An annual outing with my fellow plant lovers...(part 1)

It’s a tradition, four years strong. The Thursday before the big HPSO plant sale a group of friends and I head out for a day-long adventure. That day was April 10th, we started at Xera Plants retail shop in SE Portland. Here (from left to right) are Lyle, Heather and Scott checking out the offerings.

The weather that day was nothing short of perfect! The rest of the gang Ryan (white T on the far left), Tim, James, Riz, Greg (co-owner of Xera), Derick, and Nathan. Look at all those plants!

Callistemon subulatus 'Dark Red'...yes it's as soft as it looks.

Didn't get the name of this Aquilegia but it was quite lovely.

Love the grid pattern on some opuntia, this one especially.

And plant shadows, I love plant shadows.

Here's my (tiny) haul from Xera; Two Eryngium giganteum 'Miss Wilmott's Ghost', which Greg said should bloom this year since they're last years plants (fingers crossed), Sedum spathulifolium 'Carnea', and yes another Grevillea juniperina 'Molonglo' but this time I'm only planting one (I lost six juniper Grevilleas last winter) and in the back garden, where it's a little more protected.

Next stop Secret Garden Growers in Canby, Oregon (yes we went from urban to country, in no time). This was my first visit to SGG, although since they're a plantlust.com nursery I have emailed with the owner, Pat, many times. It's wonderful when you finally meet someone in person and they're just as nice as you thought they'd be.

The nursery was lovely as well, and large!

Syneilesis palmata

There were two large hoop houses in the distance and we were concerned they'd be off limits, torture to plant lovers on a field trip! Nope, we were allowed in to survey the goods. Naturally I fell in love with several things in the "not for sale" section, like that purple succulent on the right.

Also not for sale...

Ditto...

My Rubus lineatus died completely back to the ground this year. It's already sprouting out new growth but so much for those 7ft tall arching canes.

At least I know I'll have that pleated foliage to look forward to again this summer.

My Impatiens omeiana is showing signs of developing into a mass like this, finally. I do have my doubts as to whether or not I'll get to enjoy it before the critters go to town on it (slugs? root weevils? both?).

Speaking of critters (but the cute ones)...

I bought one of these phormium, in fact maybe the one in the front on the far right. Sadly no frogs came with it.

Sedum makinoi Ogon 'Golden Japanese Sedum'

Geranium? (Begonia, thanks Planted Watered) My mind's gone blank, but I can tell you I almost purchased one of these.

My gunerra has returned, surviving the winter cold. It's not this big, yet...

Still no sign of either Acanthus sennii however.

I'll end today's post with the most popular thing at the nursery. This little guy (forgot his name) was just too cute. We were devising all sorts of schemes to escape with him, but then there would have been the inevitable fight over who got to take him home (just between you and me I'm sure Heather would have won). Tomorrow I'll share the second half of our day...

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