January – March 2020 Classes & Events at Christianson’s Nursery
Orchidaceae Saturday, January 1,1 11:00 a.m. – noon, Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. Harvey Brenneise has grown orchids as a hobby for 50 years and will discuss how to keep the little beauties alive, happy and blooming again. The Orchidaceae family is the largest of flowering plants, including natives in Washington. Most ornamentals, though, are tropical and epiphytic (they don’t grow in soil) and need different care from other houseplants. And, if you can grow houseplants, you can grow orchids, too. Bring plants you have questions about and the “doctor” will diagnose and dispense advice, and maybe even repot some of them for free! Class fee: $8. To inquire, visit the Nursery or call 360-466-3821 or 800-585-8200 www.ChristiansonsNursery.com
Propagating Perennials Saturday, January 18, 11:00 a.m. – noon, Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. Have you ever admired a plant and taken home a snippet only to have it wither a week later? Or, perhaps you have an heirloom peony or a long row of daylilies lining a driveway that you want to share with a neighbor or friend but don’t know where to begin digging? Christianson’s staff member, Becky Paulik, will guide you through stem, root, and leaf cuttings, divisions, and the intricacies of seeding perennials. Learn from Becky’s long-time nursery career about using the correct tools and proven techniques for successful perennial propagation. Class fee: $8. To inquire, visit the Nursery or call 360-466-3821 or 800-585-8200 www.ChristiansonsNursery.com
Plant Amnesty’s Basic Pruning Methods Saturday, January 25, 11:00 a.m. – noon, Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. Plant Amnesty, established in 1987, specializes in using the media to alert the public to crimes against nature being committed in their own back yards, specifically tree topping and the nuisance shearing of shrubs. Plant Amnesty has a sense of humor and a mission. Meet Plant Amnesty’s new Executive Director, George Lasch, as he instructs on the basic types of pruning cuts and pruning do’s and don’ts. Learn an introduction to theories of how plants react to pruning and tools. And of course, we will allow time for lots of your questions about pruning. Find out more about Plant Amnesty online at PlantAmnesty.com. Class fee: $8. To inquire, visit the Nursery or call 360-466-3821 or 800-585-8200 www.ChristiansonsNursery.com
Pruning So You Don’t Have to Prune So Often Saturday, February 1, 11:00 a.m. – noon, Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. Avoid the temptation to just dive in and hack things back. Pruning doesn’t need to be time consuming — if it’s done with some strategy. Author and Northwest Flower & Garden Festival speaker, Christina Pfeiffer, shares pruning tips on the proper timing and place cuts when pruning garden trees and shrubs. Learn how to achieve more moderate growth from pruning and reduce the frequency of the job in order to keep plants healthy and in good form. Class fee: $8. To inquire, visit the Nursery or call 360-466-3821 or 800-585-8200 www.ChristiansonsNursery.com
Seattle Rose Society Workshop Saturday, February 15, 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. Rose Pruning, 10:00 am: Learn specific cuts to remove dead or broken stems, open up the center of the rose bush, and thin weak growth. Rose Selection, 11:00 am: Seattle Rose Society will review which varieties of roses are easy to care for, disease-resistant, and suitable for growing in the Pacific Northwest. Rose Planting & Feeding, 1:00 pm: Rosarians shed light on the amount of sun required for healthy rose plants and their need for regular feeding with fertilizers that are balanced for roses, region, and soil. Insect and Disease Control, 2:00 pm: Discover both organic and safe soap spray remedies to keep your roses free from pests. Reservations required for each or all sections: Class fee: $8 each, or all four classes $30. Please check into the Garden Store before the workshop. To inquire, visit the Nursery or call 360-466-3821 or 800-585-8200 www.ChristiansonsNursery.com
