Greetings from the Evergreen State

Washington is called the Evergreen State for good reason if you live in the western part of the state.  Those in eastern Washington experience  an arid climate (Desert) with very hot summers and winters much colder than those in the west.  There's this big mountain that keeps all of the clouds on this side.  In the Western parts of Washington and Oregon, we have beautiful cedar, hemlock, and douglas fir forests and we are spoiled by nurseries that are open year round.  Many of you have expressed  good natured envy of the nurseries, teeming with plants, that I've shown.  To help you feel better, here are a few shots of a local nursery I visited recently.

 

I wonder if they store all of their stock off site or if they have some sort of a deal with some vendors that they'll take stock back at some point.  They may have cleared things out in January for inventory purposes.  Are you feeling a little better now?

Ian from the Desert Northwest would call this a plant store rather than a nursery because they produce any of their own stock.  That's o.k. with me because when all of this space is filled with plants, it's pretty fun to see what the growers have brought in.

Although this isn't the place to find a lot of perennials, grasses, etc. during the winter, it is the place to go to find a nice array of evergreens at this time of the year.  While I revel in trying to grow plants that are not at all suited to our climate, I'm also still amazed at the staggering number of plants that grow here with no coddling!  And I must admit that evergreens thrill me in their variety of color, shape, size, and habit!  Taking center stage is this lovely pair of Pinus contorta ‘Chief Joseph’ or Chief Joseph Lodgepole pines.

I've never met a Taxus I didn't like and the winter coloration on  this Taxus cuspidata 'Dwarf Bright Gold.' sure feels warm.

 Maybe tropical even. I may go back to get one of these.  What can I say, I'm weak and there's a gift certificate waiting for me here. 

Chamaecyparis thyoides 'red star' is no slouch in the color department, either!

 

 

Abies pinsapo glauca and Abies nordmanniana 'Golden Spreader' are working the blue and yellow combination 365 days of the year. 

 

 

Do you remember Butch Wax?

 

 



 

Seems  it works pretty well on pine needles, too!

Pinus longaeva (Great Basin Bristlecone Pine) "Sherwood Compact" 

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana' or True Dwarf Hinoki Cypress

If  Chief changes from green to gold in the winter, is it still an evergreen?  Oh, who cares, look at that color.  Also notice the always sharp 15 foot hedge  behind.

 

Dr. Seuss let loose with a spruce.  What the deuce?

 Silly Goose thinks he's Zeus.  Where's that noose?

Have a splendid weekend everyone!