Friday, August 10, 2012

An August visit to Dancing Oaks Nursery….

What better to do on the second hottest day of the year but to visit a nursery!

I've previously visited Dancing Oaks only in June, so it was fun do see how different their display garden looks in August. The Eremurus flowers are faded but the tall spikes remain.

And the Verbascum and Erygium make a nice combination…

I always have to visit the little desert outcropping to see how my favorites are doing…

But then it was time to dip back into the shade and (slightly) cool off.

I love that they’re growing a weeping Blue Atlas Cedar over the pergola.

And it's nice that this heavy Lily has a bench to rest on.

Okay back out into the sun! Magnolia macrophylla with Bells of Ireland…

A Barberry of some sort?

Since Lila was with us we were tempted to toss her into the pond to cool off. But that would have been bad form, so we did not. One of the employees watering plants did hose her down for us though!

Will my Lobelia Tupa ever bloom?

Blooming Kniphofia were everywhere, I’m surprised I only got one photo of them.

The two plants I was lusting after the most were not for sale, but rather planted in display containers. Dryandra drummondii, which yes of course is a Banksia.

And Banksia grandis…

Its brown leaf tips have me wondering if they left it out over winter.

Speaking of containers they have several well planted ones all around the central plaza…

And this…what is it!? There was no foliage at the bottom to help me identify. Maybe a spent Echium bloom of some sort? It’s amazing…

If I had unlimited space I would of course need a bamboo grove complete with a huge urn just like this!

Okay into the greenhouses! You’ll notice a shortage of photos due to the fact that it was 94 outside…that had to mean over 100 inside. I didn’t stay any longer than necessary to look at the plants!

I remember a time when these were hard to find. Now they’re everywhere…

Can you read the writing on the PVC? “not for sale – stock plants”…it kills me…

Another plant worth lusting over…Cutleaf Emperor Oak…

If only I had more room! (oh but it does say “small tree”)

Dancing Oaks does have a lovely collection of Sarracenia…

And what kind of a “danger garden” doesn’t have a carnivorous plant or two? But I do now! These came home with me and are already settled in…

I leave you with this sign on one of the small greenhouses; it’s kind of a dare isn’t it? Are you “worthy” to enter…???

40 comments:

  1. The Lobelia Tupa is on my lust list, but you are having issues with it blooming. Do I want to rethink that plant?

    I had a Cutleaf Emperor Oak for three years than it just died. I was very sad, I loved the texture of the leaves. I have been told they are about a 15 foot tree, not sure if I want to replace it.

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    1. My L. Tupa went in the ground last summer. Just a single plant it came back this spring with vigor and I've got a good sized clump now...but still just short little things.

      More than anything the hefty price on the Oak kept me from buying, thank god!

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  2. I totally want some sarracenia in my garden as well! I love the gorgeous mottled colors!

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    1. They are the type of plant that looks best in mass don't you think? Perhaps that's why it's taken me so long to buy any.

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  3. You of all people would definitely qualify as a "plant geek;" it's the "authorized" part that would have gotten you in trouble :-).

    I love that Cutleaf Emperor Oak, too. I've never seen it before.

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    1. If the owners Fred and Leonard had been there I might have considered getting "authorized," but as it was the single employee running the place had her hands full and I didn't need to add stress to her day...next time!

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  4. the blue spiky stuff and the orange thingy are amazing...I wish for common names....I dearly wish bloggers would say what part of the country they are located and a link to the nurseries and gardens they visit.. I travel alot and I would love to visit a place like this.....

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    1. I guess the best I could do for common names (if I understand correctly which plants you're asking about) are Sea Holly and Red Hot Poker. Since I note my location on the profile page I rarely mention it in my blog posts, I feel it would be rather annoying to frequent readers who already know where I am, and you did see the nursery link at the top of the page right? If you get the chance to visit you should...it's a lovely place!

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  5. Lovely!!!! Nursery going on a hot sunny summers day... Dangerous!!!!!! To me that means by everything without abandon. Those are really nice display gardens and with those agaves!!! Perfection! All the kniphofia around me are done their show, I'm kinda jealous of seeing those. Thanks for the epic tour.

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    1. So heat makes your wallet less heavy huh? I think it has the opposite effect on me for some reason.

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  6. The leaves on that cutleaf emperor oak are so interesting! I just planted some Lobelia tupa this spring, no sign of flowers yet, although it looks healthy enough. Maybe next year. You're right, I am seeing it everywhere now. Do you have a boggy spot for the Sarracenia? I'm curious to see how it does. They're cool plants.

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    1. I put the Sarracenia in a container where I can (hopefully) control the moisture. I thought about putting them in a stock-tank with the Horsetail Rush but I am afraid that area isn't sunny enough for them.

