendency: When under stress, such as heat, some vegetables have a tendency to bolt, sending up flowers and producing seeds before the harvest. Check the seed description and look for “bolt resistant” or “slow bolting.”
• Space requirements: Matching up with the earlier evaluation of available pots, raised beds, and garden space, choose seeds for varieties sized to fit. Buy only what you will need for one or two years.
• Keep a record: Since 2010, Cathy has kept a notebook filled with clippings from seed catalogs or packets and adds notes about the season’s successes and failures to inform seed selection in future seasons.

Photo © Cathy Markham, used with permission by Skagit County Master Gardeners
A focus on tomatoes
As noted, Cathy has a special interest in raising tomatoes. This can be a joy and a challenge for Northwest gardeners based on the shorter growing season. The same can be said for peppers, eggplant, and melons, which all must be started in a greenhouse or indoor growing set up with heat and lights. Read more about building a DIY grow stand in blog article: https://skagitmg.org/indoor-grow-stand/

When reviewing tomato seeds, Cathy recommends giving special attention to the days to maturity, space needs, and available natural light. Dwarf, determinate varieties work well in pots as they are smaller and more compact. Also, think about the uses and flavors for tomatoes and select varieties to span salads to sauces.

In her search for seeds, Cathy focuses on growing different sizes of tomatoes in a “rainbow of colors” to enjoy fresh and in different types of preparations. She receives a variety of seed catalogs and orders favorites such as Italian Red Pear, an Italian heirloom (seeds available at Seeds of Italy, growitalian.com), and she is willing to try a new, emerging variety that may not be available locally.

Cathy’s small-scale garden space means her seed search must match her garden’s layers and vertical growth opportunities. Cathy uses a soil-blocking method to start seeds, planting a few more than needed to make sure she has enough, and uses an indoor shelf lighting and heat mat system in the garage to get her tomatoes started. Tiny tomatoes need daily monitoring for moisture, temperature, and light. As the small plants grow, Cathy occasionally will put the flats of fledgling tomatoes outside for a very brief time on warmer days to get a boost of sunshine.

Tomatoes: Determinate vs. Indeterminate
According to Washington State University Extension Fact Sheet #FS145E titled Vegetables: Growing Tomatoes in Home Gardens, “there are 7,500 varieties of tomatoes with differences in color, shape, growth habit, length to harvest, taste, and disease resistance. Tomatoes are classified as either determinate or indeterminate. Determinate varieties are bush-like, with all the tomatoes ripening about the same time. Indeterminate varieties are vine-like, with the tomatoes ripening throughout the growing season- until frost kills the plant.” Find a listing of Determinate vs. Indeterminate tomatoes on the Skagit Master Gardeners’ website > Determinate vs Indeterminate Tomatoes
Seeds selected, what’s next?
Learn more about germination, propagation, and the basics of growing vegetables. Resource publications include:  Propagating Plants from Seed by Pacific Northwest Extension Publishing and Home Vegetable Gardening in Washington by Washington State University Extension.

This is a non-inclusive list of seed purveyors to consider:

• Deep Harvest Farm deepharvestfarm.com/ Based on Whidbey Island.
• Ed Hume Seeds https://humeseeds.com/ Based in Puyallup, Washington.
• Johnny’s Selected Seeds Company johnnyseeds.com Based in central Maine.
• Renee’s Garden Seeds reneesgarden.com Based in California, sources and trials seeds from across the world.
• Territorial Seed Company https://territorialseed.com/ Based in central Oregon.
• West Coast Seeds https://www.westcoastseeds.com/collections/vegetable-seeds Based near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

Bubel, N. (2018) The New Seed-Starters Handbook. Emmaus, PA. Rodale.

Daigre, S. and Garbee, J. (2015) Tomatomania!: A Fresh Approach to Celebrating Tomatoes in the Garden. New York, NY. St. Martin’s Griffin.

Fredericks, G., Cowan, J. and Daniels, C. (2014) Vegetables: Growing Tomatoes in Home Gardens. Washington State University Extension Fact Sheet #FS145E.

Kumar, M., Larsen, F. and Shekel, K. (2022) Propagating Plants from Seed. Pacific Northwest Extension Publishing. #PNW0170. Link here > 

LeHouiller, C. (2014). Epic Tomatoes: How to Select and Grow the Best Varieties of All Time. North Adams, MA. Storey.

Miles, C. (2013) Home Vegetable Gardening in Washington. Washington State University Extension Publication #EM057E. Link here > 

Pokorny, K. and Sanchez, N. (2021) Learn the Terms on Seed Packets to Make the Right Selection. Oregon State University Extension. Link here >

Ryan, K. (2015) Using Crop Rotation in Home Vegetable Gardens, Snohomish County Extension Fact Sheet. Link here>

Sanchez, N. (2019) The Basics of Selecting Garden Seeds. Oregon State University Extension. Link here >

United States Department of Agriculture, 2024, USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Link here > 

Authors Kari Ranten and Cathy Markham

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Kari Ranten, MHA, is a retired journalist and healthcare communicator who became a certified Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener in 2024. Cathy Markham, a certified Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener since 2022, has a degree in food and nutrition from the University of Idaho and is a Registered Dietician.

The Winter Garden: A Study in the Beauty and Resilience of Nature

Winter is an opportunity to plan and add four-season interest to the garden

By Ginny Bode, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

As winter settles over the Pacific Northwest, the vibrant hues of autumn give way to a quieter, more reflective landscape. While some see the garden in winter as a barren space, this season offers a simpler beauty, one where structure and form take center stage. In this season of rest from the work of gardening, the structural silhouettes of deciduous trees and shrubs reveal the garden’s architecture, offering a fresh perspective on plant arrangement. By emphasizing the bones of the landscape, winter highlights the artistic potential of bare branches, textured bark, and the subtle interplay of light and shadow while showcasing the resilience of nature. This winter, look at your garden’s potential and where you can contribute to the winter beauty by adding a tree, shrub, or grasses.

When we think of design structure, we often first consider architectural or sculptural elements, such as a gazebo, fountain, trellis, or archway. However, evergreens and the bark and branches of deciduous trees and bushes also provide visual structure. These stand resilient, offering rich hues contrasting against the faded tones of fall decay.

In her book Designing and Creating a Winter Garden, Sally Gregson calls evergreens “a green beacon signifying that life continues despite the washed-out decline.” Evergreens provide a living structure to the garden with lush foliage while offering shelter for wildlife. We may think of evergreens as towering trees, but evergreen is a broad term that includes small to medium-leaved and needled shrubs in hues of true green, blue-green, and yellow-green.

This red Acer maple provides a striking winter contrast to the surrounding evergreens. Photo © Skagit Valley Master Gardeners

The twigs of the ‘Midwinter Fire’ Bloodtwig dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) put on a vibrant show of color in the winter. Its yellow-golden fall foliage gives way to stems that transition from yellow at the base to fiery orange and crimson at the tips. Photo © Skagit Valley Master Gardeners

Though bare in winter, deciduous trees and bushes reveal their graceful shapes, adding vertical lines and depth. Together, evergreens and deciduous trees and bushes create a dynamic framework, enhancing the garden’s visual interest and serving as a backdrop for seasonal changes.

Study your garden and those you drive by for structure and winter interest. At this time of year it is easy to see the subtle colors and textures and how the shapes work together. Note which vistas seem balanced and why and which seem blank and could use attention. Take pictures to remember plants and vistas you like. Maybe the solution is a statue, panel, or an evergreen. It may take some trial and error, but with some planning now, you’ll be ready to plant this coming spring or fall. Your reward will be an interesting and beautiful garden, even during the shortest days of winter.

Beyond the overall structure of the garden, if you love nature’s details, the winter garden will not disappoint. Enjoy the bare branches as they form elegant silhouettes. Take a close-up look at the intriguing patterns that emerge on the bark of many trees after the first frost. Acers (or maples,) birches, crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica), and ornamental cherries are known for their rich colors and unique textures in winter.

This paper-bark maple (Acer griseum) in the Discovery Garden features striking, cinnamon-colored bark peels in thin, papery layers, creating a textured, sculptural effect that adds year-round visual interest to any landscape. Photo © Skagit Valley Master Gardeners

Grasses add visual interest and movement, offering a gentle symphony, reminding us of nature’s resilience. Photo © Skagit County Master Gardeners
Grasses Add Magic to the Winter Garden
Another way to add winter interest is with ornamental grasses, such as placing shorter, smaller grasses outside a window or near an entry to be enjoyed daily. Their slender textural forms sway gracefully in the crisp air as their frost-kissed blades shimmer with delicate crystals.

Many gardens feature taller ornamental grasses like Miscanthus and Panicum, which show off their feathery plumes as the wind rustles through their stems. These hardy plants contribute to the garden’s aesthetic and provide shelter for birds and other wildlife. In the winter garden, grasses embody elegance and strength, showcasing nature’s artistry every season.

Nandina, often called Heavenly Bamboo has vibrant green leaves that turn a deep red or purple in the fall and winter with clusters of red berries, adding a burst of seasonal color. Photo © Ginny Bode | Skagit County Master Gardeners

For those that like the look of holly without the invasive aspect, Mahonia commonly known as Oregon grape, is evergreen and produces lovely yellow flowers followed by berries. It is deer resistant. Photo ©: Ginny Bode | Skagit County Master Gardeners 
Berries and Hips
Many ornamental shrubs and bushes produce colorful berries or hips at the end of the blooming season. As fall gives way to winter, these berries and hips become more vibrant against the limited tones of the dormant winter garden. The bright red, orange, or purple berries of these hardy plants, which include holly, winterberry, beautyberry, and roses, contrast beautifully against evergreen foliage and snowy landscapes. Beyond aesthetics, berries and hips also provide valuable wildlife habitat, attracting birds and pollinators. These plants thrive in our region’s mild, wet winters, offering a long-lasting seasonal display and contributing to a garden’s biodiversity.

Choose a berry-producing bush for the winter ornamental garden with care. Many hollies have become invasive in our area, popping up where birds dropped the berry seeds. David Zuckerman, UW Botanic Gardens Manager of Horticulture, says, “Just don’t plant English holly (Ilex aquifolium), the species with the dark, glossy leaves and bright red berries that most people picture when they hear the word ‘holly.’ This non-native species has become invasive here and isn’t recommended for home gardens, … leave it to the professional growers.” More than 400 varieties of large and small hollies grow well in western Washington; many can be seen at the Washington Arboretum in Seattle, home to the second-largest holly collection in the US. Remember, hollies are dioecious, meaning female plants require a male plant in proximity to produce berries.

