Queen Arrives

Posted April 19th, 2012 in Shrubs & Vines
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Clematis, known as the queen of flowering vines, will be at Squak Mt. once again this spring. A recent addition to the Squak Mt. collection is the Raymond Evison clematis. Developing varieties for decades in Great Britain, Mr. Evison is one of the world’s premiere clematis growers.  This year Squak Mt. will be carrying several of the clematis he has developed. One such clematis is the ‘Cezanne’. Blooming from spring to late summer, this striking clematis features blue flowers with a yellow center.  ‘Cezanne’ is also compact in height, growing only 3-4 ft high by 2 ft. wide.

‘Cezanne’ and many other clematis featured at Squak Mt. are particularly striking when planted in a container.  Insure your pot is at least 18” in width. To plant, place your clematis along with a small trellis or obelisk in your pot. Use potting soil amended with our organic ‘Bouquet’ fertilizer. The root crown should be covered by about 1” of potting soil.  Place clematis in sun to part shade conditions and water deeply throughout the summer. Also insure you plant other plants around the clematis to provide shade for the clematis’ root system.  Pairing with annuals such as ivy geraniums, dragon wing begonia, or calibrachoa will provide incredible bloom power all summer. Come in to Squak Mt. today to check out our fantastic collection of Raymond Evison clematis, decorative trellis’ and containers to bring vertical interest and color to your patio or landscape this summer.

Here are some of the Raymond Evison varieties we are featuring at Squak Mt. this spring:

Clematis ‘R. Envison’ Variety

Bloom
Cezanne Blue with yellow center
Fleuri Deep purple
Diamantina Blue double flowers
Ice Blue White, with hint of blue
Josephine Double pink
Picardy Red / purple

 

Tomatoes at Squak Mt.

Posted April 18th, 2012 in Edibles & Recipes
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Growing the perfect tomato can be a challenge in the Seattle area, particularly if the summer stays cool.  New for 2012 is our homegrown crop of grafted tomatoes, which create improved vigor and disease resistance, and most importantly superior fruit production.  Grafting of tomatoes has been popularized internationally in commercial ventures, but is just now finding its way to our home gardens.  A grafted plant is one in which the top of one plant is attached to the roots of another type of plant.  The root type selected for our tomatoes is disease free, pest free, and grows more vigorously than that of the typical tomato, creating a super productive plant.

‘Cherokee Purple’ is an heirloom variety that grows large fruit from 8 to 12 oz. with rich, full flavor.  Typically we have dissuaded area gardeners from growing heirloom types, because they are disease prone and often do not have time to mature in our short summers.  In 2011 grafted specimens of ‘Cherokee Purple’ grew beautiful fruits here in Issaquah despite the very cool temperatures we experienced.   We have included this old time favorite in our crop of grafted tomatoes.  Additionally you will find a more modern variety, ‘Big Beef’ with its tasty 1 lb. fruits, in our grafted crop.  The vigor of this plant will allow it to get to maturity more quickly, and will also provide you with a longer more abundant harvest.

When planting a grafted tomato we recommend you plant directly in the ground, or if you must use a container, insure it is wine barrel size or larger.  You must insure that the graft is well above the soil level when planted.  Essentially this means that the soil level of the tomato you purchase will match the soil level in your garden.  Do not plant them deep!  Remove any suckers or roots that form above or below or above the graft.  Because the varieties listed here are indeterminate (the plant continues growing all season) we recommend that you selectively prune out foliage throughout the summer, to allow more energy to be placed into fruit production.

In addition to grafted tomatoes we are also growing standard tomatoes and a full line of summer vegetables.  Grafted tomatoes will be ready for sale in early to mid May, as will gallon pot size standard tomatoes.  Standard tomatoes in smaller pots are available as soon as you are ready to plant.  Here are the tomato varieties we are growing today:

Standard Tomato Varieties

Description
Celebrity Large tasty fruit
Champion Very large, beefsteak type
Early Girl Medium sized, quick to maturity
Lemon Boy Yellow 7 oz. size
Lizzano Cherry fruit, compact habit
Red Robin Clusters of fruit on petite plant
Sungold Sweet tropical flavor, golden cherry type
Sweet 100 Sweet, red cherry tomato

 

Grafted Tomato Varieties

Description
Big Beef Very large, meaty, flavorful
Cherokee Purple Heirloom, purple.  Rich flavor

‘Purple Tropics’ – summer container design

Posted April 17th, 2012 in Annuals & Baskets, Container Gardening
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Take a trip to the tropics with the dazzling colors and textures featured in this container recipe created for you by the designers at Squak Mt.  Deep purple and burgundy tones are offset by lime green and orange to create contrast that every eye will find irresistible.  The multiple leaf textures also add appeal as your container will abundantly celebrate our hottest summer months.  This recipe will thrive in full sun or partial sun conditions.

