My first stop was Dennis' 7 Dees Cedar Hills location.
I wasn't looking for a Christmas tree but this Cupressus arizonica var. glabra 'Blue Ice' caused me stop and think about it.
Love the blue foliage, but I don't need a 25ft tall conifer and the branches weren't strong enough to hold even the lightest of ornaments.
Lots of plants still in stock as we head into winter. I should note these sunny days came with very cool nights, many places dipping into the mid 20's F, my location briefly saw the high 20's (27, 28, 29) but only a few leaves have been burned by frost.
My next stop was Cornell Farms.
I guess I was still looking at alternative Christmas trees as this monkey puzzle, Araucaria araucana, looked tempting.
A spiky Charlie Brown tree.
Oh! A manzanita (arctostaphylos) wreath would be fun.
There were even more plants tempting me here...
Eucomis blooming in late November!
Crazy fun.
Even after all the PKWs (phormium killing winter) I'm still drawn to them, especially back-lit ones like this. The feather grass and snowballs make a nice vignette.
My final stop of the day, Pomarius.
Trees and ornaments visible thru the glass greenhouse wall look very enticing.
The entrance was flanked by cut trees for sale and there was a bonfire going in an old metal wheelbarrow. Nobody does a nursery welcome quite like Pomarius.
Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) on fire against that blue sky.
Yes, those ornaments were huge.
Agave goodness.
Lots of little spines.
This place is seriously photographable, on any day.
Ya, I would have liked a blue atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca' ) Christmas tree. I finally took pity on the potted speciman I'd used for years and gave it to a friend. Perhaps it's time to buy another?
Pups free with purchase!
Inside the greenhouse I admired a few houseplants like this Euphorbia platyclada.
The ornaments look even better on this side of the glass...
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The number of nurseries at your disposal never stops to amaze me! Slim pickings here in the Sacramento area....
ReplyDeleteI sometimes take the riches for granted, as it seems everywhere I've lived (Seattle, Spokane, Portland) has many different nurseries.
DeleteWhen visiting nurseries this time of year, one of the things I enjoy most is the strong scent of trimmed pine.
ReplyDeleteAlthough not a huge fan of urns, I LOVE the two vintage, blue-rusty urns... WOW.
I remember coveting your vintage green glass ornaments from previous displays. Can't wait to see what you'll come up with this year.
No photos of your haul?
Chavli
No haul! Well, except for tons of inspiration and renewed holiday spirit.
DeleteI usually avoid garden centers like the plague from the lead up to Thanksgiving when the cut Christmas trees move in and take over, although I recall that one about 15 miles away was offering 50% markdowns on plants one year just before the trees arrived. I wish I'd remembered that in mid-November...
ReplyDeleteThe monkey puzzle tree looks like it'd be perfect for you. I understand it's slow-growing...
I have to say I had that feeling when I stopped in the one and only garden center I visited during my November trip to SoCal. It was not a fun place to be. Re: the monkey puzzle. I LOVE that tree, thankfully there are many mature specimens around town for me to enjoy from afar.
DeleteTaxodium, euphorbia, and ornament pics (2nd one) were my favorites this evening. I'm still waiting for a nursery to display a partially deflated snowman in one of their greenhouses with some poinsettias - a la Rankin Bass's 1969 animated Frosty the Snowman. Then, have a scavenger hunt to find a top hat, and whoever finds it, could put it back on Frosty and have him pop back to life (and get a $$$$ gift certificate and a glass of mulled wine).
ReplyDeleteYes! And I know just the location for your fabulous idea: http://www.thedangergarden.com/2015/12/holiday-cartoon-deja-vu.html
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