Northwest Flower and Garden Festival 2020 Wednesday through Sunday, February 26 to March 1, Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. Christianson’s Nursery & Greenhouse will be one of twenty-plus Garden Creators from around the Pacific Northwest that will put their blood, sweat, and tears into their display gardens this February 2020. John and Toni Christianson would call it hard work except for the fact that they have so much fun! Our Hilltop Farm display garden design is anchored in John and Toni’s inspired travels to the Lake District in England. Tickets for the Spring Fever-themed Festival will be available for purchase in our Garden Store as soon as December 15. Early Bird tickets are $20 and during the dates of the show, $25. Make plans with friends to ride our chartered Flower Buses and enjoy going to the show without the stress of driving and parking. This year, we are hosting two Flower Buses on Wednesday, one on Thursday and another on Friday (February 26, 27, and 28). Buses leave the Nursery at 8:30 a.m. and return at approximately 6:00 p.m. The cost of a combination Festival ticket and bus ride is $60. For reservations, visit the Nursery or call 360-466-3821 or 800-585-8200. www.ChristiansonsNursery.com
A Fascination for Hellebores Christianson’s Fourteenth Annual Winter Festival Saturday and Sunday, March 7th & 8th, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. Irresistible Helleborus are bursting through the cold to arrive in full bloom for Christianson’s annual Winter Festival in March, just after the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival. When most perennials are slumbering, hellebores are in full bloom from December through April. These understory perennials are easy to grow, deer resistant, and grown in endless varieties; some are clear, others have spotting, striping, and can be bi-colored. A few of our favorites are: Helleborus x hybridus ‘Sunrise’, Helleborus niger ‘Josef Lemper’, Helleborus niger x orientalis ‘Madam Lemmonier’, and Helleborus x ballardiae ‘Pink Frost’. A complimentary class begins Saturday at 11 a.m. with Skagit Gardens’ horticulturist, Melanie MacKinnon, who will discuss these ‘darlings of the winter season’ and their hardy characteristics. An inspiring and educational day for those seeking happy surprises in their winter gardens. A complimentary event. To inquire, visit the Nursery or call 360-466-3821 or 800-585-8200 www.ChristiansonsNursery.com
Residential Garden Project: Japanese Dry Landscape Garden Saturday, March 14, 10:00 a.m. – noon, Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. On rare occasions, unique garden site features lend themselves to create a particular style of garden, in this case, a Japanese dry garden or Karesansui. In this two-hour class, Ornamental Horticulturist, Hans Wressnigg, will review a garden installation at a Whatcom county residence, following its evolution from the site conditions, the initial conception, and development, to completion. Class fee: $15. To inquire, visit the Nursery or call 360-466-3821 or 800-585-8200 www.ChristiansonsNursery.com
Everything’s Coming Up Roses Saturday, March 14, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. The rose is America’s most popular flower and is also one of the very oldest in cultivation. There are thousands of different rose varieties to lure us with their history and fragrance. Take notes from Christianson’s Rose Buyer, Nancy Stewart, on varieties we have in stock that are fragrant, disease-resistant, and easy care. Learn of her personal homage to the late English rose breeder, David Austin. Class fee: $8. To inquire, visit the Nursery or call 360-466-3821 or 800-585-8200 www.ChristiansonsNursery.com
Road Wages: Cultivating Dahlias for Saturday, March 21, 11:00 a.m. – noon, Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. A growing number of dahlia gardeners are selling their flowers at roadside stands. Because dahlias must be cut to grow, flower stands offer a readymade cash crop. Instructors John and Kathy Willson will teach you how to cultivate and market high-quality flowers using a self-serve system based on production, profit, and mutual trust. Class fee: $8. To inquire, visit the Nursery or call 360-466-3821 or 800-585-8200 www.ChristiansonsNursery.com
Two Soups, One Hour with Suzanne Butler Saturday, March 28, 11:00 a.m. – noon, Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. It wouldn’t be a complete class offering without Skagit’s culinary wizard, Suzanne Butler, to interrupt the routine of making traditional soup recipes with the unusual. Explore Suzanne’s out-of-the-box use of fresh ingredients as demonstrated through vibrant green, luxuriously tasty stinging nettle soup and a fresh pea soup straight from the garden. Class fee: $15. To inquire, visit the Nursery or call 360-466-3821 or 800-585-8200 www.ChristiansonsNursery.com