Friday, July 24, 2015

A visit to Blooming Junction

I recently stopped in for a visit at Blooming Junction in Cornelius, Oregon...

It's a nursery and produce stand...

And they've got a nice display garden between the parking lot and the retail area.

If memory serves Blooming Junction opened late in 2013. It's the retail location of the wholesale grower Blooming Nursery. I'd intended to visit before now but since they're about 26 (trafficy) miles away, in a direction I rarely travel, I just hadn't made the trip.

I figured they'd have a good selection of Agaves, since I see their stock at several area nurseries, so I don't know why I was surprised to see so many growing in the display garden...

Also a surprise, how much l liked this here, growing in the rock...

Let's shop!

Capsicum annuum 'Black Pearl', I've been on the look out for this plant, it's too late in the season to spend that much $ on an annual though...

I like the old farm vibe they've got going on here.

And I love the old stock tank!

My people!

This beauty was labeled as Agave schidigera 'Mr. Ripples', I've never seen the "schidigera" part of the name when referring to Mr. Ripples. Writing about Agave 'Mr. Ripples' San Marcos Growers says "This plant, thought to possibly be a naturally occurring hybrid between Agave salmiana and Agave americana var. protoamericana, was named by Wade Roitsch of Yucca Do Nursery"...

Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue'

More!

Agave striata

Agave victoriae-reginae

Agave bracteosa 'Calamar'

Agave parryi ssp. truncata

Agave ocahui

Agave overload? Never! Still, it's time to look around and see what else they've got.

I should have put something in this photo for scale, so you'd realize just how huge those leaves are. This isn't your average Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart', it's 'Godzilla'!

Ligularia 'Osiris Cafe Noir', I had one of these - the darn thing just disappeared!

Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues', I almost bought it.

Echeveria Contempo

I dread the day my Albizia julibrissin 'Summer Chocolate' decides to bloom. Although these weren't as pink as others I've seen - which would be nice, should mine ever bloom.

I suspect this is the water source for the nursery?

With my back to the pond I am looking back at the nursery.

Before we leave I want to share the unique (to my experience) watering system here. Water is gurgling up and out of that black thing, filling the plant tables with water.

Here you can see it flooding in.

Pretty cool right? Luckily plants.

So what did I buy? Well you've already seen them both featured in another post. An Agave bracteosa 'Calamar'...

And Agave ocahui. I could have bought much more!

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

31 comments:

  1. I was tempted by the Agaves I saw there when I went for the Hardy Plant Study Weekend. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was in a truly foul mood from the heat and the people, and left without buying anything. I'd like to get a few more A. bracteosa, but I'm holding out for someone arranging another visit to Little Prince, because I think they sell them too. Their watering system is brilliant.

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    1. I can imagine you probably were up to your eyeballs in people and heat. To my knowledge Little Prince doesn't grow A. bracteosa, they do however have Agave 'Mateo', it's variegated offspring.

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  2. I like the "old red barn" color that is used as a backdrop for most of the plants along the fences and the sidings of the buildings. The contrast highlights the plants well.

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  3. Very restrained seeming as they have so many agaves in stock. I wonder if Calamar is that distinct from the usual bracteosa...

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    1. Calamar is solitary, no pups.

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    2. 'Calamar' remains solitary. I've had one for years and it hasn't produced a single pup. Which is exactly the behavior I wanted.

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  4. This is another fantastic Oregon nursery! I was just a local Sacramento nursery, the best our area has, and it pales in comparison.

    Agave 'Mr Ripple' is definitely NOT schidigera, not a by a long shot!

    That A. ocahui would have tempted me too.

    I much prefer A. bracteosa 'Calamar' because it remains solitary. A clump of A. bracteosa is just too much for me.

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    1. That's what I thought (re: schidigera) but since I'm not an expert...

      I do like free A. bracteosa pups, when they're in a place that I can get at them. I didn't want to have to deal with trying to remove them from that ring of metal.

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  5. You've piqued my interest, and it isn't that far off one of my beaten paths.

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  6. Another great little nursery. Lovely selection of agaves and big sizes. We do have a few places that sel larger plants but they are really expensive. Could quite happily have a couple of those parryis and ovatifolias

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    1. I wasn't thinking it was so little! Compared to some in the city it feels quite large, although of course the only carry their own plants so that is a little "limiting."

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  7. A very nice section of dangerous plants : ) I love your little agave ocahui. I have an agave victoriae-reginae that I really love on my porch.

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    1. They're both very distinctive Agaves aren't they?

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  8. What a great nursery and incredible agaves! Love your selection and how you have them at home. If you really love 'Black Pearl' and you see it again, I'd recommend picking it up. One of my favorites. The seeds come true, so you'd have it in perpetuity. I leave the ripe peppers on the plants outside and they've taken freezing to -10 degrees. They germinate really well in early summer, but only when it's really warm. Of course your sea oats don't reseed, so maybe I'll have led you astray........ :)

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    1. I've never grown peppers from seed, we don't normally have the heat to get actual fruit (this year has clearly been different!). Early summer for us is typically cool and wet. At least I know they grow them, so next year I can look for them early!

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  9. Nice place. What space, and what a watering system. The pond was rather amazing to look at--all the water!

    ocahui is quite cold hardy, if you keep it dry, isn't it? Good shopping!

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    1. Did you notice the canoe across on the other side of the pond? I wanted to take it out for a bit.

      Re: the A. ocahui, yes! I believe so, I had originally thought it would go in the ground, but...no. Maybe in the future?

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  10. What a wonderful selection! I'm surprised you didn't come home with more. I picked up 2 agaves myself this afternoon on what was just supposed to be a casual look-see at my local garden center on the way home: Agave 'Mateo' and Mangave 'Bloodspot'.

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    1. Oh, A. 'Mateo' is a good one! For some reason I haven't yet fallen for the 'Bloodspot' - there have been close calls, but I've came away empty handed.

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  11. A. bracteosa! A. ovatifolia! Oh my....I think I need a field trip. Thanks for the tour, looks divine.

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    1. Yes, I think a field trip is in order!

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  12. Cool watering system! I need to see this place. I like the owner's philosophy of growing plants tough so they adjust to gardens more easily.

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    1. Too bad it's even further away for you, but yes...you should make it a destination.

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  13. Do you recall how much the Chocolate Albizia was? I wish I would have bought one last year. I can't find them anywhere this year. That wire bench in the farm-esque photo is to die for. Great post.

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    1. I do not Grace, I'm not even sure I looked. It was in a very big container. Have you tried the (yikes) big box stores? That's where I found mine.

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  14. AnonymousJuly 25, 2015

    What a great nursery visit, not to mention their banners and what they are proud to sell, put right out front. The display garden is actually appealing, even with so many different plant types.

    Radical, big changes would have to occur to see that here...

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    1. Radical, big changes...I think you should open a nursery!

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  15. Fun! I love visiting plant nurseries.

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  16. This place is going on my list of nurseries to visit if I can ever get out of Sauvie Island and Portland! What an interesting irrigation system! I got one of those Godzilla Tradescantia pallida earlier this season and it's pretty cool! Nice to know that Mr. Ripple is hardy to zone 7. I dragged mine into the greenhouse last year to keep it dry & it's grown a lot in the last two years & would be nice to leave it outside with an umbrella.

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