2013 PLANT PICKS OF THE WEEK
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Skagit Garden plants.
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Blooming Advantage plants.

COREOPSIS 'SIENNA SUNSET'
September 14, 2013

Coreopsis ‘Sienna Sunset’

We found a ‘late summer’ winner with this month’s plant pick. Like other Coreopsis, ‘Sienna Sunset’ blooms all summer and into fall, attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The large burnt sienna daisies mature to a light orange in a perfect combination of late season fall color. Thread-leaf foliage is finely textured, giving a graceful look. Elegant, but tough, ‘Sienna Sunset’ is deer resistant and drought tolerant once established. It’s a good candidate for the front or middle of a perennial border in full sun and does well in mixed containers. Outstanding planted in masses, it makes a fine cut flower. The best part? It is hardy for our area so you will be welcoming this one back year after year.
 

Coreopsis ‘Sienna Sunset’

HELENIUM - SHORT 'N' SASSY'
August 17, 2013

Helenium – Short ‘n’ Sassy

This week’s plant pick is ‘short ‘n’ sassy’ and that is more than just a name. Heleniums usually get very tall, but this one will stay short, staying less than 2 feet tall and wide, and that makes it a great plant in the average garden. The bright orange and gold flowers of 'Short 'n' Sassy', each accented with a chocolate cone, start blooming before most other Heleniums. New blossoms open above the older ones, keeping it looking fresh even without deadheading. Compact and continuously blooming, ‘Short ’n’ Sassy’ is vigorous and easy to grow in a range of conditions, and attracts bees and butterflies. Ideal for smaller gardens and the front of the border, this short Helenium looks great in containers, too. Along with regular summer water, 'Short 'n' Sassy' only needs excellent drainage to thrive. Selected and introduced by Skagit Gardens we found a nice selection at the Portland Nursery on Division (503-788-9000).
 

Helenium – Short ‘n’ Sassy

ECHINACEA 'PICA BELLA'
August 3
, 2013

Echinacea ‘Pica Bella’

Our plant pick this week from Skagit Gardens is a new twist on an old favorite.  Echinacea ‘Pica Bella’ has narrow or slightly quilled, rosy pink petals that surround a large, cinnamon orange cone on this stately Coneflower. Sturdy and upright with strong stems, 'Pica Bella' has a beautiful spiky appearance that is unique in the garden and as a cut flower. Easy to grow in full sun, it prefers good soil with excellent drainage. Good for attracting butterflies and pollinators, it belongs in borders and beds of any style for summertime color. It can get over 2 feet tall and about 2 feet wide, so give it some room to grow.  It is very hardy for our area and will reward you with lots of blooms through summer and fall.  We found some great ones at Al’s Garden Center in Sherwood, but they are also available wherever Skagit Garden plants are sold.
 

Echinacea ‘Pica Bella’

GAZANIA - SUNBATHERS 'TOTONACA'
July 20, 2013

Gazania - Sunbathers ‘Totonaca’

Our plant pick of the week comes to us from Garden Fever (503-287-3200) in Northeast Portland and Skagit Gardens.  The Gazania – Sunbathers ‘Totonaca’ is one of those great mid summer plants that we love.  It blooms from now until the end of the fall.  It has large, round, daisy flowers in bright sunny colors of golden yellow and russet orange which shine from compact mounds of gray green foliage. Ideal for the Pacific Northwest, these annual blossoms have a large center that keeps them from closing up in cloudy weather. Rain or shine, heat-loving Totonaca blooms in full sun with a minimum of care, little fertilizer and a scant amount of water.  Even though it is not hardy for our area it is a great summer plant!  It will get 10–12 inches high and spread to about 20 inches across.  If you are looking for this Skagit Garden plant you can always stop by Garden Fever or any great Skagit Garden retailer.
 

Gazania - Sunbathers ‘Totonaca’

SALVIA 'AMISTAD'
June 22
, 2013

Salvia 'Amistad'

It is the season of Salvias. We stopped by Al’s Garden Center in Sherwood (503-726-1162) to check out this week’s plant pick from Skagit Gardens, Salvia ‘Amistad’. The deep purple flowers have striking black calyxes for an amazing color attraction. This sterile Salvia blooms continuously from spring up to frost, attracting hummingbirds to the nectar in its tubular blossoms. Deep green, bushy foliage is compact enough for patio pots, as well as beds and borders in sun or partial shade. Easy to grow, it does best in fertile soil with average watering. It can get a little over 3 feet high and as wide. It is considered mildly hardy down to about 10 degrees, but it is still being tested in some areas. You can find this Sunset Western Garden Collection plant at Al’s or at many of your fine independent local garden centers.
 

Salvia 'Amistad'

SALVIA 'CURLING WAVES'
June 8, 2013

Salvia ‘Curling Waves’

With loose spikes of unique, blue and white, bi-colored flowers rise above a rosette of thick crinkled leaves, Salvia ‘Curling Waves is a wonderful plant for the Northwest garden. The foliage emerges an attractive reddish purple in spring and turns dark to medium green by summer. This compact, long-blooming perennial is disease resistant and drought tolerant once established. Easy to grow in average soil, it requires good drainage. Hummingbirds and bumblebees love to visit these flowers. It is very hardy for our area surviving down to -20 degrees. It is a perfect plant for the front or middle of your beds and will get about a foot tall and wide. We found this Skagit Garden plant at Garden Fever (503-287-3200), a great nursery in NE Portland, but it is also available in all garden centers that carry Skagit Garden plants.
 

