What's Springing Up at Molbak's?

A couple of weeks ago I got a cheerful note from Molbak's Nursery in Woodinville announcing a 50% sale on Heucheras and 30% on houseplants. Shortly thereafter, Alison dropped me a line saying that she had gone to the sale and bought some Heucheras.  She said that she hadn't meant to but that they were beautiful and cheap.  This sounds a little like the "I was drunk; it meant nothing!" arguement but I'm not here to judge.  I've tried to like Heucheras.  Really.  They look great in seasonal pots and in other people's gardens but the seem to want to be divided or fertilized or watered or something after a year so I treat them like long-lived annuals or ignore them altogether.  Anyway, I was going to visit Flower World which is only 10 minutes from Molbaks so I packed the family in the car and set off.

 

The careful/faithful  reader of my blog will note that this is not a picture of me and my family but rather one stolen from Molbak's website of Egon and Laina Molbak shortly after the opening of their Greenhouse in 1957. 

He Heuchera were indeed beautiful and inexpensive but I resisted the temptation.  It's difficult at this time of the year not to want any and everything that looks alive.

I love this rusty metal sculpture for it's shape and gentle curve. I feel grateful to live in a region where we can garden (sort of) year round but we still have seasons, where nearly all nurseries are open year round, and there is a wealth of gorgeous plants for winter interest.

 Yummy combination of Dogwood, an orange heather or heath  and black Mondo Grass!  Made me buy one of the dogwoods to add to a pot of mondo grass at home.

 Stunning gold of Chief Joseph Lodgepole Pines in front of a row of Pinus strobus 'Louie' which looks strikingly gold by itself but pales next Chief Joseph!

You may feel that you're being watched.

Fortunately, this isn't the restroom.  I'm not exactly sure what it is but it's interesting.

 All of this pink stuff isn't the beginning of some sort of installation by Christo but rather part of the system used to take inventory in January. 

 More evergreen shrubby goodness.  Have I mentioned that I love living in the Pacific Northwest more than ten times in the last five minutes?

 I posted about buying this Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide' here.  This is the very one that came home with me from Molbak's.  Will it be cheating if I include pictures of it blooming in my garden in my February bloomday post?

Phormiums and Cordylines.  We're getting bold again!

O.K. there are some flowers like Columbines and Echinacea that I think look best in their single, simple form and not doubled and frilled up.  While I do appreciate the simplicity of single primroses, these double ones tickle me.  They increase in size each year in my garden. 

 And speaking of primroses, would you like a greenhouse full of them.  The fragrance in here was very sweet.  Notice the inverted flower pot lighting.

First daffodil sighting of the season.  Maybe it doesn't really count because it was obviously forced.  Made me smile.  Hope it did the same for you.

The only grandparent that I knew, my maternal grandmother, loved pansies (and made wicked good doughnuts.)   Whenever I see these happy little frilly flowers, I think of her.

Paphiopedilum orchid.  It's hard not to take pictures of these as they are so photogenic.

I still don't feel the need to own any but enjoy seeing them. 

File this under "Crimes aginst horticulture!"  It's an interesting look, sort of but how long can the poor thing live this way?

 The coloration of this sansevieria was new to me.  Love this and it's one of the few houseplants that I am able to keep alive.  Had to come home with me.

Speaking of crimes against horticulture, shouldn't chrysanthemums be asleep this time of year.  I love these as much as the next gardener but not so much  right now.

These Agave lophanta 'quadricolor' were in the houseplant section so were 30% off but I already have one that for the last two years has been sitting around looking lovely but not putting on much growth at all.  Maybe it wants more heat.

 This agave was also tempting and on sale but I don't really need another large plant to drag inside each fall.

 More temptations!

Ricki posted about her Kalanchloe behariensis in November.  It's such a fuzzy and fun plant but it too stayed at the store. 

 One of my favorite bromeliads.

 Love this one as it reminds me of Deanne's collection.  At $35.00  it decided to be an addition to my picture collection rather than my plant hoard.

Silly Molbaks, these "indoor" plants grow outside!

 

Well, not this one.  which is grown in hanging baskets with these huge fly catching, um, devices hanging down over the sides.  This is a tropical pitcher plant and those each needs a little water to be added periodically and it must be in just the right light.  It's fun and odd and would be fun to grow outside.

We packed up the Camellia,  Sansevieria, and dogwood  and headed off to lunch.  I didn't realize how fragrant 'Yuletide' is but when we got back in the car, it smelled divine. 

 

Happy Saint Agatha's Day (patron saint of breast cancer patients, martyrs, wet nurses, fire, earthquakes, and eruptions of Mount Etna.)