Pears for 2024

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Most varieties of pear require cross-pollination with another pear.  While European pear can pollinize Asian pear, they typically are not in bloom at the same time. Thus, it is recommended to have two varieties of European pear or two varieties of Asian pear.  A hybrid pear, such as Maxie, can act as pollinator for both since its bloom time is between the two.

European Pears

Bartlett: Perhaps the most widely grown European pear tree in history and cultivated in America since the early 1800’s. Classic bell shaped golden yellow fruit sometimes flushed red. Thin skinned, with creamy white flesh that is sweet and buttery. A multi-purpose pear grown for fresh eating, cooking, dessert, baking or juice. Ripens in September. Prone to scab.  WSU Mt Vernon recommended variety.  Early flowering; pollinize with Ubileen.

Comice: A highly acclaimed variety for its sweet, aromatic, fine texture, superb flavor and quality. It has a distinct shape: rounded with a short neck. Skin is greenish-yellow with red blush. Late harvest. Self-fruitful but better with a pollinizer such as Bartlett.

Early Gold- This hardy pear is hard to beat if you’re looking for tasty fruit.  Sweet and crisp, it is great for eating and holds up well in desserts, baked goods, and when canned. It ripens in early August. And if green/gold fruit isn’t tempting enough, it’s also a great ornamental tree with white flowers in spring and leaves that turn gold to purple in autumn. Self‑fruitful but may be more productive when paired with another European pear for pollinization.

Orcas: The original tree was found on Orcas Island. Large, beautiful, perfectly pear-shaped yellow fruit, with a red blush. Sweet and juicy, with smooth, buttery flesh. Good for fresh eating, or for canning and drying. Reliable and productive. Disease resistant. Ripens in September. Pair with Comice, Maxie, Seckel for a pollinizer. WSU Mt Vernon recommended variety.

Seckel: One for the collectors & connoisseurs! Sweet, flavorful, aromatic, spicy, perhaps the best flavor of any pear. Small and cute with russeted brown skin. Resists fire blight. Self‑fruitful but may be more productive when paired with another European pear for pollinization.

Ubileen: Large, delicious yellow pears with a pretty red blush and sweet, smooth, buttery flesh. Vigorous and productive. Resistant to fireblight. Early to bloom; ripens in August. Pollinize with Orcas or Bartlett. WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety.

Hybrid Pears

Maxie: Is a cross between Max Red Bartlett European and Nijisseki Asian pears, giving us the best of both worlds. Red and yellow in color this fruit is flavorful; sweet, crisp, juicy, and wonderfully aromatic- it’s great for fresh eating! This tree blooms in early April and ripens in mid-September. Resistant to pear scab.  Pollinize with Hosui Asian Pear.

Asian Pears

Chojuro: This tree produces medium, round, brown skinned fruit that is mildly sweet & spicy with texture that is firm & crisp. Fruits ripen in mid-August. The Chojuro tree has large, waxy, dark green, foliage that turns a gorgeous red/orange in the fall.  Pollinize with ‘Shinseike’ or ‘Bartlett’.

Hosui:Introduced in the 1970s form Japan, this Asian pear is tangy with more acidity than most pears. The fruit is sweet like a European pear, but crisp like an apple. The fruit is large with a gold skin and juicy flesh. Excellent for fresh eating or baking. Ripens in late August. Self-pollinating, but will yield more with a separate pollinizer such as ‘Shinseiki’.

Nijisseiki: this is a dessert cultivar bearing medium to large yellow fruits with smooth skin. The white flesh is crisp and mildly sweet. Self-fruitful but better with another variety such as ‘Chojuro’, ‘Shinseike’, ‘Bartlett’.

Shinseiki: A beautiful, rounded pear with showy yellow skin. Sweet white flesh is crisp and very juicy. Very vigorous and productive.  Good disease resistance. Stores very well. Ripens in early to mid-August. Needs a different Asian pear variety, such as ‘Chojuro’, as a pollinizer. WSU Mt Vernon recommended variety.

Espalier European Pears & 4 way Grafted

4 Way Asian Pear: Chojuro, Nijiseiki, Shinseiki, Shinko, Kosui

Espalier European Pear: Bartlett, Red Bartlett, Bosc

Pear Rootstock

OHXF 97: Vigorous, widely adapted and disease resistant. Unpruned tree height of fruiting varieties 15-25 ft. Trees on OHxF 97 may be held to any desired height by summer pruning.

OHXF 333: European and Asian pears on OHxF 333 are dwarfed to about 2/3 the size of standard, or about 12-18 ft. if not pruned. Widely adapted, disease resistant. Trees on OHxF 333 may be held to any desired height by summer pruning.

Pear Pollination Guide

In general, all pears need to be cross-pollinated by another pear that flowers at the same time.  The safest is to choose another variety in bloom at the same time, but typically there is adequate overlap between each neighboring bloom category.  For example, because ‘Maxie’ is a mid-season bloomer, it is used to pollinize both the early-blooming Asian pears and the later blooming European Pears. 

