Garden Tour: Sebright Gardens

Last weekend, my hubby Steve and I celebrated our thirty-fourth wedding anniversary. On the way to Silverton, Oregon for an over-nighter and a hike along the trails of Silver Falls State Park, we stopped at an event called The Jewel Box Plant Sale. It was put on by the nurseries of the Cascade Nursery Trail at the site of Sebright Gardens, just north of Salem, Oregon. Sebright specializes in hostas. Although I like hostas, I'm not a serious collector so visiting this nursery has never been high on my must-do radar. But wow! I was really impressed with the gardens.  

Not just the hostas, but every single plant--and there were tons!--had a clearly legible label. Because I was mindful of my ever-patient, non-gardening husband, I was trying to be quick about things. I took lots of photos but didn't write down the names of the hostas.  

This sculpture reads, "Mid America Garden". I don't know the significance, however.  

Look at the plants behind it. 

Tiny to giant--Sebright has all the hosta varieties.

I wish this Farfugium was for sale. Gorgeous!

This photo gives you an idea of how huge the gardens were. See those people way back there? 

Lots of mature trees create the perfect environment for shade-loving hostas, while the sunny areas
host bloomers like roses, penstemon and earlier-blooming paeonia. 

This garden is situated on a south-facing hill. The gradual gradations made the garden magical. 

The gazebo is not crooked. It's its the fault of bad photo-taking on my part. It was getting hot.
The person inside the gazebo is my ever-patient hubby. 

I love this. 

Even the annuals looked nice. 

The cotoneaster berries were looking fab. 

And now for some of the plants that tripped my trigger: 

How cool is this?

I don't have room for another tree in my garden and I'm typically not a fan of orange,
but wowzers! Check out this Cercis canadensis 'Rising Sun.' 

I've seen Chinese Foxglove (Rehmannia elata) for sale here and there.
But I'd never seen it live and in color. Now I must have it. 

After seeing variegated Harlequin Glory Bower (Clerodendrum trichotomum 'Variegata') last year,
I've been in love with it. Fortunately I haven't seen it for sale anywhere
because if I did, I'd have to buy it even though I have no room for it.
Plant people will understand. 

There was a plant sale. All of the other nurseries on the Cascade Nursery Trail, had their booths at the front of the gardens while Sebright's sale was in the back. Here are a few photos.

A long row of Heucheras. 

A huge hoop house full of ferns and hostas. And to the left of it, a few miscellaneous goodies.
I couldn't think straight about the hostas. I wanted every single one.
Instead I found a Lathryus vernus, paid for it and hurried back to my groom....

Waiting for me in a shady nook.