Select a container that is at least 24 to 36” high and wide when growing blueberries in a pot.  Fill your pot with potting soil for proper drainage.  Our favorite varieties for containers include ‘Sunshine Blue’ which typically keeps its leaves year round (evergreen) and grows 3’ tall and wide with tasty, medium sized berries.  ‘Bountiful Blue’ also has evergreen foliage and boasts large tangy, sweet berries.  ‘Top Hat’ grows only 1’ to 2’ high with a wonderful wild blueberry flavor. 

In addition to bearing delicious fruit the whole family will enjoy, many varieties boast beautiful fall foliage colors and are attractive plants mixed in the landscape. 

Blueberries at Squak Mt. Nursery

(supplies are limited)

Bright yellow, green, metallic purple and black combine to create a striking, contemporary wardrobe for your containers.  The designers at Squak Mt. have created this exclusive design to inspire you as you welcome the first hints of spring to our neighborhoods.

All of these plants in are grouped together at our nursery to make their selection quick and easy.  This recipe is designed for a container about 15-18” wide.  Our friendly staff would be pleased to assist you in adding or subtracting plants to fit a pot of any size. We also have some stunning black or mirrored silver containers pre-planted with this design to allow you to take home instant beauty for your front porch or patio.  Light conditions are not as important during the first months of the year.  In future months, many of the plants in this recipe can either be transplanted to your landscape, or kept in the pot for year round interest in a sun or partial sun location. Come outfit your pots with eye catching style and color at Squak Mt. today.

(This recipe and the suggested layout for this pot is available as printed handout at Squak Mt. Nursery today.)

A.   Ceanothus ‘Diamond Heights’-1 plant: Attractive chartreuse leaves with a dark green center, pale blue flowers in April or May. Low growing evergreen shrub grows 10-12” high, trails nicely in containers.  Hardy to 20 F.

B.   Heuchera ‘Shanghai’-1 plant: Shimmering metallic silvery-purple leaves on a tightly mounding plant. Evergreen foliage performs well through winter. White flowers above dark purple stems in the summer. 10” H x 12” W.

C.   Dwarf Hinoki Cypress ‘Meroke Twin’-1 plant: Gold-green evergreen foliage. Slight twists of branches lend movement and individuality to upright growth. Excellent for tight spaces or containers.

D.   Black Mondo Grass-1 plant: Glossy black grassy foliage with a dense, clumping habit. Spikes of tiny lavender flowers are followed by black berries in the autumn. 6-12” H.

E.   Emerald Isle Spike Moss-1 to 2 plants. Small mounding moss with bright green foliage. Good groundcover for shade to part shade.

F.    Obconica Primrose-1 plant: Upright growing clusters of lavender, pink or purple blooms, soft green round leaves. This primrose grows to 9” tall.

G.   Primrose-2 to 3 plants: Rosettes of green foliage and cheery flowers in an array of colors on this perennial. Orangey-red or purple hued blooms recommended.

H.   Dwarf Narcissus-1 plant: A sure sign of spring when these cute daffodils are blooming. Tete-a-Tete or other dwarf varieties will work best. 6-12” H.

The first thing Alan said was do not go near trees with heavy burdens of ice or snow on them.  They are not safe!  True, there is no ice or snow now but remember this for future storms.  In addition he emphasized that broken tree tops and branches that are still hanging in trees pose a serious danger, and you must assess the danger they pose today.  Unless they are definitely wedged in the tree so they cannot fall, they should be removed for safety.  Alan spent much of his talk on the danger of  material falling out of trees, so please be warned.

You may have a tree, often a white birch, that has been bent by the weight of ice and snow, often into a perfect bow.  Be extremely careful if you want to cut this tree, it has large amounts of energy stored in the bow and can cause injury or damage when it is released.  A twisted tree presents the same danger.

When trying to decide if a tree should be completely removed because of extensive damage review the following:

1. What was the overall condition of the tree prior to the storm?  If it looked sickly and past its prime, now might be the time to remove it.

2. Has the tree outgrown its current location?  If so, why try to repair it? Considering removing it and planting a more appropriate tree.

3. After damaged branches are removed will the tree have sufficient branches to produce enough leaves to sustain life?  If not, then cut your losses by removing the tree.

4. Are the main scaffold branches basically in good condition?  If yes, then you probably have a tree worth working on.

5. What species is the tree?  Some trees like Douglas firs and cedars live a long time, so work invested in these trees will give will have a long pay back period.  Other trees like alders, big leaf maples, and cottonwoods have a short life span and may not be worth repairing.

If you are pruning broken branches, cut back to the main branch, making sure you leave a smooth, flat cut.  Also, if a branch has completely broken off, make a fresh pruning cut to produce a smooth flat surface.  Jagged surfaces leave more surface areas for disease and insect to invade the tree.

For branches that are cracked but mostly still attached to your tree you may want to stabilize the branch by wrapping the cracked area with duct tape or electrical tape.  If the tape does not stabilize the branch, a splint or tying the branch to an adjoining branch may be necessary.

There is no need to apply a paint or pruning compound to the cut areas.   They do not provide any benefit and may provide a cover for insects to hide in.

If  you have questions concerning your tree please gives us a call Squak Mt. Nursery.

Holiday dollars will be redeemable December 17^th through the 23^rd in 2011.   When redeeming Holiday dollars you can save up to 50% off of your purchase of holiday merchandise.

Each holiday dollar redeemed must be matched with a U.S. Dollar.  (For example: A $100 purchase = $50 cash, plus $50 Squak Mt. Holiday Dollars)

Holiday merchandise includes all ornaments, greens, cut and permanent Christmas trees, poinsettias, holiday ribbon and holiday décor.   This offer is good while supplies last.

