Washington Native Plant Society Plant Index and Other Resour

This site is amazing. It also has a native plant resource guide of nurseries by city and upcoming native plant sales.

http://www.wnps.org/landscaping/herbarium/index.html

Very cool site Kathy! I will be spending some time there :0)

I have only been a lurker on this forum as I haven't had the time necessary since I starting to attend DG forums to contribute significantly, but wanted to put an add on to this post. Gardening with native plants if you have lots of room is wonderful, and I have been purchasing from the Pierce Conservation District for the past several years. Of course I am too late with the info for this year's sale, but if you get on their mailing list, they send you notice every year.

http://www.piercecountycd.org/treesale.html

I have picked up firs, oaks, mock oranges, dogwoods, madrone, etc to add to the edges of my woodland garden.

What a treat.

Julie

Welcome Julie :0) I purchase from them every year as well. They have great plants!

Kathy your an evil temptress! Look what just got added to my "2009 Plants that I want list" after looking at this site:
Cornus unalaschkensis, Bunchberry (shade)
Disporum hookeri, Hooker's Fairybells (shade)
Goodyera oblongifolia, Rattlesnake Plantain (shade)
Erythronium revolutum, Pink fawn lily (sun to shade) the pink version of what I have
Lilium columbianum, Tiger Lily (sun to shade)
Oxalis oregano, Wood Sorrel (shade)
Taxus brevifolia, Western Yew (part sun to shade)
Trillium ovatum, Western Trillium (part sun to shade)

And so far I have only made it through the list of natives for "mostly shady areas!"

Thanks, Rarejem. Welcome!! I think these guys have a bigger selection than some of the native plants sales, as well. Rach and I went in on some plants last year. I don't know about my snowbrush, but I do have some native dogwood and myrica gale coming back this year.

Rach - be careful of the yew with livestock. I don't know about the rest.

I've been trying unsuccessfully to get bunchberry going for years now. I have a single plant left this year - maybe that's the start. I would love to get some native flowers - disporum, trillium, erythronium . . .

Kathy thanks for the tip on the yew. When I do get a few goats they will be in a very well fenced area, I have way to many plants that are not good for them. Wish me luck with the bunchberry.

I'm amazed that there are so many common plants that are toxic - who would have thought? I'm looking forward to meeting your goats. Since I first saw a goat (I think it was at the Fleischacher (sp) zoo in San Francisco in the early 1960's) I have always been fascinated by them and have always wanted one. But I worry about the lung and hoof issues they are prone to in this environment. At least you guys get more sun to dry things out. It's such a rainforest here - I can't believe the moss I have growing on rocks, stumps, trees. Wish I could sell it.

Guess I'll just have to come and visit your babies.

Oh, good luck with the bunchberry. Do you have a good resource for native plants? I need some little woodland flowers this year - trilliums included.

Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery http://www.woodbrook.net/ last year they had an area set up at the Pierce Conservation District sale. I bought several plants from them and they have done beautifully.

No worries about health issues with the goats. As long as they have a dry covered shelter with nice dry bedding and their hay and grain are kept up off the ground you are good to go. Twice yearly worming, regular hoof trimming and annual shots are important too. They are very hardy. Growing up I raised Nubians and Pygmy's. Before Carl and I moved to Lacey I had three Angora's. They are wonderful!

I had a goat who would nip when you were milking her if you didn't keep watching her. She'd watch you until you weren't looking, then turn and n-i-p on the arm. She and my doberman liked to pull radishes from the garden. I was told if you drank goat milk you wouldn't ever get poison ivy as goats eat everything. Mine ate an acre of blackberry vines at Walker.

When I saw my first one it was in a children's zoo and we were given a handfull of goat food when we walked in (oh, the good old days!!). I remember that the goats were so tired of the same old food that they'd generally try out the adult human jewelry first before they actually "let" the kids feed them. I thought it was so funny to see the citified reaction to that. I think that's one reason I like them so much.

Goats make great pets, I think. They'll follow you like a dog. I had another one once that liked to watch tv. Now that'll make you do a double take when you look up and the goat's looking in the window at tv!

Yes. My only problem is with farm animals in general. Given the way my mind (and heart) work(s), they'd all be inside watching TV with me.

Rach: Here's the native dewberry/blackberry. It's our only native blackberry. The proper name is Rubus ursinus (which is, I think, what that young man was saying this morning at the GE). Now I just need to figure out why I don't get fruit off of mine . . .

http://www.wnps.org/education/resources/documents/Posters/Dewberry-Spring&Summer.pdf

The other two are Rubus discolor (Himalayan blackberry) and Rubus lanciniatus (Evergreen blackberry), the latter having those nasty nasty thorns and wicked-looking leaves. Both are non-native.

http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/animalsAndPlants/noxious-weeds/weed-identification/blackberry.aspx

We may all have been saying the same thing . . .

