SEQUIM PLANTS: a West Coast Plant Site

Welcome to Skyline Nursery – no Mail-order

This is the website of a former nursery in Sequim, WA.  FACEBOOK site.  Plant Directory: B  C  E  F  G  H  I  J  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  V W Z

A brief exploration of what I have to offer.  Some is outdated but I will be trying to grow all the things I once had.  TREES Available in 2023

closeup of cow parsnip As a retired Nurseryman who loves plants, bonsai and propagation I welcome you to my small nursery and hope you will find a way to visit the premises. Skyline Nursery has been growing and propagating plants since 1982 and hopefully I am starting to get the hang of it. The ‘article’ content of this website are mostly mine and sometimes involve a bit of humor.

With a stroke or ‘Whatever’ I have – Three Doctor’s said “I have no clue” and it took five months to finally get referred to a neurologist who feared I had a stroke. An exercise appointment finally made. Ten years ago, I suffered the freezing up and mobility loss of my left arm. Heck – I adapted and became a one-armed gardener. And beekeeper again.

A few years ago I regained my mobility and am back to growing plants and raising my beloved bees. I will always be super appreciative of any plant trades from former customers or new. For those who send me things by USPS or UPS I can reciprocate but I am NOT getting back into mail order. Too many glitches and lost packages.

This Sequim property will remain helpful to new gardeners and beekeepers. I am most proud that I also had time to do a lot of rock work as shown in a Riverine Garden.  A landscape based on a river and a very Zen like employer. Do check out the description of its winter construction. I miss Jim very much. 

Another friend wrote “We can only scratch the surface of all the world offers” … Be it in relationships or in the things, we love, some scratch harder and more often than others and I have always remembered thanking a ‘master’ for his enlightenment. Jim responded, grinning “It’s not enlightenment if it is not confusing.”

“How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
to rust unburnished, not to shine in use.”

The gardens that we plant and nurture are good reflections of the health and depth of our hearts and souls. In a time of increasing increasing tensions we should reflect how much better co-operation works. Communities and nations are also like gardens. Some are naturally better endowed; others are better planned and some shine more brightly simply because they began with less and had to struggle. All however, need to be fought over in the most constructive sense of the word. …

Gunnera

Brugmansia

Pollinator plants

Too often we garden with ego’s and agendas rather than realizing that the earth we share should ever be preserved by hard tilling and the investiture of sweat and labor towards later and greater rewards. Investments that our children will be reaping long after we’re gone. In that sense the garden provides one with immortality stretching out to future friends yet unknown who in their own ‘circle’s-turn will take wonder at all you’ve done.  I will post the rest on my About Me page which has my address. (1080 W. Hendrickson Rd. Corner of Hendrickson and Wright. North Side. Skyline Nursery sign.

I continue to enjoy the response and contributions from my former customers and friends – thank you! My Recipe Pages spiced with Politics and Genealogy are here.

(C) Herb Senft 2022

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Comments

SEQUIM PLANTS: a West Coast Plant Site — 31 Comments

  1. Browsing around on Sequim Plants – I really like it. Lovely photos and interesting content. I look forward to read more on this site. Thank you for adding my link.
    /Charlotte – My Green Nook

    • Thank you Charlotte,
      I have taken a respite from the blog and have begun identifying plants I have for sale. Should we ever get out of this river of rain I should be okay.
      A rise in daylight hours means very little if there is no light or heat degree temperature associated with it. Very damp and gray. May The Green Nook prosper.

  2. Hi …

    I doubt any of my cactus are going to disappear soon and they are shippable. The large Opuntia could have pads removed (cuttings made) to fit a large or medium size flat rate box. Four pads per box. This would have to be a separate ship as they would be heavy and would crush the smaller ones. Those could easily go into smaller boxes. Mind you, shipping would be REGIONAL so regular mail would be fine and very affordable.
    Thinking that over (and after my first cup of tea) I could also bare root some of the larger ones and ship them intact. A three to ten pound box Regional Rate Box B would be 6.16 to Tacoma. Even a larger box of 16 inches by 10×10 would be $12.12. One – two day delivery. So far I could not find a regular postage rate, but my zip code is 98382.
    Sorry, I do not get in the traveling mood often and am mulling over a trip (ferry) to Stanwood to buy some Sarracenia from someone. Might have to work on car first.

    Herb

  3. “I moved to Sequim a few weeks ago and would like to acquire a sequim cactus. I was wondering if you have any you would be willing to sell or know where I can find one.”
    Thank you, Bruce.

    I replied:
    Yes I do, albeit the naming of “Sequim cactus” is a bit pretentious by the locals. It can be found in Pt. Townsend and the San Juan Islands as well

  4. I am interested in ordering plants that would not only produce beautiful foliage but also survive in southern California. Can you please email me with options.
    Thank you

    • I have given up on mail order and dealing with phyto requirements for CA simply is too expensive for me to deal with. May I suggest you consult a great book by Jones and Sacamano ‘Landscape Plants for Dry Regions’ and look for a decent local nursery that may be willing to special order items they may be unfamiliar with.
      In my experience L.A. area had really crappy nurseries not much better than box stores. You might be as well off dealing with Universities that deal with horticulture. Many of them have active plant sale areas, or if not have annual plant sales. Arboretum and Garden Club sales are also a good way to find unusual plant material.
      Finally, just do a walk about and if you see an outstanding garden take the time to stop, compliment them and ask questions. Often you might get a plant start or cutting that way.

    • Another customer asked a similar question – and I added a further explanation.:
      “And by cistus do you mean Rockrose” YES!
      Usually these lovelies are bush form and vary in foliage form. although there is also a rare form called Cytisus battandieri that actually can become a small tree. Wonderful pineapple fragrance!
      Certainly a plant to obtain.
      Rockrose and Sunrose. Somewhat confusing.
      Helianthemums are but one member of the Sunrose family which belongito Cistus – actually Cistacea. ALL are Northern hemisphere plants and the name .Helianthemum is from the Greek helios suggesting sun and anthemon meaning flower.
      I play an Internet game under that name and it seems everyone assumes I am a SHE as they believe the ‘Helian’ refers to Helen. 🙂
      What is interesting are the many new inter-specie crosses that would also include the Halimium family.- (False sunrose) These have been crossed to make a lovely hybrid.. Halimiocistus wintonensis ‘Merrist Wood Cream’
      http://sequimplants.com/plant-page-h
      Old price indeed!
      Near all are Mediterranean plants and as such should be grown with that climate in mine.”

  5. Looks good!

    Thanks David, still working on my health issues. Finally got the doctor to approve of a metal screen of my blood to add to the batch of others.

    “How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
    to rust unburnished, not to shine in use.”

  6. Herb – Hi! Just discovered your web site. Brief introduction – I am from Clallam Bay, but spent over 2 decades exiled in New Mexico. Worked for many years as a professional botanist (I have a MS in Botany from WSU). Now I live near Chimacum and am setting up a test garden to find out which cacti will take our cool, wet climate. Do you still have any of the Sequim Opuntia available? Plants and/or cuttings would be fine. During the quarantine we travel to Sequim every other Friday for supplies so I could pick them up. Would plan on buying one of everything you have left if possible. Let me know!

    Thanks, Mark Peterson

    • Hi Mark,

      Yes, I have plenty of them, including one mother plant that is HUGE!!! You simply have to see it. Think I have many Opuntia and other cactii that will survive here in SEQUIM. In Chimacum you will need to plant them on the Easterly side of a building under the eaves (Wind and rain issue.) Or mulch well with course gravel in a fast draining raised bed.

      Come visit!!!

  7. Hi Herb,
    We visited 2019 and you kindly showed your bee colonies! How are you doing?
    We are building a home up Palo Alto altitude around 1700 ft high. What trees, flowers and vegetables would grow?

    We are starting a small vegetable garden in our apartment near downtown Sequim. Do you have any plants that I can buy that would transplant in a year to our new homesite.

    Kindly,
    Iris

    • Yes, actually I am getting back into the swing of things and I do have some plants to sell. Also always open to trades and exchanges for what I no longer have.

