SKAGIT PLANT PICK RECAP
November 26, 2011

This past season we had our plant picks sponsored by Skagit Gardens, a great Northwest grower of top quality perennials and annuals. Since it is the end of the season William and Judy wanted to talk about their favorite plants from Skagit. We had the opportunity to receive the plant picks from Skagit and so we were able to test them in our own gardens. William started with one of his favorites, Centaurea ‘Black Sprite’. He loved the dark flowers and that it looked great in containers and even as a mass planting in his garden. Judy loved the Cape Fuchsia (also known as Phygelius) called Candy Drops ‘Deep Rose’. It is a short variety, working well in a container as well and that it is still blooming in her garden right now. The hummingbirds love it as well. Another favorite of the hummingbirds is the fuchsia ‘Flamingo Fever’. This one is a little tender and has been moved into the greenhouse for protection, but during the summer it was striking for the flower color that included greens, hot pink and even orange shades. Another of Judy’s favorites was the most recent plant pick, Hellebore ‘Jacob’. It is one of the new ‘Gold Collection’ of plants. This one looks great indoors for the holidays and then it can be moved outdoors into the regular garden. It is a long bloomer, starting now and carrying its color through to March. The final favorite from William was the Scabiosa ‘Violet’ from the Mariposa series. Older forms of this plant grew longer and would tend to flop over. This one is loaded with shorter bloom spikes and stays shorter and more upright.

These were just a few of our favorites. You can check out all the different featured varieties on the Plant Pick page and then keep an eye out for them when they return to your garden center next year.
 

HELLEBORE JACOB
November 19, 2011

This week’s plant pick is our last one from our friends at Skagit Gardens.  It is a new variety of a favorite winter bloomer, Hellebore Jacob.  Hellebore Jacob is one of the Gold Collection from Skagit and is a great plant for indoors or out during this holiday season.  It has pure white flowers on burgundy stems that fade to a pink blush and then a light green.  These blooms are not your typical downward facing blooms, these point up and present a wonderful bloom for all to see.  You can have it indoors and then move it to a protected area outside before moving it into your garden to stay.  You can find it at your local independent garden center for the next month or so.
 

EUPHORBIA - GLACIER BLUE
October 10, 2011

This week’s plant pick from Skagit Gardens is one that they introduced to the market a couple of years ago.  The Euphorbia ‘Glacier Blue’ is a great foliage plant.  The variegated foliage is a soft gray-blue and is edged in a cream color.  It is outstanding in a container and is hardy down to 0 in our area.  It does have a bloom that shows up in spring, but the foliage is why it is so popular.  It really stands out as a contrast plant in the flower bed.  This evergreen perennial is drought tolerant and loves the full sun.  Pick one up at your local garden center and add it to your garden this fall so you can enjoy it in your garden next spring.
 

SCABIOSA 'MARIPOSA VIOLET'
September 10, 2011

The late summer blooms may be looking tired in your garden, but we have a plant that will brighten up any flower bed!  Our Skagit Garden plant pick this week is the Scabiosa ‘Mariposa Violet’.  This perennial is covered in pincushion blossoms in a soft violet color.  It will stay short, around a foot tall and wide, so it will work well in any border or even a pot.  This one is also very hardy, surviving to below zero.  You can use the blooms as cut flowers, or leave it in the garden to attract butterflies or other nectar feeders!
 

RUDBECKIA -  LITTLE GOLDSTAR
August 20, 2011

Our Skagit Garden plant pick this week is a delightful and hardy Rudbeckia called ‘Little Goldstar’. This one is smaller than its cousin ‘Goldsturm’ and it stays compact, only getting about 16 inches tall, which makes it a great plant for smaller gardens and containers. It blooms in the late summer through fall and is a bee and butterfly magnet. It is very hardy in our area, surviving down to -30 degrees. It is just a wonderful, bright and cheerful plant, and a must have for any garden! We found these at Dennis 7 Dee’s (, 503-297-1058) in Cedar Hills, but you can find them at quality garden centers around the Northwest.
 

PHYGELIUS - DEEP ROSE
August 6, 2011

Our plant pick from Skagit Gardens for this week is a tasty treat for any garden!  I say that because the Phygelius Deep Rose is a part of the ‘Candy Drops’ series from Skagit.  This series of phygelius are a bright rainbow of colors.  The Deep Rose is one of the best perennials for the summer garden because of its great color and other attributes.  This plant is known for its clusters of flowers on long stems.  It blooms starting in late spring, through summer and right up until the first frost.  Plus it is a hummingbird magnet!  It stays compact and would work well in containers mixed with other plants.  It is fairly hardy for our area and will survive down to 10 degrees.   Check out this great perennial at your favorite independent garden center that carries Skagit Garden plants.
 

AGASTACHE - NECTAR GRAPE
July 23, 2011

Our plant pick from Skagit Gardens for this week is a real stunner! The new ‘nectar’ series of Agastache have vibrant colors and are very hardy for our area. New varieties in the series include Apricot, Grapefruit, Orange and Raspberry, but this week we are featuring Grape. This one has heavy blooming spikes of flowers that are a real butterfly magnet. It stays compact so it will work well in smaller gardens or containers. It will just get a little taller than a foot and will bloom all the way through fall! It is a winner in any garden. Check out the list of Skagit Garden retailers for a nursery near you that carries this beauty.
 