Another berry-producing bush is Nandina, commonly known as Heavenly Bamboo. Often used in public plantings, this versatile shrub has striking foliage and berries in winter and offers a beautiful backdrop as the seasons rotate. Its vibrant green leaves turn a deep red or purple in the fall and winter with clusters of red berries, adding a burst of seasonal color. In the spring, Nandina produces small white flowers, followed by bright red berries in late summer through winter. Drought-tolerant and low-maintenance, Nandina thrives in various soil types, making it ideal for borders, hedges, and decorative accents.

Rosa rugosa provide beauty in the winter as well as the summer garden. They offer a range of benefits that contribute to a garden’s ecosystem by providing food for pollinators and animals. Photo ©: Ginny Bode | Skagit County Master Gardeners 

Callicarpia berries provide winter food for mammals and birds, and the spring flowers produce nectar for the bees-a multi-season winner in the garden landscape. Photo ©: Ginny Bode | Skagit County Master Gardeners 

Many berry-producing shrubs and bushes reach a beauty crescendo in the winter. The deciduous Purple Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma) puts on a stunning show of iridescent purple berries beginning in fall and hanging on well into winter. This deer-resistant shrub has large and small varieties and is an excellent choice for the garden’s ecosystem. Callicarpia berries provide winter food for mammals and birds, and the spring flowers produce nectar for the bees-a multi-season winner in the garden landscape.

Rose hips also provide striking color in late fall and winter. All roses produce hips, some that are particularly large and striking. These vibrant, berry-like fruits develop at the end of the blooming season, by not deadheading the blooms and allowing the hips (or seeds) to develop. Rose hips are both beautiful and beneficial to the garden. Their unique shape and bright hues also attract birds and wildlife, adding ecological value. By choosing a rose specifically for the rose hips it produces in fall and winter, you are adding an extra season of beauty to the garden.

Planting for the Earliest Signs of Spring
Some of us can’t resist the joy of plants which signal winter is waning. Witch hazel (Hamamelis) is the first to show spring is coming, with its bright, spidery yellow or orange flowers blooming when it still seems most definitely winter. The fragrant blossoms offer a cheerful burst of color against still-bare branches, telling us warmer days are coming.

Camellias and winter-blooming rhododendrons are also prized for their vibrant flowers while the days are still grey and cold. Camellias, often in shades of pink, red, or white, thrive in mild climates and add color to winter landscapes. Winter-blooming rhododendrons such as “Christmas Cheer”, with its striking clusters of blooms, bring color to gardens even in snow.

Witch Hazel, genus Hamamelis puts on a glorious show in early February. Photo © Bobbi Lemme | Skagit County Master Gardener

As you can see, the possibilities for adding winter interest in the garden are numerous, with many offering the bonus of providing food and shelter to birds and mammals in the winter. Use the grey days ahead to make a plan for adding structure and beauty to your winter garden next year.

~ ~ ~

Beyond the trees, shrubs, and grasses mentioned here, previous master gardeners have written about other winter garden favorites. Use these links to read more about:

Hellebores: A Treat for Your Winter Garden >

Heaths and Heathers >

Early Blooming Bulbs: Plant Now for Early Spring Color >

We would love to hear about your favorite winter interest plants in the comments section below.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

Gregson, S. (2022) Designing and Creating a Winter Garden. The Crowood Press, Ltd. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wilshire UK

Bourne, V. (2006) The Winter Garden. Castell Illustrated, Ltd, London, UK

10 Winter Flowering Shrubs. (2023) King County Master Gardeners. Retrieved from: https://extension.wsu.edu/king/tip-sheet-10-winter-flowering-shrubs/

Jorganson, J. Winter blooming Shrubs for the Pacific Northwest. Fine Gardening Magazine. Retrieved from: https://www.finegardening.com/article/winter-blooming-shrubs-for-the-northwest?srsltid=AfmBOorju8siP5rtb-DIJi3T6zmcodZhDDS8zDpxT70pNmo0eJ471Ck6

Smith, T.S. (2024) Top roses to grow for rosehips. Retrieved from: https://www.gardensillustrated.com/plants/winter/rosehips-how-to-grow-garden-rose

Jones, C. (2023) American Beautyberry-An Elegant Native Plant. Retrieved from: https://directnativeplants.com/american-beautyberry-an-elegant-native-plant/?srsltid=AfmBOooEqqq2BtXQ7HPEVsNQhVtFctuiGCRcAu1qj0_RnZCxyxoXMIUJ

Damiano, J. (2023) Give Your Garden a Pop of Color this Fall with Rose Hips. Retrieved from: https://www.morningagclips.com/give-your-garden-a-pop-of-color-this-fall-with-rose-hips/

Hollies for the Puget Sound Area. Retrieved from: https://depts.washington.edu/hortlib/pal/hollies-for-the-puget-sound-area/

Ginny Bode

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ginny Bode is a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Class of 2022 and is co-editor of the Ask a Master Gardener Blog. She enjoys taking close-up photos of winter beauty on daily walks and in nearby gardens.

The Fig Tree-A Horticultural Challenge

Though best suited for a Mediterranean climate, figs can be successfully grown in the Pacific Northwest.

By: Sonja Nelson, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Gardeners are adventurous folks, always on the lookout for a new and captivating plant to add interest to their gardens. One such beckoning horticultural challenge is the edible fig tree (Ficus carica). An example of a mature, edible fig can be found at the edge of the NW Fruit Garden on State Route 536 west of Mount Vernon. Located next to the Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Discovery Garden, the NW Fruit Garden features over 200 fruit cultivars, including fig trees.

Although edible figs are widely grown in Europe’s warm Mediterranean basin, the climate of the Pacific Northwest is too cool for many varieties. However, the mature edible fig is part of NW Fruit’s experimental planting program to find the best fruits for growing in our area.

The fig specimen is the cultivar ‘Desert King,’ about 10 feet tall. The white bark on this multi-trunked, deciduous shrub is a pleasing contrast to its large, three-lobed, dark green leaves veined a lighter green. In July, the pear-shaped fruit is dark green (see photo), but the skin changes to greenish white when ripe.

One of the First Plants Cultivated
Each plant in our gardens has a story to tell. However, the fig tree story may be one of the most captivating. Judging from fossils found dating from 9400-9200 BC in the Jordan Valley, which today forms the border between Jordan and Israel, the fig is believed to be one of the first plants cultivated by humans, preceding the domestication of wheat, barley, and legumes by a thousand years. Figs were widespread in ancient Greece and described by Aristotle. They were also a common food source for the Romans. Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, was poisoned with figs from his garden that his wife smeared with poison. The well-known Biblical source in the Book of Genesis refers to Adam and Eve using fig leaves to cover their private parts in shame for eating the forbidden fruit. From the 15^th century, the edible fig was grown in Northern Europe and the New World. In 1769, missionaries brought the first figs to California.
The Interesting Botany of the Fig
The edible fig fruit humans consume for its delectable sweetness is produced by Ficus carica, one of over 800 fig species in the genus Ficus. The three types of edible figs are distinguished from one another by their pollination process. The type most amenable to growing in our area is the “common fig.” The fruit skin, referred to by botanists as its “syconium,” is 1-2 inches long and green in color that ripens to purple or brown. Its interior is lined with unisexual flowers that produce seeds through a process called “parthenogenesis,” a natural form of asexual reproduction. The single-seeded fruits line the inside of the syconium, producing soft, reddish flesh containing crunchy seeds.

Most varieties of figs can produce two crops a year. The first crop is called “Breba,” which bears fruit on last year’s wood, and the second is called “Main,” which bears fruit on the current year’s wood. The Puget Sound region is usually too cool to ripen the Main crop.

Fig Research and Much, Much More
Figs are among the many varieties of fruit tested for research in the NW Fruit Garden. Recently, a new row of fig trees was planted with eight fig trees, and another row will be planted soon. The group is also planning to install a protective structure to demonstrate how to cover and protect figs in winter.

NW Fruit’s search for fig tree varieties that grow well in the Northwest extends worldwide. For instance, NW Fruit volunteer and co-chair Sam Benowitz traveled to the Brittany region in northwest France to observe and get a cutting of the fig variety ‘Madeleine de deux Saisons’ to grow and test at NW Fruit. Other new varieties include: ‘Little Ruby,’ ‘Olympian,’ ‘Brown Turkey,’ ‘Nordland,’ ‘Grantham’s Royal,’ and ‘Lattarula.’ Benowitz is a longtime volunteer at NW Fruit. Sam established and owned Raintree Nursery near Morton, Washington in 1972, building it into one of the country’s leading edible fruits nurseries, prior to selling it in 2018. His enthusiasm for his work is characteristic of the garden volunteers caring for and testing the many fruit varieties.

The Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation, now called NW Fruit, was created in 1991 to help support the tree fruit research at the Washington State University (WSU) Northwestern Washington Research & Extension Center (NWREC) Fruit Horticulture Program in Mount Vernon. It is dedicated to supporting research and educating the public about the special fruit-growing conditions of the Pacific Northwest region.

The six-acre NW Fruit Garden currently has over 200 fruit cultivars growing for research and demonstration to the public.

Growing Figs in the Ground
The climate of the Pacific Northwest differs from that of the Mediterranean region, where the species Ficus Caria is native. Although our climate is sometimes compared to a Mediterranean one because of its warm, dry summers, it falls short of being ideal for many varieties of figs. Hence, Sam Benowitz traveled to France’s Brittany area to find edible fig varieties from a climate more like ours and test them at NW Fruit.

Ficus carica ‘Desert King’ at the NW Fruit Garden. Photo: © Sonja Nelson

NW Fruit volunteer Sam Benowitz kneels next to a recently planted variety of Ficus carica. This fig is one in a row of eight fig trees planted at NW Fruit to test for adaptability to the Pacific Northwest climate. Photo: © Sonja Nelson

The edible fig, Ficus carica, and its varieties thrive in rich soil and a warm microclimate. The high temperatures sometimes experienced in our area should not be a problem for figs. However, in temperatures below 10 degrees F, plants may need cover. From his experience at NW Fruit, Benowitz believes the most significant shortcoming of our climate for figs is the lack of summer heat during the growing season. The program experiments on-site with techniques, such as walls that capture heat. Regular watering of the fig trees in the garden is necessary, especially as they start. An irrigation system is set to water the figs once a week throughout the summer.