Some varieties are pollen-sterile and cannot be used as pollinizers, but none are listed here.

Certain pears will not be pollinized by cultivars that are in their parentage. 

Any variety in italics is one we have sold in the past but are not stocking this year.

EarlyEarly to midMidLate
HosuiChojuroBartlettBosc
ShinseikiKosuiEarly GoldComice
 NijiseikiMaxieOrcas
  Red BartlettSeckel
  Rescue 
  Ubileen 
    

Fruiting Plums 2024

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*All of these plum trees are grown on semi-dwarf rootstock in order to accommodate most home orchards.*

European Plums

Blue Damson: Not only does this heirloom variety yield oblong, purple-skinned fruits with yellow-green flesh and a sweet tart flavor that is great for fresh eating and especially cooking, but the tree in bloom is a lovely sight in the spring! Self-fertile but will be more productive when paired with a different European plum variety as a pollinizer.

Green Gage: A historic plum dating back to France in the 1600’s where they are called “Reine Claude”. Small rounded yellow-green plums are not pretty, but many say have the best flavor of any plum. Juicy and firm, with a sweet, melt in your mouth flavor. Excellent fresh, or for baking, preserves and canning. Self-fertile but may produce better with a different European plum pollinizer. Ripens in late August.

Imperial Epineuse: Considered one of the most delicious plums you can grow, this plum has grown famous for its sweet, flavorful fruit. This French variety has a reddish-purple skin and yellow flesh. Large fruits are excellent for either fresh eating or drying. Once mature, the tree is a heavy producer, often yielding over 50lbs of fruit in a season. Self-fertile but may produce better with a different European plum pollinizer. A WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety.

Early Italian Prune: Very similar to Italian prune plum but ripens a few weeks earlier.

Italian Prune: Perhaps the most widely planted and beloved fruit tree in history. Deep purple oblong freestone fruits with tasty yellow flesh are great fresh off the tree and are especially suited for drying, canning and cooking.  Flesh turns a nice red color when cooked. Ripens in August. Self-fertile. Can take a few years to start producing.  A WSU Mt Vernon recommended variety.

 
Asian Plums

Beauty: This variety is well suited to the cool summers of western Washington. The fruits have red and yellow skin with amber-red flesh. Some say this is the most flavorful Japanese plum, sweet and juicy with a delicious flavor that melts in your mouth. Excellent for fresh eating. Vigorous and productive. Ripens in early August. A good pollinizer for many other Asian plum varieties, it is considered self-fertile but will produce more heavily with another Asian plum nearby. A WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety.

Toka: One of the hardiest Asian plum varieties. This Asian x American plum hybrid has small-to-medium size red fruit with yellow flesh that ripens in August and is so sweet, spicy, and fragrant it is commonly called the Candy or Bubblegum plum. The vigorous, upright tree is covered with white blossoms in early spring, bushels of fruit in the summer, and beautiful red fall foliage. Self-fertile and is an excellent pollinizer for other Asian and hybrid plums.

Shiro: These plums are quite popular with American gardeners: the trees are long-lived and very prolific, the large round yellow fruit is mild, sweet, and ridiculously juicy! With its fast production you’ll have plenty of fruit for eating, cooking, canning, baking desserts. Ripens in early August. Partially self-fertile, it is best with another variety of Asian plum as a pollinizer.

Tobey’s Top Rose Picks for 2024

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2024 is going to be a great year for roses at Venture Out! I am really excited about ALL the cultivars I’ve chosen for this year. I did a bit of next-level research to make sure that they all have top ratings, not just for disease resistance and performance in our region, but also for fragrance, rebloom, and vase life. When you buy a rose from Venture Out you are sure to get a quality performer!

For the past couple of years, I’ve done a “top 10” list. This year, it was just too hard to narrow it to 10, and besides, why should I limit myself? So here are my Top Fourteen Roses for 2024 list! These roses have the very best ratings for all characteristics: disease resistance, strongest scent, only repeat bloomers, and most offer great vase life. You’ll also see my own personal tastes which lean heavily on old-world, romantic, cottage style types with high petal counts and good looking foliage. Even if your tastes don’t align with mine, I can assure you that you’ll be happy with any rose from Venture Out!

Bolero (Floribunda)

This outstanding performer offers romantic clusters of heavily scented white flowers throughout the growing season. The plant has a tidy growth habit, deep glossy leaves, and excellent disease resistance. The flowers are great for cutting and will fill your home and garden with the fragrance of classic rose mixed with tropical fruit. 

Bronze Star (Hybrid Tea)

For years I’ve loved ‘Just Joey’, but ‘Bronze Star’ has won me over. It offers similar fragrance and the same range of color – copper fading to soft yummy peachy-pinky-apricot. It is the improved disease resistance that got me hooked!

Cloud 10 (Climbing)

I will certainly add this rose to my garden! While it is listed as a climber, it has the growth habit of a large shrub, which is just my style – great for arbors or fences or the back of a border. It blooms heavily in the spring, and then re-blooms throughout the rest of the growing season. The flower is full and fluffy like an English rose, and the foliage is a clean dark green. It’s got a musky fragrance and when fully open, it is attractive to pollinators.

