Monday, January 7, 2013

Again with the nursery diversion…

As you've probably figured out one of my favorite coping mechanisms for the winter months is to visit nurseries as frequently as possible. During this particular visit I hit the jackpot; a blooming agave in Portland in the wintertime was not something I expected to see...

It's planted in the indoor greenhouse at Portland Nursery on Division St. I've admired this large Agave gypsophila 'Blue Wave' for years now, but it looks like it won't be around much longer.

Sadly the bloom spike won't be reaching it's full potential...

I've got to remember to go back in a couple of weeks and check on the progress!

There are a couple of interesting Opuntia mixed into the panting.

Along with a fine Euphorbia milii (I think)...

However there is something slightly dangerous about my going back to check on the blooming agave, you see I almost succumbed to the charms of this metal Saguaro.

Can't see it? Here's a close up of the material.

And another overall shot. It was 5ft tall and only $34.99. You know how I feel about garden art and I was very afraid as soon as I got it home I would start to hate it. Then again I imagine it covered with a vine (passion flower? or maybe a Kennedia nigricans from Annies) and causing passers-by to do a double take. Augh!!!

Of course I also wanted to take this Agave parryi home, I always want to take those home...

Looks like they've got a couple of  back-up A. gypsophila 'Blue Wave' if they want to replace their blooming one with another biggie...

Exotic blooms always help to cheer me up.

In the category of those I've loved and lost we have Furcraea gigantea 'Variegata'...

Euphorbia pseudocactus, in a large container...

And smaller for only $5.99, yes one became mine!

Not a blooming one though, unfortunately.

I have to admit this Kalanchloe kind of gives me the hebejebes.

Its the underside of the leaves that does it, like if I touch those furry bumps I'm going to develop furry bumps of my own.

This ghostly Dyckia was love at first sight though, and it too came home with me.

Time to venture outdoors....the day of my visit we'd had a little non-sticking snow storm that morning, looks like some actually stuck at the nursery!

I know a couple of people who would love to have a Chief Joseph Pine the size of this large one...

After admiring the Chief Joe's I turned around and saw this...

My beloved Blue Atlas Cedar is available in a yellow version! Cedrus A 'Aurea'..."Pale yellow suffused over green needles looks like frosting. Upright, horizontal branching, 10' x 8' in 10 years. Sun, hardy to zone 6"

It can be yours for only $74.99! What do you prefer? Yellow...

Or blue?...

33 comments:

  1. Great post. I felt like I was there. Now I have an itch to do some nursery hopping and it's only Monday morning...

    Do you know how old that blooming Agave gypsophylla is? I've been wanting to add one to my collection.

    I think that metal saguaro is cool. It would look great in YOUR garden!!! :-)

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    1. I don't know how old that plant is, I first discovered in in 2010. I'll ask next time I'm there!

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  2. Loree, you need the metal saguaro! Could that be wired to the top of the metal screen that will soon replace the hydrangea? It would tower over the garage...hmm. When it comes to Atlas Cedar, I'm in favor of blue. There's something magical about a mature one of these in the icy blue that makes my heart sing. Plus the blue sets off Chief Joseph. Next time you come up north and I force you to visit a couple of nurseries in Puyallup, we'll have to stop in the Puyallup Fred Meyer parking lot which has 10 - 20 blue atlas cedars planted in the islands. They are older trees and it feels more like a magic forest than a parking lot (if you look up.)

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    1. "need" huh? We'll see. Wow your FM sounds fancy, mine doesn't have anything that majestic...I look forward to being forced to visit nurseries with you!

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  3. I really think you should get that metal saguaro. If ever a piece of garden art was meant for you, that one is. I love the idea of using it for a flowering vine support, almost like a topiary frame. I much prefer that yellow cedar over the blue. Such a bummer that the agave's bloom spike has reached the ceiling.

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    1. If it weren't winter time I wonder if they could/would take one of the panels out of the roof to accommodate the bloom? Wouldn't that be a great photo?