The soil for in-ground figs should be slightly acidic (6.0 – 6.5). Allow spread for fibrous, shallow root systems. Do not fertilize at planting time, but mulch with compost. Training a young fig tree involves spacing the branches and forcing them to one main trunk. Figs can also be trained to an open center or vase shape, allowing good light penetration into the canopy. In training a newly planted tree, cut it to 2 to 3 feet in height, forcing lateral buds to produce new, low branches. In the following winter, select three to four main branches, cut them back to 30-36 inches, and remove the rest. Annual pruning, which should be done in the dormant season, is usually limited to cutting back the previous year’s growth. Thinning may be necessary if the canopy gets too dense. The leaf and root sap of fig trees may cause skin irritation in humans.

Growing Figs in Containers
In the Northwest, fig trees can be planted in containers in any season. Place the pot where you want it to go, preferably in full sun, and add a few inches of well-draining potting mix to the bottom. Place the tree at the same planting depth in which it was growing in the nursery pot. Then, backfill the remainder of the pot with potting mix. The fig’s root ball should be level with the soil line, but leave two inches of space between the soil and the rim of the pot to make watering easier. Add a thin layer of organic mulch around the base of the water line. Water when the top two inches of soil feels dry to the touch. Fertilize in the spring and fall with a balanced, organic fertilizer. Pruning, if necessary, should be done in winter. Ripe figs should be slightly soft and sweet smelling and begin drooping on their stems. Figs with hard necks that remain perpendicular to their stems are not yet ripe and should not be picked.

The dwarf fig ‘Little Miss Figgy’ was developed for use in a container. Planted in June, this specimen has thrived in a container on the patio of a home in Mount Vernon. Photo: © Sonja Nelson

Learn more about Figs and the extensive collection of fruit cultivars at the NW Fruit Open House
On Saturday, October 12 NW Fruit will hold its Sample the Apple and Pear Harvest Day. It is open to members, but anyone can attend by paying a $25 annual membership fee that day. Dr. Cameron Peace of WSU’s School of Horticulture (Pulman) will speak about heritage apple varieties and using DNA to identify varieties. There will be a tour of the many pioneer varieties in the garden and a chance to taste dozens of delicious cultivars thriving in the garden. Bags or boxes of ladder-picked fruit will be available for members to take home in addition to other fruit. Go to the website https://nwfruit.org/apple-pear/ to read more about this event.

NW Fruit is a member-volunteer organization. It includes people who have spent a lifetime growing fruit and people who are just starting on their own journey of learning how to grow fruit successfully. For more information on volunteering, see: https://nwfruit.org

The foliage of ‘Desert King’ fig in the NW Fruit Garden in July. Photo: © Sonja Nelson

Get started growing figs. Several varieties will be on sale at the annual Master Gardener Plant Fair May 10, 2025 Photo: © Skagit County Master Gardener Foundation
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

Benowitz, Sam, NW Fruit Co-Chair. Personal communication, 7/18/ 2024.

Landers, L. How to Grow a Fig Tree in a Pot. Better Homes and Gardens, 5-10-23
Retrieved from: https://www.bhg.com/how-to-grow-a-fig-tree-in-a-pot-7487022

Fruit Garden Tour – Fig

https://nwfruit.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fig

Morgan, P. (2023) Figs in the Home Garden. Pennsylvania State University Extension. Retrieved from: https://extension.psu.edu/figs-in-the-home-garden

Biggs, S. (2021) How to Grow Figs Even in Colder Climates. Fine Gardening. Tauten Press, Newton, CT. Retrieved from: https://www.finegardening.com/project-guides/fruits-and-vegetables/how-to-grow-figs-even-in-colder-climates

Figs and Kiwi Fruit. Snohomish County WSU Extension Community Fact Sheet #46 Retrieved from: s3.wp.wsu.edu>2053/2015/09>46FigsKiwiFruit

Author Sonja Nelson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sonja Nelson is a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Class of 2009.

There is still time
to apply to become
a Master Gardener in 2025
Questions about becoming a Master Gardener may be directed to: Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/mg/

A Second Act for Your Square 1-Gallon Pots at the Discovery Garden!

Bring your leftover square 1-gallon pots to the Discovery Garden (16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon). The bin for recycling the square 1-gal pots is located in the parking lot, just north (to the right) of the main entrance.
We only need square 1-gallon pots like the ones pictured below (bottom right). The recycling bin will be available now through fall. Simply put your pots into the bin, and we take care of the rest!

Useful Tips for Harvesting and Preserving Herbs in the Pacific Northwest

Preserving herbs can be a bit of trial and error, but the process is worth the fresh flavor and satisfaction.

By: Laura Kuhn, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Because of their useful nature, herbs are a common addition to home gardens. The use of the term herb is often used interchangeably with spice. However, the terms herbs and spices technically refer to two different things. “Herbs” are defined as the leafy parts of plants, such as oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, and others. “Spices” typically involve the use of other plant parts such as roots, fruits, flowers, seeds, or bark. Spices include cinnamon, ginger, lavender, coriander, cumin, and many others. Both herbs and spices are used for their savory, aromatic, or medicinal qualities. This article will focus primarily on herb preservation, although many methods mentioned here can also apply to spices.

Gardeners who grow vegetables may also grow herbs for pairing in recipes later. However, some of the best pairings cannot be harvested at the same time. For example, basil can look tired by the time the tomatoes are ready to be harvested. And it is difficult to find an easy, cost-effective way to have bunches of fresh cilantro available at the same time tomatoes and peppers ripen for salsa. Preserving herbs can help to bridge these gaps.

In 2002, when faced with a huge abundance of herbs that could not all be used fresh, I bought one of the popular “As Seen On TV” food dehydrators and dried herbs to make gifts for the following holiday season. The color and flavor of home-dried herbs are superior to store-bought herbs. Since then, I have also started to grow herbs and spices to make tea.

An often-asked question is: What is the best way to preserve herbs? The answer depends on how you plan to use them. The goal is to capture the essential oils in the trichomes (fine outgrowth like hairs) on the surface or epidermal layer of the leaves. These oils have the flavor and aroma we want.

What gardeners choose to grow and preserve is most influenced by the amount of time, budget, and available space. The good news is that with a small investment in time, space, and equipment, home gardeners can achieve excellent results that rival the expensive options available.

Oregano ripe for harvest. © Photographer: Laura Kuhn

Stevia and ornamental oregano in a vertical container with annuals. © Photographer: Laura Kuhn
Growing Herbs-
Herbs can grow in most garden conditions and be planted directly in the ground, in raised beds, or in containers. Vertical garden systems are a terrific way to get a lot of variety in a small space. Gardeners who are just starting herb growing should start slowly and do their research. Purchasing herb starts at a local garden center is an easy and inexpensive way to begin. However, a far greater selection of herbs are available as seeds. Once gardeners have experience, they can grow their favorites from seed and make space for annual and perennial varieties.
Harvesting Herbs-
The harvesting process is as simple as removing the right part of the plant for the intended use. For most culinary uses, the target is tender fresh leaves (i.e., oregano, thyme, and basil). In some cases, the goal is to preserve flowers for making tea (i.e., chamomile, calendula, or anise hyssop) or to harvest the plant’s mature seeds (i.e., dill or coriander). Yet other plants are used for their roots (i.e., ginger or horseradish). If growing for flowers, it is important to pick the flowers often to encourage the production of more blooms.

For leafy herbs such as basil and oregano, the best flavor comes from young leaves on stems cut before the plant goes into flower production. However, the growing season can be extended by cutting back flowering stem tops to encourage more leaf growth. When doing so, leave four to six leaves on the plant stems for re-growth. If growing for seed, keep the flowers on the plants and wait until the seeds are fully mature. Root harvests take a longer time commitment and can require waiting for several growing seasons to achieve a decent harvest.

Organization is important during the harvesting process. It is best to harvest all of one specific plant at a time, making the cleaning and preservation process easier by avoiding the time-consuming task of separating during the cleaning process. For harvesting, no special tools are needed. Most herbs are tender enough to harvest by hand pinching or using scissors. Small clippers with short-tipped blades are best for harvesting small leaves or stems. Digging roots is a careful process. It is important to provide wide enough margins to avoid shovel damage to the roots.

Mammolo and Lettuce Leaf basils ready for drying in the dehydrator. © Photographer: Laura Kuhn
Preserving Herbs –
After harvesting, the herbs require cleaning before preserving. Most herbs can be immersed in cool water to clean off the leaves (stem and all). Use paper towels, a drying rack on a work surface, or a salad spinner to get as much moisture off as possible. Avoid crushing the leaves unless the herbs are chopped before preserving them. Chives can be washed and cut into small pieces with scissors by holding a bunch of stems and cutting them as a group before preserving them.

The preservation method should strive to achieve the best quality for the intended use. Scientific research has been conducted on various methods of preservation. The winning method for drying herbs is freeze drying because it preserves essential oils, aroma, and color best. However, the cost of such a system for most home gardeners is not reasonable. Therefore, the most common methods involve dehydration (using heat) or drying (using air), which results in a shelf-stable product that can be used year-round, or by freezing.

Bunching and cutting chives to cut and freeze or dry. © Photographer: Laura Kuhn

Echinacea (foreground) and lavender at a local nursery. © Photographer: Laura Kuhn

Chamomile ready to harvest in the Herb Garden at the Discovery Garden. © Photographer: Laura Kuhn

Calendula and various herbs in the Discovery Garden. © Photographer: Laura Kuhn

Humidity levels in the Pacific Northwest, particularly western Washington, are a challenge to herb preservation and storage. Humidity levels should be 45-55 percent for proper drying and to avoid mold. Even during our drier summer months, average outdoor humidity levels are more than 60 percent. The water content in the herbs being dried is also a consideration. The more tender herbs, such as basil, tarragon, oregano, lemon balm, and mints, tend to have a higher water content. On the other hand, sage, thyme, parsley, and rosemary tend to be more “woody” and have a lower water content. Taking this into account before picking a preservation method increases the chances of success.

