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Open Daily: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

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2017 Skagit Valley Giant

Pumpkin Festival

Saturday, September 30

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off with over $2,000 in prizes! * Amateur Pumpkin Carving Contest * Pumpkin Doodling * Harvest Food * Pony Rides with Lang's Traveling Ponies * Face Painting * Family Carnival Games * Toad Races*

"The Bat Lady" and more!

Here is a list of fun events to happen that day:

9 am - noon: (entry deadline-noon)

Entrants register for the Giant Weigh-Off categories and

Amateur Pumpkin-Carving Contest

9 am - 3 pm:

The Scone Lady & Stomp'en Grounds Coffee

11:00 am - noon:

A family favorite "Bats Incredible" class

11 am - 3 pm:

Random Acts of Food Truck

1 pm and 2 pm:

" Pumpkin Doodling with Pauline" in the Schoolhouse

noon - 3 pm:

Giant Pumpkin and Giant Vege table Weigh-Off

3pm:

Giant Pumpkin, Veggie and Carved Pumpkin winners announced!

Enter the contest here!

Bat's Incredible!

Saturday, September 30

11 a.m. - noon

Complimentary class during Skagit Valley Giant Pumpkin Festival

Northwest bats are a curiosity. They are the only mammals that fly. Did you know that bats help control the insect population? Back by popular demand Kathleen Bander, founder of Bats Northwest, joins the fun at our Skagit Valley Giant Pumpkin Festival to talk about the 15 species of bats native to Washington.

Pumpkin Doodling with Pauline!

Saturday, September 30

Two Class Offerings (one hour per class):

1 p.m. & 2 p.m.

Class Fee: $15, registration required

Decorate your Halloween pumpkin s with the Tranquil Doodling artist, Pauline Server, for an hour-long class in the Schoolhouse to learn artful techniques that will make this year's pumpkin pop with charm!

To register for classes drop by the Garden Store or call:

360-466-3821 or 1-800-585-8200

Thanks to our Sponsors:

Featured in Primrose this month...

A Sale of Two Seasons

~ Sidewalk Sale!

September 15 - 24

30% to 60% off spring and summer merchandise!

(antiques excluded)

With fall quickly approaching, Primrose is having a good old-fashioned 'Sidewalk Sale' this September. Our spring and summer merchandise will be marked down 30 to 60%

Also featured in Primrose this month...

Halloween decorations!

It was a bit scary to see Halloween decorations already but the time has come! This year Primrose is featuring vintage-themed Halloween decor, such as pennants, nesting boxes, lanterns, die-cut boards and wreaths, and much more.

We have whimsical felted pillows and little black trees decorated with felted mice ornaments, mercury glass owls, and garlands. And wait until you see the glowing mercury-glass pumpkins with LED lights inside. These beauties are perfect for Halloween and will keep on glowing for fall decorating! For those who prefer a darker, more macabre-style of decor, we have spooky sculpted hands, masquerade masks, wall scrolls, and an eclectic assortment of antique curiosities. Come see for yourself!

Fresh Fall Container Gardening

When choosing plants for fall, their ability to withstand cool temperatures, including frost or even hard frost, is key to keeping your containers looking great for months. Flowers are not the only stars; there are many plants with foliage that are most colorful when the temperatures are cool.

Laura Campbell of Christianson's Nursery will guide you through the steps of choosing plants with Fall interest on Saturday, September 16, in the Potting Shed from 11 a.m. - noon.

Call or drop by the Garden Store to register today! Class Fee: $8

View all classes & events for Fall

Trees, Shrubs & Grasses for Fall Color

A great, reliable tree that makes an extra strong statement in fall, Red Maple (Acer rubrum varieties) offers gorgeous red, orange, or yellow end-of-the-season leaves. But Autumn color shouldn't be limited to Fall Maples. Perennials offer unusual appeal in the garden and bring color to your landscape on a small scale without using specimen trees. Conifers and summer blooming heather and grasses have strong alteration as the temperatures and moisture levels shift.

Some of our favorites include:

Grasses -the Miscanthus ('Morning Light' pictured) genus has great fall color, most shift from bright greens to rich-hued reds, oranges and golds in addition to white tasseled seed heads.

Heather-the Calluna group blooms in the summer and their foliage changes, depending on the variety, from chartreuse to deep burgundy.

Standard and Dwarf Conifers-Certain varieties of pines (ie. Pinus mugo 'Carsten's Winter Gold') develop a brilliant gold coloration in fall and winter. Cryptomeria's turn a wonderful plum color.

"Ask John!"

John loves hearing from his customers and do they love to ask him questions! Each conversation features an actual question submitted from someone like you.

Q: Hi John,

I purchased the 'Gentle Hermione' David Austen Rose about a year ago. She bloomed beautifully early this season, having 44 blossoms before a rest. Presently, she is blooming again with fewer blossoms. The bush has also produced a few very long canes. Some of these have buds, but three canes show no signs of buds yet & two of those are extra thorny.

My question: I am wondering if I should cut back the non-blooming canes to a similar height as those that are or have produced blossoms. I hope the photos are helpful.

Louise, Orcas Island, WA

A: Hello Louise,

Your roses look super healthy. Some David Austin roses are shy to bloom in Autumn. This rose is not grafted but is growing on its own roots, even though some canes are taller and arching they are not from grafted under stock.

You have three good options:

1.) Cut back the tall canes by a third to maintain the shape and balance of the plant.

2.) Peg it! Depending on the size of your garden, you could peg the long canes to the ground on both sides of the rose bush to create beautiful hedging affect. Next year you would have a flowering plant three times as wide your present 'Gentle Hermione'.

3.) Do nothing-the tall canes will still flower next year.

Wishing you all the best,

John Christianson

Have a garden-related question?

Email us: [email protected]

Listen to "The Garden Show", Sunday Mornings with John and Mike

AM 660 KAPS * FM 102.1 KAPS* 10:30 am