Nursery Jaunt: Garland Nursery

Most of you who read this are not local and therefore not familiar with my local plant shopping gigs. Garland Nursery is about a five minute drive from my home so I visit  here a lot, especially in spring when I'm in plant-shopping mode or just need some inspiration. Last week was my first visit of the season and I wasn't planning to take photos but changed my mind after seeing some really gorgeous (and expensive) pottery. 

The entrance.
There used to be a giant conifer growing right where the yellow-flowered
container is hanging but they had it removed a few years ago. I still miss it.

This Camellia caught my eye. Killer pink thing! I didn't get the name.

I always think of Mindy Northrop when I see Lewisia blooming.

If mine look half this good this year I'll be happy.

Love the Violas

And I think of Loree Bohl when I see an Agave.

I'm still not convinced that I like vertical succulents but this container was sure healthy.

I need another Semp like I need another hole in my head.
But aren't these pretty?

This one is fixing to have a litter.

I was tempted to get another variegated Knautia but
since I don't have good luck with them, I passed.

I kept waiting for a patron to run into the Monkey Puzzle. Ouch! 

This cute little Ilex was ready to be bonsaied.

I'm not a fan of Pieris but when I saw this burgundy-leaved one, I couldn't take my eyes off of it.

Another name that will confuse people. Is it a Katsura or a Pieris? Apparently both.

Spotting these Hesperaloes I was so glad I found them on clearance at Lowe's last fall...for five bucks.

Here's that stupid Saxifrage that I can't keep alive.

Such a sweet miniature meadow of blossoms.

Nope. Not going to buy it.

And of course, pink-flowering strawberry plants are always tempting,
but no.

These Ranunculus are nice to look at.

This white-flowered Dicentra was so elegant.

Why don't the leaves on my Saxifraga 'Maroon Beauty' look this fabulous?

After the harsh winter, all three of my Dieramas look questionable.
I was tempted by these replacement plants.

These Rosemary blossoms made me smile.

Here is the pot that caught my eye and heart.
I didn't even look at the price. I knew it was going to be outrageously costly.

Kudos to the potter who has perfected the process for this fantastic patina.
It's a moody surface with foreboding hints of rust and aged metal, but also of joyful bubbles on the beach.
Or at least that's how I see it.

And it seems to marry well with other pieces...

Other watchful eyes.

Here's another piece with the price tag.

And then I saw this fountain with a similar patina.

Someday I hope to win the lottery.

And of course, every nursery must have its whimsy.
A pink pig anyone?

Or how about a mother and child mountain goat ensemble?

And there was whimsy in small packages.

Apparently fairy gardens are still all the rage.

I'm always drawn to rusty metal so this flower caught my eye.
And the little critter sunning himself.

I was able to get really close. Check out his little hairs.
He couldn't have been more than a half-inch long but he still looks kind of menacing.

While looking things over in one of the hoop houses, I spotted this Annas hummingbird. I didn't know Pelargoniums had nectar. 

Can you see him/her?

I'm not a good photographer and snapped eight or ten photos, hoping for a at least one good one.

So what did I come home with? Here you go:

Clockwise from the top-left, Rhododendron macrosepalum 'Linear', Sidalacea cusickii,
Saxifraga oregana (on sale!), Saponaria 'Bressingham Pink', Delosperma and Gaura.

It Spawned a Sport!

Those of you who are familiar with plant-speak know that a "sport" is the part of a plant that does something different from the rest of the plant. Sports aren't all that common but do occur randomly when a plant feels like being weird. Thus is the case with my 'Sayonara' Dahlia. Check it out.

The flower on the left is a sport.

I've had this particular Dahlia for two summers now. All of the buds have opened to the velvety, crimson-red flower on the right above. And then... 

This!

I don't like it nearly as well but I think it's cute and unique so it can stay. I'll let you know if there are any more sports.

Speaking of Dahlias, September is Dahlia time! Here are a few of mine.

One of these days I'm going to research why the rulers of the Dahlia kingdom chose to call this hunky gorgeous flower 'Junkyard Dog'. 

Junkyard Dog

The plant is probably six feet tall and loaded all summer with bee-filled, six-inch blossoms. I don't understand why it's so happy when all my other Dahlias are mediocre at best.

The Dahlia below waited over a year before deciding to bloom. Of course I can't remember its name. I did a quick Google search and it might be 'Rothsay Reveller'. 

Dahlia 'Rothsay Reveller' maybe...

I just bought the Dahlia below at the Big Box. Of course the tag was useless. So, another NOID. But it's a pretty NOID and I'm hoping it's hardy.

NOID ~~ No ID Dahlia

Another (impulsive) purchase is this lovely pink Dahlia (below) with another useless tag. I don't have either of these Dahlias planted yet but they'll get placed in the perennial border for a bit of contrast from all the other stuff. 

Dahlia NOID

Dahlia 'Mz Bee Haven'

In other news, I'm really loving my paniculata Hydrangeas right now. The first one below is 'Limelight.' I used to have one years ago but because I was so terrible with my watering, it bit the dust. I'm better about it now and it shows. I purchased it last fall and although it's only about four feet tall, its flowers are so cool.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'

And here is H. p. 'Pinky Winky' still all white which is fine with me.

H. p. 'Pinky Winky'

I cut this plant all the way to the ground in late winter and it shot up to five feet with these amazing flower panicles. 

A wide shot of the area

Another late-summer bloomer are the herbaceous Hibiscus!

Hibiscus moscheutos 'Torchy'

This spring, I purchased this Chilopsis linearis 'Lucretia Hamilton' from High Country Gardens. It was a tiny thing and I had my doubts about its survival. But with ample TLC it has doubled in size and is now actually putting out a few blooms! Aren't they pretty? Of course now to get it through the winter...

Chilopsis linearis 'Lucretia Hamilton'

And then there's the similarly formed flowers of Rehmannia elata.

Rehmannia elata

Finally, my 'Avant Garde' Clematis is blooming. It was worth the wait!

Clematis 'Avant Garde'

And the below Clematis from Deborah Hardwick (a master Clemat-ician) is blooming. What an honor it is to have two of her beautiful creations. 

Clematis  'Burford Bell' x crispa

A second blooming on...

Clematis 'Inspiration'

A second blooming on this milkweed...

Asclepias speciosa

I posted in spring about this seedling Love-Lies-Bleeding. It is over five feet tall now!

Love-Lies-Bleeding

My Hesperaloe decided to bloom finally...

Hesperaloe parviflora

Red-flowered Four O'Clocks

Sedums!

Ninebark and Variegated Porcelain Vine

Farfugium japonicum 'Crispatum'

Falopia japonica variegata

More Sedums!

And finally, we have a few adorable critters running around. Here's the daddy or the mama--I'm not sure which--filling its cheeks with cracked corn we left out for it. 

Look at those fat cheeks!