Drying with Air–
Drying with air is by far the easiest method of preserving herbs but difficult to master successfully given Pacific Northwest humidity levels. Mold can form on plants, or the dried product will be limp and discolored. Make small bunches of plant stems, wrap with butcher’s twine, and hang the bunches up. The drying area will need to have good ventilation (an oscillating fan works great). Avoid exposure to light during drying as it will affect the color. A barometer or humidity gauge helps decide if drying is possible. Woody plants such as rosemary and sage are best for this process due to humidity levels. The amount of time needed to dry the plants and crush the leaves will vary based on weather and drying conditions. Checking plants often is the best way to gauge if they are ready.

Bunches of herbs ready for hang drying. © Photographer: Laura Kuhn

Failed attempt at airdrying parsley and lemon balm. Conditions were too humid for effective drying. Note loss of color in parsley to the left. © Photographer: Laura Kuhn
Dehydrating with Heat–
The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends drying herbs at 95 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures are best for tender plants. Since most home ovens cannot achieve the recommended temperatures for herb drying, food dehydrators have become popular. Many dehydrators come with wire racks so air can flow through the leaves. Arrange the leaves/stems across the rack so they are not touching. Overcrowding during the drying process can result in longer dry times. You can use a mesh-style rack for small leaves to provide air circulation. A tip for selecting a decent food dehydrator is to make sure that it can adjust the drying temperature and time. Select a unit that can dry at as low a temperature as possible to provide the most control over the drying process and quality. Increased heat levels might be needed to compensate for humidity levels. Using heated air to dry herbs can result in a higher loss of essential oils than using air-dried herbs. The amount of time needed to achieve a crisp, dry product that can be easily crushed is variable. Humidity, plant water content, and temperature are all factors to consider. For this reason, I recommend checking on the plants often during the drying process.

For either drying method mentioned above, it is important to note that any moisture left in the plants after drying can lead to spoilage. If your drying space seems to be “too moist” meaning you cannot achieve a crisp dry texture, increase the temperature, and air circulation. A process of trial and error may be needed as the time of year and the water content of plants can vary.

To prepare the dried herbs for storage, the leaves are removed from stems and crushed to the desired size. A tip for this step is to place the dried herbs into a bag and push the leaves off the stems. Set aside stems as you push the leaves into the bag. When the biggest stems are removed, crush the leaves inside of the bag to the desired size. Sift through the dried product to remove smaller stems to achieve the best consistency for cooking. Rougher dried herbs can be used for teas. It really is up to personal preference as to how “clean” the final product will be. Some choose sifters or screens to further improve the visual appeal of the end product.

Dehydrator full of racks of calendula and anise hyssop. © Photographer: Laura Kuhn

Fresh chopped basil freezes well when packed in ice cube trays then filled with water or oil. Once frozen, the basil cubes can be stored in a large freezer bag and used as needed. © Photographer: Laura Kuhn
Freezing –
A quick and straightforward way to preserve herbs for later use in cooking is by freezing. Individual leaves can be placed in single layers on cookie sheets and then flash frozen. Cut chives work well this way. Once frozen, place the herbs into storage containers to reduce exposure to air. Another freezing method is to chop the herbs and load them into ice cube trays, then fill with water. Once frozen, put the cubes into storage containers and add them to recipes when needed. Alliums (onions and garlic) can be easily processed this way, also. The biggest downside to freezing is the required storage space in your freezer and a shorter shelf life.

Other methods include layering whole leaves in salt or oil. Herb essential oils can be transferred to other liquids for use in cooking. For example, herbs can be steeped to create herb-infused vinegars or oils. These methods take more time and care than can be covered here, so more research and preparation should be taken before trying these options. Microwaving takes a bit of trial and error to get the right cooking time for the type of herb used and varies with different types of machines.

Most herbs can be processed successfully in a variety of ways for different uses. A good tip is to experiment and see which techniques work best. Gardeners who experiment, find the methods that work best for their intended use.

Air tight containers and light blocking storage bin for dried herbs. © Photographer: Laura Kuhn
Storing Herbs –
Dried or dehydrated herbs do not like exposure to light and air, especially moist air. A simple and effortless way to store extra dried herbs is to put them into marked zip lock bags or a vacuumed sealed mason jar. Once each herb is in its container, they will need to be placed in a dark area like inside of a canister or storage container. Keep your herbs in a cool dry area because exposure to heat during storage can affect essential oil content. Storage time will vary on the herb, but if stored properly, they can last for months or longer.

The two most important tips of all are to grow what you will use and grow from seed for the best plant selection.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

Rodale’s Encyclopedia of Herbs, May 2000, Rodale Press

Drying: Herbs, National Center for Home Food Preservation, University of Georgia, no date cited. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/recipes/herbs/

Thamkaew, G., Sjöholm, I., & Galindo, F. G. (2020). A review of drying methods for improving the quality of dried herbs. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 61(11), 1763-1786. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2020.1765309

Author: Laura Kuhn

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Laura is new to the Skagit Valley but has more than 30 years of experience growing in coastal, inland valley, and desert climates. She had fun trying to grow herbs while traveling full-time in an RV. Laura is a 2023 graduate of the Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener program.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a Master Gardener, may be directed to: Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/mg/

A Second Act for Your Square 1-Gallon Pots at the Discovery Garden!

Bring your leftover square 1-gallon pots to the Discovery Garden (16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon). The bin for recycling the square 1-gal pots is located in the parking lot, just north (to the right) of the main entrance.
We only need square 1-gallon pots like the ones pictured below (bottom right). The recycling bin will be available now through fall. Simply put your pots into the bin, and we take care of the rest!

Hypertufa Troughs Serve as Lowland Homes for Native Alpine Plants

Grow these tiny gems seen on an alpine hike

By: Sonja Nelson, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Nestled low to the ground among the peaks of the North Cascade Mountains are tiny alpine plants that delight hikers as they stroll the high country of Skagit and Whatcom Counties. If these hikers are also gardeners, it is tempting to dig a few of these gems to take home and plant in their home garden. Digging and removing plants is, of course, prohibited on public lands, including national parks, forests, and recreational areas. Moreover, the plants most likely would die when snatched out of their high-altitude environment and planted in the soils found in the lowlands of our ecoregion.

However, alpine gardening enthusiasts have found a solution to recreate the beauty they see in the alpine regions of the North Cascades. Using containers created to grow plants away from their native environment and plants purchased from nurseries specializing in alpine plants, gardeners can successfully grow these tiny gems seen on an alpine hike.

The containers, called “hypertufa troughs,” are constructed to provide the specific requirements alpine plants and succulents need to thrive. They also blend nicely into a garden or can be placed on a deck or patio.

Hypertufa trough planted with mountain heathers native to the North Cascades. The trough is placed on a deck in Bayview in Skagit County. Photo © Sonja Nelson

Snow covering the mountain heathers trough, pictured in Photo 1 (to the left), acts as insulation just as it does for these plants in their native home in the North Cascades. Photo © Sonja Nelson

Hypertufa troughs originated from the naturally occurring tufa rock, a type of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of water and build up around organic matter, eventually decomposing, leaving a porous rock. English farmers of the 1800s chiseled feeding troughs for their animals out of this rock. Years later, creative gardeners adopted these old containers, covered in moss and worn by decades of exposure to the elements, as decorative planters. A few of these sought-after antique troughs are still found in Europe but are often too heavy and expensive to transport across the Atlantic. (1)

Since tufa rock was not readily found and available in the US, gardeners in the 1930s-1940s began to make tufa-like troughs using a mix of ingredients with Portland cement. They called them “hypertufa.” (2)

Growing small alpine plants in hypertufa troughs has many advantages. The trough materials serve as insulation against extreme hot and cold temperatures that can occur in our ecoregion. The troughs also drain well, so standing water is never a problem, and the roots of alpine plants grow into the porous hypertufa and tend to thrive.

In addition, the Portland cement in the hypertufa mix slowly releases some calcium and magnesium that plants need. And, because the trough is relatively lightweight, they can be moved from place to place in the garden for the best exposure through the seasons. (2)

Ecoregions
Growing alpine plants in hypertufa troughs gives gardeners the pleasure of seeing them close to home in their gardens and protects them from the possible ravages of warm summers in their native locations.

Skagit Valley is located in the Puget Trough ecoregion, with mild, wet winters, and warm, dry summers. Here, precipitation averages 40 inches per year, with a mean January temperature of 39° F and a mean July temperature of 65°F. This climate differs from the climate of the North Cascades ecoregion, where many of our Washington native alpines for our hypertufa troughs grow in the wild. High elevations in the alpine regions are often covered with snow for many months. (3) The North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) traverses this ecoregion’s subalpine and alpine sections.

The Plants
The choice of North Cascade alpine plants for troughs is considerable. To get started, as an example among alpine plants, choose from the mountain heathers, the saxifrages, and the gentians.

White mountain heather (Cassiope mertensia) near Mt. Shuksan in the North Cascades. © Sonja Nelson

Mountain Heathers
The common name “heather” can refer to many different highland species throughout the world. North Cascade heathers are called “mountain heathers” and include the genera Cassiope and Phyllodoce. Common names include white mountain heather, Alaskan mountain heather, pink mountain heather, and yellow mountain heather. (6)
Saxifrages
Members of the genus Saxifraga are widespread in the North Cascades, many of which grow in the subalpine and alpine regions. Examples seen by the author are Tolmie’s saxifrage (Saxifraga tolmiei) at Chain Lakes, Alaska saxifrage (Saxifraga ferruginea) at Twin Lakes, and western saxifrage (Saxifraga occidentale) on Chowder Ridge (Pojar and Mackinnon1994).

Saxifrage at Bagley Lakes in the North Cascades. © Sonja Nelson

Broad-petalled gentian (Gentiana platypetala) at Cutthroat Pass in the North Cascades. © Sonja Nelson

Gentians
Members of the genus Gentiana are also widespread in the North Cascades. Four gentian species are native to the North Cascades: king gentian (Gentiana septum), broad-petalled gentian (Gentiana platypetala), swamp gentian (Gentiana douglasiana), and alpine bog swertia (Swertia perennis). (6)

Although hypertufa troughs are highly suitable for growing alpines at low elevations, many small native plants and succulents also find the troughs an amenable environment for growth and a refuge from fluctuating temperatures.

Growing Mix
The soil mix used in the troughs cannot be the same as the soil in your garden. Alpines especially need good drainage, which means water seeps through the medium quickly and does not pool around the plant crowns.

A basic trough medium recipe is 2/3 to 3/4 by volume potting mix with either peat or coconut coir and 1/3 to 1/4 by volume coarse perlite. Add fertilizer if the soil mix does not include it. (2)

The extensive Trough Courtyard at the UBC Botanical Garden in Vancouver, BC features an extensive collection of alpine rock plants. © Ginny Bode

This tiny Brassicaceae is tucked between rocks in a trough garden at the UBC Botanical Garden. © Ginny Bode
Making Hypertufa
Recipe mixes for hypertufa can be found on the Internet. The recipe below is from Rosemary Read, Editor of The Social Gardener for the Whatcom Horticultural Society.
Lightweight Frost-proof Troughs “Tufa”
by Rosemary Read, Editor, The Social Gardener

Materials Needed (parts by bulk):

• 1 part Portland cement
• 1 ½ parts fine peat (screened)
• 1 ½ parts horticultural vermiculite and/or perlite
• 2 cardboard boxes (which, when fitted one inside the other, leave a gap of approx. 2 in. between the sides.)
• 2-3 wood dowels (approx. 2 in. long)
• Chicken wire (or metal strips) for reinforcement

Peat Moss and Sustainability

Increasingly, master gardeners are looking towards sustainable materials and encouraging gardeners to use a peat moss substitute whenever possible. Coconut coir is a sustainable product, and can be used instead of peat moss at a ratio 1.5:1 of the coconut coir and cement to water and perlite. However, it does not decompose as quickly as peat moss, which leaves pits and crevices and resembles true tufa rock. The full recipe and directions for using a peat substitute can be found here > 

Download the full report debunking the myth of the sustainability of peat bogs by Linda Chalker-Scott, PhD., WSU Extension Urban Horticulturist and Associate Professor.
Download here>
Steps to Making a Hypertufa Pot
Mix the dry ingredients and add water to make a thick, creamy consistency that can be poured. Mix in an old wheelbarrow, bucket, or container that can be moved and washed out when the project is complete.

1) Set up the outer mold cardboard box where you can move around it freely and where it may be left to harden. It is best to cover surfaces with plastic.

2) Pour mixture into the floor of the outer mold (2″ or more).

3) Press the wooden dowels into the mixture. In addition to making drainage holes, the dowels will support the inner box.

4) Place the inner mold on top of the dowel plugs.

5) Place in chicken wire (along sides and corners).

6) Pour in the mixture until it reaches the top.

7) Leave 24 hours. Remove the outer mold (peel off).

8) Rough sides to make it look “old” (chisel).

9) Leave the inner mold longer to harden.

10) Leave trough a week or more to harden before knocking out the plugs.

11) Leave the trough for 2 weeks to “cure” by soaking it in water, which is changed every 2-3 days.

_______ – _______

Safety Warning: Concrete contains chemicals that can cause skin irritation and lung damage. Read the warning labels on the material purchased. When working with concrete, always wear gloves, a facemask, safety glasses, and old clothing. Set up your work area outside, away from breezes, children, and pets.

_______ – _______

Outer box: 16 ½” x 13 ¼” x 8″
Inner box: 13″ x 9 ¼” x 6-8″
Trough Size (inside): 13″ x 9 ¼” x 5 ½”

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

1. Carpenter, J. How to Make a Hypertufa Garden Trough. Retrieved from: This Old House.com

2. Chips, L. (2018). Hypertufa Containers. Portland, OR, Timber Press

3. Ecoregions in Washington, Landscape America, (http://www.landscope.org/washington/natural_geography/ecoregions/).Read, R., Personal Communication, (May, 2024). Lightweight Frost-proof Troughs “Tufa” The Social Gardener, Whatcom Horticultural Society, Bellingham, Washington.

4. Reed, W. High and Dry for a NW Icon. (2023, Fall). Washington State Magazine
Retrieved from: https://magazine.wsu.edu/2023/07/31/high-and-dry-for-a-nw-icon/

5. Pojar, J., MacKinnon, A. (1994). Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska. Tukwilla, WA, Lone Pine Publishing.

Sonja Nelson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sonja Nelson is a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener, Class of 2009.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a master gardener may be directed to:  Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: www.skagit.wsu.edu/mg

Know & Grow
Gardening for Fragrance
Presented by Diana Wisen
Free
Tuesday, June 18 ~  1 p.m.
NWREC Sakuma Auditorium
16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon

Visit the annual Open House at the Display Gardens:

Saturday, June 29
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Free Admission & Parking
Discovery Garden
16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon
Learn More >

A Second Act for Your Square 1-Gallon Pots at the Discovery Garden!

Bring your leftover square 1-gallon pots to the Discovery Garden (16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon). The bin for recycling the square 1-gal pots is located in the parking lot, just north (to the right) of the main entrance.
We only need square 1-gallon pots like the ones pictured below (bottom right). The recycling bin will be available now through fall. Simply put your pots into the bin, and we take care of the rest!

Red-twig dogwood (Cornus sericea) © Joan D. Stamm

Gardening for Wildlife

Thinking of adding new plants to your garden this spring? Choose from these recommendations to build a healthy ecosystem for your favorite wildlife species.

Updated: August 18, 2024

By: Joan D. Stamm, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

In a blog article last September, I recommended reading Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy for the “why” of gardening for wildlife. This article will explore the “what” and the “where”-as in “what” plants and “where” to buy them.

For the “what,” I suggest Real Gardens Grow Natives by Eileen M. Stark as a guide to site prep, plant selection, and the benefits each plant offers the ecosystem. “Benefit” in this article, as in Stark’s book, is the critical word. It points to what the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has coined as keystone plants.

What exactly is a keystone plant?
According to NWF, keystone plants are “native plants critical to the food web and necessary for many wildlife species to complete their life cycle. Without keystone plants in the landscape, butterflies, native bees, and birds will not thrive. 96% of our terrestrial birds rely on insects supported by keystone plants.”

Stark, a wildlife conservationist and landscape designer from Portland, Oregon, specializes in wildlife habitat gardens that include keystone plants. In the 317 pages of her beautifully photographed book, you will find 100 of her favorite Northwest native plant varieties and their many benefits for wildlife.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) © Joan D. Stamm

Twinberry (Lonicera involucrata) © Joan D. Stamm

Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) © Joan D. Stamm

For example, the Garry oak or Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) is one of the top keystone plants Stark promotes in her book. If we want butterflies in our garden, we need to have trees, shrubs, and perennials that host butterfly larvae. The Garry oak is one such tree; it is a host plant for many caterpillars, including the “gray hairstreak, California sister, and Propertius duskywing butterfly larvae.” In addition, the “flowers attract native bees,” and the “acorns sustain populations of mammals and birds such as woodpeckers, nuthatches and vireos.” “Studies show,” writes Start, “that oaks support more insect herbivores than any other plant genus.”

Although incredibly beneficial, not everyone has space for an 80-foot Garry oak. If not, consider another keystone tree: bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata). Birds such as “tanagers, waxwings, bluebirds, towhees, and flickers” will arrive to eat the fruit. A native cherry also hosts “swallowtail and Lorquin’s admiral butterfly larvae.”

If you love butterflies, another great keystone tree is Scouler’s willow (Salix scouleriana); it hosts “western tiger swallowtail, great comma, dreamy duskywing, and mourning cloak butterfly larvae.” In addition, native willow flowers “provide pollen and nectar for bees,” and “small and large mammals feed on buds, leaves, and seeds.”

Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) © Joan D. Stamm

Frog on Sneezeweed © Joan D. Stamm

Bumblebee on blanket flower © Joan D. Stamm

Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) is also a keystone tree, providing “pollen and nectar for large numbers of bees, as well as hummingbird and spring azure butterflies.” Serviceberry fruit, says Stark, “is relished by waxwings, chickadees, woodpeckers, and tanagers,” and it is a host plant for “pale swallowtail, brown elfin, Lorquin’s admiral, and California hairstreak butterfly larvae.”

Along with these important native trees, many keystone perennials can fit into any open sunny space in your garden. A beneficial plant throughout many regions, goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), is a “nectar source for native bees and butterflies, such as the checkered skipper, clouded sulphur, gray hairstreak, monarch [east of the Cascades], and the endangered Oregon silverspot.”

Douglas aster (Symphyotrichum subspicatum) “provides nectar and pollen for bees and nectar for woodland skipper, pine white, painted lady, red admiral, mourning cloak, and the Oregon silverspot.” It is also a “host plant for field crescent and other butterfly larvae.”

Lupine © Joan D. Stamm

Big-leaf lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) not only “provide[s] pollen for native bumblebees,” it is a “host plant for silvery blue, painted lady, and orange sulfur butterfly larvae. Aphids attracted to the plant are preyed upon by syrphid fly larvae. Seeds are eaten by birds such as sparrows and finches.”

The Viola adunca, a native violet in our state, is a dynamic host plant for at least seven species of butterfly caterpillars and an enticing nectar plant for the endangered Mardon skipper butterfly.

Stark divides her native plant selections into three categories: plants for sun, partial sun, and mostly shade, guiding us in our creed “right plant, right place.” You’ll also find chapters on soil, pruning, watering, weeding, mulching, and much more. Her book is this gardener’s “go-to” choice whenever looking for the right native plant for a particular area and wanting to know the benefit to nature: what bees, butterflies, birds, or caterpillars the plant will attract.

As beneficial as all native plants are for our native wildlife, some natives on Stark’s list may not be suitable for an urban or suburban garden. For example, western red cedar, grand fir, Douglas fir, western hemlock, and Sitka spruce, are all enormously beneficial, but grow to a height of over 100 feet. The Douglas’ spirea, Stark warns, “may be too assertive for small, moist gardens.” Yet, the Spiraea betulifolia var. lucida, a small shrub with white flowers, might be perfect for a sunny border. Be sure to familiarize yourself with height, width, water requirements, and characteristics such as “vigorous,” “assertive,” or “rapid spreader” to determine if you have the “right plant for the right place.” A Nootka rose’s flowers and hips provide many benefits to wildlife but, over time, will grow into a thicket. However, if you have room for it to spread, it might make the perfect hedgerow, providing not only winter food for juncos and grosbeaks but also a habitat for nesting birds and the western checkerspot butterfly caterpillar.

For a more comprehensive book on creating gardens for wildlife, see Russell Link’s Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. Link’s book not only includes extensive lists of native and non-native plants that benefit wildlife but also illustrates how to build habitats for birds, reptiles, mammals, and all the other creatures that make up a complete ecosystem. For example, he details snag locations and which draw native birds. He describes how to create a cavity in a live tree without killing the tree and thus create a habitat for a woodpecker. The book contains several kinds of fully illustrated brush or rock piles, including how to make them, where to place them, and who will benefit.