Salvia ‘Curling Waves’

FRAGARIA 'GREEN PASTURES'
May 25, 2013

Fragaria ‘Green Pastures’

This handsome ornamental strawberry covers the ground with big glossy leaves. Large white flowers stand out against the dark green foliage. Spreading rapidly, ‘Green Pastures’ makes an excellent ground cover for almost any area, including slopes. It tolerates drought and coastal conditions, including sandy soils, although it looks its best with supplemental water during hot spells. Evergreen ‘Green Pastures’ turns a lovely reddish color in winter for added interest and is hardy down to about 0 degrees. It gets about a foot high, but with the runners it can spread out over a larger area. We found these Skagit Garden plants at the Al’s Garden Center in Woodburn but you can find them at any local retailer that sells Skagit Garden plants.
 

Fragaria ‘Green Pastures’

HEUCHERA LITTLE CUTIE 'SWEET TART'
May 11, 2013

Heuchera Little Cutie 'Sweet Tart'

This miniature Heuchera is small in every way except for its impact in the shade garden. It has sweet, red and pink, bicolored blossoms and tart, lime green foliage that shines in part to full shade. The leaves form a tight mound and the short-stemmed flowers bloom over a long, long season. For sunnier garden spots, the Little Cutie series includes ‘Coco’ with chocolate leaves, ‘Peppermint’ with silvery green foliage and berry-colored ‘Sugar Berry’. Easy to grow, these little ones thrive in average to dry soil, tolerating heat and drought easily.  They are hardy too, surviving down to -30 degrees.  We found this week’s pick at the Dennis’s 7 Dees Nursery (503-636-4660) in Lake Oswego, but you can find them at all your Skagit Gardens retailers.
 

Brunnera ‘Sea Heart’

LIGULARIA 'OSIRIS FANTAISE'
April 27
, 2013

Ligularia ‘Osiris Fantaisie’

Our plant pick of the week from Skagit Gardens is a perfect one for those shady spots in your garden, the Ligularia ‘Osiris Fantaisie’. For a bold look in the shade, Ligularia is certainly unique for brilliant flower color. For interesting foliage even when not in bloom, ‘Osiris Fantaisie’ is striking. Along with its cousin ‘Osiris Café Noir’, it represents a breakthrough in distinctive foliage color and texture. ‘Osiris Fantaisie’ has leathery, deep olive green leaves flushed with burgundy and accented with purple stems. Flowers are vivid, bright yellow daisies. Easy to grow, it prefers moist soil with plenty of organic matter and good drainage. It even tolerates fairly wet soils as long they are not heavy clay. Maintaining slug control keeps Ligularia looking its best. It will get up to 20 inches tall in a couple of years and may even get 2 feet wide. It also is very hardy, surviving down to -30 degrees! We found this Ligularia at Portland Nursery on Division (503-788-9000), but you will also find it at any nursery that carries the Skagit Gardens line of plants.
 

Ligularia ‘Osiris Fantaisie’

BRUNNERA 'SEA HEART'
April 13, 2013

Brunnera ‘Sea Heart’

This spring bloomer features pink buds that open to loose clusters of tiny blue flowers with a charming, two-toned effect. ‘Sea Heart’ looks delicate, but its silvery, green-veined leaves are thick and sturdy, allowing this shade lover to withstand heat and humidity. Easy to grow, it prefers moist soil with plenty of organic matter and good drainage. Removing spent blossoms will keep this mounding perennial looking tidy. Sea Heart is very hardy, surviving own to -30 degrees and will get a foot high and 2 feet across when mature. We found a great selection at Gardener’s Choice (503-684-2727) in Tigard, but you can find them at many of our local garden centers that carry Skagit Garden plants.
 

Brunnera ‘Sea Heart’

ERYSIMUM 'WINTER SORBET'
March 30, 2013

Erysimum 'Winter Sorbet'

This week’s plant pick is one of the new darlings of the early spring garden. Erysimum ‘Winter Sorbet’ features large clusters of dusky orange flowers that mature to a light purple even as new orange blossoms emerge. This multicolored effect is enhanced by bushy, dark green foliage. Blooming nonstop all spring season, Sorbet needs no deadheading and thrives in cool weather with little care beyond good drainage and regular watering. This perennial is good to about 10 degrees and gets about 18 inches high and wide. We found some at Portland Nursery on Stark Street (503-231-5050), but most of the garden centers that carry Skagit Gardens plants will have this beauty!
 

Erysimum 'Winter Sorbet'

PRIMROSE KENNEDY IRISH 'INNISFREE'
March 16, 2013

Primrose Kennedy Irish 'Innisfree'

With rich red blossoms and a yellow eye, Innisfree joins the Kennedy Irish collection of hardy Primroses that features unique Primula forms and colors. Like Drumcliff, introduced in 2012, Innisfree has a rosette of very dark, bronzy purple leaves that contrasts beautifully with the flower color. Developed over a period of 35 years from old Irish varieties, the Kennedy Irish varieties are true perennials and will last for years in part to full shade, in moist soil with good drainage. We found our Skagit Gardens plant pick this week at Garden Fever (503-287-3200) in Northeast Portland, but they are available at all quality garden centers that carry Skagit Garden plants.
 

Primrose Kennedy Irish 'Innisfree'


PLANTS OF THE WEEK
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