 

Don Juan (Climbing)

I have a soft spot for a classic red rose, and Don Juan has charmed me – he’s a prolific, fruity-scented show-off with extremely disease-resistant leathery green foliage. The ruffley blooms are great cut flowers!

Easy On The Eyes (Shrub)

I chose this shrub rose for its cottagey-cute clusters of flowers – I love that magenta eye! It has won awards for being floriferous. The continuous bloom not only makes a great show in the garden, it also offers a constant feast to pollinators! In addition, this variety offers a nice, rounded growth habit, a citrus & spice fragrance, and can boast extraordinary disease resistance.

Eleganza Beverly (Hybrid Tea)

This might be the most fragrant variety on our roster this year. This tea rose has won multiple fragrance awards for her sweet scent described as citrus, pear, patchouli. If you are looking for a great cut flower to perfume your home, here she is! This plant is an upright grower with large flowers and great disease-resistance ratings.

Heavenly Scented (Hybrid Tea)

Here’s another sweet and spicy delight for your nose & vase – as well as your eyes. One could use a variety of sea creatures to describe the color of the beautiful pink flowers – are they prawn, conch or salmon colored?  This upright tea has a strong resistance to downy mildew and rust.

Romantica Ball Gown (Hybrid Tea)

Okay, honestly I couldn’t choose between ‘Ball Gown’ or ‘Moonlight’ so I chose them both! The Romantica series offers roses bred for flower size, fragrance, petal count, disease resistance and vase life. What more could you want?! ‘Ball Gown’ has all the frills a blushing debutante could ask for.  Pink can make a flower seem simple and unassuming but don’t be fooled – the scent has been described to contain complex notes of grass and powder.

Romantica Moonlight (Hybrid Tea)

This big girl has all the same excellent qualities as ‘Ball Gown’, but in an endearing yellow – soft, gentle, cheerful without being overly sunny – for those who aren’t looking for pink. If you like English Roses, you’ll love this variety!

Sweet Mademoiselle (Hybrid Tea)

Is she named sweet for her fragrance or performance? I’m not sure. This plant has excellent ratings for both! The color is intriguing, changing with both temperature and as the flowers age. This is a great plant for cutting as well.

Sweet Spirit (Grandiflora)

The strength of this rich, vibrant color might have had me choose another adjective than “sweet”, but name aside, this is a great plant with an intense fragrance redolent of clove, pear and ripe fruit. It is great for cutting and offers excellent disease resistance.

Top Cream (Hybrid Tea)

This one got me for its old-fashioned vibe! With an abundance of petals, a delicately blushed, creamy white color, and a scent of anise and pear – I feel like I should be picnicking in the English Countryside, reading Jane Austin. Instead, maybe I’ll cut a handful of these luscious blooms for an arrangement… Oh, and of course, this plant offers excellent disease resistance – so instead of spraying, maybe I do have time to read Jane Austin!

Honorable Mention is due to Sunbelt Plum Perfect (Floribunda). Purple is a very difficult color in the rose genome; while it often is linked to fragrance, it is also often linked to susceptibility to diseases. This variety gets kudos because the breeders have managed to achieve a unique color paired with fragrance and disease resistance.

If these weren’t enough for you, I can suggest picks from previous years that we continue to carry this season: Sunbelt Crazy Love, Pinkerbelle, Parfuma Bliss and Raspberry Cupcake. For more information about planting and growing roses, we have more great posts to help you out:  How To Plant A Bare Root Rose and How To Have Success with Roses! Happy gardening!

Keep the Harvest Going

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As the hint of fall rolls in with the cooler nights and shorter days, we begin to reap the benefits of all our hard work this spring and summer. We turn our thoughts to harvesting, preserving and utilizing all the fruits of our labors, which in itself can be a big task. If you’re looking to extend your harvest season, however, now is the time to get those late fall harvest veggies planted and think about what can be overwintered.

Here in Western Washington, we benefit from a temperate climate where we can get multiple crops of many of the short season veggies. Our first frost date can vary a bit depending on altitude and microclimates, but generally will fall sometime in October to November. You can find your specific first frost date by entering your zip code HERE. This will give you a date to work back from when determining which veggies you will be able to plant now and harvest before the frost, or that should be mostly mature by then for overwintering. So, here in Langley WA, our first frost date is going to be in late October or early November, approximately Nov. 9th according to the Farmer’s Almanac. I can then look at seed packets for the things I’m considering planting for a late fall or winter harvest and figure out whether they’ll have time to mature enough by then. The list below will suggest possible crops but be sure to check your specific varieties’ packets or labels to be sure they’ll work. Here are some things to consider planting now and some even in the next couple of weeks.

Direct Sow (seeds):

Beets, carrots, arugula, lettuce, radishes, rutabagas, peas, turnips, spinach, mustard greens, pac choi, mache/corn salad, shallots and garlic (in Oct or Nov).

Transplant (starts):

Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, celery, collards, bulb fennel, parsley.

Be sure to water your seeds and transplants regularly as it is still summer, and they need even moisture to grow well. It can help to sow or transplant in spaces that get some shade or to put up a temporary shade cloth to help harden off new plants and prevent scorching seedlings. If you can find the time to get more veggies started, it will pay off late fall and into winter when you’ve got fresh food for your table long after many gardens have stopped producing!

Overwintering is a way to let nature preserve our mature cold hardy veggies, and harvest them as needed throughout the winter, and sometimes even into early spring. Not all veggies will hold up to overwintering, but some that have worked well for me are: carrots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, leeks, some lettuces, cabbage, collards, mache, and garlic. Though these are cold hardy, it is still a good idea to protect them from freezing, if possible, by mulching underground parts with a thick layer, and for above ground parts utilizing row covers, cold frames, or similar protections. While it is nearly impossible to harvest during a deep freeze or snow event, when things warm back up you can begin to harvest again.

10 Reasons to Love Annuals

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Annuals are plants that complete their entire life cycle in one year, from seed to full grown plant, to making new seeds before they die. This means that they have great impetus to grow quickly, bloom profusely, attract pollinators, and create as much seed as possible in their short lifetime. With proper care most of them can be full and flowering through the entire growing season! Some might find annuals less desirable, since they will need to be replanted each year, but there are many benefits to utilizing these fabulous plants appropriately in our gardens!

  1. Hanging Baskets – A beautiful basket, hanging near a patio, overflowing with flowers blooming all summer long is something anyone can enjoy! Apartment dwellers, renters, store fronts and homeowners alike can appreciate the ability to add floral goodness to just about any spot. Annuals are a natural fit since they bloom through almost the entire growing season, grow quickly, and they come in a huge variety of colors and growth habits. These make wonderful gifts as well!
  2. Seasonal containers – Much like hanging baskets, pots and other containers can be enjoyed by just about anyone in any space, but with good sturdy containers one can use them repeatedly by simply swapping out plants. Annuals are a shoe in for this, giving us options for seasonal themes and the ability to combine them into any style we wish. This also allows us to start very early in the growing season with cold loving annuals like Pansies, Primroses and Petunias, then as it gets too warm for them, changing them out for heat lovers like Geraniums, Osteospermum or Begonias, and on through the seasons.
  3. Filling in new plantings – If you’ve ever landscaped an area from a blank slate, you know that planting new shrubs, trees and perennials leaves a lot of empty space to allow for them to mature. This can leave things a bit sparse looking. For the years that it can take for plants to mature, annuals can fill those gaps with their colorful goodness! Since they won’t be in the garden longer than a year, they make great placeholders, and will hold weeds at bay by occupying the open ground.
  4. Adding color to landscape – In established landscapes, unless they are densely planted, there are often gaps between plants and hardscape features. These lend us the opportunity to add some extra pops of color to what can often end up being a uniform background of greens and browns much of the time. Perennials may only bloom for one or two months of the year each, while many annuals will bloom from spring all the way through autumn.
  5. Changing color palette – The wide array of colors available in annual plants makes them an easy way to update our colors, varying them strategically throughout a space for a specific look, or changing the color palette completely every year if we wish. Annuals are very much the gardener’s paintbrush, adding highlights, shading, and color wherever needed.
  6. Updating a theme – There are many styles of gardens that folks like to emulate, from Japanese to Mediterranean, Cottage to Modern. Each style has a “theme”, gangly pastels for Cottage style, bright warm tones with shiny green foliage for Tropical style, silver foliage and drought tolerant types for Mediterranean style, and so on. With annuals you can have foundation plants that are somewhat generic, and then change your theme or style every year if you like! For those with an ever-changing decorative style, annuals are a great choice, allowing for flexibility from year to year, season to season.
  7. Pollinators – Flowering annuals are extremely motivated to draw in pollinators since they’ve got just one growing season to create their seed. Their bright colors, varying shapes and sizes, and array of scents make them must-haves for any garden wishing to attract hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Companion planting annual flowers with a vegetable garden will boost production by attracting pollinators to the neighborhood from afar.
  8. Edibles – Many of our favorite vegetables are annual plants – tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, melons, and more are treasured for their quick and abundant production. Beyond even these well-known annuals, there are tons of edible annual flowers like cornflower, nasturtiums, calendula, borage, marigolds and many more. Adding edible flowers to a salad or fruit dish can be elegant or whimsical and will certainly impress diners. Encourage kids to eat more fresh foods by adding flowers to their meals or get them interested in foraging by starting in the home garden.
  9. Kids – With their short lifespan, annuals are a wonderful way to teach children about the life cycle of plants! Kids can start their own seeds, watch them sprout and grow, then follow along as they flower, develop seeds, and eventually die, leaving little plant babies of their own to grow again next spring. It’s a science lesson and intro to gardening in one fun, easy experience.
  10. Cut flowers – A cutting flower garden would be incomplete without the numerous annual flowers that are wonderful in vases and bouquets or dried. From towering treasures like Sunflowers, Nicotiana and Statice, to more diminutive darlings like Cornflowers, Celosia and Verbena, there are perfect cutting flowers for every niche in the garden.

