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!

Small Fruits & Edibles for 2023

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We kick off spring with a big batch of bare-root small fruits and edibles. Stop in soon to embellish your food garden!

Crimson Night Everbearing Raspberry

This variety offers prolific, flavorful dark red-purple berries and great disease resistance. Introduced by Cornell University in 2012, Crimson Night is very ornamental, with dark purple canes – try it in a container! It will produce two heavy crops of berries. New canes (Primocanes) will produce berries that ripen in late summer through early fall. Don’t cut back previous years canes (Floricanes) – they will produce berries that ripen in mid-summer. Self-pollinating.

Honey Queen Everbearing Raspberry

Honey Queen lives up to its name with its deliciously sweet honey flavor packed into beautiful yellow, soft, and medium-sized berries perfect for picking and eating in the summer. It was developed in Rocky Mountain House by Robert Erskine and is very winter hardy. Canes are yellowish, floricane, arched and moderately spiny – and need trellising. Self-pollinating.

Nova Elderberry

Grow an edible landscape with this easy-care shrub. Wide clusters of creamy white flowers appear in spring. If left on the bush, the flowers develop into bountiful bunches of tender, deep purple berries used in jams, jellies, pies, and wines. Elderberry syrup is said to stimulate the immune system. Native to North America and great for attracting wildlife. Bees and hummingbirds will drink the flower nectar, and a variety of birds will eat the berries. Fruit set will be best if cross pollinated by another Sambucus canadensis variety such as ‘York’.

York Elderberry

Enjoy lots of juicy berries on this manageable 6’-8’ tall shrub. In early summer, the vigorous plants are covered with gorgeous tiny white flowers that produce large clusters of small purple-black berries in late summer. The nutritious berries have high anthocyanin content and are excellent made into jams, jellies, juices, and cordials. Fruit set will be best if cross pollinated by another Sambucus canadensis variety such as ‘Nova’. Zones 3-8.

Crandall Black Currant

The Crandall black currant is the most ornamental and sweetest of all currant varieties. Grown for beauty and fruit, the Crandall’s clove-scented, trumpet-shaped flowers bloom in spring. Enjoy fruit fresh or use in your favorite recipes. Ripens mid-summer. Very fast growing and attracts butterflies.  Self pollinating but better with another variety (such as Pink Champagne!).

Pink Champagne Currant

Medium-sized currants are a fascinating translucent pink and have a wonderful flavor that is less tart than red currants and more delicate than black currants! These delicious fruits ripen in late September and are perfect for fresh eating, baking, jellies, and preserves. Grow 3 to 5 feet tall and are resistant to mildew and rust. Self-pollinating but better with another variety (such as Crandall!).

Crimson Cherry Rhubarb

One of the best flavored rhubarb varieties on the market, Crimson Red Rhubarb’s stalks have that perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. The plants product ample yields of pleasingly plump, crimson stalks that add excellent flavor and color to pies, cobblers, preserves and other recipes. Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable that performs best when planted in full sun to partial shade and in well-drained soil. Stalks should not be harvested the first season after planting. 

Mary Washington Asparagus

This variety offers buttery and robust flavor, thick straight stalks, and later emerging fern-like foliage.

Sweet Purple Asparagus

In addition to the fun coloration, the flavor is said to be distinctly sweeter than green asparagus. This variety is less prone to developing fibrous strings and woody stalks.

Horseradish

Add the peppery leaves to soups and salads for an invigorating flavor or wait to harvest the roots in the fall. Plant 6” deep. Plants can spread; consider growing in a large pot or barrel.

Nuts for Whidbey Island 2023

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Nuts are an investment in the long term. Trees need time to mature before they will reliably produce mature fruit. It is important to protect the harvest from squirrels and birds.

Hazelnuts (Corylus):

Plant in very moist, fertile, well-drained soil for best results. A full-sun to part-shade site should be chosen for optimal results. Choose two varieties for pollination.

Jefferson

Thought to be the best all-around hazelnut variety for commercial or home growers in the USA.  Extreme disease resistance; immune to Filbert Blight. Produces heavy yields of large nuts that consistently fill out their shells. An Oregon State University introduction. Pollinated by Theta.

