May Flowers – Is there anything like their joy and beauty they bring after grey skies and winter storms? These flowers are a detail from a beautiful arrangement Brita Fisher made for a birthday order. She delivers in Seattle / Mercer Island so if you live on that side of the water and want something extraordinary to mark a day or signifigant person contact her.
If you live on Whidbey I highly recommmend ordering flowers from Melissa Brown of Flying Bear Farm – a dear floral and gift shop on 1st street in Langley. Flowers do so much for our spirits and I’m guessing most of us can use that right now. I just picked a bouquet of rugosa roses to have where I sit to read it the morning, to enjoy their amazing aromatherapy.
The espaliered apples were in bloom recently and it’s always such a joy to walk down the path into the old nursery area now used for classes and markets. I love the many years I put into having a nursery, starting many plants from seeds and cuttings and primarily educating those that had a desire to add to their gardens.
In that vein I’m very excited about a young woman, Jumanji Moritz, who has started a native plant nursery in Langley called Rainy Day Flora.
The construction of the nursery was assisted by her husband Chris Moritz, whose now working on a metal shop. The model of the fire tower ( behind her ) they built for the NW Flower & Garden awhile back.
When I talked to Jumanji my first question was why she wanted to start a nursery – her reply is she loves to grow things from seed. I admire that long process. From the knowledge it takes to start seeds and cuttings to the patience of waiting for plants to be mature enough to sell – the mark of a real plantsperson.
Another reason for starting her nursery is having a great excuse to create the magical display gardens for educating and inspiring clients, showing how you can promote biodiversity and wildlife at the same time.
Jumanji’s primary interest is growing plants for pollinators and birds and helping people incorporate natives in with other decorative non-native plants.
Alliums greet the visitors of her display gardens, which undulate with mounds of soil, created by piling the old soil so the weeds could decompose and creat new beds. Paths weave among the beds with a little bridge and some nice stone work in places.
In addition to native plants Jumanji has started some great veggies and herbs.
If you’ve room, pick up one of her gunnera – so striking and they love a wet location.
This little native, Thalictum occidentale , would do well placed near the front of borders or intermingling among deer fern and rhododendrons – the delicate foliage of the thalictrum setting off the bold rodie foliage.
Allium crenulatum – a short growing native with vivid flowers can brighten your path edges.
Adiantum tracyi – Tracys Maidenhair fern – This gorgeous little maidenhair is a naturally occuring cross between our western native and a california native. It stays much lower to the ground and is very lush, as this planting shows. I highly recommend all mainenhair ferns for elegance and ease of growing.
Near the little bridge are some pacific coast iris – Iris douglasiana – called Douglas Iris – a must for the northwest with evergreen foliage year round and beautifully shaped blooms. Many hybrids have been developed and they are stunning but so is this natural native color.
Our native goatsbeard looks like an astilbe on steriods. These striking plants are about 4′ tall and have not bloomed yet. A sweep of those with some deer ferns, maidenhair and a rodie behing would be lovely.
There is a bed which focuses on non-native plants that blend well with natives. In this bed you’ll find a few colors of Primula japonica which loves moist soil and is very showy.
A plant I was not familiar with, Eriophyllum lanatum, also called Oregon Sunshine is one I will definately add to my garden once it’s available. The grey foliage is a good indicator of it’s drought tolerant nature and the mass of yellow daisies delightful. I have many spots for this easy beauty.
I asked Jumanji for a list of some of her most recommended plants to give you some ideas on where to start:
5 Great Native Plants for Pollinators
- Tufted Hair Grass – Deschampsia cespitosa
- Big leaf Lupine – Lupinus polyphllus
- Showy Fleabane – Erigeron speciosus
- Cananda Goldenrod – Solidago canadensis
- Showy Milkweed – Asclepias speciosa
5 Great Native Bird Plants
- Coneflower – Echinacea purpurea
- Roemer’s Fescue – Festuca roemeri
- Madrone – Arbutus menziessii
- Serviceberry / Saskatoon – Amelianchier alnifolia
- Evergreen Huckleberry – both evergreen and red berry deciduous – Vaccinium ovatum & parvifolium
Besides quite a bit of gardening at home and garden consults for clients I have been sewing a lot during this covid time. I made Brita and baby Jura a coordinating top and dress out of some great brown linen. Jura’s top has the best little skunk, tree stumps, butterfly and fern motive ribbon along the bottom. It’s such a pleasure to make clothes for folks. Let me know if your interested in any of the classic, simple and very comfortable designs I make! You can check out @maemaesew on Instagram for more photos.
I’ll also be selling cloths at the Summer Art & Craft Market August 22 & 23 2020.
We think that will still be able to go forward at this time.
Happy gardening and be sure to check out Jumanji’s nursery on the link I provided.
We will resume classes when we think it’s safe to do so with the Governors recommendations.
Best to all,
Mary Fisher
Cultus Bay Garden
7568 Cultus Bay Rd
Whidbey Island
Clinton WA