Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Head out on the Highway (30), looking for adventure...


Us Portlanders have a fabulous little nursery road trip that I’ve always thought of as “the trio”…if you’ve got an afternoon head east about 20 miles on Highway 30. First stop is Means Nursery, then dash across Highway 30 and visit Joy Creek Nursery and then finish up on Sauvie Island at Cistus Nursery. You could stop at Cistus first, but today I wanted to see all three and I knew if I stopped at Cistus I probably wouldn’t end up going any further (cause I can spend hours and hours there).

It’s a rare visit to Means that I don’t come away with some fabulous find, which of course is why I keep coming back. But my treasures aren’t the bread and butter of this nursery, this is…

Thankfully you can avoid the flower filled greenhouses and just walk down this center aisle…this is where my bargains are usually found.

And today is no different, we have baby succulents!

For…only $2.99…

Artemisia 'Nana' looking good here, but I think it can easily end up looking ratty in the garden.

They’ve got a lot of trees and shrubs at Means.

Oh and more Agaves!

Interesting, kind of small for their container size, but a pretty good deal at $7.99. Agave 'Blue Flame'…

Agave Pygmaea 'Dragon Toes'

Agave 'Baja'

Agave 'Little Shark' (which looks a lot like 'Royal Spine' don't ya think?)

Wow…Pineapple Guava for only $8.99!

Here’s my chance for another Hebe 'Quicksilver'…

These little Chamaerops humilis were only $14.99

And Trachycarpus Fortunei for $16.99!

Now this, oddly, not such a bargain. Albizia ‘Summer Chocolate’ for $72! Same size, same label as the one I bought last summer for a fraction of the price.

Heading over to Joy Creek…

Their display garden is always a treat…so wonderful to wander and soak up the colors.

You know I’m no rose fan but these smelled divine!

There is a Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) in there…can you see it?

This made me feel better about the one I recently planted in less than full sun.

Walking into the nursery area I stopped to admire a Pineapple Lily emerging from the foliage.

We’re in the midst of a stretch of 80+ degree days (yes, I’m loving it!) and the sprinklers in the distance were sending a cool mist over this corner, it felt good!

Joy Creek has a great selection of Sedums…

Sedum cauticola

Sedum pacyclados

Lobelia Tupa

Dorycnium hirstum (Hairy Canaryflower)

Under the shade cloth…

Okay, time for our third and final stop…Cistus! Normally I like to walk into the main building first, and soak in all the succulents, but driving in to the parking lot I saw this beauty and had to go admire it first…

Asclepias speciosa, or Showy Milkweed…

Convolvulus cneorum (Bush Morning Glory)

Amicia zygomeris (also called Gotta Pea)

One of my favorite Sedum, Sedum confusum…

Rhodocoma capensis…

I love this plant and I’m considering the purchase, especially after reading about it on Linda Cochran’s blog.

My poor Acacia got a little dry right after I bought it and lost all the leaves along the trunk, I wish it hadn’t.

Love the Callistemon blooms!

Carmichaelia odorata, I had a small one of these but unfortunately it passed on to the great nursery in the sky.

Eucomis comosa 'Maroon Margin'

Schefflera delavayi (no, I didn’t buy one…you know I want one…but my birthday is coming up, and usually that means a Cistus Gift Certificate from the husband, although I did already get an early birthday gift back in April…)

Lupinus pilosus

Paris polyphylla - Heronswood form

And finally I leave you with the Cistus/Cat version of my dog Lila curled up in a cardboard nursery flat last week…

31 comments:

  1. Yay Cistus! I want to go sooo bad!! It looks very wonderful indeed. But to tell you the truth I'm in shock over those amazing prices at your first nursery. $2.99 agaves?! that is just unheard of! Around here the bare minimum you will find an agave for is usually $9.99. That is remarkable. I can't wait to see what treasures you brought home!!!

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    1. Maybe I didn't buy anything??? (Do you think that's possible?) I bought 3 of that Agave titanota for an orange bowl I wanted to plant up, and 1 Sedum cauticola...keeping my expenditures to under $15!!!