These are just 10 reasons to love gardening with annuals, there are certainly more that we haven’t thought of! So, get out there, experiment with adding some annuals to your space, and let us know your favorite new reason to garden with annuals. Happy Planting!

Orchard Mason Bee Basics

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Mason Bees have created quite a buzz these past few years, becoming popular with gardeners, farmers, orchardists, and stewards of our native habitats – with good reason! They are excellent pollinators, pollinating 95% of flowers they visit vs. honeybees’ 5%. This means more pollination from fewer bees, in fact it’s been found that 250 female mason bees can pollinate apples as effectively as about 50,000 honey bees! They are active starting in about late March or so here in Western WA, continuing for about 6-8 weeks until the adults die, leaving the cocoons to mature until the next spring. Their active time coincides with the bloom time of many fruit bearing plants, so they are a great addition to any home orchard or fruit garden. If you’re struggling with fruit production in your garden, adding mason bees is an excellent idea.

These native bees are solitary, nesting each to their own holes, and therefore do not have a hive or make honey. With no reason to be aggressive or protective, orchard mason bees are extremely gentle, and rarely sting. There have been zero reported cases of severe allergic reaction to mason bee stings. Kids love to watch the bees emerge from their cocoons and fill up their nest holes, they are a great way to teach about life cycles as well as develop a love for nature. Native bees are on the decline, so raising your own native bees is a great way to contribute to biodiversity and make sure the plants around you get pollinated.

If you’d like to learn more about mason bees, our bee supplier Knox Cellars Mason Bees has lots of great information HERE.

What you need to get started with Mason Bees:

Early nectar sources – dandelions, Forsythia, Pieris, witch hazel, Maple trees and fruit trees or shrubs are all great early blooming plants.

Clayey mud – if you’ve got clay in your soil naturally, you can just dig a small hole for them to access it, otherwise provide a small dish of moist clay for them nearby.

NO chemical or pesticide use – if your property is small, talk with your neighbors as well to see if they are pesticide free to keep your bees healthy.

Nesting holes – these can be paper tubes, reeds, bamboo tubes or special wooden blocks which can be cleaned. Avoid drilled wood blocks, as they can’t be cleaned, and if using reeds, paper or bamboo they’ll need to be replaced each year. These will need to be kept in a small housing of some kind that is sturdy, protective and water resistant and attached to a house, shed or sturdy post. We have several options for nesting holes and shelters available at the nursery.

Bees! – we have live bees available as loose cocoons or filled tubes as part of an easy starter kit. We keep them refrigerated so ask any nursery employee, we’re happy to get them for you.

Apples for Whidbey Island 2023

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** Apples require another apple or crabapple variety in order to produce fruit. All of our apple trees are grown on semi-dwarf rootstock in order to accommodate most home orchards, unless otherwise noted.

Ashmead’s Kernel (Dwarf)

An old English heritage apple with a very distinct, sweet-tart flavor. The greenish brown russetted fruit is not pretty, but is highly aromatic and considered to be one of the best eating apples in history. Great for ciders and cooking as well. An excellent keeper apple. Ripens in October and has good disease resistance. Pollinate with any other apple on this list except Gravenstein. A WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety.

Beni Shogun Fuji

This mutation was found in Japan in 1992. It is a heritage variety and ripens earliest of all Fujis.  This is a wonderful choice for organic growers; it is scab and mildew resistant. It has an orange-red skin and is medium to large sized. Ripens in mid-October. Juicy sweet flavor with a distinctive aroma. Excellent for eating, cider, and stores well.

Braeburn

Developed in New Zealand in the 1950s the Braeburn has become one of the most important apple varieties in production. It makes an excellent dessert apple with a crisp texture and very juicy. The flavor is described as sweet without being sugary, sharp and refreshing. It was one of the first bi-colored varieties created with shades of red and green. WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety for the Puget Sound.

Chehalis

This old favorite was discovered north of Chehalis WA in 1937. This is a large, sweet yellow apple that resembles Golden Delicious in looks and flavor but it is crisper and larger. This is a reliable, highly productive tree well suited for organic growers; it is highly resistant to scab and has good mildew resistance. Fruit ripens in September. Great for fresh eating and for baking and saucing.  Semi dwarf.

Cosmic Crisp (Dwarf available)

An exciting new variety of apple developed by Washington State University, released in 2019. Mid to late season bloom, ripens in early October. The flavor is exceptional, both sweet and tart, making it an excellent apple for fresh eating. In addition to excellent flavor it is slow to brown once cut and holds its flavor for more than a year in storage! The apple is red in color with yellow flecks on the skin. Its name came from those attractive speckles, which look like stardust (Cosmic) and the apple has a unique crisp texture, giving its name of ‘Cosmic Crisp.’ Semi dwarf and M27.

Enterprise (Dwarf)

This versatile apple started out in 1982 as a seedling and was released to market in 1993. This deep maroon apple is mildly tart and spicy, it is good for eating right off the tree, but where it really shines is in the kitchen. Its flavor improves after storage and can be stored for up to six months. This variety is very disease resistant and ripens in early October.

Gala

The most popular apple in the world, the Gala was bred by horticulturist J.H. Kidd in New Zealand circa 1934, but it wasn’t introduced to the US until the 1970s! It is a cross between Golden Delicious and one of his earlier varieties, Kidd’s Orange Red. Gala boasts a sweet flavor with hints of vanilla and has a floral aroma. The skin has a pale golden yellow background covered by a stripy red blush. Juicy and sweet with a crisp texture, this is a great multi-purpose apple suited for both fresh eating and cooking, but not for storing. Gala apples make excellent juice! Early bloomer, early to ripen. Semi dwarf.

Gravenstein

This nostalgic cultivar was the primary variety during WWII to make apple sauce and dried apples to feed the troops. The skin is a delicate waxy yellow-green with crimson spots and reddish lines.  The flesh is juicy, finely grained, and light yellow. It is a triploid variety which means it is a poor pollinator of other apples. One of the best cooking apples but sadly not suited for storage, which is why it is seldom found in markets. An early to mid season bloomer that is one of the first apples to ripen. Semi-dwarf.

Honeycrisp (Dwarf available)

A modern apple with perhaps the best eating qualities in history. Medium to large red blushed with yellow apples are highly aromatic. Explosively crisp, sweet and juicy, yet with some tartness. Excellent for fresh eating, or for pies, crisps and sauces. Fruit ripens in late September but becomes more flavorful if left on the tree into October. A good keeper apple. Good disease resistance. Pollinate with any other apple variety on this list except Gravenstein. A WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety. Semi dwarf and M27.

King, aka Tompkins King, or King of Tomkins County

This historic variety has been known since 1804. Large, waxy yellow-green background with red striping and blushing. Crisp and sweet, they are excellent for fresh eating, as well as cidering and cooking. Will keep 2-3 months. Bears mid-to-late Oct. This highly prized apple is a tip bearer: wait to prune until two inches of new growth has begun in spring. Then prune back to 6-8′ of last years growth! This variety is a triploid and is pollen sterile. It will not pollinize other varieties.

Liberty

One of the easiest apples to grow and should be included in all Whidbey orchards. It produces a bounty of medium sized, shiny red, aromatic apples with yellow overtones. Very juicy apples with crisp white flesh, and a sweet, crunchy texture. Good for fresh eating, baking and ciders. Ripens in late September and stores well. Very disease resistant. The tree tends to over-produce; thinning produces better quality fruit. Pollinate with any other apple variety on this list except Gravenstein.  A WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety.

Melrose

Developed during WWII in Ohio, the Melrose is considered a modern apple. It is a cross between Jonathan and Red Delicious. The result is flattened large fruit, whose skin is streaked and flushed with dark red over a background of yellowish-green skin, with spots of russet. The flesh is creamy white, firm, coarse-textured, and juicy. The flavor is mildly acidic, similar to Jonathan, but not as tart. It is top-rated for reliability.  Often used for baking, Melrose is a great keeper apple whose flavor often improves with storage.  Ripens in October, Semi dwarf.

Mutsu

Also known as Crispin. Sweet, honeyed flavor – good for eating, baking, and cider! Cross between Golden Delicious and Indo. Its large fruit is green/yellow. Highly resistant to frost injury. Ripens end of September. Some disease susceptibility, does not pollinate other trees, tends toward biennial production.

Pink Pearl

Flavorful, aromatic yellow apple with with BRIGHT PINK flesh! Use it to make a beautiful pink applesauce or to add color to fruit salads. Although the tree is susceptible to scab, we have found that it is worth growing anyway. Ripens in late September.

Sunrise Magic

First apple released by WSU a cross between Splendour and Gala. Pinkish-red blush over a yellow background, with firm, crisp and juicy flesh. Great fresh off the tree and stores well too. Ripens late Sept/early Oct.

Espalier:  A 3-tiered fruit tree with 3 different kinds of apple varieties grafted to one root stock:

  • Espalier 1- Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji
  • Espalier 2- Akane, Honeycrisp, Liberty

*Apples require another apple or crabapple variety in order to produce fruit.

Need to know which trees pollinize which? Check out these Pollination Charts from Biringer Nursery.

Pears & Quince for Whidbey Island 2023

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*All of these fruit trees are grown on semi-dwarf rootstock in order to accommodate most home orchards.*

European Pears

Bartlett

Perhaps the most widely grown European pear tree in history and cultivated in America since the early 1800s. Classic bell shaped golden yellow fruit sometimes flushed red. Thin skinned, with creamy white flesh that is sweet and buttery. A multi-purpose pear grown for fresh eating, cooking, dessert, baking or juice. Ripens in September. Pollinate with any other European Pear. Prone to scab.  A WSU Mt Vernon recommended variety.

