Pruning, consulting and design (West Seattle)

I've been gardening most of my life. . .
and never do I tire of the endless creative possibilities.

Gardens happen and develop over time. For me, it's a process that takes quiet contemplation from a concept to actual garden, feeling the transformation as I do the work. There's a foundation of trust between myself and the client. We have to develop a relationship and learn to communicate with each other to work together.
See some of my work here.

 More photos here
http://villagegreenpn.com/?p=784
or here...
http://villagegreenperennials.blogspot.com/2011/07/garden-install-before-and-after-photos.html
Both are in West Seattle.

Please contact me for Services and prices menu

Plant Sale West Seattle, huge clearance

 We are overstocked, we need space, less to re-pot, more room to breathe...
We want to pass savings on to you, and get you excited about finishing that garden project that you've been thinking about.

Native shrubs (possibly more)
-Red Elderberry
-Dogwoods
Native perennials
-salal
-bunchberry
-vancouveria
-maidenhair ferns
-boykinia
-indian rhubarb
-patasites
Native delphinium

Native trees
-ponderosa pines
native roses
-nootka rose

Shrubs
-olearia
-podocarpus
-azaleas
-spirea
-barberry, red leaf and evergreen
-hydrangeas (excludes oakleaf and limelight)
-willows

Perennials
-baby's breath
-filipendula
-astilbes
-brunnera
-ligularia
-doronicum
-mountain mint
-irises
Centuarea-pink only
Veronica
Heather
Foxglove
silene
Delphiniums
Select hardy geraniums
Physostegia
poppies
ligularia
lamium
select geums

Trees
-bloodgood maples 
-smoke trees
-fruit trees





Vines
-clematis
-kiwi

Grasses
-carex
-miscanthus
-pennisetum

Vera Johnson BIO

My bio and community involvements...this is hard to do! 

About me...

 I'm a plant nerd. Really. 

I have a long story about how I came to Village Green, but will leave that for a blog post.

 I'm a spring born baby, an Earth sign, Taurus if you must know...  Growing plants keeps me grounded.  My mom had the GREENEST Thumb ever... and we consistently had roughly a million plants indoors and out- so I have been gardening all my life in one way or another. 

 I don't claim to know everything about plants or know all the Latin names, but I'm pretty good/intuitive with almost all things green and growing. 

   My way of learning has always been by way of doing. I've killed many a plant to get where I am. Some plants are just harder than others. Period. 

 What I hope to achieve here is teach others how to grow plants and have success AND FUN doing it. I want to encourage early/new gardeners to experiment, but also answer questions and trouble shoot about what, how and why things do and do not work. 

  So, I am here. 

 I want to be involved in my community. I want to educate and provide a place for students - therefore we host classes and workshops-taught by the many qualified educators we have around the Puget Sound.

We host

• Rose experts (antique roses as well as modern)
• Rain garden experts, Permaculture experts, Sustainable living experts, 
• Urban Farmers, 
• Organic gardening experts, 
• Perennial experts, 
• NW Natives experts,
• Wildlife Restoration experts,
• Beekeepers,
• Foodies, 
• Chefs...the list is endless- so we invite them to come and share their knowledge...and they do. 

 I love music, Art, wine, food and all things that are experienced and created through the use of our senses. 

 These things must be felt. 

I love my life.  I want to share these joys and pleasures.  We host live music in the garden throughout the summer and feature local artists to show their hand crafted items. 

  I am a resident and HUGE supporter of White Center. As a member of a community, I believe it is important to know my neighbors and fellow business owners.    I  want to participate in helping my neighborhood be even better than it already is, not just wait for it to happen. I have been a resident in West Seattle (multiple areas) for over 15 years and WC (DubSea) is my favorite neighborhood- hands down. 

 I work with the White Center Community Development Association every year to help with the WC spring clean up, leading groups of volunteers as well as making plant donations. I am involved with NHUAC, I am a member of the WC Chamber of Commerce, the Business owners association. I maintain a close connection to the White Center Sheriff deputy. I am my neighborhood Block watch captain and I occasionally write for the White Center Blog. 

   

  I work with many area schools to provide plants for Garden installations to attract wildlife, as well as many Donations for fundraisers including Community School of West Seattle, West Seattle Montessori, Alki Elementary, Schmidtz Park (funds raised for 2 of my custom sculptures was $4700)   I'm also a founding member of the Family learning center program at SWCC. 

 I am a homeschooling parent-over 8 years now, and as a homeschooling parent I want to teach my kids the impact we can have on our lives and the lives of others by simply showing up to do our part, but also by the choices we make and the huge impact they have on the lives of others as well. I am a very strong believer of sustainable living and supporting local businesses. That is why I make the choices I make about the plants I carry and grow. I make very effort to buy only from local independent growers. Smaller operations. Keeping the money local. Chain stores can drive little busineeses out very quickly if we aren't thoughful and intentional. 

 Organic is very, very important to me. I have very strong convictions/opinions about the use of pesticides and chemicals.

 I'll save that for another Blog post-but feel free to ask me sometime.

  I know the positive impact gardens can have on our environment, our health and well being and our food systems.

 I know the impact our choices make.

 I want to 'be part of the change I want to see...'

my children-our journey

Homeschooling is a journey-and a very personal one at that.
I think my favorite quote is "necessity is the mother of invention"
that quote best describes me and the way I move through life...some may not agree with this way of living and may think it downright absurd to actually live this way...but for me-it's the only way...

When I became a mother, I made some radical lifestyle changes-some need not be written in this blog post, but let's just say that I decided it was time for some changes-being that I had a child (2) to care for.

Somewhere along the line I started reading all sorts of books about learning styles and education...Waldorf and Montessori to name the top 2.
I became increasingly interested in all types of philosophies about nurturing healthy development, individual learning styles and whatever I could get my hands on. I read every book I could, I wanted to know all about Maria Montessori, Rudolph Steiner and bio dynamics.
    At the time I also became increasingly interested in herbal healing-it all tied in together. I just dove into as much of it as I really could.  I was on a mission to be a conscientious parent. I'm not sure if I was fully aware of that mission, but looking back at how I went about it, it was some serious dedication and stemmed from necessity I wanted to raise a healthy, well rounded children -and be the kind of parent I never had. 
 I wanted a close relationship with my kids. I can't say when I knew for sure, but somewhere around year 3 with my first child I knew that homeschooling was in our future. It came about a few ways..
first, she just wanted to be with me and I was not comfortable pushing my child away when I'm the safety net at such a young age....and I read the Continuum concept. That book solidified all my intuitive parenting ideas and was like a permission slip to be the parent I felt inclined to be, free from societal 'norms' and standard parenting 'tips' and childhood benchmarks/pressures.
 I am not a fan of all the rules and regulations...I don't think the schools or government knows better than me what my individual child needs-and honestly, I don't believe the government has my best interest and health in mind when they are busy making rules/laws that don't include health care and food additives, so WHY should I trust them with my kids?  Have you seen the junk foods they serve at schools?       YUCK...case in point...
off my soap box now....
so-the truth is there are so many ways to home school it's dizzying. However, I personally do what feels right. I have had to really search into myself to define my values and to follow them as well as pass them along to my children.  I make mistakes and own them when I do.

We do not do a traditional curriculum as many other families do-we just don't feel it necessary, we do more child led interests. The kids choose from a pool of classes of their interest.
As one of the founding members of the Family Learning Center at Southwest community center  It's really easy to provide them with opportunities-we live in a city full of it! The SHG (Seattle Home school group) is an invaluable pool of resources with over 450 families from all over Seattle and outlying areas. There's NEVER lack of activities and classes offered.
 I want to mention another book Under Pressure ...a book that also gave me permission to allow my kids to be kids, not managed-and I gotta just say-I've heard it from hundreds of people-all ages and stages-my kids are kind, well adjusted and well socialized. They know how to communicate with adults and how to express their thoughts and feelings, clearly.
 I have not been the wonder parent and don't feel like i know any better than anyone else how to do it any better, I only know our  way has worked and it's still working, so I'm in no hurry to make any big changes.
 The Desire to home school led me to the information I needed to follow the path I have chosen and trust that things will work out just fine. And so far-it's been a wonderful rewarding journey. I wish that for everyone who decides to take the road less traveled. I have learned so much about myself and that is probably the best reward. I trust myself more now than ever. My kids and I are very close.  Teaching was not my goal. We have a mutual respect for each other. We have trust. That was my goal.

Peace
Vera





 

Wine tasting

We are 'branching out...'
Check it out!!!
Sodovino... local Award winning winery will be hosting a Wine tasting here at Village Green

http://sodovino.com/Press.aspx

Join us for a tasting on the 1st at 3pm.

Live music:
Harpist: Johanna
Trained in classical and Scottish Irish traditional music.
She plays weddings....just saying.

 

Hours 

Weds-Friday 11-6

Sat/Sunday 10-4:30

 

FACEBOOK

check out our Blog

Village Green Perennial Nursery
10223 26th Ave SW Seattle Wa. 98146

 206-767-7735

Southwest community center is at risk of closing!!!

Homeschoolers!!! community members!!!

 The time to act is NOW if we want to save SWCC!!

 WHAT YOU CAN DO

 Take 5 minutes of your time TODAY and:
 *Write to the members of the CityCouncil: http://www.seattle.gov/council/guide.htm

 Before September 26th, have each member of your family (including your kids) write a letter or email.  Let's flood city council members' offices with stories of how SWCC has positively impacted the lives of people and families in our community.

  *Contact the Mayor: http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/contact.htm

 *Join us on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Southwest-Community-Center/126477817454076?sk=wall

 Create a stronger impact and:

 * Attend a City Council Meeting and let yourvoice be heard
There will be a public hearing this Thursday, September 22nd at 9am. It will be held at City Hall (600 4th Ave.) Plan to attend if at all possible. This will be our best opportunity to make our case before the council prior to the Mayor's budget presentation. Consider attending with signs and/or speaking for three minutes.

 *Attend the Brainstorming Meeting for our Family Learning Program
We are organizing a brainstorming meeting to map out our plans for the future of our homeschooling program on the morning of October 30th. Details will follow once confirmed.

 

 *Ask everyone you know to join, share and spread the news. We hope to rapidly spread awareness of these proposed changes so we can fight in numbers. Tell all your friends (even those who may have never used SWCC) what an asset the center is to our community.


 Just think of what a fantastic civics lesson this could all be for all our kids! Let's show them that we CAN make a difference.

Hendrikus Organic Fertilizer

Hendrikus organic fertilizers
this is the only fertilizer  we carry, as recommended by Ciscoe Morris himself!
specially formulated blends for specific applications- I use it in all my transplnts...so you are taking some home with each plant grown here!

Bank of America- stop foreclosure

Bank of America- stop foreclosure

sign this petition!

http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-foreclosure-2

I have been trying for 17 months to get a loan modification with Bank of America, providing endless copies and resubmitting paperwork repeatedly.

They even went so far as to 'block' my account to prevent any payments to make sure my account went into late payment so as to 'help jump start the load mod action' as they put it! Is that legal?

As a business owner and well respected member of the community, I am ready to make this issue public. 

thank you!

Vera

West Seattle In Motion program

West Seattle feels like a small town in many ways.  This summer, neighbors can get to know more about their West Seattle town by getting out of their cars a little more often.  King County Metro and local partners invite you to participate in West Seattle In Motion.

Join your neighbors and try parking your car and getting In Motion!

Pledge to walk, cycle, take transit or share a ride for at least two trips a week this summer (trust us- you’ll get addicted).  You’ll receive West Seattle In Motion membership card that you can flash at local shops and restaurants to get great deals and free ride tickets to help you get moving.

After you pledge, report your progress each week. Every week you meet your pledge, you will earn one chance to WIN the ULTIMATE STAYCATION plus additional Free-Ride tickets to help you stay mobile.

Come visit our booth at the corner of California and Alaska our big kickoff at the West Seattle Fest on July 8-10th or sign up athttp://www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/MetroTransit/InMotion/WestSeattle.aspx

Copper River Salmon with herbs

Copper River Salmon

mix together...
2 tbsp. olive oil,
3 lovage leaves,
1tbsp fresh hyssop,
basil,
1/2 tbsp fresh curley parsley
dash of salt pepper,
1/2 fresh squeezed lemon
marinate the fillet for 15mins

preheat over to 350
place the Salmon in a lighlty oiled glass baking dish and pour on the marinade
cover with a lid or tin foil and bake fro 20 mins
remove cover and bake a few more-until flaky and almost done.

Side dishes....
steamed garlic tops/spears
drizzled with butter and pinch of salt

Sauteed radishes 
1tbsp olive oil or butter
add any wild greens of your liking...
red veined dock,
kale,
parsley,
radish greens
purple mustard
sautee until crisp

Enjoy!

Garden Art Summer Day Camp

Print and mail with your check enclosed or choose paypal and the session 

Birdwatching in the yard....

Western tanagers are here!
We've been watching them for a few weeks. This is a great yard for birdwatching.
The diversity of plants/trees and shrubs really brings them in!
Towhee's are a regular here as well as Varied Thrush (year-round here)

I was taken by surprise by an Anna's hummingbird-it  literally scared me to a screeching, ducking bird fearing human! Almost took my eyes out...
but then once I realized I was not the target and the fuchsia basket next to my head was...I was restored to a peaceful, calm gardener....whew!
Rapture?

Northwest Native plants on Sale

This weekend only!  June 3-6th

All Northwest Native plants 25% off

We have a huge selection to choose from...too many to list them all...
Dogwoods,
camas,
salal,
mahonia-oregon grape,
pacific waterleaf,
vancouveria hexandra,
fringeflowe,r
gooseberry,

mention this ad!

What is that sweet scent? What is that pretty flower?

The journey begins with the nose...
with so many blooming shrubs and  flowers, most potted in containers, some planted in the ground- heck- they are everywhere-howvere...finding the one whose bewitching fragrance is luring you further in- that is more like a treasure hunt, and you may find yourself completely forgetting what you're even looking for!
 I know I do!

*Rhodedendron occidental- FRAGRANT! NW native variety
*Abelia mosanensis- FRAGRANT!
*Lilac- dark purple- sweet yummy old fashioned fragrance
*sweet woodruff-fragrant
*Rosa-Old Blush-fragrant
*Scented geraniums-mmm, sweet-makes a nice addition to cold drinks, smoothies, jams and jellies, syrups
*Wall flowers- FRAGRANT!

Pretty flowering shrubs and perennials that attract hummingbrids, songbirds and wildlife-as well as some very important predatory bugs- balance.

*Red flowering currant- hummingbirds!
*Twinberry-NW native-very pretty yellow twin blooms, then twin berries-think hummingbirds and songbirds!
*Dogwoods
*Evergreen huckleberry- delicious, hardy, adaptable fruiting shrub. NW native
*Kerria Japonica- japanese rose- a suckering shrub with yellow pom pom flowers-cute-combine it with 
  lilacs for a colorful display!

Cut flowers
Columbines- Black, pink, white, red, purple...
Geum rivale- a very sweet old fashioned flower- great cut flower. NW native
Geum- reds, oranges
Fringecups- cute cute cute! hummingbirds!!
Heucheras- all leaf colors, ground covers
Geraniums- hardy, woodland and full sun varieties -so many to choose from-nice cut flowers!
Veronica gentianoides- an old fashioned grouncover, light blue flowers-rare in the trade.

Done blooming (pollinated by our mason bees and honeybees) and setting fruit...
Honeyberry
Blueberry
Indian plum
saskatoon

Unusual NW natives-just because we can...
Devil's club
currant- a few varieties
piggy back plant
Camas
blue eyed grass
penstemon serraulatis
petasites

Family activities-check this out!

West Seattle Macaroni Kids

Macaroni Kid and its family of Publisher Moms who are dedicated to delivering the scoop on all the family-friendly events and activities happening in their communities each week. Check out Macaroni Kid’s list of communities and sign up to receive your free weekly newsletter.
It all started with two old friends sharing a good meal and a great bottle of wine. From that conversation, Macaroni Kid was born and Joyce and Nicki started publishing a weekly newsletter giving moms and dads the scoop on all the weekly events in their community. From there it’s grown to dozens of other communities across the Country.
We hope you enjoy it.

Native Plant Appreciation Week

Governor Gregoire has proclaimed April 29 through May 5, 2007 as Native Plant Appreciation Week in Washington.

Native Plant Appreciation Week is a celebration of the amazing diversity of Washington’s over 3000 native plant species that inhabit deserts, rain forests, high alpine environments, river valleys, and even backyard landscapes. This event is sponsored by the Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS).

WNPS will maintain a Native Plant Appreciation Week Web site to highlight programs and activities by WNPS and its partners, which will be live starting in March.

More info can be found at the WNPS website

"Gardening with Native Plants for Wildife

Native plants provide the food, shelter, and nesting habitat favored by our local wildlife. Make your garden a sanctuary for songbirds, hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and other wildlife using native plants.

Did you Know?

• Native plants are adapted to our climate of wet winters and dry summers.

• Require less water than most non-natives once they are established.

• Resist native pests and diseases better.

• Improve water quality by needing less fertilizer and no pesticides.

• Save resources and encourage a sense of Stewardship.

Native plants will need a little care in their infancy in order to develop a healthy root system so provide them with supplemental water the first couple of years, but after that most natives planted in a favorable site require little additional attention."

BBQ ashes

BBQ season is upon us- I promise!!! READ BEFORE you apply BBQ ashes to the garden!


BBq ashes

Whats New?

Shrubs  

Red flowering Currant- this one with chartreuse leaves!  Read Paghat's garden 
for more info... needs more shade- but beautiful foliage!!!!

Podocarpus alpinus 'Country park fire'- A low spreading evergreen shrub with bright red berries in fall, clinging to the bronze winter foliage, in spring the new shoots emerge creamy and quickly turn salmon pink then reddish and finally deep green. Low water needs

Podocarpus 'orangeade'  The dramatic orange new spring growth on this upright shrubby conifer becomes green in summer and a deep-bronzy-purple in winter.

Bald cypress-  Peve Minaret A unique dwarf Bald Cypress is a beautiful majestic pyramidal tree with very delicate, feathery foliage. Prefers moist soil, but will tolerate most conditions. Rare, new and great !

 Katsura tree- A beautiful landscape tree, Katsura tree has many desirable characteristics including a range of colors over the entire year that is second to none. The leaves of this tree emerge, not green, but a beautiful reddish purple. Then as the season progresses the leaves turn dark bluish green. In the fall things get exciting. The fall color of this tree varies from an intense yellow. In some cases, however, they turn a gorgeous apricot orange that is quite memorable. To add to the autumn pizzazz, as the leaves fall they give off a modestly spicy odor making you think of cotton candy. But the performance is not over. Once bereft of leaves, Katsuratree bark takes over the show with a beautiful pattern of slight exfoliation and medium gray color that is generally very handsome.

Elderberry -Intensely flavored fruit with a rich aroma. Bountiful harvest ripens in August. Extremely hardy, tall shrub grows 12-14 ft.  Plant two varieties for improved pollination, extended harvest period and top yields. York—Quickest to bear, often in its second year. Ripens late August. Nova—Great for pies, jelly and wine. Ripens two weeks before York.

Honeyberry  A delicious berry!

Gold leaved Barberry- columnar and shrub

Eating the Arugula

  We were lucky and got our cilantro, arugula, peas and lettuces planted weeks ago.
We are eating the leafy greens daily.
 I love the nutty flavor of arugula- and I tend to just pick it and eat it when I'm walking past. A very generous leafy green- it bolts in warm weather- I'm trying to be ok with the cold!!!

A perennial leafy green that I often suggest to gardeners is the Rumex or Bloody dock -just cut the flowers off-it will seed. This plant is very pretty, adds depth to wild greens salad, can be stir fried...use like chard.

Our peas are slower. BRRRR....I will be sowing a new crop soon to prolong the harvest.
Here in our climate we can plant peas until mid-June for long season harvests. My personal favorite's are the snow pea, but we all love peas!

If you haven't planted onions or garlic, do so now. For the garlic- I suggest starts at this point.

The soil conditions and the fertilizers are 90% of the success for high yield gardens. If you are starting  your garden this year (or last) with new soil- you are ahead of the game.
However, don't forget to amend the soil AGAIN.
Every time you plant, I strongly suggest you add homemade compost, worm castings, organic fertilizer
or water with compost tea- you will be amazed at the difference.

It is way too cold to even set out any tomato plants! If you've bought them somewhere, keep them indoors until the soil temps are at least 55-60 degrees.

1st Annual Mothers Day Homemade Pie Social

Vera Johnson and Kate McDermott present 

The 1st Annual Mother's Day Homemade Pie Social 

Bring a freshly baked Homemade Pie… Eat Pie and Honor Mom! 

"Pie is a symbol of something bigger than Mom and her way with desserts."  -- Pasquale Le Draqulec 

When: Sunday May 8, 1-4pm 

Where: Village Green Perennial Nursery, Seattle

Cost: $5 admission per person--will benefit The White Center Food Bank 

Who's Invited: All moms and all who have had a mother in their life. 

(That about covers us all!)

RSVP: By May 6 please.

PLEASE! Homemade Pies ONLY!

We will provide plates, napkins, forks, coffee and tea. Please bring a small card to place with your pie, showing the name of the pie, ingredients (needed for those who have allergies) and the name of the piemaker.

All who bring a pie will receive a blue ribbon. 

Village Green Perennial Nursery is a family-owned nursery in White Center-Seattle growing herbaceous perennials and Old Roses using organic and natural gardening practices. Kate McDermott is an award winning pie-maker, teacher, writer and practitioner of kindness.