Hello Everyone,

First off I’d like to thank all of you for helping us have a terrific spring with a steady stream of orders shipped throughout the season. I am always surprised and thankful for the positive feedback I get related to our plant material and shipping practices. So with that let me say “THANK YOU” for without you we would not have lasted nearly 30 years.

Labor Day is just a few days away which means that summer is coming to an end and it’s time to plan for your fall plant needs. We will start shipping on Thursday September 5th and continue until Friday November 1st. Although it may seem like a lot of time to get your fall orders shipped, it really isn’t and we all know time flies when you’re busy or having fun!

We have lots of new and exciting plants added to the September availability list attached below. Check out the 3 new Cercis varieties now available in containers. These will sell quickly so please place your fall order NOW to put your name on them. Remember, these flower very early so these need to ship this fall for your customers to enjoy their glory.

For those in colder climates we have added some great hardy Bosnian Pine, Vanderwolf Pines and some very nice Compact Austrian Pines. These are all great looking plants that your customers are sure to adore. We also have a good supply of Buxus Green Mountains, a good variety of grafted Blue Spruces, both upright and dwarfs, along with hardy Hydrangeas in every color. Don’t forget the gorgeous #10 Hydrangeas on Standard too, they are super nice and all hardy varieties.

Now onto the not so good news….Otto Luyken Laurel are super tight on the market this fall and next spring. We have only a small amount of #6 and #10 container grown ottos but I am always looking for more and will continue to look for nice field grown plants as a potential option. I will most likely need to allocate these plants to you with the hopes of getting you at least part of what you purchased in the past couple of years.

But the good news is that we have lots of great Skip laurels! We have both container grown and field grown which look fantastic. The pictures below are representative of our skips and some other great looking plants.

We also have some super nice 6/7’ Thuja Emeralds that are on the high end of the grade. These are nice and full with great color and a sought after size. We have them balled and burlap and balled then containered (b&b and b/c). Just let me know which you prefer and we will make it happen.

Our new employee Booker is officially training to load your next shipment!:

He has already turned 3 and loves crawling on all the trucks and tractors pretending he’s driving. A visit doesn’t go by without “Let’s go see the tractors” and “where’s Martin?” If Booker had his way Martin, the nursery manager, would be here every day just incase Booker stops by.

What a nice steady spring it’s been for Plants West. We hope you are all having success with your plant material we have shipped these past few months!

As we continue with spring shipping I marvel at how beautiful the plants are growing, it makes me happy. I so appreciate all of my great customers, vendors and the efforts of our staff to make it all happen. It certainly does take a village to get all this awesomeness to our valued customers.

The Oregon weather is calming down now and with warm dry days and cool nights, the weather is perfect for growing plants, family fun, golfing and just relaxing on the patio with a glass of wine. But I digress :-}

All the plants on this May availability and SPECIALS LIST look great!! We still have a large selection of awesome Japanese maples both uprights and weeping varieties. My current favorites are the #10 Acer Viridis with it’s bright lime green foliage, the #10 Tamukeyama with its dark red foliage and layered habit along with our #7 Crimson Queens which are a nice size for retail or rewholesale. These and more are on the SPECIALS LIST and ready to go.

Everyone loves Hydrangeas and we have the best varieties!! The hydrangeas are budding up and will start showing color soon, so order now for the best show at your facility. My favorites are the Endless Summer, Glowing Embers, Forever & Ever and Pinky Winky. All produce prolific flowers all summer long and into fall.

The Hydrangeas on Standard in a #10 are truly great as well. We have all the sought after varieties like Pink Diamond, Vanilla Strawberry, Limelight, Phantom and even the new variety Quick Fire. If I had more space in my yard I’d plant even more than I already have. So many great plants, so little space. Many of these hydrangeas are on the SPECIALS LIST and priced to move.

We are still digging a lot of plants and will continue to use Nature Shield to ensure healthy fresh dug plants arrive to you. We are no longer digging Japanese maples but we have many already in containers and ready to ship for your late spring needs.

We have amazing container grown skips ready for shipping now. The #3’s are 24” and full of awesomeness while our #6’s are super nice at 36”+ and believe it or not we still have some 4/5’ #10’s. All are easy to ship now, so please get me your order before they are all gone. We have a significant number of field grown Skips and Otto Luyken laurels that are are currently in full flush right now so those will only be dug once the shipping date is finalized and a truck has been assigned.