Bosc

A distinctive golden-brown pear with a long neck. Famous for its firm, crunchy, aromatic flesh and sweet, spicy flavor. The firm flesh makes it a great baking pear, but it is also delicious fresh. A very good keeper. Bosc is best picked in late September/early October and stored for several weeks in a cool, dry location. It is then brought into warmth for ripening. Can last up to 6 months in storage. Needs a different European pear variety for a pollinizer. A WSU Mt Vernon recommended variety.

Early Gold

This hardy pear is hard to beat if you’re looking for tasty fruit; sweet and crisp, it is great for eating and holds up well in desserts, baked goods, and when canned. It ripens in early August. And if green/gold fruit isn’t tempting enough, it’s also a great ornamental tree with white flowers in spring and leaves that turn gold to purple in autumn.

Maxie

Is a cross between Max Red Bartlett European and Nijisseki Asian pears, giving us the best of both worlds. Red and yellow in color this fruit is flavorful; sweet, crisp, juicy, and wonderfully aromatic- it is great for fresh eating! This tree blooms in early April and ripens in mid-September. It is also disease resistant.

Orcas

The original tree was found on Orcas Island. Large, beautiful, perfectly pear-shaped yellow fruit, with a red blush. Sweet and juicy, with smooth, buttery flesh. Good for fresh eating, or for canning and drying. Reliable and productive. Disease resistant. Ripens in September. Needs a different European pear variety for a pollinizer. A WSU Mt Vernon recommended variety.

Red Bartlett- Discovered in 1938, this was a sport of Bartlett with unique red skin. Starting crunchy and tart and dark red when under-ripe, this pear finishes bright red, super sweet and juicy when fully ripened. Fruit is ready for harvest early in season. Harvest when mature, but not fully ripe, for best texture. Somewhat disease-resistant.

Rescue

Large, sweet, fruit with mild flavor, has orange-yellow skin. Rescue is a good producer with fruit that ripens in late August. It is great for eating fresh as well as for drying. Well adapted for the Pacific Northwest, it is a vigorous, productive, and reliable variety.

Ubileen

An early ripening pear that has rated high in taste tests. Large yellow pears with a pretty red blush. Delicious eaten fresh with sweet, smooth, buttery flesh. Vigorous and productive. Disease resistant. Ripens in August. Pollinate with a different European pear variety. A WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety.

Asian Pears

Chojuro

This tree produces medium, round, brown skinned fruit that is mildly sweet & spicy with texture that is firm & crisp. Fruits ripen in mid-August. The Chojuro tree has large, waxy, dark green, foliage that turns a gorgeous red/orange in the fall.

Hosui

Introduced in the 1970s form Japan, this Asian pear is tangy with more acidity than most pears. The fruit is sweet like a European pear, but crisp like an apple. The fruit is large with a gold skin and juicy flesh. Excellent for fresh eating or baking. Ripens in late August. Self-pollinating, but will yield more with a separate pollinator such as ‘Shinseiki’.

Nijisseiki

This is a dessert cultivar bearing medium to large yellow fruits with smooth skin. The white flesh is crisp and mildly sweet. Self-fruitful but better with another variety.

Shinseiki

A beautiful rounded pear with showy yellow skin. Sweet white flesh is crisp and very juicy. Very vigorous and productive.  Good disease resistance. Stores very well. Ripens in early to mid-August. Needs a different Asian pear variety as a pollinizer. A WSU Mt Vernon recommended variety.

Espalier European Pears & 4 way Grafted

4 Way Asian Pear – Chojuro, Nijiseiki, Shinseiki, Shinko, Kosui

Espalier European Pear- Bartlett, Red Bartlett, Bosc

Quince ‘Smyra’

Cydonia oblonga is an attractive small tree with large cup-shaped pink and white flowers that yield generous crops of large yellow sweetly aromatic fruit with a flavor reminiscent of pineapple.  Used widely for preserves and pectin.  Self fertile; ripens in late fall; deserves to be more widely grown.

Need to know which trees pollinize which? Check out these Pollination Charts from Biringer Nursery.

How to Plant a Bare Root Tree

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Planting a bare-root tree or shrub is easy! There are just a few tricks you should know. These instructions should help. If you have any questions, stop by the nursery or give us a call!

