Friday, October 18, 2013

Let’s back up a bit…

Yesterday I wrote about my visit to Heronswood, however I need to catch you up on what came earlier in the day. Before the Heronswwod sale I (we: Andrew and I) first had to get up before dawn and drive up to Tacoma, where we (I: Andrew had other places to be) met up with the master of ceremonies Peter (aka the Outlaw Gardener) and the rest of our group for the day: Alison, Laura (and her Pirate), and Anna.

You've probably already followed along with our adventure on the other blogs, but Peter had come up with a master plan that had us visiting a crazy list of nurseries at a semi break-neck pace. First up (before Heronswood opened) was Valley Nursery in Poulsbo, Wa.

Thanks to Peter I already knew Valley had a great assortment of plants from WeHoP, what I didn’t know was how much I would want to buy them ALL! I’d been to Valley once before, in June of 2012, also on Peter’s advice, it was great then but this tme I wanted everything!!!

There is no bloom like zone 9 grevillea bloom.

And ya'll know how how much I love a good Leucadendron...

Peter grabbed this one. Isn't it gorgeous?

Look...

I want! (not the statue silly)

The only problem with this nursery visit was it happened first in the day. There was no way I was going to spend $49.99 on a Kalanchoe beharensis this early. In retrospect I still have a huge crush on this plant but I'm okay that I passed on it.

Next up on the wheel of desire, Dusky Bells Correa. This one was only $14.99, and not hardy. Maybe I shoulda...

Tree ferns, always love them.

And this! Seems to be the "everywhere" plant right now...

This one always tugs at my heart strings! Furcraea foetida 'Mediopicta' I've loved, and lost, 3 of these...

At $54.99 I managed to walk away, again.

This color combo is so so so good!

Even though I don't actually care for either of the plants on their own.

Silly sign, but fun none-the-less...

Okay here's what I finally bought (so refined, can you even imagine?...if it had been June and not September I would have gone so so crazy!)...

I bought three, and I love them,

Here's one planted in my garden. All three are in close proximity.

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

31 comments:

  1. Looks like a great place! End-of-season plant shopping has one constraint for me: price. If it's not on hard sale, I usually pass. The "not hardy" part would have me moving along too probably, as I already have too much to cram into the garage.

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    1. Ah yes...if those marginally (and "not") hardy plants would have been on sale I would have been very tempted!

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  2. Wow, I'm so envious. You have such an abundance of stunning nurseries in the PNW. You'd have to look long and hard around here to find a nursery like that.

    What was that agave with the crazy teats?

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    1. Agave 'Mr. Ripple'...I've never heard it put quite like that before!

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  3. gorgeous plants, that hebe is lovely, going to have to go on my find list (assuming it survives you winter that is.

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  4. Oh my word, I'm in love with those pagodas, the garden seat, the pillars, the fountain and that amazing flowering spigot. The plants are amazing as well!

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  5. It's fun to see all those exotic plants in a blog so I don't have to be tempted by them... I do have some burgundy Heucheras which I love, in fact when I was weeding some and broke off some pieces by accident, I stuck them in pots and to my amazement they rooted and grew so I transplanted them recently.

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    1. I've heard how easily the heucheras root...wish I liked them cuz I do like free plants!

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  6. You know that I'd be more than happy to skip on over to Valley and pick up anything your heart desires and hold it for you until we get together again! Some of those plants are bound to go on sale soon!

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  7. Ever so fond of any and every Hebe. And Parahebe. What a great nursery..I think I've only scratched the surface up across the border.

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    1. Indeed. You'd better plan an extra week for nursery hoping after the Portland Fling!

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  8. Hi Loree, I would have gone ape over both of those Leucadendron. You can't find them down here.

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    1. And rarely do you find them here. Oh if they were hardy...

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  9. Funny how plants you don't especially like can come together for a look that transcends the negative vibes. I do love the burgundy Heucheras. Now I will be thinking about putting some dusty miller in there. It's a brilliant combo.

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    1. Isn't it? Maybe need to give heuchera another chance? Nah...

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  10. would love to have one of those pagodas

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  11. How I love a whirlwind tour through collectors' nurseries. We only have one true collectors nursery within an hour of here, as far as I know (Back Alley Gardens in Gearhart, Oregon).

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    1. Good to know of that one and I'll look for it if I'm in the area.

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  12. Seems more geared to what grows more easily here in the Bay Area. The frustrating part is not being able to find that James Stirling Hebe at such decent sizes here, usually just quarts. The Trochodendron is a great plant, I love mine in the front garden everytime I walk past it. What do people do with large tender Grevilleas over winter up there?

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    1. I've got one of those large tender grevilleas in a container, it's going into the shade pavilion greenhouse for the winter. Hopefully I can keep it at a temperature it will be happy. We shall see!

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  13. oh, the Kalanchoe beharensis Fang is quite easy from a small cutting, and can do quite well as a houseplant in winter with a bright window. Mine gets so dense I have to thin it periodically to get some sun to the Echeverias and Rhipsalis planted below it, and the branches already have aerial roots even before cutting them off. Surprisingly they also withstand a few degrees of frost, but not endless winter wet...

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    1. Good to know! 'Fang' is the one with the spiky bits on the bottom of the leaves right? While I'm all about spikes that one kind of gives me the creeps.

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  14. That hebe looks so tactile. And that statue would look great in your garden ;)

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  15. Fang will surely warm its way into your heart if you grow it.

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