Pacific Northwest Garden Forum: New gardener in Seattle -- where to shop?

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emilyl
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Joined: Oct-10-2005
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posts: 2

Topic: New gardener in Seattle -- where to shop?
Posted: Oct-10-2005 at 10:35pm

Hello all. I'm just getting started with my garden. I'm looking for some native plants and I was wondering if anybody could recommend their favorite nurseries (I live in North Seattle). Also, are there nurseries I should generally avoid?

I made it to the native plant sale at Magnuson Park this weekend and bought a dozen plants, but I'm still looking for:

Vine Maple (acer circinatum)
Red Osier (Cornus stolonifera)
Orange Honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa)
Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
Red Huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium)

Thank you in advance!

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Screaming Eagle
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Joined: Jul-16-2003
Location: Puget Sound corridor
Posts: 1146

Posted: Oct-11-2005 at 8:55am

Hi Emilyl!

Some of my favorite nurseries in North Seattle are Swansons Nursery
and
Sky Nursery
I know they both carry natives but not sure how extensive their offerings are. Another great place to buy natives is the annual Native Plant Sale held at Bellevue Botanical Gardens in May.

I'm sure others will chime in with more suggestions.

PS: My daughter's name is Emily Elle so I had to smile when I saw Emilyl.

Just living is not enough...one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower...
-Hans Christian Anderson

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Fern
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Joined: Mar-11-2005
Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills
Posts: 1346

Posted: Oct-12-2005 at 6:17pm

North of Seattle there is Wight's Home and Garden in Lynnwood and Molbak's in Woodinville. They are both big and have web sites but remember they won't have the selection they would in spring. I don't think I've ever seen the native honeysuckle for sell, I know they always get aphids [a special one just for honeysuckles] in late spring or summer so that might have something to do with it. In the Native Plant forum they have talked about the special needs of Red Huckleberry.

Fern

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Garden Spider
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Joined: Jul-27-2003
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posts: 1139

Posted: Oct-14-2005 at 3:32pm

Emily, I bought a Lonicera ciliosa from Forestfarm nursery, mail order. It was small, but very healthy, and is doing well.

Wallace Hansen, in Salem, Oregon, specializes in Pacific Northwest native plants, and does mail order.

We bought our Vine Maple from Furney's in South King County. Ditto the Red Osier Dogwood--if you know somebody who has a plant, ask for a cutting. They root easily. (If you'd like a cutting from mine, next spring, PM me.) I've seen Snowberry at Molbak's now and then. I'm pretty sure Wallace Hansen carries it, too.

Barb

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DebbieTT
Admin Group

Sunset zone 5, USDA zone 8

Joined: Jan-25-2003
Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula
Posts: 4241

Posted: Oct-15-2005 at 12:39am

Try

Sound Native Plant Nursery

Forest Farm Nursery

Welcome to Rainy Side Gardeners!

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Lisa A
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Joined: Aug-14-2003
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posts: 3243

Posted: Oct-15-2005 at 10:32am

Here's the link to the thread about red huckleberries that Fern mentioned above. The above will lead you to another thread with more information. The link to the article on OregonLive that Debbie posted is no longer active (OL doesn't archive for more than 30 days) but I fixed the link to enature.com's page so that you can view the photo of my fake stump.

My red huck is still doing marvelously well.

Welcome to Rainy Side!

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emilyl
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Joined: Oct-10-2005
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posts: 2

Posted: Oct-17-2005 at 9:40pm

thanks for the tips everybody!

Lisa, thanks for the updated link to the picture. that looks really sharp! I'm curious -- how does that work? I mean, how does the huckleberry bush know it's inside of the artificial stump? Thanks in advance.

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Fern
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Joined: Mar-11-2005
Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills
Posts: 1346

Posted: Oct-27-2005 at 10:22am

Off the top of my head I'd say it probably has to do with the special soil fungi [ mycorrhizal symbiosis ] that members of that plant family have to have in order to get the right nutrients to grow. It probably already has the fungus growing on the roots but still needs the right environment to keep the fungus growing well too. Also cedar has some anti fungal properties that maybe keep bad fungus from taking over and killing the good fungus that can grow there and help the huckleberry. It is something they are just now learning a lot more about and it is pretty interesting stuff in my opinion.

Fern

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Lisa A
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Joined: Aug-14-2003
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posts: 3243

Posted: Oct-27-2005 at 11:21am

Sorry I missed your question until now, emilyl. thanks, Fern, for answering her and popping this question back to the top.

It is, as Fern supposed, due to the mycorrhizal relationships that these plants, along with others in the ericacea family, require for best growth. Also, planting in compost inside a "stump" provides excellent drainage and light but fertile soil, which are additional requisites for this plant.

I'd estimate that my stump is about 12"-14" tall and 24" wide but the height and diameter of the stump are up to you. Because the firewood isn't rotted, I don't stack it as a solid mass - there'd be no room for the plant's roots immediately. I have used whatever firewood I had on hand,
which was most likely cottonwood from the trees we had felled on our property before we built. In native settings red hucks are found growing on trees indigenous to our area (such as cedar) but I've learned from others who have tried this method that it doesn't seem to matter what kind of firewood is used.

Hope this helps.

