Spring is rejuvenating and reassuring, for both me and the nursery. March and April set the stage for the year; the overwintered plants begin growth, the seedlings emerge and the cuttings take root. Above you can see new snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) seedlings, and just below are snowberry cuttings about to leaf out. We grow most […]
The 2020 nursery season fast approaches
Tweedy’s lewisia (Lewisiopsis tweedyi) will make its stunning appearance before long In fact, the nursery season for Derby Canyon Natives is well underway! With the lack of snow at our elevation and fairly mild temperatures we began nursery operations earlier then ever in late February. Much of the next three+ months will be taken […]
What’s in a Name? The new “Flora of the Pacific Northwest”
When you are working with native plants it is essential to know what you have (especially if you are selling them!) Common plant names vary and can refer to multiple species (just how many “rock roses” are there?) but each species should have but one scientific name (Genus + species). We now have, as of late last […]
Alpine Springbeauty – Wow!
I don’t get botanical “Wow!” moments often, but last week I had one of them. On Thursday I hiked to Van Epps Pass, past the Esmeralda Peaks at the head of the North Fork of the Teanaway River. This part of the Wenatchee Mountains has many areas of serpentine-derived soils, often covered with the rusty […]
Red-flowering Currant
It happens every year. As soon as the red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) blooms in the nursery there is a rufous hummingbird on it. I saw my first male hummer of the spring on Saturday, checking out the spot where the feeder at home hangs each year, making me realize that this little guy was here last […]