We dig our boxwoods all season long and have already dug a nice selection, so don’t miss out on our Winter Gems 24/30” and 30/36”, both sizes are really something special. We also have some beautiful Green Mountain Globes which are 18/24” and 24/30” across, some Sempervirens Globes in a #10 that are very nice as well at 18/24”+. Our #10 Sempervirens that are on SPECIAL are the bomb, they are 36” tall and very full, a must for sure. Our Green Velvets in field are awesome too, we still have some nice 24/30” available which are moving fast… so hurry and get your order in now. Our boxwood crop this year is just extraordinary.

Once again, we would like to thank everyone for our spring success, we appreciate you all very much. It makes me very happy to buy from people I like and to sell to people I like too.

Booker update:

Poppy, (Adam), couldn’t resist buying Booker his first cowboy hat while we were shopping for veggies at a local farm store.
Booker loves the hat and wears it all the time. He will be 3 in a few months and is still loving and full of energy. He likes reading, playing with his many trucks, tractors, trains and cars. He is kind of a picky eater but loves it when Chef Poppy makes him grilled cheese sandwiches. He is a joy to be with and has totally stolen my heart.

Shipping season is both exciting and fun and as they say “That’s how you get time to fly!!” The challenge as always, is getting everyone everything they need in the short and compressed season that is spring. So far, knock on wood, it’s been pretty manageable and I’m thankful to my customer base for their business and when necessary, their patience.

We have been shipping heavily into the southeast and mid Atlantic areas as spring broke earlier than usual, or so it seems. We are getting tons of positive feedback both about how lovely our #10 skip laurels are and how full and nice all sizes of our emerald arbs are again this year. We have a good supply of hardy rhododendrons in all colors for this spring, a positive for everyone.

Everyone is loving the #10 Weeping Maples like Tamukeyama, Crimson Queen, Orangeloa and Viridis. We still have good numbers on most #10 maple varieties so add them to your order before they’re gone!

SURPRISE SPECIAL! Usually boxwood availability in April is almost non-existent but look on our availability list, we have lots of varieties, some are even on special.

Remember, all the plants have been fertilized and are ready to go for immediate sales. We go the extra mile and fertilize both in the fall as well as early spring. We want you to receive the plants ready to sell. Our goal, as always, is to send you only the best, ready to go prime plant material… No surprises for you or your customer base!

BUY THESE NOW! The hydrangeas are just starting to leaf out so now is a great time to bring them in so they are at their best and flowering in your facility on your schedule. We have many great varieties to choose from so don’t be shy, go crazy, variety is the spice of life. A fabulous addition are the #10 Hydrangea on Standards. They are gorgeous and need a home, the perfect add on to your order. I don’t really have a favorite variety on standard but we have a Pink Diamond in our backyard… it brings so much joy to the family as it changes colors through the season from green, to creamy white to light pink to dark pink. Every year I hear… “Wow look at how that flower changes color all summer.”

UNBELIEVABLE, we still have some nice #10 Juniper Blue Points that are at 4’ and full. Grab them before they’re gone. These great silvery blue junipers are ideal as an accent plant or perfect for a narrow screen where space is limited. BOOK THEM NOW as they will be gone soon I’m sure.

ANDROMEDAS, the numerous varieties are still in bud and bloom. The Pieris Dorothy Wycoff are outstanding in a 5 gallon as are the 7 gallon Pieris Mountain Fires. Oh, the #3 Pieris Prelude and Caventine are awesome too. Nice full plants with lots of buds and flowers. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO SHIFT UP TO A 3-5 GALLON, then the #1 Prelude, Caventine and Scarlet O’hare would be your perfect solution!

The container grown ottos have been in high demand this spring and we have just a few of the 6 gallons left, but check out the special deal on the 24/30” b&b ottos, they are beautiful and a great value. We planted these Ottos from a gallon pot 3 years ago so the roots are well developed with a nice firm ball. Our diggers are standing by ready to dig them for your order. Again, our fresh fertilized ottos are the BEST.

3 GALLON BLUEBERRIES ARE ON SALE NOW. I don’t know what happened, but I have more than usual and need to move ’em. Lots of great varieties, just starting to leaf out and fruit buds will come soon. All plants are nice and full. Are you thinking blueberry muffins or blueberry pie? I love them frozen in my morning cereal, it’s the best!

It looks like we have avoided most of winter’s damage, but we are seeing some die back in Leucothoe Rainbow gallons and some Abelia Kaleidoscope gallons. We will continue to pull orders but unfortunately may need to cut the quantities back on some orders. Trust me, it pains me to even say those words and should a shortage arise I will do my utmost to replace the plants. I’m always on the lookout for more plants from quality growers.

Thank you for your continued business, all of us at Plants West are greatly appreciative.

Alicia and the nursery crew