Visiting Jade Mountain Bamboo

About 11 years ago, Phil Davidson (formerly of Torii Station Bamboo), together with Dale and Joanna Chestnut, opened a specialty nursery called Jade Mountain Banboo.  Cold hardy bamboo is the fucus and they also offer some tropical bamboo suitable for indoor use along with hand crafted stone and concrete garden art.   It had been at least six years since I last visited this nursery when I drove away with a truckload of bamboo plants that have been happily  growing in my garden since then.  While Jade Mountain Bamboo is not a long drive from home, it's in an area where I don't often go.  This weekend I decided to visit again. 

Any really good nursery has at least one, if not a staff of furry greeters. This handsome fellow jumped on the hood of the car as we got out, welcomed us, and inquired if we needed help finding anything.  Is that an adorable face or what?

Jade Mountain has sales areas, an inside space with books about bamboo, and a private garden  which demonstrates the use of a variety of hardy bamboos. 

While this acer palmatum is surely gorgeous in the summer, I'm glad to have seen it in the winter as it's stunning now!

 There was a nice young man  working around the sales area who said that his uncle and dad were sort of out of the business now and he was doing it on his own.  Wow!  That's a lot of work for one person!

 I love the color of newly emerging Ajuga foliage!

Speaking of newly emerging, check out this Petasites bloom poking it's winter weary head up to see what's happening.

 This pond is HUGE!  No koi though.

 Here are a couple of the many bells, mentioned on the sign that are placed throughout the garden.

 Exotic bamboos blend beautifully with natives.

 There are many spots where the bamboo seems to close around you and frame portals to larger, more wide open spaces.

 Another surprise to be found in the garden; Totem with a cedar, a tree of great importance to costal indian peoples.

 More of the pond.

 Iron Butterfly!  Am I the only one who's hearing  In A Gadda Da Vida in his head?

 Whale emerging from a rock.  The other side of this piece looks like an untouched stone.  Way cool to discover both sides.

 Torii gate leading to the plant sales area.

 In addition to bamboo, there are quite a few bonsai and acer palmatum offered for sale.

 Fatsia japonica showing why we love it; It grows in just about any soil, any exposure, and looks gorgeous year round.

 Perhaps you've been looking for a lucky toad.

 Or one of these other fun pieces.

 The Phyllostachys vivax grove suffered a lot of damage in our heavy and wet snow storm last year but will recover.

For more about Jade Mountain Nursery and growing bamboo in the Pacific Northwest, click here.  Wishing you all the best week ever!  Only 36 days until spring!