My hot hands are still keeping me toasty warm - I think these are the sole reason I don't have a chill from standing outside today. Thank you!!

http://www.wnps.org/education/resources/documents/Posters/Dewberry-Spring&Summer.pdf

I just purchased a bunch from the Snohomish Conservation District sale this past Friday, and I got 4 bunchberry plants. I have read they are hard to get established, and I ran across this site which has convinced me to find some rotting wood to include while planting:

http://www.rainyside.com/features/plant_gallery/nativeplants/Cornus_unalashkensis.html

But I really doubt that anything I do will get these guys to flourish in my yard, as it is so small we don't have many trees at all, and the ones we do have are just little fruit trees... I doubt the trillium or any of the other native forest understory plants are going to do well at all.

Rach, I have some Oxalis oregano that I can give to you if you want... I bought some last summer and it has established and is spreading nicely, so I could dig up some little plants for you if you just need a few. I can bring some if/when there is a plant trade coming up... I haven't been on the website lately, so haven't caught up if there is a gathering coming soon. :)

I just looked at my bunchberry - still just straggling . . . I have lots of rotting wood - just need to get smaller pieces, I guess. Thanks!!

What all else did you get on Friday?

The green elephant plant swap was Saturday. Nothing else planned for the immediate future.

That Woodbrook site looks really good. I am newly enthused about adding more native plants to my yard. Their prices look great, and they are not far away, so I just might have to go there some day this Spring to see what I can find.

Here's what I got at the SCD sale:

Cornus nuttallii - Pacific Dogwood
Ribes sanguineum - Red Flowering Currant
Cornus canadensis - Bunchberry
Blechnum spicant - Deer Fern
Achillea millefolium - Yarrow
Camassia quamash - Common Camas
Lupinus polyphyllus - Large-leaved Lupine
Sisyrinchium idahoense - Blue-eyed Grass
Vaccinium ovatum - Evergreen huckleberry
Amelanchier alnifolia - Serviceberry, Saskatoon

Seems like I got more than that though... I will have to look out there again. I got a three-pack of trillium at the Garden show a few weeks ago, and just planted those last Friday... hope they make it. Haven't planted much else besides a couple of the ferns, the Dogwood trees, and a pack of the blue-eyed grass. Oh, and one of the red flowering currant plants... those look healthy. Mostly bare-root plants. Should I be getting these things into the ground right away, or waiting until it warms up a bit? I don't know what's best! I also got a TON of seeds, was hoping to share with folks at a swap once I got some of them started, but I am so behind on everything! Bummer I missed the green elephant, I am so unorganized, as usual.

What a nice selection!!

I'd go ahead and get them in the ground as soon as the ground warms up. If, by any chance, you got too many Quamash, I'd love to buy some from you. It always seems like they don't have any at the sales I frequent, but always do when I miss them.

That's a nice selection of plants. Ribes sanguineum will be blooming here before too long and it's a beautiful plant. There are some in the memorial garden at the church where the GE is held.

Kathy thanks for the berry links :0) We where talking about the same thing, I have tons of Rubus ursinus, which I have always called "little wild blackberries." We need to get yours to produce they are wonderful! Mine are in full sun and produce like crazy, I just have to manage to get a few each year before my furry and feathered friends get them all first. I do have the occasional Rubus discolor pop it's little head through the ground but I pull them out right away. They take up so much room, it was always a constant battle with them on the farm.

Catgal great to see you! I would love to try a little of your Oxalis oregano. I don't know of any trades coming up soon but I will be heading to Whidbey Island to see my Aunt sometime in April so maybe we can meet up then. Good luck with your bunchberry!

FYI- There will be a PNW round-up at the end of August that is going to be alot of fun http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/933804/

Catgal- You got some wonderful plants and shrubs! Anything that is bareroot you want to get in dirt (at lease potted up) ASAP. I have purchased from the Pierce Conservation District for the past few years and they recommend getting the plants in the ground immediately. Here is what it says on their website:

"The plants are bare root stock, which means they do not come in pots or burlap bags. They are harvested from the field in winter when the plants are dormant and are ready to be replanted upon arrival. Bare root plants have well developed roots and are easy to handle, transport, and plant.

The plants are grown or brokered from the Washington Association of Conservation Districts nursery located in Skagit County and are sold through local conservation districts." My guess is that your plants came from the same place.

I got most of my bare root plants into the ground. The bunchberry is still doing well in their pots, I think I have a couple spots picked out for them to try, I just need to get some good compost to add when planting. I am hoping to make it to the roundup in August, it sounds like fun! For me I will probably make it a day trip though, and it will be last minute whether I can go or not. Thanks all!

I would say that you should make sure that the bunchberry doesn't dry out and that it doesn't get too much direct sun, based on my experience. Hope you can make it to the roundup.

They mentioned this on KUOW this morning. It has lots of resources about natives and actual gardening plans, as well.

http://green.kingcounty.gov/GoNative/