For example, Link says that “bushtits, chickadees, dark-eyed juncos, towhees,” and others “will use the inside of a brush pile,” whereas “hummingbirds, robins, and towhees will use the outside of a brush pile. Salamanders, snakes, toads, and turtles,” will use the base of the brush pile. He also covers how to create or construct proper birdbaths, ponds, nest boxes, and bat houses and features detailed drawings to illustrate how to build homes for Mason and bumblebees. Included are eight pages of colored photos depicting NW native mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, moths, and other insects, describing our native birds and their preferred habitats.

Bee on Sneezeweed © Joan D. Stamm

Scotch bluebell (Campanula rotundifolia) © Joan D. Stamm

With these three books, Nature’s Best Hope, Real Gardens Grow Natives, and Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest, you will be inspired, informed, and guided to provide plants that offer habitat and food (nectar, pollen, insects) for our native wildlife. You will better understand why it’s important to cultivate natives and have a clearer idea of what to plant, thus joining the movement to restore our natural ecosystem.

The only question remaining is “where” to buy all these wonderful beneficial plants?
You can start with our very own Skagit County Master Gardener Foundation’s Annual Plant Fair, which always features a native plant section. The sale occurs the Saturday before Mother’s Day (May 11, 2024) at the Skagit County Fairgrounds in Mount Vernon.

The local Salal chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society (https://www.wnps.org/salal-programs/garden) offers a twice-yearly native plant sale online with pick up at their demonstration garden adjacent to the Discovery Garden. Sign up to get email notifications.

Some of our local nurseries are beginning to carry more native plants. Azusa Gardens in Mount Vernon on Hwy 20 (https://www.azusagardens.com/) keeps expanding its native plant section each season. They feature two- and five-gallon shrubs such as twinberry, ocean spray, snowberry, red-twig dogwood, mountain hemlock, and others. Twinberry (Lonicera involucrata), in particular, is an attractive and beneficial native shrub easily grown with a little shade. It produces yellow tubular flowers attractive to hummingbirds and the berries are eaten by “thrushes, flickers, grosbeaks, and waxwings”; it’s also a host plant for the “snowberry checkerspot butterfly larvae.” Azusa also carries native ferns, and groundcovers such as bunchberry and wild ginger. They also welcome requests for specific plants.

Christianson’s Nursery in Mount Vernon on Best Road  (https://www.christiansonsnursery.com/) has a native plant section and carries one-gallon great camass (Camassia leichtlinii) in spring. They also have vine maple, salal, western red cedar, fir, hemlock, and kinnikinnick. The latter is a perfect groundcover. Kinnikinnick is not only evergreen, but the flowers are popular with bees and hummingbirds; the berries are eaten by “songbirds and many ground-feeding birds,” says Stark. It is also a “host plant for brown elfin and hoary elfin butterfly larvae.”

Plantas Nativa in Bellingham (https://www.plantasnativa.com/) specializes exclusively in native plants. They pack a lot of choices-conifers, shrubs, perennials, ferns, grasses, water plants, groundcovers, and more-into their small corner lot.

A little farther away but worth the drive, a visit to the Pacific Rim Institute (PRI) https://pacificriminstitute.org/ near Coupeville on Whidbey Island will reward you with not only a native plant nursery but a hike through a preserved segment of Washington’s native prairie landscape that contains the endangered golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta). PRI’s Nursery specializes in 50 native prairie plants. Many, such as woolly sunflower, red paintbrush, campanula, yarrow, larkspur, and fescue, will thrive in a sunny spot in your garden. Red paintbrush, in particular, is a beautiful, easy-to-grow native when planted with another native-like yarrow, woolly sunflower, penstemon, or blue-eyed grass. Due to its symbiotic nature, paintbrush requires nutrients from a host plant’s roots to survive. It blooms throughout summer, and Anna’s hummingbird loves the red flowers.

PRI also specializes in some unique native bulbs-ookow (Dichelostemma congestum), blue lily (Triteleia grandiflora), and harvest brodiaea (Brodiaea coronaria), that I hope will begin to replace my non-native tulips and daffodils for spring cheer.

With the knowledge and expertise of Tallamy, Stark, and Link, and a little help from our many plant retailers, you will be inspired to garden with native keystone plants that provide food and habitat for our indigenous birds, bees, and butterflies. In our age of endangered plant and animal species, we can be a force for eco-restoration right in our own backyard.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Stark, E. 2014. Real Gardens Grow Natives. Skipstone, Seattle, WA

Tallamy, D. 2019. Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

Joan D. Stamm

Joan D. Stamm is a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener and the author of several books, including The Language of Flowers in the Time of COVID: Finding Solace in Zen, Nature and Ikebana.

https://joandstamm.com/

Questions about home gardening or becoming a Master Gardener may be directed to: Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: www.skagit.wsu.edu/mg

Gardening for Pollinators

A journey of learning

By: Patty Puckett Tingler, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Pollen is a fine powdery substance, typically yellow, consisting of microscopic grains discharged from the male part of a flower. The term pollinator is not limited to wind, insects, animals, and butterflies. Some unexpected insects such as beetles and moths are also pollinators, performing the critical task of transporting pollen to the female parts of other plants, enabling fertilization and the production of seeds and fruit. Pollinators are vital to global crop production. According to an article published by the U.S. Forest Service, “Of the 1,400 crop plants grown around the world, i.e., those that produce all of our food and plant-based industrial products, almost 80% require pollination by animals.”

It is widely assumed that the honeybee is the predominant pollinator. However, there are many types of bees, solitary and social, and they all play a role in pollination. Typically, in a home garden, you’ll find solitary bees that are not part of a hive; however, all bees play a role in pollen distribution and pollination.

© Patty Puckett Tingler

The Banded Wooly Bear is the larval stage of the Island Tiger Moth. © Virgene Link-New

A honeybee on a kale blossom Caption © Virgene Link-New

Flowers, Fruits, and Veggies

Gardeners should consider choosing plants that will provide pollinators with a variety of feeding choices all season long. Choosing early and mid-spring blooming flowers or bulbs to attract pollinators is a wise strategy. Once the pollinators have been attracted to the garden, vegetables will be bountiful all summer long. Fruit trees in blossom are ready to be pollinated. Be sure to share the bounty with birds later in the season as they were likely part of the pollinator team.

Remember to be patient. Attracting pollinators is laying the groundwork for years to come, so efforts made now will affect the garden and pollinators in the future. Watch and study your space for attractiveness to pollinators as you would for sun and shade. Neighboring plants can repel certain pollinators and you may need to move or rethink what to plant in a particular area to attract the pollinators for garden needs. Gardening for pollinators is a journey of learning and understanding.

The Western Swallowtail has a lifespan of only 6 – 14 days. Caption © Virgene Link-New

Hover fly on dahlia © Virgene Link-New

Attracting Pollinators

If you personally like scented plants then you already know which plants pollinators enjoy. In addition to scent, think of using the open face of a flower as a landing place for the pollinator to rest while gathering and distributing pollen. Whether it’s a bee, a butterfly, or a bird, rest areas will encourage different pollinators to return. In the Pacific Northwest, especially western Washington, pollinators are lured by crocosmia, coneflowers, lavender, catmint, and sunflowers to name a few. One easy-to-grow pollinator-friendly annual is lacy phacelia, also known as blue tansy. It is a beautiful lavender color, grows easily from seed, and bees will flock to this plant. Distribute the seeds around your yard and enjoy its tall, beautiful splendor.

The number of scented plants in the Pacific Northwest is quite wide, from climbing vines like honeysuckle to lavender and lilac bushes. There are plenty of native species to choose from that are drought tolerant once established such as camas, lupine, salvia, and checker mallow also known as Malva. Daisies, asters, California poppy, catmint, and sage are also pollinator-friendly plants easily grown in the PNW.

What can we do to support pollinators?

How we can best support pollinators depends on the season. In fall, it’s best to put down your rake and leave the leaves on the ground. Mother Nature will do her best to push the leaves together under shrubs or against a structure. Some pollinators burrow under these leaf accumulations to overwinter. Wait until the spring weather is warmer (above 50°F) before cleaning up the garden as the pollinators will need the warmth as they emerge from their winter habitat.

Lorquin’s Admiral butterfly © Virgene Link-New

Reduce the areas of grass on your property by adding shrubs, trees, and perennials that will provide visual interest and habitat for birds and insects. Use fewer toxins and chemicals, when possible. Pollinators need water for many purposes, including drinking, cooling, and reproduction so be sure to provide a source of shallow water near pollinator plants. Recycle pots or repurpose other containers (buckets, watering cans, birdbaths, etc.) on your patio or landscape to encourage more pollinators. Secondhand stores are full of items waiting for a reimagined purpose.

By providing backyard habitats or even a patio garden of scented, open flowers, bees and other pollinators will find your offerings. Support them by providing plants that help them do their job. Look online for native Pacific Northwest plants, shrubs, or seeds. Visit a local nursery to get plant recommendations or attend classes. Use your local library to learn more about creating or filling your garden with pollinator-friendly plants.

The more you learn about the world around you, the easier it is to live simply with our environment. Becoming aware of your environment and learning more about pollinators will open your eyes to the beauty and intricate connectivity of nature. We co-habit with and need insects, birds, butterflies, and other creatures to act as pollinators to plants to provide us with both beauty and nutrition. Our health, both physical and mental, would not exist without the efforts of the earth’s pollinators.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

Why is Pollination Important ? U.S. Forest Service
Retrieved from https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wildflowers/pollinators/importance

James, D. Pollinators retrieved from https://hortsense.cahnrs.wsu.edu/pollinators/

Krischik, V. Pollinator Conservation Biocontrol: Beneficial Insects | IPM and Pollinator Conservation University of Minnesota retrieved from: https://ncipmhort.cfans.umn.edu/beneficial-insects

Zagory, E., Hetrick, K. (2016) Introducing 10 Bees and 10 Plants They Love. University of California, Davis
https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk1546/files/inline-files/10-bees-10-plants_0.pdf

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

Patty Puckett Tingler

Patty Puckett Tingler is a certified Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener, Class of 2022.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a Master Gardener may be directed to: Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: www.skagit.wsu.edu/mg

Learn from the experts at the
Country Living Expo
& Modern Homesteading

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Learn More and Register Here >>

These Gardening Topics and More:

• Fruit Tree Pruning & Grafting
• Microclimates in the Garden
• Low Maintenance Gardening
• Roses
• Bee Keeping
• Soil Sampling
• Veggie Gardening
• Growing in High Tunnels, Cold Frames, and Unheated Greenhouses
• Pest Control
• Hop Growing
• Flower Arranging
• Know Your Native Trees
• Introduction into Mason Bees

Plant Bulbs Now For Spring Color

Take the time in the fall to plant bulbs and enjoy the first signs of spring in late January.

