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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Thrifty Thursday


When last we talked,  I mentioned that you'd have to tune in tomorrow for the surprise ending of  the plant shopping Saturday with Alison.  Well, today is the tomorrow I mentioned yesterday!  I'd visited Woodland Park Greenhouse  years ago but it fell off my radar for some reason.  Alison suggested that we go there and I'm sure glad that we did!


This isn't a fancy boutique sort of place where you can buy giftware, espresso, or anything other than well grown plants.  The big surprise?  The prices.  Check it out.

 
Quinalt strawberries in 4" pots for a $1.00

Cupressus macrocarpa 'Wilma Goldcrest aka Golden Monterey cypress for $4.00.  These are great in containers, add beautiful year round color and smell lemony when you brush against them.   I remember when they first started showing up in nurseries here with warnings that they might not be winter hardy.  They are tough as nails and have sailed through our worst winters with no damage.

Trachycarpus fortunei at $8.00 was the most expensive plant I noticed in the place.  Louis could finally plant his palm forest!


I didn't get the variety of this grape hyacinth but it sure is pretty and a 4" pot with 5 of them was only $2.00!

A LOT of sempervivum...great price!  

Believe it or not, this is a small fraction of what they had. 

 Both Alison and I loved this one!

More succulent goodness. 
 Woodland Park Greenhouse has been a working nursery for more than a century. The nursery buildings came from Seattle by horse-drawn wagons in the early 1900s. In 1920, the Herbert Family purchased the nursery and it is still run by Bob Herbert, year-round.

The sweet zonal Geraniums (pelargoniums) in 6" pots were only $2.50.  Doesn't everyone love a bargain?  It means that you can buy even more plants, right?

Woodland Park also carries a lot of vegetable plants like these tomatoes for only $1.10! 

 There is also a section of potted flowering "gift plants" and a house plant area. but we didn't explore them very thoroughly.  Best to leave something for the next visit, right. 
This is very much a working greenhouse.  I asked the charming young woman in this picture how their prices could be so low and she said with a bit of affection, "Because Bob makes them that way." 

Bob grows beautiful plants and when you get to the counter, he adds your purchase in his head.  He's a very nice fellow and his warm personality permiates the business which seems like a happy place.   Tax is included in the posted prices so there's an additional savings.  I can see why some folks come from quite a distance to stock up on plants at this inviting and inexpensive place!
 So, if you've got a hankering for a whole lot of plants for really low prices, bring your van, SUV, or Truck on over to Wooldland Park Greenhouse! 
It was such a treat to  find this place again!  Thanks, Alison for suggesting we go.  I can't wait to return as I saw a couple of things in these pictures that might need to be in my garden!

25 comments:

  1. $5 for an Epimedium of that size...wow!

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  2. I'd be loading up on the $1.50 sempervivum, what a deal!

    ("today is the tomorrow I mentioned yesterday"...I am so stealing that one)

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    1. I may need to go back for more but right now I have a table top half full of them.

      That phrase comes in handy if you have a spouse who promises to help you tomorrow or someday.

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  3. Thrifty Thursday indeed, so many bargains!

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    1. The only thing better would be free plants which happened the following weekend.

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  4. Wonderful bargains to be had there! I love seeing rows of plants in a nursery that are obviously really well cared for.

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    1. It was a lot of fun to visit a place with such inexpensive and great plants!

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  5. That's it. I'm packing up my truck and coming up to visit it with the two of you! One of the things I enjoy about nurseries is that so many of them are still fine examples of small businesses. Back to the basics, where people care about what they sell and how they present themselves. Looks like a most charming place. Cheers, Jenni

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    1. Oh Jenni, that would be great fun! Come on up and shop with us!

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  6. I love a good bargain! Especially with plants. It's especially hard NOT to buy something when it's only a $1

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    1. Healthy bargain plants in April? Is this heaven or what?

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  7. Excellent prices! And now that you've given them all this free advertising, perhaps you might suggest a small additional discount for youreslf?

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    1. Something about looking a (nearly) gift horse in the mouth... When checking out, the owner adds things in his head and rounds down so there really already is an additional discount.

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  8. Its nice to see so many trachycarpus. They are becoming so common! YAY!

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  9. No wonder every flat surface at your place is spilling over with plants. You could go into the plant procurement business.
    "Today is the tomorrow I mentioned yesterday" could become the new "awesome".

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    1. My dream job would be personal plant shopper. I can usually find just about any plant due to my gifts of persistent nagging and general obnoxiousness.

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  10. Hi Peter, you won't be sorry you bought that Alpine mint bush. I have a Prosthanthera Ovalifolia at home, and if I can't smell it as I walk past, I just nip off the tip.

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    1. Thanks Karen! It's a new plant for me and I love plants with fragrant leaves. Good to hear from someone who knows it!

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  11. Great picture story! Love the whimsy, to say nothing of the rhododendrons!

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  12. Epi's for $5.00? Are you kidding me? Never have I seen them this low. Wow. What a great place. I just bought that pretty leafed pelargonium, your second to the last photo. It's really a pretty one. My 'Wilma Goldcrest' is over 6 feet tall now. They grow fast and you're right--tough as nails.

    Great photos.

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    1. Would I kid you? Great prices all around at this place!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.