Our general holiday sale for the public will not begin until December 26, 2011.

One of our favorites at Squak Mt. is the Camellia ‘Yuletide’, featuring cherry red blooms with golden yellow centers. Blooming from the beginning of December through the first of the year, this shrub provides color in your garden for the holiday season.

For those of you that live in the colder areas of the greater Eastside (North Bend, higher areas on Cougar Mt. or the plateau) consider picking out an extra cold hardy camellia, which has been bred for a zone 6 hardiness (-10 to -0 F).  They include ‘Winter’s Snowman’ which features pink buds that open to white anemone formed flowers.  Foliage on this beauty is dark green with burgundy new growth in the spring. Another good choice is ‘Winter’s Joy’, which boasts semi-double bright pink flowers.

Squak Mt. Nursery has a wonderful crop of camellias offered in a wide selection of sizes and varieties, including some espaliered on trellises. We are sure to have the ideal camellia for your landscape or large container.  Visit us today and allow our friendly, knowledgeable staff to assist you.

Keeping a living tree alive is easy if a few rules are followed.

1. Keep the root ball moist. Put water on the root ball approximately every two days (more frequently for large trees). We recommend putting the root ball in two plastic garbage bags to protect your home’s floor.
2. Acclimatize the tree. When bringing your tree into your home, put it into a cool garage for a couple days first.  When returning the tree to the outdoors, use the garage as a transition zone for a couple days again.
3. The fewer days in your warm home, the better.  Ten days is the absolute maximum.
4. Keep your tree away from heating vents and fireplaces.
5. If the weather is cold (32 F or lower) when you are ready to plant your tree, keep it in the garage until the weather moderates. Rapid, harsh temperature changes can hurt your live tree.  If it is raining outside that is an excellent time to return the tree to the outdoors, because you know it cannot be freezing.
6. Plant your tree as soon as you take it outside. Don’t leave the tree unplanted as the root ball can freeze or dry out.
7. Your living tree should be planted no deeper then the top of the root ball.  Leave the burlap on when planting.  Finally, insure that you cut any twine that encircles the trunk, after you have stabilized the root ball with soil in your planting.

Squak Mt. is unable to guarantee living trees that are brought indoors due to the numerous variables.

Hailing from South Africa, Amaryllis’ normal flowering time is February through April. Nothing is easier to grow than amaryllis. Amaryllis bulbs are the size of a large onion. The bigger the bulb, the more flowers are produced.  Large (34 cm) bulbs will produce two or more stalks. Plant one to three bulbs per pot for a gorgeous winter display.

Amaryllis enjoy being crowded when being planted, as it helps them bloom. They can be put in a container that is only 1” larger than the bulb. Using moistened potting soil, plant your bulb so ½ to 1/3 of the bulb is above the soil line. Place in a sunny, warm window. As the stalk appears, rotate the pot to prevent it from leaning towards the sun. Only water the top of the pot when the soil begins to feel dry, about once a week. Feed with ½ strength fertilizer every two weeks. They will usually bloom eight to ten weeks after being planted. Squak Mountain sells both bulbs and the containers to plant them in.

‘Merry Christmas’ is a new variety that will bloom sooner than most amaryllis (4-6 weeks).  Plant them in mid-November for a Christmas time bloom.  Alternatively you may elect to purchase amaryllis that are already planted at Squak Mt.  These have been timed so they will bloom during our holiday season (December-January).  Come select your favorite color today at Squak Mt., and provide color to your home during the dreariest days of the year.

Here are the amaryllis varieties available at Squak Mt.  (while supplies remain)

1. Insulate your containers.  In addition to pulling your containers closer to your house, wrapping the pot with bubble wrap or a blanket is a wise idea during a deep or prolonged freeze.  This insulates plant roots and protects them from winter damage.

2.  Water, if soil is somewhat dry, before a freeze occurs.  Plants will drink water if temperatures are around 40 degrees F or higher.  When it freezes plants become dehydrated, in the same manner that they do during the heat of summer.  Dehydration may lead to winter burn on leaves or root damage.  Remember plants under the eaves or a covered porch are likely not getting sufficient rain water to keep them properly watered.

3.  Mulch is magic.  Our winter freeze and thaw cycles confuse plants.  Plants sometimes do not remain fully dormant and are then more susceptible to freeze damage.  Place a 3″ layer of mulch over your existing moist soil to protect your plants.  This protective blanket helps plant remain dormant, as the mulch insures the soil does not warm to quickly, nor freeze too deeply.  Remember to mulch lightly under rhododendrons and azaleas.  Also wet areas of your garden should not be mulched too heavily as it prohibits the solid from drying out properly.

Alliums desire well-drained soil and a sunny location.  Bulbs should be planted with the pointy end up about 3” deep and 6 to 8” apart.  Alliums will naturalize and send up increasing numbers of blooms each year as they return.  Their leaves emerge in spring, but tend to die back before the flower blooms.  Consider planting them amongst low growing perennials or shrubs, so that the companion plants may hide their yellowing leaves.

Allium flowers grow 2’ to 4’ tall, depending on the variety.  Squak Mt. has selections ranging from purple to magenta to white.

Visit us today to select your favorite alliums, as well as many other colorful spring blooming bulbs.

Sue has won a $100 of homegrown poinsettias from Squak Mt. to brighten her home this upcoming Christmas season.  Our contest was announced in August via our Squak Mt. Email Newsletter.  Please sign-up for the newsletter if you have not already.

The winning pot features Purple Fountain Grass, Gartenmeister fuchsia, coleus, two varieties of zonal geraniums, blue bacopa, petunia, golden creeping jenny and heliotrope.

Here are two other containers that our judges found particularly beautiful.