By Jessamyn Tuttle, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Bulbs are an important part of the spring garden. They provide color and interest when it’s most appreciated, as well as food for early pollinators. After putting on a spectacular show throughout spring, bulbs then fade into dormancy and let the summer garden do its thing.

To make that happen, however, the work of planting bulbs needs to happen in the fall. It’s strangely satisfying to put dry, dormant bulbs into the garden on a blustery October day, knowing that in just a few short months they will be shooting up new growth and flowers.

Crocus tommasinianus © Jessamyn Tuttle

Iris histrioides ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ © Jessamyn Tuttle

Early Bloomers
The first bulbs to bloom here in Western Washington are typically snowdrops (Galanthus spp.), often emerging in January but coming into their full bloom in late February. Whether planted in clumps or a massive drift, snowdrops are a sure sign that spring is on the horizon. Snowdrops are always white with green or yellow markings, the double-flowered varieties are particularly charming.

Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) is a tuberous member of the buttercup family, providing a vivid spot of yellow surrounded by a frill of greenery. It blooms around the same time as snowdrops with a bonus in that it’s resistant to deer and rabbits.

Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’ © Jessamyn Tuttle

Muscari © Jessamyn Tuttle

Miniature iris, also called rock garden iris or bulbous iris, begin blooming in February. Unlike bearded irises, which grow from rhizomes, these come from small bulbs and are easy to slip into the garden wherever you have a bit of space between plants, especially those that go dormant in the winter. The miniature iris flowers are only a few inches across and sit on short stems. They are unfortunately wildly popular with slugs, so you may need to get out in the garden with slug bait earlier than usual to protect them. The most commonly available species, Iris reticulata, comes in white, blue, and purple. You can also find bright yellow I. danfordiae, or look for the fancy veining of I. histrioides (‘Katharine Hodgkin’ is a particular favorite.)

Crocuses pop up on the heels of snowdrops. Their grassy foliage comes up from the corm in February or March, followed quickly by delicate flowers in brilliant colors including white, yellow, lavender, and deep purple. They only open on sunny days, protecting their fragile petals from rain. The earliest varieties, commonly called snow crocus, include smaller-flowered species like Crocus chrysanthus and Crocus tommasinianus, which come in a lovely range of colors and patterns. The larger cultivars, sometimes called Dutch crocus, like C. vernus ‘Pickwick’ and ‘Jeanne d’Arc’ appear a few weeks later. Crocuses are deer-resistant, although not slug-resistant. Crocuses can be planted in swathes in lawns if you’re able to hold off on mowing until the foliage has ripened, otherwise, they fit nicely anywhere in the garden where they will get some sun.

Muscari armeniacum, also known as grape hyacinth, is a wonderful addition to the spring garden thanks to its pure blue color (they also come in white, purple, and pink). Muscari spreads with enthusiasm by both seed and bulb offset, so be aware of the commitment you’re making when planting it. Blooming in March and April, it makes a perfect companion for daffodils. A slightly earlier option for blue flowers is Chionodoxa or Glory-of-the-Snow. These deceptively fragile little blossoms pop out of seemingly nowhere and look their best when planted en masse. Species include C. luciliae and C. forbesii, among others, and also come in pink and white.

Tete a tete miniature Narcissus © Jessamyn Tuttle

Snowdrops © Jessamyn Tuttle

The Narcissus Family is Wide and Diverse
While the most commonly seen type of narcissus is the large yellow trumpet daffodil like ‘King Alfred’ or ‘Dutch Master,’ there are hundreds of varieties to choose from, including early blooming miniatures like ‘Tete a Tete,’ a tiny yellow trumpet narcissus, which is often available in pots very early in the season, but does just as well planted out in the garden, often coming up through a layer of snow. ‘February Gold’ is a slightly taller yellow miniature, while ‘Jack Snipe’ is a handsome dwarf Narcissus featuring a yellow trumpet surrounded by white, swept-back petals.

For a real punch, the distinctive Narcissus ‘Jetfire’ offers bright yellow and red-orange blooms. One of the very earliest daffodils, however, is ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ which produces a full-size trumpet daffodil flower a full month before other daffodils, an impressive show that sometimes gets cut abruptly short by a late winter snowfall or windstorm.

Later blooming varieties include the big trumpet daffodils but also the small cup, doubles, and large cup, like the classic ‘Ice Follies’ with its white petals and flat yellow cup, and the pretty, fragrant tazetta daffodils like the delightful white and orange cultivar ‘Geranium.’ Late season brings the delicate, backswept flowers of Narcissus poeticus var. recurvus, also known as ‘Pheasant Eye’ daffodil.

‘Spring Green’ tulip © Jessamyn Tuttle

Tulipa saxatilis © Jessamyn Tuttle

The Pinnacle of Spring
For many people, especially here in Skagit Valley, the pinnacle of spring is when the tulips bloom. There are many, many varieties of tulips, including single early, single late, doubles, parrots, triumph, Darwin hybrids, emperor, and fringed, each with its own bloom time and flower type. They come in every color except blue, from ‘Spring Green’, a white tulip with pale green stripes to the nearly black ‘Queen of Night.’

There are also species of tulips which are less showy than the big hybrids but very hardy and great for naturalizing in the garden. Tulipa saxatilis is a vigorous spreader that carpets the ground with showy lavender-pink flowers with brilliant yellow centers, while T. batalinii ‘Bright Gem’ has blue-green foliage topped with yellow or apricot flowers streaked with pink.

Chionodoxa, or glory-of-the-snow © Jessamyn Tuttle

Tulipa batalini ‘Bright Gem’ © Jessamyn Tuttle

Planting Spring Bulbs
The rule for most bulbs is to plant in late fall or early winter, setting them at a depth 2-3 times the size of the bulb. Not planting bulbs deep enough is often what causes them, especially tulips, to vanish instead of coming back year after year. Pick a spot with full or at least part sun, and well-draining soil. Bulbs do not do well in damp spots. You can add some bulb fertilizer to the soil while planting if you like. Small, early-blooming bulbs can be tucked in throughout a garden bed, but all bulbs look beautiful planted together in a group to make swathes of color in the spring.

Bulbs should be well watered at the time of planting and while actively growing and flowering but do best when allowed to stay mostly dry through their summer dormancy. And if you want your bulbs to come back next year, don’t cut the foliage down until it has ripened, since the leaves are what provide the bulb with food for the next season.

If you plant every bulb listed here, you should have a succession of colors starting in January until the rest of the garden fills out in May. Enjoy!

REFERENCES:

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Gardening/Gardening%20Help/Factsheets/Flowering%20%20Bulbs17.pdf

Botts, B. Early spring bulbs. Chicago Botanic Garden https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plantinfo/smart_gardener/early_spring_bulbs

Slade, N (2014). The plant lover’s guide to snowdrops. Timber Press.

Austin, C (2005). Irises: A gardener’s encyclopedia. Timber Press.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jessamyn Tuttle is a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener, Class of 2017. She is co-manager of the Plant House and also coordinates the Iris Garden room in the Discovery Garden on Hwy 536 west of Mount Vernon.

_________

Questions about home gardening or becoming a Master Gardener, may be directed to: Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/mg/

Seed Saving and Sharing

Open the door to learning about plants in a whole new way.

By Sheri Rylaarsdam, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Want to see an adult in an eight-foot-tall sunflower costume? Let your vegetables grow into monsters? Save some cold hard cash? Save an heirloom plant or design a new one?

These are all possibilities once one starts down the road of seed saving. You can begin almost accidentally by not pulling all the radishes in the garden. Several weeks later you’ll notice they have grown six feet tall with multiple branches and hundreds of seedpods. The original radish is an unrecognizable nob at the bottom of the magnificent plant.

Radish plants gone to seed in the author’s garden. © Photo by Sheri Rylaarsdam

Radish seed pods can be collected when they turn brown and look dried out. Interestingly, they are also edible. © Photo by Sheri Rylaarsdam

Now you know getting started is easy enough. So next you may be asking “What other vegetables produce harvestable seeds when left to grow?”

First, always save seeds from open-pollinated plants, not hybrids. Open-pollinated seeds are plants pollinated openly by wind, rain, or flying critters. Heirloom seeds are included in this category, named so because the saved seeds have produced ‘true to type’ plants for fifty years or more. The seeds collected from hybrid plants are sterile because they are a manually-produced cross between two varieties and will not grow true to form.

It is easiest to save inbred or self-pollinated seeds. These are seeds of plants whose pollen is transferred within the same flower or from one flower to the other within the same plant. Peas, beans, lettuce, and most tomatoes are examples of plants with inbred or self-pollinating seeds.

Beet plants grow tall when left to seed. © Photo by Sheri Rylaarsdam

Cobra green pole beans going to seed. © Photo by Sheri Rylaarsdam

Grown from saved open-pollinated seed, this Hungarian Heart tomato is the largest the author has grown. © Photo by Sheri Rylaarsdam

Harvesting Self-Pollinating Seeds
Let beans and peas dry on the plant, then pick the pods to shell. Thresh the pods by hand. The chaff can be winnowed by tossing the pods in the wind and catching the seeds in a basin.

Lettuce seeds send up a seed stalk, ripening two to three weeks after flowering. Harvest daily by shaking the seeds into a paper bag. The lettuce feathers and chaff can then be separated from the seeds using a fine mesh screen.

To save seeds from tomatoes, choose fully ripe tomatoes. Cut across the equator of the tomato and scrape out the gel and seeds. Let the seeds ferment for a couple of days until a black or white mold forms on top. This helps remove any pathogens on the seed surface and also removes the natural germination inhibitor that coats the seed. Strain off the mold and rinse the seeds slowly and carefully. Drain in a fine mesh strainer and dry thoroughly on a saucer. Be sure to label the saved seeds with the name of the variety and the date they were saved. Since the viability of seeds is most affected by fluctuating temperature and moisture levels, it is important to store them in a cool, dry place-ideally in a tightly closed glass jar in the refrigerator.

