Panorama:
There is a always a surge in our online traffic after the first of the year as armchair gardeners around the world begin to plan for the coming season. Although we ship plants to locations only in the United States, we receive website visitors from almost every corner of the globe! Proof that there is truly world-wide interest in gardening.
You might think that those of us who start planning our gardens in mid-winter are reacting to months of gardening inactivity but there might be a biological reason as well. Once we pass the winter solstice, the days begin to lengthen and this is a cue to plants and people that spring will surely come. In the nursery, we notice that some plants respond to this increasing day length by putting out tentative new growth, despite temperatures that are below freezing nearly every day.
Cusick's Draba ( Draba cusickii var cusickii)
Even more impressive are the plants from high mountain habitats, such as some Drabas, Saxifrages and the Alpine Primrose featured below, which have already begun to bud and even flower in these cool conditions. These plants are likely responding to our relatively mild weather rather than solely on day length. Our USDA Zone 8 winters are equivalent to their spring.
Plant Portrait:
Primula auricula, known as Alpine Primrose or Mountain Cowslip, is an example of a winter hardy primrose. This primrose is the parent of many colorful hardy cultivars. The species is found throughout the mountains of Europe where it grows in rock crevices and moist meadows. It forms a handsome evergreen rosette 6 x 10" with thick, oval, gray-green leaves that are often dusted with a farinose, silver-colored powder. In spring, it produces clusters of honey-scented, generally yellow flowers with a white eye.
The Alpine Primrose is quite winter hardy, surviving temperatures as low as -40 degrees F. As with many high mountain plants, it is not a heat lover and does best when grown in partial shade or cool sun as found on north or east facing slopes. Most primroses prefer humus rich, moist soils and Primula auricula is no exception. This particular species adapts to a wide range of soil types and will even grow in heavy clay soils. For those of us with winter wet conditions, the soil should be well-drained to avoid the risk of crown rot. Primula auricula is a lovely plant and a welcome addition to the border of a woodland or rock garden. We are pleased to offer this and several other hardy primroses in our Mail Order Catalog and at the Nursery this season.
Garden Views:
December and early January brought a series of the worst storms in over 40 years, leaving the
region paralyzed and gardeners lamenting about losses in the garden. Other than a few down tree limbs
during the ice storm, we are pleased to report that we came out basically unscathed.
There is something to be said for growing alpines and other hardy perennials.
Our gardens are already beginning to shows signs of early season growth as we notice early bulbs poking
their heads out of the soil. It won’t be too many weeks before we see the first crocus blooms.
A most welcome sign of renewal.
Nursery Highlights:
Things are already gearing up around the nursery as we prepare for early season events. We will have a booth at the Yard, Garden and Patio Show February 27th through March 5th at the Expo Center in Portland Oregon. If you would like a $2 discount off your entrance fee, drop us an e-mail and we will send you a coupon. Stop in to say hello when you are at the show and be sure to to pick up your discount coupon for use at our nursery during the 2009 season. Our booth number is 342, near the Green Market.
A reminder that the nursery is open all year by appointment and we will resume regular weekend hours this spring. Check our Calendar for the latest hours and event schedule.
Website Perspective :
The 2009 Online Mail Order Catalog is available and we are offering over 300 plants this year. Included is a growing selection of Western alpines and many species Penstemons that we will feature in a future newsletter.
We have made some improvements to make the website work more smoothly. This year the Shipping Information Page includes charts with specific shipping charges as well as the Spring shipping schedule to different regions. Shipping charges are the same as last year for most of the country but we’ve been able to reduce charges to West Coast locations. California has its own rate chart and any size order to Oregon and Washington ships for just $10!
Parting Shots:
Troughs and other Containers:
We grow a wide variety of plants in containers which are moved to a sheltered location during the winter months. These include plants that do not like wet winter conditions and we keep these plants quite dry. Now is a good time to check the soil moisture of container plants grown under winter cover. Even plants that like it dry in winter will need some moisture as they resume early season growth.
In Focus at Wild Ginger Farm
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