Rare Plant Research, again (because why the heck not)

The open house at Rare Plant Research (RPR) rolled around again, last weekend. Of course I went, I mean why not? It's close (23 miles) and it's not open to the public regular hours so you can't just drop in when you feel like it. After all these years though (I believe this was my 19th annual visit) I figured I wouldn't need to take any photos. Of course I was wrong.

I mean when you see a big Platycerium sitting on the ground...

With a Colocasia growing out of it, well, you have to take a photo. Right?

Ditto for a large pair of Agaves with one of them busting out of it's plastic pot.

I was very tempted by these gorgeous (and large, I'm not sure the photo really conveys how large they are) Alcantarea imperialis 'Julieta'. If I lived somewhere I could leave bromeliads outdoor year round I would have multiples of this plant growing in the ground. 

But I don't, and it would have to come into the (already packed) basement for the winter. Plus it's so large it would dwarf every other bromeliad in my garden. It took several visits (just another pass-through to see if someone else had bought them) but I managed to walk away without it.

One of my favorite things about the RPR greenhouses are the many plants that have gone feral and are living their best lives there. Like this Tradescantia pallida.

And this Dalechampia aristolochiifolia...

Hmm, walked by a cart belonging to a friend and had to check out what he'd grabbed.

Echium down!

There were a few Echium wildpretii on offer for the sale, and this older, blooming plant, showing off next to them.

Several clumps of different Eucomis were popping up in the soil at the edges of the greenhouses. Seeds doing their thing?

There were once pots of Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Ogon Nishiki' for sale here. Now there's one growing in the ground, rooted through the fabric.

Moss. I had to stop and photograph the moss...

Out in the field there were Scadoxus puniceus doing their thing...

Waiting for the payment line to get shorter I walked up to check out the owner's home and grounds. When you've got plants and greenhouses at your disposal you can have a lot of fun.

Although not all the plants need to come inside for the winter.

Agave ovatifolia

NoID Arctostaphylos

Yucca rostrata and the man-made lake.

Another blooming Echium wildpretii.

Every year I check out how this wall of bromeliads in the conservatory is doing.

After paying for my plants (which I'll share at the end of this post) I decided to swing by Hughes Water Gardens, One of my RPR purchases had me thinking about a water bowl. Walking their display garden I admired the Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow'...

And the lotus growing in the tropical greenhouse.

There was an early blooming water lily...

And the nonstop blooming Bougainvillea.

I adore it's orange/pink coloration.

After that I stopped at an open HPSO garden on the way home. It's always fun to admire plants you like, but don't grow, in other people's gardens.

Oh my!

Poor fellow, his girl is missing her face!

Rodgersia hanging on to it's chocolate blush.

Nectaroscordum siculum, aka Sicilian honey garlic.

So what did I buy? At RPR I couldn't resist this Platycerium bifurcatum ‘Netherlands’ with multiple growing points at a very good price ($14.50).

And almost as though he read my mind, Burl (owner of RPR) started some dwarf lotus from seed and was selling 4" pots for just $5 (I'd been hoping to find an interesting water plant for a small bowl in the garden). They're inside the house for a week or two (we've got an night in the mid 40's in the forecast) but it will be fun to watch them grow this summer. 

At Hughes I picked up this Ledebouria cooperi for that same water bowl. It was a very planty Saturday! I hope you did something fun over the weekend involving plants.

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