COREOPSIS 'COSMIC EYE'
July 9, 2011

Our Skagit Plant Pick of the week is a non-stop performer in the summer and fall garden.  The Coreopsis ‘Cosmic Eye’ is part of the Skagit ‘Big Bang’ series of coreopsis plants.  This plant loves full sun and once it is established it is incredibly hardy surviving down to -20 degrees.  The blooms are claret-colored daisies tipped in golden sunshine yellow.  It stays compact and that makes it a great plant for containers and smaller gardens.  It gets about a foot tall and a little over a foot wide.  Check out our link to local garden centers that feature Skagit Garden plants and keep a look out for other varieties in the ‘Big Bang’ series.
 

CAMPANULA RINGS A BELL 'MULBERRY ROSE'
June 25, 2011

Our Skagit Gardens plant pick this week is the Campanula - Rings a Bell ‘Mulberry Rose’.  This plant is great for the middle of your garden beds.  It isn’t too short and it isn’t too tall.  It will stay about a foot high and spreads about 15 inches.  ‘Mulberry Rose’ is very hardy for our area and will survive temperatures down to -20.  Other Campanulas are known to spread, but this one stays in a nice clump and will thrive in full sun to part shade conditions.  Like its name says, it has a bunch of rose/pink bells that will bloom until mid to late summer.  If you love this one, Skagit is working on another one for next year called ‘Indigo Blue’, but you have to be patient for that one.  Skagit Garden plants are available at lots of independent garden centers around Oregon and Washington. We have a partial list on our website.  Just click here to see a list of local retailers.
 

CENTAUREA 'BLACK SPRITE'
June 11, 2011

Our plant pick from Skagit Gardens is a hidden wonder.  The Centaurea ‘Black Sprite’ is a wonderful plant that could get lost in your garden.  The colors are so muted that it might be lost in the showy flowers of your other perennials, but make no mistake it is a true winner in your early summer garden!  The silky black petals of the bloom are like delicate starbursts.  The best news is that this plant is incredibly hardy to below -30 degrees! All you have to do is make sure it gets plenty of water when it is first planted.  Just put it in full sun and enjoy the show!  To find the local Skagit Garden retailer where you can get this wonderful plant, check out the list here!
 

FLAMINGO FUCHSIA
May 28, 2011

This week the wonderful plant growers at Skagit Gardens sent us a really cool plant for the plant pick.  This is one that we couldn’t wait to share!  The Fuchsia ‘Flamingo Fever’ is so stunning you will want to add one to your garden.  This is an up-right fuchsia that will show off in any part of your garden.  It has a pink bloom that is edged in green and it opens up to a striking orange flower in the center!  It will get 2 to 3 feet tall and it spreads out a little and will bloom all summer long.  It is a little tender and so you will want to bring it in next fall when the temperature drops.  We found a whole bunch at Bauman’s Farm and Garden (503-792-3524) and Brian was very excited to share his knowledge about the plant.  You will also find it at quality garden centers and nursery retailers around the Northwest.

COREOPSIS
May 14, 2011

Our plant pick this week is a cool bloomer that will just keep going all summer long, the coreopsis.  Skagit Gardens our favorite plant grower from Washington State turned us on to this one and we are happy they did.  The Coreopsis ‘Salsa’ and ‘Jive’ are great plants for the summer garden.  They have constant blooms that show up about now and continue until after the first frost.  These plants will get about a foot tall and about 18 inches across.  ‘Jive’ has white blooms with a burgundy eye and a orange center and ‘Salsa’ has a golden yellow bloom with a wide burgundy eye.  You can find these great Skagit Gardens plants at your local independent garden center.  We found a great selection at Portland Nursery (503-231-5050).
 

JACOBS LADDER 'STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN'
April 30, 2011

We have another great plant from Skagit Gardens in Washington.  They grow some really great plants and this one is a great one for the small garden.  It is the Jacobs Ladder ‘Stairway to heaven’.  Jacobs Ladder is also called Polemonium.  This variety has a variegated leave that has a pink edge on the new growth.   The blooms start out a white and then fade into a pale blue.  It takes morning sun and a little afternoon shade.  You can find this Skagit Gardens plant pick at most of your local independent garden centers.
 

ERYSIMUM 'FRAGRANT STAR'
March 26, 2011

We welcome Skagit Gardens as the sponsor of the plant pick of the week.  This week we featured the Erysimum ‘Fragrant Star’.  For early spring color, Erysimum, or Wallflower, sports bright and often fragrant blossoms. Fragrant Star, a new perennial Erysimum, glows with very fragrant, yellow flowers and has the added bonus of radiant green and yellow, variegated foliage that always looks brilliant even when the plant is not in bloom. It’s very compact and bushy, looking great in beds and borders. Because the flowers are sterile, Fragrant Star has a long bloom season in spring and often reblooms later in the year. This shining star is not fussy about where it’s planted, given full sun and good drainage.  Skagit Garden plants can be found at a large number of local independent garden centers. We found these at the Dennis' 7 Dees (503-636-4660) location in Lake Oswego.  Look for these wonderful plants and try them in your garden.
 

St. Patrick’s Day is close at hand and the traditional plant for the day is the shamrock. For most gardeners the shamrock is a nasty reminder of the clover in their lawn, but the plant you will find in your garden center right now is slightly different than that garden visitor.  The plant you find now is Oxalis regnelli, also known as Wood Sorrel. This small bulb loves the full sun and is in bloom right now. Don’t be alarmed that you see it die back in the next couple of months. It goes dormant and ‘sleeps’ through the late summer. Just leave it alone and set it in a cool, dry place. When fall returns you can pull the plant out and start to water it again. For right now, enjoy this early spring bloomer and hope it brings luck to your garden this season.
 

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