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Oldest Archived Posts 4 ( Forum Locked)
Pacific Northwest Garden Forum : The Archives : Oldest Archived Posts 4

Topic: New gardener in Seattle -- where to shop?( Topic Closed)

Author	Message
emilyl none Joined: Oct-10-2005 Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor Posts: 2	Topic: New gardener in Seattle -- where to shop? Posted: Oct-10-2005 at 10:35pm
	Hello all. I'm just getting started with my garden. I'm looking for some native plants and I was wondering if anybody could recommend their favorite nurseries (I live in North Seattle). Also, are there nurseries I should generally avoid? I made it to the native plant sale at Magnuson Park this weekend and bought a dozen plants, but I'm still looking for: Vine Maple (acer circinatum) Red Osier (Cornus stolonifera) Orange Honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa) Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) Red Huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium) Thank you in advance!

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Screaming Eagle none Joined: Jul-16-2003 Location: Puget Sound corridor Posts: 1146	Posted: Oct-11-2005 at 8:55am
	Hi Emilyl! Some of my favorite nurseries in North Seattle are Swansons Nursery and Sky Nursery I know they both carry natives but not sure how extensive their offerings are. Another great place to buy natives is the annual Native Plant Sale held at Bellevue Botanical Gardens in May. I'm sure others will chime in with more suggestions. PS: My daughter's name is Emily Elle so I had to smile when I saw Emilyl.
	Just living is not enough...one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower... -Hans Christian Anderson
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Fern none Joined: Mar-11-2005 Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills Posts: 1346	Posted: Oct-12-2005 at 6:17pm
	North of Seattle there is Wight's Home and Garden in Lynnwood and Molbak's in Woodinville. They are both big and have web sites but remember they won't have the selection they would in spring. I don't think I've ever seen the native honeysuckle for sell, I know they always get aphids [a special one just for honeysuckles] in late spring or summer so that might have something to do with it. In the Native Plant forum they have talked about the special needs of Red Huckleberry.
	Fern
	IP Logged

Garden Spider none Joined: Jul-27-2003 Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor Posts: 1139	Posted: Oct-14-2005 at 3:32pm
	Emily, I bought a Lonicera ciliosa from Forestfarm nursery, mail order. It was small, but very healthy, and is doing well. Wallace Hansen, in Salem, Oregon, specializes in Pacific Northwest native plants, and does mail order. We bought our Vine Maple from Furney's in South King County. Ditto the Red Osier Dogwood--if you know somebody who has a plant, ask for a cutting. They root easily. (If you'd like a cutting from mine, next spring, PM me.) I've seen Snowberry at Molbak's now and then. I'm pretty sure Wallace Hansen carries it, too.
	Barb
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DebbieTT Admin Group Sunset zone 5, USDA zone 8 Joined: Jan-25-2003 Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula Posts: 4241	Posted: Oct-15-2005 at 12:39am
	Try Sound Native Plant Nursery Forest Farm Nursery Welcome to Rainy Side Gardeners!
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Lisa A none Joined: Aug-14-2003 Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro Posts: 3243	Posted: Oct-15-2005 at 10:32am
	Here's the link to the thread about red huckleberries that Fern mentioned above. The above will lead you to another thread with more information. The link to the article on OregonLive that Debbie posted is no longer active (OL doesn't archive for more than 30 days) but I fixed the link to enature.com's page so that you can view the photo of my fake stump. My red huck is still doing marvelously well. Welcome to Rainy Side!
	IP Logged

emilyl none Joined: Oct-10-2005 Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor Posts: 2	Posted: Oct-17-2005 at 9:40pm
	thanks for the tips everybody! Lisa, thanks for the updated link to the picture. that looks really sharp! I'm curious -- how does that work? I mean, how does the huckleberry bush know it's inside of the artificial stump? Thanks in advance.
	IP Logged

Fern none Joined: Mar-11-2005 Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills Posts: 1346	Posted: Oct-27-2005 at 10:22am
	Off the top of my head I'd say it probably has to do with the special soil fungi [ mycorrhizal symbiosis ] that members of that plant family have to have in order to get the right nutrients to grow. It probably already has the fungus growing on the roots but still needs the right environment to keep the fungus growing well too. Also cedar has some anti fungal properties that maybe keep bad fungus from taking over and killing the good fungus that can grow there and help the huckleberry. It is something they are just now learning a lot more about and it is pretty interesting stuff in my opinion.
	Fern
	IP Logged

Lisa A none Joined: Aug-14-2003 Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro Posts: 3243	Posted: Oct-27-2005 at 11:21am
	Sorry I missed your question until now, emilyl. thanks, Fern, for answering her and popping this question back to the top. It is, as Fern supposed, due to the mycorrhizal relationships that these plants, along with others in the ericacea family, require for best growth. Also, planting in compost inside a "stump" provides excellent drainage and light but fertile soil, which are additional requisites for this plant. I'd estimate that my stump is about 12"-14" tall and 24" wide but the height and diameter of the stump are up to you. Because the firewood isn't rotted, I don't stack it as a solid mass - there'd be no room for the plant's roots immediately. I have used whatever firewood I had on hand, which was most likely cottonwood from the trees we had felled on our property before we built. In native settings red hucks are found growing on trees indigenous to our area (such as cedar) but I've learned from others who have tried this method that it doesn't seem to matter what kind of firewood is used. Hope this helps.
	IP Logged