All of the plants in our design are grouped together at Squak Mt. to make it quick and easy for you to select them.  Size and number of plants can be adapted for any size pot. The quantities listed here fit a pot approximately 18-22” in diameter. We also have pre-planted containers with this recipe so that you may take them home complete and ready to enjoy. Our friendly staff would be pleased to assist you further as you create bring the ‘Purple Tropics’ to your garden.

  1. Perilla ‘Magilla’ – 1 plant –   Purple and magenta coleus like foliage.  Grows 18-24” high.
  2. Festival Cordyline – 1 plant – Strappy burgundy grass like foliage with a cascading habit can grow 2’-3’ high.
  3. Geranium ‘Indian Dunes’ or ‘Vancouver Centennial’ – 1 plant – Fancy leaf zonal geraniums provide striking color contrasts.  Foliage is bronze with a border of lime green.  Also features bright orange blooms in summer.
  4. Potato Vine ‘Blackie’ – 3 plants – This ipomoea with nearly black foliage gracefully drapes over the edge of containers.
  5. New Guinea Impatiens – 2 plants – See article in this newsletter.  Consider varieties with fuchsia or bright orange blooms.
  6. Coleus ‘Gay’s delight’ – 1 plant – This sun tolerant plant features lime green foliage with black veins.  24-36” high.

We recommend waiting until May before planting summer annuals (such as those featured in this recipe) outdoors in our area.

A diagram of how we recommend laying out your container is available as a printed handout at Squak Mt. today.

The photo taken here is of a recently potted container to give you a better idea of the colors and textures in this design.  The plants will continue to fill the pot out quickly in the days ahead.

 

‘Marguarita’ & Trailing Annuals

Posted April 16th, 2012 in Annuals & Baskets
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Starring heart shaped leaves and a brilliant lime green color, Ipomoea ‘Marguarita’ has become a favorite trailing annual for summer gardens. They look equally beautiful cascading out of a hanging basket as they do draping over the side of a planted container.  Ipomoea desires sun or part sun conditions. An individual plant can trail more than 24” in length as it adds a brilliant splash of color to your landscape.

In addition to Ipomoea, Squak Mt. grows a multitude of other top performing annuals that trail, for sun or shade, including: bacopa, calibrachoa, nemesia, snow princess alyssum,  trailing petunias, verbena and many more.  Here is a complete listing of varieties we are growing for your summer enjoyment.  Supplies are limited.

Click here to view a list of many of the summer annuals we are growing this year, that feature a trailing habit.

Summer Annuals, Trailers 2012

 

Fragrant Star

Posted March 21st, 2012 in Bulbs & Seeds
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Bring exotic and showy blooms to your summer garden with ‘Salmon Star’ oriental lily. This exciting, new summer blooming bulb is a version of the popular ‘Stargazer’ lily, and features intoxicating fragrance to complement its peach and apricot flowers.

As refreshing as a scoop of orange sherbet on a hot summer day, ‘Salmon Star’ sports large 6” apricot-salmon petals with a vivid coral stripes and red freckles. It only grows 2-3’ tall making it a terrific addition for containers, or garden borders. Paired with blues and purples it’s coral tones are stunning.  Tuck it among spring bloomers and it will bloom later in the year for added show. Oriental lilies naturalize well in the garden, forming ever larger clumps in future years.

Lilies prefer full sun to part sun areas, well-drained soil, and a shot of bulb food when planted. Because they never go completely dormant, it is important to buy early and plant early. The best flower show is achieved by planting groups of 3 to 5 bulbs 6-8” apart. Because they have narrow, columnar forms, lilies can be easily tucked in between other plants or shrubs.

‘Salmon Star’, as well as other great summer flowering bulbs, are available today at Squak Mt.  Select your favorites to bring fragrance and color to your summer garden.

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