  8. With Spring approaching I have plenty of interesting plants to trade for items I NO LONGER HAVE. The following pictures of Alstroemaria to Zauschneria… are all things I would love to have again.

    Bee plants especially or fall flowering ones would be appreciated. Interesting herbs such as the dwarf Greek Oregano etc. THYMES would be super!!! Pink Chintz, Purple dwarf, doerferi minus and such.
    ALPINE strawberries such as the vesca ‘Pineapple Parfait’, Baron Solemacher and your French one Reine des Vallees are two that I once had and am trying to recover.

    I also have at least ten different MINTS but have lost the tags, so if you have a named Mentha ‘xxx’ please bring one over so I can match them when they bloom.

    If you ever bought from SKYLINE nursery in Sequim or Dungeness you will have an idea of what I used to sell.
    Would like to get some back for my own retired now garden.

    I also have interesting seed from Red Orach to Paperbark Maple to trade for other seeds.

    A few plants available now would be Wasabi, Purple Trillium, Variegated Arum, hardy cactus and the very rare double Mayapple and lots of Sempervivum and Jovibarba

    • Hi there, we just got some white lewisias from you and also some yellow ones. Thought you’d like to see my Pink Lewisias growing since 1999 in Sequim WA

  9. Bees and plants , sure they both go along together. It was very delightful to meet you and visit your abundant selection of plants.
    Thank you for sharing, we also love bees and we pants.
    Sincerely,
    Favi and Brian

    • Same to both of you. It is always a pleasure to meet new excited gardeners. Big yes to the pollinators. Gardeners are part of that.

  10. Hello! My wife and I moved to Sequim a month ago and we are looking around for a great local nursery. I found your site surfing around looked for a nursery and I would love to visit yours, if you have one…. Maybe I missed it but I do not see an address on your site.

    Thanks!

    • My address is on the about me page.
      1080 W. Hendrickson Rd. Sequim WA. Corner of Hendrickson and Wright. North side. Skyline Nursery sign on fence.
      Saturdays are best or by appt. 9-4

  11. Hello, we recently moved to Sequim and would be very interested in visiting your new (old) nursery. Is that possible?

    Thank you.

    Private

    • Hi Tony. Old nursery. No. That lovely spot is gone, but I am on Hendrickson Rd. Corner of Hendrickson and Wright in Sequim. North side. Skyline Nursery sign on fence.
      9-4 by appt. or Saturday.

  12. Mr. Senft, I am looking for someplace in Sequim where I might gather a few acorns. I heard that some Sequim parks have Garry oaks. Would you please be so kind as to tell me where to look?
    Private.

    • Hi Verl,
      Not for me to suggest pilfering from any park but Pioneer Park to the East of Sequim has tons of them. Free for the picking.
      There also is a large undeveloped parcel of land just as you enter the town. Sixty some acres with Garry Oaks. Also try the CEMETARY going up Sequim Dungeness Way.
      Just ask there mind you unless you desire to deal with the spirits.
      Meanwhile I have a good amount of nice trees in gallons and I believe a super native plantsman is reopening his nursery to the west of Sequim.

  13. hey herb. i’d love to buy some native oputina fragilis. maybe some other cactus for my collection. do you have an email address i can write to you? i’m on whidbey, but i’m sure i’ll pass through sequim sometime this coming summer or i’d be happy to pay you to mail me some.

    thanks!

    • I delete commentary email addresses and think my exposure on Facebook and here is enough. I get tons of spam email messages as it is.

  14. PRIVATE
    hello Herb,
    I remember visiting your nursery years ago (different location.) I stopped by on a recent Saturday, but then realized it was after 4 PM.
    Any chance I could visit you this Sunday May 14?, 2023?
    Let me know if that works for you. If possible at the beginning or end of the day would be best. I live in Port Townsend and will plan on a bike ride over there either before or after I see you.
    Thanks! Look forward to hearing from you.
    Jane p

    • Sorry not to get back to you, but I really do need to have appointments made. Either on Craig’s list where I list my plants or on Facebook messenger. I only update this site once in a while. 9-4 usually.

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