On Saturday I had the most excellent plant adventure with some garden blogger friends (Loree, Anna, and Laura) from Portland, my field trip partner in crime, Alison, a pirate, and a cowboy. I know this sounds like a set up for one of those "special" movies but really, it was just a wonderful day of nursery plundering and garden touring. Don't ask Anna about compost in her pants. What happens at the nursery romp stays at the nursery romp. Anyway, we came back from visiting 6 amazing nurseries, attending a plant sale, touring Heronswood and a private garden with vehicles stuffed full of plants and very happy gardeners. I'll post about that special day later.
What does one do the day after doing nothing but looking at and talking about plants all day (and buying quite a few?) That's right, he goes to Lowes to see what's happening at the garden center there. To be fair, I just got paid and decided to splurge on a new chainsaw so I wasn't going to look at plants but they were there so why not?
If your mind isn't in the gutter, perhaps it should be.
This project display area is something new. I think I'd see if the gutters came in brown or maybe invest in a can of spray paint but the idea is cute and one could really enlarge a collection of small cacti and succulents utilizing a scheme like this.
These tables look like someone was doing a demonstration. Did you notice the green Monrovia pots? Some sort of cross promotion with a variety of products featured?
Yes, it's true that Monrovia is now openly selling product in the box stores. Interestingly, all of their product was displayed on this branded table and was largely the same run of the mill (garden staples - evergreens) material that's always been carried here. I wonder if the big box stores will be getting more adventurous in their plant offerings as time goes on.
I'm not sure who is responsible for this but I laughed aloud at the sight because Hoover Boo at A Piece of Eden posted this a few days ago. I agree with her, this should be illegal! (For all of you out there who may be getting your picket signs ready to warn the government to keep their hands out of your garden, this is not a literal statement. I am a fan in less government interference in personal topiary practice but this really is a crime against horticulture.) O.K. they might be cute with little twinkle lights on them lining a pathway at Christmas or if you're a Texan, I can see the appeal of the star but that's it. Everyone else, just say no!
Maybe it's just a matter of finding the right accessory to make them work. Context is everything, right?
There was a big display of this salvia from Smith Gardens in Bellingham. The plants were in six inch pots but were HUGE! (larger than the two gallon plants at other stores. Looks a lot like Amistad, no? The highly informational tag simply said "Salvia $9.95." Great price, right?
What would look great with this gorgeous purple salvia? Why yes, a couple of Yucca 'Color Guard' would be great! At only $19.95 for a these very nice five gallon specimens, I was sorely tempted, that's how sick I am. Doesn't matter that I still haven't put the one I got this spring in the ground yet. To be fair, they look really nice year round in shiny ceramic pots!
Really, that bright cheerful and warm color is just the thing to brighten the garden in the gray parts of the year. And you know Pam loves these too so a couple should come home with me, right?