  1. Unpack your plant. Remove it from the bag, and loosen or remove any tightly-wound tags or stem tapes. Carefully untangle the roots. Trim off any broken roots or branches. If the roots have dried out, soak them in plain, air-temperature water for 15 minutes to 3 hours. Do not soak for more than 4 hours.  If you cannot plant your bare root tree right away, put it outside and cover the roots with moist sawdust or mulch. Try not to store your tree this way for longer than several days.  Planting immediately after purchasing is ideal!
  2. Dig a short, wide hole, about 2′-3′ deep and wide. It should be wide enough that the roots can grow outward without crowding. If you find you dug the hole too deep, put some soil back in and firm it down with your foot to prevent settling.
  3. Using the excavated field soil, make a mound in the center of the hole, gently firming the soil as you create the mound to avoid settling. Place your plant atop the mound, spreading the roots out evenly down the sides of the mound. Take care that you are not planting too deeply; the crown should be above the soil. It is better to plant too high than too low.
  4. Sprinkle a mycorrhizae inoculant over the bare roots.
  5. Lightly amend the backfill soil with rich compost and a very light application of an organic starter fertilizer. Shovel the mixed soil into the hole, gently tamping it down as you go. It should be firmly but not tightly packed. Water generously to help settle the soil around the roots and into the hole. If you notice that your plant is sinking as the soil settles, it is VERY important to gently wiggle and lift your plant, or start over again and replant. Being planted too deeply can suffocate the root system and is the leading cause of tree death. It is better to plant too high than too low.
  6. After the water has soaked in, spread a protective mulch 2-3 inches deep in a 3-foot diameter area around the base. Leave a 4-inch circle around the base of the plant, so the mulch never touches the trunk. We recommend our Soil Building Conditioner as a mulch.
  7. If needed, stake your tree. Use 3 stakes, evenly spaced around the tree. Tie loosely enough so that the tree can move a bit, but tightly enough that it will not tip over. Trees need trunk movement to become strong and straight and self-supporting. Mark your calendar to remove the stakes after a season of growth.
  8. Protect from rabbits and rodents.  Make a 2′ – 3′ tall “tube” of galvanized hardware cloth or 1″ chicken wire to encircle the trunk.  It should fit closely, but allowing an inch or so of room between the trunk and the barrier.
  9. Protect from deer. You can make a “cage”  around the tree by wrapping a length of field fence in a circle. Or use the stakes as a framework, and wind wire or fishing line around them. Take care that no wire or plastic is touching or wrapped around the trunk of the tree. Even trees that are “deer resistant” can be subject to rutting, and newly planted trees and shrubs can be knocked down by deer. It is never a bad idea to keep newly planted plants well-sprayed with deer & rodent repellant sprays – it can help to make a bad first impression!
  10. Throughout the growing season, give your new tree plenty of water. Deep watering is recommended to help the tree develop a deep root system. Leave the hose on a trickle for 1-3 hours to make sure that water is soaking the entire root zone. It can be helpful to set a reminder alarm on your cell phone! The goal is to keep the soil moist but not soggy and to allow the soil to drain well between waterings. Deeply rooted trees are more drought-resistant in the long term. In the first season, a tree-gator bag can help make watering newly-planted trees a bit easier. If you have a spray irrigation system, DO NOT rely on it to provide adequate, deep watering. In the first 2 – 3 years you will need to supplement to make sure water is getting down deep enough.

Here’s a video with Tobey Nelson showing us the process!

Top 10 Roses for 2023

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Top 10 Roses for disease-resistance, fragrance, and repeat blooming

I am crazy about roses – but only the GOOD ones! That means cultivars that score high for disease-resistance, fragrance, and repeat flowering. I exclude any variety with low scores in those categories. I also favor roses that are good for cut flowers. For this reason, any of the roses we carry should be solid performers for a PNW garden. Nonetheless, here are my Top 10 Roses for 2023.

Apricot Candy

This ruffled hybrid tea rose will delight you with her spicey fragrance as well as her above average disease resistance.

Orchid Romance

This bushy grower comes about as close to care-free as you can get with a rose! The petal count, lavender undertones, and strong citrus scent contribute to making this variety a winner!

Pinkerbelle

I am excited to meet this rose in person to see this creamy pinkey-lavender color in reality. Those who love “neutral tone” flowers should definitely include this one in their gardens. In addition to the unique hue, and you’ll get to enjoy the spicey verbena fragrance and superior disease resistance, even to black spot!

Ebb Tide

If the award-winning, spicy clove fragrance of this rose doesn’t seduce you, the sultry, velvet plum color and superior disease resistance will!

Princess Charlene de Monaco

I’m a sucker for an apricot-pink rose, especially when it has a luscious petal count and a fruity fragrance! This is a big, bushy girl great for the back of the border.

Lasting Love

This is for the classics out there – a red rose to knock your socks off. The repeat blooms begin a deep dusky red and become more radiant as they open. Glossy, disease resistant foliage emerges with red tints. The great cut flower offers the quintessential rose scent.

Julia Child

Did you know that Julia herself selected this rose?! If you love butter like she did, you’ll be thrilled to have this disease-resistant beauty in your garden. The delightful licorice candy fragrance makes me wonder what her favorite sweet was!

Sunbelt Crazy Love

I chose this one especially for the floral arrangers.  Large, mottled copper-yellow blooms atop abundant dark green foliage will be fun in the vase – and all summer long, since this one is a repeat bloomer too!

Garden Sun (Climbing)

Plant this prolific bloomer to enjoy flowers that begin a golden apricot and fade to a lemon chiffon color. This climber reaches 10’ – 12’ and has great disease resistance.

Arborose Tangerine Skies

This rose packs a wallop of cheer for the garden with an abundance of big fat strongly-scented orange flowers. You can grow this climber can as a large shrub or even as a pillar with support.

We’ve have more great posts to help you grow the best roses ever:  How To Plant A Bare Root Rose and How To Have Success with Roses! Happy gardening!