Theta

Bigger than other varieties with delicious buttery flavor that is perfect for both savory and sweet recipes. Exhibits good resistance to pests and exceptional resistance to Eastern Filbert Blight. Recent blight resistant release from OSU. Late pollinator for Jefferson Hazelnut. Small to medium sized nuts.

York

York produces medium-sized, round nuts good for eating or for making paste. It is a mid-season pollinizer with a long bloom season, compatible with most cultivars, including Theta, Jefferson and Yamhill. It is highly resistant to Eastern Filbert Blight, bud mite, and has a low incidence of kernel mold. and produces round medium-sized nuts.

Walnuts:

Cascade

Manregian x Russian. Thin shell, excellent buttery flavor firm, plump, light colored kernels. Fast growing, large tree. Self-fertile but much better with a pollinizer (different variety).

Peaches, Apricot, Nectarines & Combo 2023

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

Frost Peach

The best peach for Northwest gardens. Red blushed over yellow peaches are great fresh or for canning. A freestone variety that produces very heavily. The tree is very productive and vigorous. Thinning the tree or the fruit will produce larger, better quality peaches. The tree is self-fertile and has pretty pink flowers in late winter. Plant in full sun with good drainage. Resistant to peach leaf curl, especially as the tree becomes more established.

Galaxy Peach (dwarf)

These donut shaped peaches have intense, sweet flavor, white flesh and a semi-cling pit which have been popular in China for centuries. Can produce up to 50lbs of fruit a year once mature! These self-fertile trees are on a dwarf root stock, making them great for home orchards and easy picking. Best in full sun with good drainage.

Puget Gold Apricot

This is inarguably the most consistent fruit producing apricot variety. Produces medium size fruit with firm flesh that is delectably sweet. Ripens in mid-August and is self-fertile! This tree naturally protects its delicate blossoms from harsh conditions by blooming late.

Harglow Apricot

This variety has proven itself in our Northwest climate. It is late blooming and early ripening (August) and produces a medium to large apricot that is deep orange with a delightful blush of red. It is a flavorful fruit, sweet and firm. Harglow is self-fertile and is also resistant to perennial canker, brown rot, and resists cracking!

Hardy Red Nectarine

A new promising variety for the Northwest. Fruit is red skinned with golden blush. The very sweet, yellow flesh that ripens in mid-August. Hardy Red is a freestone nectarine and has excellent flavor.

Combos:

These fruit trees have several different kinds of fruit grafted to one root stock:

Fruit Cocktail (4-way Combo): Frost Peach, Puget Gold Apricot, Hardy Red Nectarine, Italian Prune and Lapin or Stella Cherry

Fruiting Plums for Whidbey Island 2023

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

European Plums:

Green Gage

This is a historic plum variety dating back to France in the 1600s.  In France, this plum is called “Reine Claude”.   The small rounded yellow-green fruits are not pretty, but many say they 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 nearby. 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. The large fruit is excellent for either fresh eating or drying. Once mature, the tree is a heavy producer, often yielding over 50lbs of fruit in a season. Considered self-fertile, but will produce better with a pollinizer. A WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety.

Italian Prune

Perhaps the most widely planted and beloved fruit tree in history. Deep purple oblong freestone fruits with tasty yellow flesh. Great fresh off the tree, or for drying, canning and cooking. Flesh turns a nice red color when cooked. Ripens in August. Self-fertile but better with another European plum nearby. Can take a few years to start producing.  A WSU Mt Vernon recommended variety.

Yellow Egg

Also known as ‘Pershore’, this a large egg-shaped European plum. A heavy yielder.  Its skin is bright yellow in color and its flesh is soft and sweet. This heavy producer is mostly used for baking or making jams and jellies but can be eaten fresh if properly ripened. It blooms in late March and ripens in August.

Japanese Plums:

Beauty

A Santa Rosa type plum well suited to Western Washington. Red and yellow skin with amber-red flesh. Sweet and juicy with a delicious flavor that melts in your mouth. Some say the most flavorful Japanese plum. Excellent for fresh eating. Vigorous and productive. Ripens in early August.  Said to be self-fertile but would produce heavier with Methley plums nearby. A WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety.

Methley

A hybrid plum generally listed with Japanese varieties. Beautiful purplish-red plums have amber red flesh and are sweet and juicy. A heavy producer and vigorous grower. Early blooming white flowers are sweetly fragrant. Ripens in July. Best eaten fresh or makes a good jelly. Commonly found in stores and farmers markets during plum season. Well suited to Whidbey Island gardens. Great pollinator for Beauty plums. Said to be self-fertile but would produce heavier with a Shiro or Beauty around. A WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety.

Shiro

These plums are quite popular with American gardeners and the trees are long lived and very prolific.  Its large round yellow fruit is mild, sweet, and wonderfully juicy! With its fast production you’ll have plenty of fruit for eating, cooking, canning, baking desserts. Ripens in early August.

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

Fruiting Cherries for Whidbey Island

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**All our fruiting cherries are grown on dwarf rootstock to make them easier for bird netting and access to the fruit. Sour cherries (Prunus cerasus) are said to be self-fertile, but sweet cherries (Prunus avium) need a second sweet variety as a pollinator. Since sour and sweet are different species they do not pollinate each other.**

Sweet Cherries:

Angela

Has large, sweet, black fruit that resists cracking and disease. Angela ripens like Bing in mid-season. A self-pollinating tree but will perform better with another pollinator.

Bing

The most popular sweet cherry on the American market, Bing cherries produce large, dark smooth skinned fruit in mid-June to early July. The fruit is firm and extremely juicy and very sweet. Great for fresh eating, baking or preserves. One tree can be a heavy producer, with mature specimens producing 50-100 lbs of fruit in one year. The Bing Cherry will need a pollinator, such as Lapin or Sam, to produce fruit. A WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety.

Lapin

An outstanding sweet dark cherry for Northwest gardens. The cherries are very large and crack resistant. The fruit is sweet and juicy, making it perfect for fresh eating or baking. The tree is disease resistant and very productive. An excellent substitute for Bing, which can crack in Western Washington. Self-fertile. Ripens in summer.  A WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety.

Rainier

An outstanding sweet cherry tree that produces delicious, large, fruit that are yellow with pink blush. Ripens before Bing, and larger than Royal Ann. This tree is a good pollinizer and is an easy to grow, low maintenance variety.

Sam

Considered a ‘black sweet’ cherry the fruit is dark red in color. Its flavor is similar to ‘Bing’ but a little tarter. Heavy producer and hardy to negative 20 degrees, it makes a great choice for home orchards. An excellent choice for the Pacific Northwest because of its resistance to cracking. Bing is a recommended pollinizer.

Vandalay

A large, sweet black cherry well suited to Northwest gardens. Very deep, wine-colored black cherries have firm red flesh and excellent flavor. Great eaten fresh. The cherries are crack-resistant and the tree is very productive. A disease resistant variety. Ripens in summer. Self-fertile. A WSU Mt. Vernon recommended variety.

Sweet Cherry 4-way Dwarf Combo

(4 of these 5 varieties grafted together) Bing, Rainier, Lapin, Glacier, Van, Royal Ann

Sour/Pie Cherries:

Montmorency

This variety has been cultivated in this country since the early 20th century. It is the most popular sour cherry in America. It produces a large, light red fruit for baking, drying and juicing.

Morello

This old variant fruit has deep crimson flesh that is tart and aromatic. The fruit’s wine-red juice is abundant and perfect for cooking and pie making. Ripens in August.

Surefire

Is so highly regarded it is considered the “first sour cherry.” This bright red fruit has high sugar content making it perfect for eating fresh or for making pies. Late blooming, late-flowering, crack resistant.

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

Strawberries 2021

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Quinault

This everbearing strawberry produces large, soft, deliciously sweet fruits that are great for eating fresh and for making preserves. Quinault produces from late spring through fall.

Hood

A June bearing strawberry that produces medium, sweet, and juicy berries that are known for their high sugar content. Great for eating, preserves and freezing for mid-winter treats.

Rainier

This June bearing has delicious fruit that are disease resistant. Easy to grow, these plants have attractive foliage. Produces soft, large berries that are great fresh or processed.

Shuksan

This June bearing strawberry produces large, firm berries that are great for fresh eating and excellent for freezing and for preserves. Plants are hardy to -20 F.

Regardless of the variety, many Strawberries are loved by (and safe for) dogs!!