Plant of the Week- April 19
Plant of the Week- Pinus species or Pines Walking around the nursery and the display beds at the farm this week, I can see the various pines are waking up and starting to grow. Their new growth tips are one of the true signals that spring is really here! Conifers (and other evergreens) provide structure […]
Musing on weather- Alternative to Plant of the Week
At Cloud Mountain, we have a long history of growing fruit trees, first as a commercial orchard and nursery and now as an agricultural education center. But after many decades of experience, we can still be astonished at how different plants react to varied weather. This was brought to mind last week by the ‘Plant […]
Plant of the Week- April 6
Plant of the Week- Pears Right now at Cloud Mountain, all the Asian Pears are just passing full bloom in the orchards, with the European Pears just starting to flower. Pears are a relatively easy fruit to grow in our climate, so I thought we should highlight them when they are also adding ornamental interest […]
Plant of the Week- March 23
Tall Oregon Grape! Right now, one of the showiest plants in bloom is Tall Oregon Grape, Mahonia aquifolium. Our area is native to 3 species of Mahonia, and Tall Oregon Grape is the most widespread of these. This remarkable evergreen shrub will grow in sun or partial shade, on rocky, sandy or even wet clay soils. […]
What a winter it has been!
It is now the last week of February, and throughout Whatcom County, we are seeing early plums in bloom, buds on cherries and peaches swelling, and even pears showing signs of waking up. Should we be worried? Here at Cloud Mountain Our greatest fear is that the skies clear during cold weather. All fruit trees […]
Peppers! By Celeste Monke
‘Tis the season. Temperatures are high and the hothouse fruits are fruiting. This furry fellow still has some days to go, but should turn into a spicy 2” beast with a heat level somewhere between Serranos and Cayenne. A furry pepper you ask? Yes. It’s a Rocoto pepper, from the Andean highlands species Capsicum pubescens […]