      Of course the real reason for the trip was a little "pre-shopping" at Cistus for the birthday. Even if the Cistus GC doesn't come through I know there will be a little birthday cash from the parents...

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    2. Nice! with those prices I think it would impossible to pass up on those beautiful agaves. And to stay under 15 dollars is amaaazing!!!! And I completely understand the pre-shop. I do that all the time!

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  2. Damn it, I went to Joy Creek on Saturday but didn't know about Means! It's almost embarrassing how many great independent nurseries we have.

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  3. Sigh...I haven't been to my beloved Joy Creek since this spring...I'm just afraid I'll buy something...and have no where to put it...WAAAHHH! Their Sedum collection is second-to-none, for sure...and I always visit that clump of Rodgersia...it's probably the nicest one I've ever seen around PDX. LOVE that Asclepias...that's my fave of them all, with those silvery-pink blooms and those fat, boat-like seed pods in autumn.

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    1. I hadn't either...I think I was out that way in March? Thinks have certainly changed. That Rodgersia is pretty amazing...also have you ever seen the one at Hughes Water Gardens? It's pretty grand too.

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  4. Lucky you for having those to spend the day looking around. Some nice little agaves there as well.

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    1. Spiky O...I am SO lucky to live here...we've got so many amazing nurseries.

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  5. The variety of nurseries in the Portland area never ceases to amaze me!

    I bought an Agave 'Little Spire' just the other day, and San Marcos Growers also thinks it's essentially the same as 'Royal Spine'.

    I have two Rhodocoma capensis in large containers and love them. You should definitely get one!

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    1. Ah good to know about San Marcos...and thank you for the thumbs up on the Rhodocoma capensis. First comes the Schefflera and if there are funds left over than it's all bout that one!

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  6. Looks like you just gave my friends a sneak preview !

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    1. Yikes! I hope that's not bad? I've been trying to get back out to Cistus for weeks (I hadn't been since early April!) and finally had a (sunny) free afternoon and decided to do them all. Will you guys be stopping at Means too? Hey...how will you all get your plants home??? Cause you know you're gonna wanna buy!

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    2. Yes, you're killing me. How will I be able to visit all these great nurseries and not buy anything?

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    3. Cistus and Joy Creek both ship...and so does Dancing Oaks! (I look forward to meeting you)

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  7. I'm pretty sure I saw a similar sized Trachycarpus for sale for $100 here recently...

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    1. OMG...seriously?

      I'm still trying to figure out where I would put one. I can't believe I didn't buy it.

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  8. I love your nursery posts! I always see and learn about all sorts of plants I've never heard of before. And that's a good thing. Some day I will make it down there to PDX.

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    1. Yes Alison someday you will...soon hopefully!

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  9. If only I lived closer to Cistus nursery!!!

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    1. Then you'd be broke (but have a lot of cool plants!)...

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  10. Oh my, I've never heard of Means Nursery and I'm so excited to go and nab some bargain agaves soon!

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  11. Must stop reading post. Am drooling on computer keys. Prices so low. Plants so beautiful. Highwy 30 calling my name. HELP!

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    1. It's been what a month, maybe a month and a half since you "did" Highway 30? Ya, it's probably time for you to make another trip down.

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  12. Wow, what a fabulous trio of nurseries (including the first one, Means!). It would be my dream to visit Cistus though :) Great selection of plants as always!

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    1. Someday you guys will make it to Portland (hopefully) and you will definitely have to visit Cistus!

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  13. OK, again with the derailing. I skip the amazing plant photos and go right for the one of the cat in the pot. How do animals just know how to be SO adorable?

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  14. Someone must have tipped off Means that you were coming. I have NEVER seen an Agave there.

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  15. Sweet Jesus..... I need that Paris polyphylla.... I have searched everywhere for one here in the great white north only to have it remain sweetly elusive. A fabulous day out for you.... thanks for letting us fellow plantaholics tag along!

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  16. Gotta Pea, not exactly a name I want in my garden.

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