The Man Who Planted Trees

The Man Who Planted Trees, also known as The Story of Elzéard Bouffier, tells the story of one shepherd's long and successful single-handed effort to re-forest a desolate valley in the foothills of the Alps near Provence throughout the first half of the 20th century. The tale is quite short—only about a half hour long. This is an animated featurette and children would certainly enjoy it as well!

On Frozen Pond

With the freezing (and them some... 8 degrees last night!) nightly temps we've had lately our ponds have formed a thick layer of ice. Domingo, being from Guatemala, had never experienced this phenomenon and was amazed that he could "stand on frozen water".

The Private Life of Plants

From the BBC series w/ David Attenborough "The Private Life of Plants". These videos are amazing. The time lapse photography is absolutely beautiful. Lots of information about how plants grow.
I am a big fan of the BBC Nature documentaries, but I was unaware that they had made a series on plant life until now. Have a look...

FIREWOOD FOR SALE

We are selling our bins of firewood (8 cu. ft each) for $25 again this year.

Alot of people have asked me, "How much is 8 cu ft?"...

Well, a cord will measure 4' x 4' x8', stacked. That's 128 cu ft, meaning our bins measure 1/16th of a cord.

On the other end of the spectrum, when you purchase a bundle of wood from the grocery store for $4-$7 you usually get about 1 cu ft. That means you will be paying $36 - $56 for 8 cu ft.

Long story shortened, if you are heating your home with wood, then it makes the most sense to purchase a cord or two in the fall (or in the summer when you might find a better deal).

If you only enjoy the occasional fire on the weekend then it makes more sense to purchase a smaller amount.

We will continue to offer wood through the rest of the winter. Call if you have any questions. 503-439-0707.

Plant of the Day - Gray Leaf Cotoneaster

Yesterday, my friend Mark stopped by the nursery and said he was out seed hunting. I asked him what he was looking for and he was very specific with his response... Cotoneaster glaucophyllus. I am familiar with a number of cotoneasters, but had never been introduced to the gray leafed version. Mark promised he would bring a branch back to the nursery for me...



Cotoneaster glaucophyllus

After having seen the tiny foliage and brilliant berries on this evergreen shrub, I decided to do a little more research on it. I found alot of information on the Great Plant Pick's website, a great resource and specifically geared for the Pacific Northwest gardener.

"The smoky gray green foliage of Cotoneaster glaucophyllus adds a sense of depth and mystery to the landscape. The low arching branches of this evergreen shrub form tight thickets making it an excellent hedge or barrier..."

I'm sold on this plant! We will try to germinate some of the seeds here at the nursery. Any plant that adds winter interest (these berries are nice and bright) to a garden is a winner in my book. Look for these plants next spring here at Bethany Nursery...