Thursday, February 12, 2015

East Bay Nursery

On the last day, in the last hours, of our trip south in September I finally stopped at East Bay Nursery in Berkeley, CA.

It wasn't on my list of places to visit but since it was just around the corner from our hotel (ish) we'd driven past it enough times I figured I needed to stop in. I wish I saw 4" asparagus ferns available in Portland area nurseries. I'd be more willing to experiment with a few in the ground.

Someone was being creative, I don't even know what these are...

Buddha's hand citrus, fun! I would have to grow this, if I could.

Maytenus boaria 'Green Showers'

Slow to moderate growth, damn. I want mine to grow fast.

This was my last chance to take a Leucadendron argenteum home with me...and I passed.

Oh my! Check out that price!!! Okay yes this was a 7-gallon pot but really?

Love that plant in the middle.

See why?

I had one briefly, a couple of years ago. Winter did it in.

Last chance for Agave gypsophila 'Ivory Curls' ($50, I passed)...

Last chance for Agave salmiana 'Medio Picta' (no)...

Oh and there's that magnolia (michelia) I fell for at Marcia Donahue's garden.

Yikes! Too rich for me (which is good since it's also not hardy for me!).

Beautiful though...

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

35 comments:

  1. Oh, those prices! After seeing a few of the price tags, did the feel of your visit change? For me it would have changed from a potential shopping trip to a "garden visit". I wish I had more mobility (and time) for garden center visits when I travel...

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    1. Since it had been a long week of shopping and garden visiting I was okay with this stop not being a buying opportunity. Just fun to look.

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  2. Ya know, plant pricing is a crazy thing, I don't quite understand it. Is it because the plant is rare? is large? or old having been in a pot in a nursery for a long time? My local supermarket has begun carrying one gallon potted flowers of very nice quality at $3.99. Home Depot has the the same under a different label (same grower) at double the price. Michelia has a great fragrance, but I think it would be a bit overwhelming in a tight space like a backyard. I like those pots with pebbles, wouldn't dare ask the price, though!

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    1. I was surprised how many of the Bay Area nurseries had exactly the same price on things, as though they'd all agreed. This one seemed the odd many out on a few things.

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  3. Those Leucadendrons....

    Have you checked the houseplant sections at nurseries and (bear with me) big box stores? They might have cheap, small asparagus fern. I usually see it in tiny 1 or 2 inch pots for terrariums and mixed containers, but I think I've seen them in 3 to 6 inch containers before, too.

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  4. These prices are insane! I can't imagine they're doing much business at those prices, even in Berkeley.

    I agree with what Alan said. It's not a nursery, it's a botanical garden!

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    1. Maybe I was just drawn to the expensive plants?

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  5. Nice but pricey plants! I wonder where they got their pricing from.....

    Nice mural though!

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  6. Yeah, the prices are high, but they do excellent business even so, and are dependable for having such varied selection all through the year. I'm located in between East Bay Nursery and Berkeley Hort Nursery, (both are walking distance), and about the same price wise.

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    1. I thought Berkeley Hort was a little less princely, but of course one visit does not an expert make.

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  7. What a great selection of plants! That Buddha's Hand Citrus - incredible. Of course I can't grow any of these, but so much fun. Next time we visit our friends in Oakland I will have to insist on a trip to this nursery.

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    1. It also seemed a little like maybe they were slowing down for the season, so spring or summer you might find even more treasures.

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  8. We've found the asparagus ferns to be hardy at work, and try to add a few more each year. They do go brown in winter and we cut them back in late March. Last winter they survived regular trips to the mid teens and one brief night to 6.

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    1. Excellent! Experiments I will be making once I find a source for less expensive plants (at $20 I'm just not willing to risk it).

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  9. Kinda high on the prices there. Google/Facebook employees only?!?

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    1. Ha, I didn't see that sign but you never know...

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  10. Nice nursery but, yikes, the prices!

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    1. Money can't buy happiness but it sure can buy cool plants.

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  11. Bit like window shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue or Barney's.

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    1. Found myself doing that at Barney's just last night (no joke).

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  12. I agree with Rickii! I did admire those concrete containers, love the shapes and sizes.

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  13. These nurseries are all probably buying from the same growers, and mark-ups are pretty standard in the independents (gotta cover the shrinkage) which is buy it for 10.00 , sell it for 20.00 with some wiggle room either way depending on your demographic. If the plant is slow growing or difficult to propagate the price will go up-it takes up real estate at both the grower and the garden center. If it's rare , supply and demand kicks in.

    Ivory Curls I must have.

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  14. Wow, some expensive plants there! My mum has one of those buddha's hands, gosh they're weird!!

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  15. Wow. I guess it was more of a show garden than a nursery, with those prices. Neat plants though!

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    1. Somebody must be buying to keep them in business, right?

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  16. I like the mural, now I´m thinking how cool one with weird plants (like the ones that already lived in the age of the dinosaurs, or pitcher plants, or succulents, etc) would be. Maybe Andrew could make a really cool mural.

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    1. I've asked Andrew to create something on the dining room wall. Somehow he's never actually gotten around to it...

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  17. Oh my, those prices do seem a bit high. Maybe they have amazing sales. We have a neighbor who grows Buddha's hand on her porch in the summer and brings it in for the winter. Logee's has both the Buddha's hand and the Michelia alba for sale. Since you were so good at the show, maybe you should reward yourself with these two plants.

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