Harvesting Wind-Pollinated Seeds
Varieties of wind-pollinated plants need to be separated by distance or mature at different times in order not to cross. Wind-pollinated plants include beets, chard, spinach, and corn. Corn pollen is light and can be carried long distances by the wind. A distance of two miles is the recommended isolation distance. A minimum of two hundred plants is needed to have enough genetic diversity.
Harvesting Seeds Pollinated by Bees
Bee-pollinated plants include many ornamental flowers and these vegetable families: Apiaceae (carrots, dill, parsley, cilantro, parsnip, chervil, caraway), Amaryllidaceae (onion, garlic, shallots, scallions, chives, leeks), Brassicaceae (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnips, kale) and Cucurbitaceae (squash, pumpkins, gourds). If vegetables have the same Latin name they can cross. Avoid cross-pollination by allowing just one type of vegetable from each family to go to seed. For example, if one lets leeks go to seed, do not let onions, garlic, shallots, scallions, or chives go to seed at the same time. The seed-producing vegetable also needs to be isolated from other seed-producing vegetables in its family by one-half mile. Cucurbitaceae are often hand-pollinated. Professional seed savers often use a system of cages to avoid cross-pollination.

Carrots, cabbages, beets, and onions are examples of biennials. These should be left in the ground or stored over the winter and replanted in spring to produce seed in the second year.

Master Gardener Dixie Mitchell repurposes the silca gel packets that come with shipments to keep her seed collection dry until use. © Photo by Ginny Bode

Start with something easy. Choose a variety of beans, peas, lettuce, or tomato that is delicious, grows vigorously, is a good producer, and is resistant to pests and diseases. Once you’ve started saving seeds, collect all the seeds you can. Then you’ll have plenty to plant next year, some to share, some to donate to a seed library or take to a seed swap.

Sharing seeds by donating to a seed library can make it easy for new gardeners to get started. Supplying seeds and information encourages gardeners to be out in nature, eat healthy food, and save money. Seed swaps are an excellent way to get seeds for the garden for the whole next year. Seed swap events usually have music, food, classes, and sometimes adults dressed up like sunflowers!

One can support biodiversity by supporting seed banks, buying from seed companies that increase biodiversity, and contributing to seed libraries and local seed guilds. The U.S. has lost a large percentage of its food plant biodiversity in the last 100 years. By saving seeds, you are doing your part to preserve the genetic diversity which is vital for the future of our food supply.

Seed stewards work to increase, not decrease, biodiversity. By saving and growing open-pollinated varieties of vegetables in the same area for many years and selecting for taste, disease resistance, and productivity, one can develop an improved vegetable. The selected variety will have the characteristics necessary to withstand unfavorable local conditions such as drought or heavy soil.

Seed saving is a gateway to learning about vegetables and flowers in a whole new way, witnessing their whole life cycle and how they interact with other plants. It has led to a new appreciation for nature’s abundance. Through seed sharing, I’ve contributed to altruistic causes that make a difference in the daily lives of people in our community. And I’ve met interesting people that make me smile-such as the fellow seed sharer wearing an eight-foot-tall sunflower costume.

REFERENCES:

Ashworth, Suzanne, 2002, Seed to Seed, Seed Savers Exchange

Gardening for Everyone: Seed Saving/WSU Lewis County Extension/ s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2057/2022/02/Seed-Saving-Handout.pdf

Op-ed: Saving Heirloom Seeds Can Protect Crop Diversity/civil eats/civileats.com/2022/01/27

Community Horticultural Fact Sheet #17/ WSU Jefferson County Extension/ extension.wsu.edu/jefferson/master-gardener-seed-library

Hubbard, Kristina K. January 11, 2019
https://civileats.com/2019/01/11/the-sobering-details-behind-the-latest-seed-monopoly-chart/

Sheri Rylaarsdam

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sheri Rylaarsdam is a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener, Class of 2019. She is an avid seed saver and vegetable grower.

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Questions about home gardening or becoming a Master Gardener, may be directed to: Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/mg/

Discover the Skagit Valley Display Gardens Open House

Discover the Discovery Garden, NW Fruit Garden, and the Salal Native Plant Garden

By Janine Wentworth, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

June is the beginning of summer blooming, fruit and vegetable growth and early harvests.

Enjoy the summer gardens of Skagit Valley at the Discover the Display Gardens Open House. Skagit Valley is home to 8 acres of display gardens operated by volunteers as a learning resource for the public.

Discover the Display Gardens
Open House

June 24, 2023 · 10 am – 2 pm

Free Admission

• Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Discovery Garden
• Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation
• Salal Native Plant Garden

All three are nestled together in the green fields of the WSU Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center west of Mount Vernon on HWY 536 (Memorial Hwy.)

While all three of these gardens are open to the public daily, the Annual Open House is focused on educating and inspiring visitors interested in many specific areas of interest, including pollination, water-wise gardening, native plants and raising fruits and vegetables in the Skagit area.

The Discovery Garden
Designed to support Skagit home gardeners by promoting science-based gardening practices, Skagit area WSU Extension Master Gardeners have created 30 garden rooms within the garden, featuring hundreds of plants chosen to flourish in Skagit Valley. Come and spend time with the volunteers who maintain the gardens and learn more about what they grow.

In addition to tours of the garden rooms, Master Gardeners will be on hand offering activities for all ages including:

• Free garden tool sharpening
• Solutions to plant problems
• Plant identification– to help you know what you have
• Expert advice on weed identification and management

While at the Discovery Garden, visit the small fruits garden and learn more about food you can grow in your own back yard. Photo © Nancy Crowell Photography

Visit the learning station near the pond in the Naturescape Garden. There you will see Koi fish and learn about pond maintenance and construction as well as drip irrigation.

Bring a blanket and picnic lunch and enjoy the day at the Discovery Garden. Photo © Nancy Crowell Photography

Learn about effective gardening at the 8 education stations located throughout the garden area. Master Gardeners will offer instruction on topics such as:

• Developing healthy soil
• Composting
• Pollinator support
• Fruit tree pruning and thinning
• Gardening with native plants
• Weed identification: Match examples of common weeds with their names so you can learn how to identify them and control them
• Clean water and water conservation: Visit the learning station near the pond in the Naturescape Garden. There you will see Koi fish and learn about pond maintenance and construction as well as drip irrigation

Pollinators: Learn about plants that support pollinators from Master Gardeners who plant and care for the pollinator gardens and the pollinators that live in the garden. The pollinator station at the Open House will teach ways to help native bees and other pollinators thrive in home and community landscapes because pollination is an essential survival function.

Local Food: The Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners offer extensive resources for local gardeners. During the Open House, Master Gardeners will be giving talks on healthy soils, growing your own vegetables, and weed identification and eradication. The Grow Your Own Food page at https://skagitmg.org/home/resources/food/ is also an excellent resource for gardeners getting started.

While at the Discovery Garden, visit the Vegetable, Small Fruits, and Doc’s Arbor garden rooms for ideas and examples of food-producing plants that grow well in the Skagit County area.

Educators from the Xerex Society will be at the Open House demonstrating techniques for making your garden pollinator friendly

Learn smarter vegetable gardening tips from the Master Gardeners who have research and tested a variety techniques that face gardeners in the North Puget Sound area.

Throughout the growing season, garden waste is sorted, chopped, and chipped– the browns and greens are com­bined and turned, giving us nutrient-rich compost in a few months.

Composting: Curious about how to get started composting? Composting reduces waste and provides an inexpensive treatment for home gardens and landscapes. Healthy soil is essential to have healthy plants. Come talk to our soil experts and learn about your soil and what you can do to improve it.

Growing the Discovery Gardens since 1996
In 1994, the Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners had a vision for a garden that would demonstrate best practices for gardening in the Skagit area. After two years of planning, the garden’s first structure of trees and fences was placed in the fall of 1996. Over the following two years, many committed WSU Extension Master Gardeners, along with the help of the community, planted the gardens.

The WSU Master Gardener Program addresses important sociologic and environmental issues by teaching research-based horticulture information. We want people to have important skills and abilities that help mitigate challenges and to understand that everyone has a role to play in creating and sustaining healthy and resilient communities.

Salal Native Plant Garden
The second garden participating in the Tri-Garden Open House is the Salal Native Plant Garden. Bordering the Discovery Garden to the south, the Salal Native Plant Garden is entered by walking through the Discovery Garden following the paths to the south. This labor of love and concern for native plants is manifested in an extensive and charming display garden.

Created twenty-five years ago as a collaborative effort between volunteers of the Salal Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society and the Washington State University Agriculture Extension Agency at Mount Vernon (WSU), the Native Plant Garden is now a half-acre oasis that holds the seeds for the future of native plants in the lower Skagit Valley. The garden is a terrific resource for homeowners who want to learn how to incorporate more native plants into their landscaping.

Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation (NW Fruit)
The third garden on display is the fruit garden known as the Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation (or NWFruit.org). Here volunteers will answer questions about fruit trees. The 6-acre garden was designed and constructed by volunteers of the foundation and contains large informational signs and handouts based on the research conducted by Washington State University.

During the Open House volunteers will be on hand to explain examples of netting for bird control, a Tatura trellis, and answer questions about the expansive espalier display.

The fruit garden contains a large collection of fruiting plants with many unique varieties, including a collection of 17 variations of Gravenstein apples, a collection of antique apples from all over the world, and unusual fruits such as medlar and blue honeyberry. Located on the west side of the Discovery Garden the fruit garden is open to the public seven days a week from dawn to dusk.

Please join us for the Open House festivities on June 24, 2023 from 10 am – 2 pm. You are welcome to bring a blanket and picnic lunch and enjoy the day with family and friends.

The gardens are open and free to the public throughout the year, 7 days a week from dawn to dusk. Visit the gardens throughout the seasons to view the seasonal changes. Signage in each garden identifies plants and makes for interesting and educational self-guided tours.

RESOURCES:

• Discover the Display Gardens website
• Learn about Master Gardener program priorities: https://mastergardener.wsu.edu/priorities/
• Interested in Composting and Vermacomposting? See our recent blog article at: https://skagitmg.org/vermicomposting/
• Get started growing your own food: https://skagitmg.org/home/resources/food/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Janine Wentworth became a master gardener in 2018. She and Kay Torrance are co-chairs of the Discovery Garden Open House.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a master gardener may be directed to: Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: www.skagit.wsu.edu/mg