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  7. Nice place for plant geeks.

    Always amazed at the combinations you can have up there like euphorbia and agave.

    The tree in the yellow planter looks like our native retama tree, but I remember you wrote about a similar one in a previous post.

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    1. I swear Pam Penick has that same Euphorbia and Agave combo in her Austin garden. You couldn't pull that off in San Antonio?

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  8. How beautiful! Many of the pictures remind me of your yard...especially the 3rd one from the top. You must love that place!!!! What a relaxing day it must have been. :)

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    1. Good eye Heather! To be honest I hadn't thought of it like that but you're right there is a definite similarity in our plant palette!

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  9. I think the plant with the faded blooms is Morina longifolia or Himalayan whorlflower. Nice pics!

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    1. And it looks like you are correct with the plant I.D....thank you! A friend actually gave me one of these a couple of years ago. Sadly it didn't make it and I never saw it bloom.

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  10. Hooray for your tour of Dancing Oaks! A snafu with the camera battery prevented taking photos of this beautiful nursery, so this brings back great memories. I wonder if your unknown plant is a morinia?

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    1. You and Justin are in agreement on the Morinia.

      Truth be told it's because of your group that we visited. I was going to forgo my trek to D.O. this year but then when I thought I'd be meeting up with you all there I suddenly was very excited about the idea. Seed planted...trip happened.

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  11. You go to all the coolest (figuratively speaking) places!

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    1. Ya but who's at the Fonderosa Frolic right now and who's setting at home on her sofa?

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  12. "Authorised plant geeks only" eh!

    I think that yourself and a lot of your followers (is that the right word for someone who regularly follows someone's blog?) fit that definition.

    It looks so dry there. Whilst I like my evergreens I also have a big soft spot for herbaceous perennials, particularly the big architectural showy ones and I found it quite interesting to see how they go over in a hot and dry environment. It's quite different to over here.

    Do you know what the plant is in the first of the container photos? The one with the string like blue leaves. Plants like that are g-rated plant porn for me ;)

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    1. Yes I believe you've got the blog lingo right.

      I thought it was a Genista aetnensis but now that I look at it again I wonder. Maybe actually an Acacia stenophylla (Shoe-String Acacia)?

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  13. There's a reality show in all this nursery visiting. Never too hot when oaks are involved, and if you resisted buying anything, even better! Desert plant people in the SW try to avoid summer planting, at least in their own yards...

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    1. Oh yes...flesh out this reality show concept a little more and we'll get rich! (haha)

      I too try to not plant in the high summer, unless it's a succulent or I'm planing in a container.

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  14. So glad to see carnies making their debut! They'll get addictive right quick.

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  15. It was love at first sight when I saw their stand of Lobelia tupa, but I have given up on it now. Robust??? they gotta be kidding. When I was there, they had several really unusual oaks.
    A nice long air-conditioned drive, ending in...Dancing Oaks: you sure do know how to live!

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    1. So do I take it your L. tupa have passed on? or just never bloomed?

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    2. Passed on, but quickly: thankfully it was not a lingering death.

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  16. Another great nursery and display garden I feel fortunate to have been able to experience in person. Did you see the variegated Musa basjoo in that stock plant greenhouse? If I could have figured out a way to sneak it out of there I would have rented a car and driven home :).

    Lobelia tupa is zone 7b, huh? That doesn't bode well for me but I'm going to try.

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    1. I didn't see the variegated Musa basjoo this visit but I do remember it from the past.

      I wish you success with your L. tupa!

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  17. Sure looks like August, but lovely still. Love that Oak.

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    1. There were several...all equally lovely.

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  18. Another fabulous re-visit of a nursery Loree, and that Banksia grandis...I want! Actually lots of their plants are delicious. And talk about good customer service with the kind hosing down of Lila to cool her off :)

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  19. The Sarracenia are amazing. Mine is on its third summer and doing fine. It's been a long time since I've been to DO during August so the photos were a real treat. I bought (another) Lobelia tupa this spring. It won't bloom this year but maybe next? Huge question mark.

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  20. Congratulations on your sarrs! Mine are struggling in this weather. :-(
    I like the aloe in the picture with a cycad.

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  21. Hello, I was looking for Dryandra drummondii and found your site. I lived in the Seattle area and just moved to the San Francisco area. Saw your comments about the Cutleaf Emperor Oak. We had one in our yard in Washington. GET IT ! It is a narrow tree. Ours was probably 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide. The branches were very short. Leaves are gorgeous, especially in spring. I know city gardens can be small, but this tree is worth finding the room for.

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    1. Thanks for the thumbs up Stephen, I actually did add one of these to my garden in the spring of 2014, I love it!

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