Moscow Food Co-op Producer Profile

Tim Eaton, Prairie Bloom Nursery

by Jen Stevens, from the August 2003 newsletter

I first began noticing the small wooden stand in front by the Co-op bicycle racks this past spring. It was full of bedding plants and inspiration. Looking more closely, I found that the plants were from Prairie Bloom, a local nursery. As the spring and summer have progressed, the Co-op has carried an ever-changing selection of plants from Prairie Bloom, including potted shrubs, as well as herbs and other plants for new gardens. As fall approaches, there will be bulbs and fall perennials such as Asters to suit the season.

I recently visited Prairie Bloom Nursery to learn more about it and the plants from that wooden stand. It was a very warm dusty day in late July, and Tim Eaton, the owner, and I sat under an awning, surrounded by plants and garden implements. Tim happens to be married to Kenna Eaton, the general manager of the Co-op. He’s also worked at a variety of Co-op jobs in the past, so you may have seen him around!

One of my first questions was how Tim got into the nursery business. I’m always curious about what brought people to do what they do. Tim started by working at his brother’s nursery during high school. However, at that time, Tim was less interested in traditional nursery plants and landscaping than he was in wild plants that he found growing in the wilderness. Tim’s interest in wild plants eventually led to a landscaping business that he ran from his home. Tim also studied biology in college, specializing in botany because “plants are so weird!”

Although Prairie Bloom offers a variety of plants, Tim’s particular interest is in plants that are suited for the ecosystem of the Palouse. Since Tim has lived on the Palouse for 22 years, he has a lot of experience with our climate and ecology. Although these include native plants, they can also be plants that originated in other regions that are ecologically similar to the Palouse. One benefit of using ecologically compatible plants for landscaping is that they require less water than many conventional landscaping plants, including most lawn grasses. As many of us with lawns can attest, they can require a tremendous amount of water during the summer. However, Tim stressed that one shouldn’t think only in terms of water savings since you could do that just by replacing your yard with rocks. Rather, one should also think about how ecologically compatible plants might work within the local ecosystem of your yard. Many local insects aren’t fond of plant regions that are incompatible to the Palouse. By planting things they do like, you could well end up with a yard full of butterflies or birds. In turn, your own local ecosystem can have benefits that go beyond your own yard. As Tim explained, “The function of gardens, particularly in a place like this, the Palouse, may be reservoirs or islands for biological diversity.” Since much of the region is a wheat monoculture, urban gardens could become an important source of biological diversity.

In more recent years, Tim’s interests have shifted to gardens that are beautiful as well as ecologically sound. This came about partly from his interest in poetry. Poems create little worlds, and so, Tim, realized, could gardeners. Tim teaches a class called “Beyond Xeriscaping” at Prairie Bloom where gardeners of all levels can learn more about creating beautiful and diverse landscapes. Tim has also taught classes for both the University of Idaho and Washington State University. Next spring, Tim hopes to have a Web page up with listings of Prairie Bloom classes and to do more with the Co-op (such as offering member promotions).

Prairie Bloom plants are generally available at the Co-op between mid-March and mid-October. They happen to be temporarily missing just now because of the late July heat that makes it harder to keep plants happy. But watch that space, for there will be much more to come!

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