So it turns out I’ve been confused. All this time I thought The Gardeners Choice in Tigard, OR, was The Garden Corner, which is actually in Tualatin, OR. Years ago someone had told me The Garden Corner was their favorite nursery, and so for years I thought I had been visiting. Then a couple of random things happened recently and I realized nope…there was a whole new nursery out there just waiting for me to discover it. So I did…
What clued me into the fact I’d finally found that persons “fav” were these wooden walkways, she’d mentioned them. I wouldn’t have though such a simple thing could be so memorable but having a curving, slightly elevated and bouncy path to follow lent a certain “Oz” like magic to the place.
Combine that with a super tidy nursery and uber helpful staff and I understand the appeal.
There were a couple of these 4x4 pillars with concrete tubes over them. I wasn't sure if they were intended to inspire you to want to create something at home, or if they were an installation in progress.
Have I mentioned how much I love the Japanese Umbrella Pine? I thought I got it out of my system a couple of years ago when I bought one as a gift for a friend, I guess not.
Cotinus 'Old Fashioned'
Why buy a palm in a plastic pot...
...when you can buy one in a cool container like this!
This surprised me so I didn't even take a picture of the plant! A Grevillea that's hardy here with blooms like that?
I don't know...
The Garden Corner calls themselves "The Hanging Basket Passion Place!" and they have a lot of hanging baskets to prove it...
The also had this, a hanging Thuja plicata 'Whipcord' - Thuja kokedama?
Not the bloom one would expect to see on a baby Umbrella Pine!
They had non-kokedama 'Whipcord' too...
And these beauties...
I'm not so sure I like the pink bloom on the chocolate Albizia julibrissin. It's magical on the green tree but this color combo isn't really working for me.
I hope mine doesn't bloom for a long long time.
This place is huge!
Andrew claims I'm drawn to shiny silver things like a moth to flame. Yes these did capture my attention.
Sadly I didn't get a great shot of their fun tilted roof cabanas, but I liked them. Some even had green roofs.
Evidence things were a little more dazzling a few weeks ago. Mid august is about the time things really start to wind down in many of our local nurseries.
Another hanging basket...
And my people! The agaves...
Hope you enjoyed this quick visit to yet another Portland-area nursery! (or garden center if you prefer, since they aren't actually growing the plants here on site)
All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Love the walkways!
ReplyDeletePinus strobus 'Contorta' gets much larger than 10'. It grows faster than they say too -- 6" a year sounded great to me, then I saw mine do about 18" the first two years and I stopped measuring. Love this tree, but much bigger than they say.
The shiny metal... I thought you didn't like garden art? Perhaps you're changing your opinion on awesome metal objects in the garden?
Nope...the balls on pillars didn't do it for me, it was the rectangular planters that caught my eye. Love em. Especially once some of the shiny was obscured by plants.
DeleteWow, what a special treat to discover a new nursery of this caliber that's been so close to you all this time. I can imagine the excitement! The shiny silver things are dazzling. Will you be finding room for some of them in your garden soon? Your last picture reminded me of your comment in an earlier post that went something like "If you look hard enough there's always an agave."
ReplyDeleteIt's not actually what I would consider close, but then again not as far as say Tacoma! It's all relative.
DeleteNo I don't see a shiny silver purchase. I'm trying to rein in the container madness. Plus they weren't in my price range.
There is AWLAYS an agave, it's true!
That's my dream: to discover a new nursery within a reasonable commuting distance. It was immediately clear to me that The Garden Center was very different from my own local nurseries. The main clue: the container holding umbrellas ready for use at a moment's notice. You don't find that in SoCal.
ReplyDeleteI still remember the day I was helping some folks pick out blinds for their veranda at IKEA in Carson, CA (I was down there for mgr training when the Seattle store was being built). They chose some fabric option and I was cautioning them that it wouldn't hold up to the rain. They were looking at me like I was insane. Then I remembered I wasn't in Seattle.
DeleteNeat setting in the tall trees … nice merchandising, too. This place has a very different vibe than a typical nursery.
ReplyDeleteThe trees and the merchandising really do stand out and give a great since of place.
DeleteI've gotta put that nursery on my to-visit list!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to have those lists, you just never know.
DeleteThis place looks amazing and I had never heard of it. There you go again: blazing trails. I think I'll put it on my next year list during high gardening season.
ReplyDeleteOh yes...I'm curious to what they look like in the height of the season, I'll be back!
DeleteWow, what a fantastic nursery! Their presentation is out of this world and into the next. I actually love the pink flowers on the albezia, both the leaves and the flowers are in the red-violet family. I've been coveting that T. 'Whipcord' for a while now but it isn't hardy in 5... Grrr....
ReplyDeleteI've been on the fence about the pink flowers on the chocolate albezia for awhile. Seeing this one just pushed me over. Hopefully I'll be back on the other side by the time mine blooms.
DeleteLike Deanne, I like the Albizia flowers. The color is just a little bit matchy-matchy. The Whipcord kokedama is kinda weird, though. Looks like a great place.
ReplyDeleteYou too huh?
DeleteI agree about the Whipcord kokedama, at least it looks healthy.
It's amazing that there are STILL nurseries in Oregon I've never heard of!
ReplyDeleteSo so true.
DeleteThis would be an easy pit stop for me on my way into or out of Portland. Would love to see their merchandising in action in high summer...If I drive to Fling next year this will be on my agenda!
ReplyDeleteOh yes easy indeed! For a moment I read "if I drive" as "if I come" but hopefully are coming whether you drive, fly, walk or hitchhike.
DeleteI've never seen a wooden pathway laid out like that before, loved it! Amazing how one can live in an area for so long and continue to discover new places to visit (and happy enough to share them :)).
ReplyDeleteIndeed! There are so many specialty nurseries here I've never been to. I need to start crossing them off my list.
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