The Big Dipper Farm News-ette is an occasional gardening e-newsletter for discussing new plant introductions, gardening tips, quotes, poems, ‘things-to-do-in-the-garden-now’, seminar reminders and much more.  It’s free, kept private, spam-less and fun!     Share it with a friend.     Happy Gardening!    

-Deidre Finley, Big Dipper Farm

What a desolate place would be a world without a flower!

It would be a face without a smile, a feast without a welcome.

Are not flowers the stars of the earth, and are not our stars the flowers of the heaven.

-A.J. Balfour 

They’re here!   The Himalayan Blue Poppies are finally in!  Meconopsis betonicifolia can be a challenging plant to get established but if you make it happy, you’ll be rewarded with tall stems full of stunning, electric blue, four-inch flowers. What a legendary classic! For some people, growing these plants is a great challenge, for others it is easy. They seem to prefer locations with cooler summers but have been known to be successfully grown in the subtropics. Remove flowers the first year for a longer-lived plant. Meconopsis likes it moister than typical poppies and in fact will die if planted in a dry, full sun location. They definitely need mid-day part shade.  

This is the Holy Grail plant for even very experienced gardeners but if she likes your garden, she’ll thrive on neglect, happily colonize throughout your bed and you’ll be the envy of the neighborhood.

See the Himalayan Blue Poppy

Back in stock as well, earlier than expected:

Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold'

This gorgeous Japanese Forest Grass has been absolutely impossible to keep in stock but we got out hands on some for the time being. These are available by mail order only.  See ‘All Gold’

I believe that gardens themselves are very healing.

To be surrounded by the exquisite beauty of nature is to experience a healing of the soul.

author unknown

 

Useless trivia factoid:

What flower did Prince Charles choose for his buttonhole on his most recent wedding day?

– A Hellebore…       Good form Charles.

 

Event Reminder – Tomorrow!

Apr 23^rd  – Saturday 1pm            Big Dipper Welcomes Cass Turnbull, founder of Plant Amnesty!

‘How to Prune & Renovate the Older Garden’

Founded in 1987 with the mission to end the senseless torture and mutilation of trees and shrubs, the folks at Plant Amnesty promote awareness and respect for plants, encourage proper pruning techniques, educate the public, improve landscape management practices and provide a free referral/reference service.  Join us to learn some correct pruning techniques and see some examples of how to properly restore a neglected landscape. Free

 

Hi there!  Just a short note to thank you for being such a great customer orientated company!! 

It has really been nice to have talked to you on the phone and to have been treated so nicely. 

I can tell that these are going to grow into absolutely gorgeous plants.

Thank you again!  Leslie C. - Galt, Ca

 

2006 Perennial Plant of the Year!   
Awarded by the Perennial Plant Association

This is a membership 2,000 strong of the finest perennial experts in the world. Every year they choose one single plant to receive this honor. Selection is based on several factors: suitability within a wide range of climates in the U.S. and Canada; low maintenance; easy propagation; and ability to attract interest throughout the year.    (drum roll please…)

Dianthus g. ‘Firewitch’ (Feuerhexe) 

It’s easy enough to be impressed with the flower power of this little charmer, blooming its silly head off from Spring to Fall. The highly perfumed, vivid magenta flowers just fill the air with the sweet scent of cloves.  But it’s finally getting the recognition it deserves for it’s other outstanding qualities, wonderful silvery-blue evergreen foliage, the best heat & humidity tolerance and one of the longest bloom periods. This is a very hardy, reliable performer.  Dianthus can be grown in full sun or part shade. Excellent for use as an edger, in rock gardens, scented gardens and the front of the border. Considered deer resistant once established. Attracts butterflies in droves! Gets about 6" tall x 12-18" wide   Zone 4-8              See Firewitch

 

Here’s the entire list of PPA award winners. We have them all, and so should you!

 

2006            Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Firewitch’

2005            Helleborus x hybridus

2004            Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’

2003            Leucanthemum s. 'Becky'

2002    Phlox paniculata 'David'

2001            Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'

2000            Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue'

1999            Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm'

1998            Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus'

1997    Salvia n. 'May Night'

1996            Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'

1995            Perovskia atriplicifolia

1994    Astilbe 'Sprite'

1993            Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue'

1992            Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'

1991            Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple’

1990    Phlox stolonifera

 

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.

Margaret Atwood

 

Mukdenia rossii 'Crimson Fans'    -   'Crimson Mukdenia'

Mukdenia is a very hardy, deciduous Heuchera relative from China. This form has large maple-like leaves, which emerge bronze-green then age to mid green splashed with bright red as the summer progresses. Foliage remains red all summer and is striking in fall as the green areas change to gold. Very early flowering with numerous white, bell-shaped flowers are held in branched panicles for several weeks from February to April. Can be used as a groundcover or specimen in part shade. This stunning plant is even hardy in Vermont! For zones 4 to 9. Likes even moisture.  A truly wonderful and elegant new groundcover for American gardeners that deserves a lot more attention.

See 'Crimson Fans'

 

Naturally Native – American of the Month

Taxus brevifolia  -  Pacific Yew

Pacific yew is a beautiful, slow-growing evergreen shrub or tree, which commonly reaches 20 to 40 feet at maturity and generally live 200-300 years with some specimens 400 years or more. The trunk is limby and often contorted or malformed with scaly bark and the needles have a yellowish hint. The cup-shaped, vibrant red fruit surrounds a large single, naked seed. While these may appear tantalizing in every way, the seed inside is extremely poisonous to humans. Birds, on the other hand, love them. Very easy to grow tolerating sun or shade, moist or dryish soils.

This plant was been made famous for the cancer treatment drug Taxol which is derived from the bark. Very hard to find in commerce. Zones 6 - 10   See Pacific Yew

 

One of the greatest virtues of gardening is this perpetual renewal of youth and spring,

of promise of flower and fruit that can always be read in the open book of the garden,

by those with an eye to see, and a mind to understand.   

-E.A. Bowles

Big Dipper Farm 
360-886-8133
www.BigDipperFarm.com