This is the time to prepare your garden soil for the growing season. We think that Gardener & Bloome’s Compost Harvest Supreme is the best compost for soil amending available anywhere. If you’ve lived on Whidbey for any length of time, you know that our island was created from glacial drift. The remnants from the glacier formed the basis of our soil, clay, gravel and sand. In some areas, this combination can make gardening incredibly difficult.

The solution is to use soil amendments, like Gardener & Bloome Compost Harvest Supreme (click here for a video about this amendment).  In addition to increasing drainage and building soil structure, Harvest Supreme is filled with nutrients and micro-nutrients that are critical for the development of a healthy, living soil. In addition, it:

• Organic, with long-lasting ingredients including chicken manure, bat guano & kelp meal make an excellent fortified natural soil amendment for all vegetable & flower gardens.
• Helps break up clay soils & improves soil drainage.
• Formulated to provide abundant plant nutrients, improve physical soil structure & help balance pH when mixed with existing garden soil.

And with our buy three, get one free sale for the month of April, Harvest Supreme is an all around great deal! Dig some of this magic into your existing soil at about a 50/50 and watch your plants put on big, big smiles! Remember, feed your soil and it will take care of your plants.

Annie Reiss of Skagit Gardens with BFG Plant Buyer Vanessa O’Donnell

At 11am, Annie Reiss of Skagit Gardens will demonstrate potting up a spring and summer container.

About Skagit Gardens
In 1966 Skagit Gardens was founded by Jim and Ruth Youngsman. In 1967 they built their first 20′ x 150′ greenhouse and the rest is history…A large wholesale nursery, Skagit Gardens (rhymes with gadget) is located in Mount Vernon, Washington.

Spring Fling Speaker: Valerie Easton

At 2 PM, author Valerie Easton of the Seattle Times will give a talk, Q&A, and book signing. Her talk is entitled: “Eight Years On: Whidbey Garden Renewal and Renovation”

Valerie Easton’s Bio
Valerie Easton…long time Seattle Times garden columnist, author of 5 gardening books, blogs at www.valeaston.com and teaches yoga in Langley.

Reviews of Valerie’s book, Petal and Twig:

“Valerie Easton, a Seattle-based garden writer, discusses the art of growing and arranging cut flowers in “Petal and Twig: Seasonal Bouquets With Blossoms, Branches and Grasses From Your Garden” (Sasquatch Books; $16.95). Written as an informal diary, with photographs of arrangements from her own garden, and tips on cutting and keeping flowers fresh, the book inspires ideas not only on what to grow but on how to combine (or not) those beauties inside.

– Anne Raver, New York Times

“Over the years, countless books have espoused a low-maintenance approach to gardening. None have been as engaging, practical, or inspiring as this latest of Easton’s contributions to the gardener’s bookshelf,” 

- Pacific Horticulture Magazine, Jan/Feb/Mar 2010

“A handy guide to a garden you can raise without a corresponding increase in your blood pressure..handsome and informative….” 


- Metropolitan Home, Dec. 2009

A Word from Maureen Murphy, Owner

Twenty years ago, Bayview Farm & Garden opened the doors to the public for the first time. We had five parking spaces, a borrowed bathroom and less than half the land we have now. We had no staff break room, so the few employees sat in their cars for their breaks. Our office was a closet, which also doubled as a closet. There have been many changes since then. My company was a pioneer and an oddball in this industry because of our commitment to organics and a non-toxic approach to gardening. These days, being “green” is mainstream and we no longer suffer the ridicule of being “tree-huggers” (not that that’s a bad thing).

I have always felt that the industry that brings so much life and beauty to the world shouldn’t also be the industry that brings so much poison, death and damage to our fragile ecosystems. I felt that those of us that are privileged to live in this great Salish Sea watershed have an obligation to the health of this unique biosphere. Our business plan was established upon this concept.
In my heart, I’m privately celebrating this milestone and thinking of all of you who have supported us over the years. Hal and Julane Merka were our very first customers and their dollar is in a frame in the office.