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  4. BLUE! Enough with the golden conifers already. I suppose if you have lots of "boring" green and blue conifers already you might want to stick a yellow one in there for contrast, but they just look sickly to me. Not my thing.

    Now the Euphorbia pseudocactus -- that I can go for! Very cool, even when not in flower. I surely would have snapped that one up. And the sculpture -- go back and get it! Cover that thing with cypress vine or cardinal climber (something with "prickly" looking leaves) and you'll have a traffic stopper! At least that's how I see it in my mind. :)

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    1. But how do you really feel? I do agree that yellow anything runs the risk of looking sickly, and I do much prefer the blue.

      So far everyone is in agreement about the Saguaro!

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  5. Nice pick-me-up visit! For some reason I've never been a fan of any Kalanchloe, but I'd have taken that gorgeous Dyckia home in a minute, too. And my vote goes to the blue Atlas Cedar. The 'Aurea' color looks slightly less healthy to me. But at $75, I guess I don't need to stress over either one!

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    1. They had a few other nice dyckia but that was the only ghostly one, sorry! (you do have great taste)...

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  6. I say blue and fabulously chartreuse Loree! Think of the delightful waltz they would create, planted close enough to one another that their laden arms entwined with each other..... oh, sorry! Daydreaming yet again! I cannot wait to bring my C.a 'Horstmann' home in the Spring!

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    1. It sounds kind of like you've already got it picked out and tagged for you? I can't wait to see pictures!

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  7. I think I might need to pick up a Chief Joseph. Darn you!

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    1. You might want to stop by the bank on the way and ask about a loan...

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  8. I think you need the metal saguaro and I love your vine idea! :)

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    1. Thank you Deb. You don't think it would be slightly cheesy?

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  9. I'm scared to think how much that Chief Joseph is, but what a stunning plant. Around $300.00 I bet...........
    I vote for the standard blue Atlas Cedar.

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    1. Ya that sounds about right, although I don't know if I even looked. I think the tiny ones were like $70.

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  10. Go on, get the metal saguaro, you know you want to ;) I like the idea of growing a vine on it, and the contrast of a 'cactus' with a lush and leafy plant growing on it.

    I like the Cedrus 'Aurea' but would vote for the blue one.

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    1. I do...and I don't (want to). I hate it when I can't make a decision! It's pretty rare that I'm so wishy washy though so when it happens I can't help but err on the side of not doing something.

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  11. I agree with the above...the yellow Cedar looks sickly to me...then agian, I adore the blue version, so I'm probably a little biased.

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    1. And there is nothing wrong with being biased!

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  12. Nothing more uplifting on a rainy winters day than being inside a plant filled greenhouse. I would have to take home that blue wave...among others.

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    1. I already have a blue wave rescued from this very nursery a couple of years ago. It was leading a sad life and I've attempted to nurse it back to health, still it doesn't look as good as those two do.

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  13. I think you need the kalanchoe, which looks to me like K. beharensis 'Fang'. The leaves get bigger and the fuzz gets fuzzier and the warts get wartier as it grows. When Fang is about four feet tall you have this big fuzzy, warty gross thing that everyone else will want. And it's called Fang, which makes it even better.

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    1. Are you trying to give me nightmares?

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    2. Nightmares? c'mon, danger girl...do you want to ruin your reputation?

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  14. Ah nursery shopping in January, danger danger ! Unfortunately our local selection is next to none right now, if we had cool nurseries around here like that I too might be a bit tempted. I love dykias, and thats a nice score. Only a couple more months until spring. I . Can . Hardly . Wait.

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    1. Danger indeed and I haven't even visited Cistus yet! (saving that one, but soon...).

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  15. That's a great break and you brought home some good additions to your dangerous collection.

    I've seen plenty of tilted agave blooms grow to full size, they should try tilting it over to the side.

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    1. Great idea, perhaps I'll make a suggestion...

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  16. amazing! I love that dyckia!!! what variety?

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    1. It had the always helpful "Dyckia hybrid" label. Grr...

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