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 Nursery gets all “Artsy”
This time of year at Derby Canyon Natives we have a lull in activity before fall shipments and propagation begin, so I have time for building projects, maintenance… and art! Last month I finished painting the new nursery building we constructed in late 2016. The expanses of white siding called out for something so I […]
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 […]
My Tronsen Ridge Suite
Last week I made a seed collecting foray to Tronsen Ridge above Blewett Pass, escaping the smoke-filled Wenatchee Valley. This area is easily one of the top spots for wildflowers in Central Washington, filled with a great diversity of species, including many uncommon and endemic ones. There are great views of the Stuart Range, Mt. Rainier […]