On March 30th we will be having our Spring Fling and celebrating our 20th year in business with some special events and I hope you’ll be able to join us for that.

Many thanks to my awesome community…what a grand adventure it has been!

Pieris japonica: This evergreen shrub is related to Rhododendron and comes in a wide variety of sizes and colors. Pieris blooms from late winter into early spring, and has a sweet, mild fragrance. It is deer resistant, and tolerates a wide range of conditions once established.

Skimmia japonica- Skimmia is an early pollinator magnet. It is an early blooming evergreen shrub that has fragrant white flowers in late winter/early spring. Skimmia has both male and female plants. The male produces pretty reddish flower buds in winter, which attract pollinators when in bloom. The female plant has smaller fragrant flowers which become red fruits in late summer and fall. Skimmia is best suited to semi-shaded areas out of hot afternoon sun. A male plant is necessary for the female to fruit. Skimmia is deer resistant.

Daphne odora- This is the plant that Ciscoe claims is “so fragrant it will make your socks roll up and down”. Winter daphne is a somewhat open evergreen shrub for semi-shade areas. The golf ball sized purple tinged white flowers are highly attractive to people and pollinators alike. It is also deer resistant. Daphne flowers cut well and will perfume your house.

Helleborus varieties- So many new varieties, so little space. These mostly evergreen perennials bloom throughout late winter and early spring. They are long blooming and come in staggering color and variety. The flowers hold up very well through freezes and are very attractive to early pollinators.

Photo by Stan Shrebs [CC-BY-SA-2.5] via Wikimedia

Our most popular bare root stock is fruit trees, though we have others like red maple, Katsura, birch and aspen. We have many standard and dwarf varieties of fruit trees. Below is a listing of what’s available:

APPLES

• AKANE
• ASHMEADS KERNAL
• BENI SHOGUN FUJI
• BRAMLEY’S SEEDLING
• CHEHALIS
• CORTLAND
• COX’S ORANGE PIPPIN
• ENTERPRISE
• GRAVENSTEIN
• HONEYCRISP
• JONAGOLD
• KING
• LIBERTY
• MACOUN
• MUTSU
• PRISTINE
• ROSEY GLOW
• SNOWSWEET
• SPARTAN
• WILLIAM’S PRIDE
• WHITNEY CRABAPPLE
• ZESTAR

DWARF APPLES:

• AKANE
• GRAVENSTEIN
• HONEYCRISP
• JONAGOLD
• LIBERTY
• SPARTAN
  

EUROPEAN PEARS:

• ANJOU
• BARTLETT
• CLAPP’S FAVORITE
• ORCAS
• RESCUE
• UBILEEN

           ASIAN PEARS:

• KOSUI
• NIJISSEIKI (20^TH CENTURY)
• SHINSEIKI
• SHINGLOW

 DWARF CHERRY:

• LAPIN
• GLACIER
• MONTMORENCY
• SUREFIRE
• RAINIER
• ANGELA
• STELLA

PLUMS:

• BEAUTY
• GREEN GAGE
• ITALIAN PRUNE
• METHLEY
• SHIRO
• SENECA
• IMPERIAL EPINEUSE

STONE FRUIT:

• FROST PEACH
• HARGLOW APRICOT
• HARDY RED NECTARINE
  

COMBO & ESPALIERED:

• 4 – WAY COMBO APPLE
• 4 – WAY COMBO ASIAN PEAR
• 4 – WAY COMBO PLUM
• 3 – TIER ESPALIER COMBO APPLE
• ESPALIER LIBERTY APPLE
• ESPALIER SPARTAN APPLE
• ESPALIER EURO PEAR
• ESPALIER ASIAN PEAR

 NUT TREES:

• CASCADE WALNUT
• BARCELONA FILBERT
• BUTLER FILBERT

 David Wright [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons