GARDEN BUDDY CAROL and I finally made it to Fry Road Nursery this past Friday. But before I get to the random photos I took while perusing the plethora of plant pretties, I will show one of my own.
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| Oriental Lily |
Joy of Canadian Garden Joy Blog and I had a friendly Oriental Lily race. Hers bloomed a whole two weeks before mine. Finally, my first one popped yesterday! Ain't she a beaut? Fortunately more are coming.
As I mentioned, Carol and I went to our favorite Fry Road Nursery this past Friday when I succumbed to Vacation-itis and took a vacation day from work. The weather was overcast, cool and pleasant. We arrived at 10 AM and left at 2:30, after visiting with the owners, rummaging through all 10 hoop houses and outdoor grounds, including newer display beds filled with hardy fuchsias blooming their fool heads off and of course, picking out our must-haves.
Below are my admittedly random photos.
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| I'm guessing there are at least 20 flats of Dianthus under the bazillion blooms. |
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| Hebe 'Great Orme.' At one time, I had this in my garden but a cold winter did it in. Carol on the other hand has a really nice specimen. |
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| Here is one of the newer display beds, bedecked with at least 20 various hardy fuchsias in full bloom. |
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| This one, (can't recall the name) was a favorite. |
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| Beyond the garden beds we spotted a flock of turkey vultures. They are the most creepy birds I've ever seen. Unfortunately this photo doesn't do them justice. |
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| Under the shade cloth, this is just one small area that has plants for purchase. Carol is on the right, considering a fuchsia. |
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| In another area I spotted this cute container planting, minus the container. Look closely. ;) |
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| Gunnera looking outstanding. |
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| One of the hoop houses had these ginormous Pelargonium baskets. My camera didn't catch the sheer beauty. |
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| Another ginormous beauty. Blurry but beautiful. |
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| I thought these tender Verbenas were unusual and fun. |
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| Of all the hoop houses, Carol and I agree this one's the best. There are so many cool plants to see and many of them are wallet-friendly plug-size! |
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| This is the adjacent aisle of the same hoop house. |
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| One of Fry Road's specialties is fuchsias. I think they have over a hundred in-ground hardies but they've also got many of the traditional hanging basket varieties, like this variegated 'Island Sunset.' |
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| Among my purchases, I saw 'First Blush' Euphorbias and had to nab one. I lost my first one a few years ago. Probably killed it with kindness. I'll be brutal with this one. :) |
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| I was thrilled to find, Impatiens 'Big Red.' I don't know if it will reseed like I. balfouri but even if it doesn't I'll enjoy it until frost. By the way, the leaves are dry. They're just naturally this shiny! |
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| I was also tickled pink to get this Nerium oleander. It has pink flowers, awesome leaves and is hardy to 5 degrees F. |
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| Before closing, I thought I'd share one of my favorite photos. This is my patio. Very few flowers this year. Behind the grass is one of my ponds. I'm pretty sure the Hosta is 'Paradigm.' |
August begins this week. I sure wish there was a way
to slow down time. It moves too quickly.
Cheers,
Thanks for the pics of your trip to Fry Road, it looks like a cool place! I really lie your choices, I don't think I've seen First Blush Euphorbia anywhere. Love the pink edge on the leaves.
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by the last picture of your own patio. When you say very few flowers, do you mean few in pots on the patio? Or few in the beds? Strangely, I seem to have few plants all flowering at the same time, everything seems to be flowering one after the other, rather than having swaths blooming at once. I need to do some moving around and rethinking.
Hooray, your Lily is gorgeous! Fry Road has some great selections! Love the Euphorbia you picked out, wish I could grow fushias. Oleanders are all over our town...Love your Hosta! Glad you took a day to enjoy your hobby...hope to get back on a regular schedule...busy, busy!
ReplyDeleteGrace, Fry Road Nursery looks like a wonderful place to visit -- especially with a gardening buddy. I had to laugh at your description of the turkey vultures as "creepy." I agree; they look like something out of a Hitchcock movie. I've never seen these in Maine, but we have them in southern Pennsylvania. The first time I saw some -- in the middle of the road enjoying some road kill -- I said, "What are those creepy looking birds? They look like a cross between a turkey and a vulture!" and then it dawned on me what that they were turkey vultures. :-) -Jean
ReplyDeleteAh darn, I haven't made it to Fry Road this year...here's wishing I could have been there with you!
ReplyDeleteGracie girl that was just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI am amazed with all the fuchsia .. they are only annuals to us but so pretty! .. Oleander .. doesn't that have a wonderful scent or am I getting the wrong plant ? .. some where I thought I read it had a wonderful perfume.
When I first saw those birds I thought "are those turkies ?" .. and then I read turkey vultures .. eeuuuwww! LOL
I love your patio and you have more than one pond ??? I am so jealous! We would love to have a pond but the work involved and our rampaging raccoon problems would be too much to take on .. that doesn't stop me from wanting one though .. with lots and lots of signing frogs!!
Thanks for the mention girl and my last flower is slowly fading away .. BIG sigh ! LOL
Joy
Since I finally made it to Fry Road Nursery last year, I can well imagine the fun you and Carol had there. Good for you, taking a vacation day (and it does take almost a day to see all Fry Road has to offer.) I'm surprised and pleased to see an oleander that's hardy to 5 degrees. I have always liked them: despite their use as "freeway plants" in Southern California, they have great, deep green foliage and the flowers are impressive, too.
ReplyDeleteGrace, thank you for sharing your trip to this nursery. I was thrilled to see the geranium in hanging baskets. I'd love to buy this one too!
ReplyDeleteHi Grace. Oh that Hebe is just gorgeous. It would never survive here. Good plant choice on the Euphorbia. I just love that foliage. I am kind of crazy about the pin wheel red and white verbena too. Lovely. Trips to nurseries are always so much fun. Have a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteHi Grace,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great nursery. I go to one like that in Wisconsin where they grow most of their own plants. That Hebe plant is very interesting, probably not hardy in my area.
Eileen
Your patio is gorgeous, and not one slug bite on your hosta leaves! Dont get me started about the turkey vultures! I was "blessed" by one that was high in a tree overhead. Whatever he let loose with was foul! I stripped and ran for the shower - a horrible humiliating experience - not my favorite bird!!
ReplyDeleteI was overjoyed to see those hanging fushsias i a hanging basket.
ReplyDeleteThey just look so glorious.