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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.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

DIG! Meanwhile back on Vashon Island...

 
You may recall last week when Alison Bonny Lassie and I set out on a Vashon Island Adventure.  Today, we'll continue the fun with a visit one of my favorite nurseries, (aren't they all?) DIG Floral and Garden.  I posted nearly a year ago about this wonderful place here and pal Loree  posted about her recent visit here.  What more can be said about a nursery that is continually changing and always keeping plant geeks and trendy gardeners inspired?  Well, not much more than WOW.  Of course, I've a fairly limited vocabulary.  Suffice it to say that this is a magical place that has kept me coming back several times a year since they opened 15 years ago!  If you don't believe me,  Val Easton has written about the place several times,  here and  more recently here.
 
 
 
 
Sylvia "potmaster" Matlock shows that sometimes a single plant in a container speaks volumes.

Her ideas are worth stealing and truth be told, I've  bought planted containers  here because they are so beautifully done.

Less is more with a simple but elegant combination of burgundy and blue.


Spiky goodness!

This echiveria  planted left of center in this shallow tray is stunning. Like a huge Dahlia in a mid century painting crossed with an ikebana arrangement. 

This one particularly tugged at my heart.  The pot, plants, and placement - oh la la, as Cisco might say.

The container queen always surprises with her interesting choices!
 
 
Just hangin' out. 
 
This new piece is incredible.  It creates a feeling of enclosure without shadiness and provides a convenient  place to hang pots and those pesky European chandeliers cluttering up  the garage.  It would also look fabulous covered with any number of climbers.
 

Bacchus looks very peaceful.  Must be all the wine.


This guy also looks pretty peaceful.  Don't know what his excuse is.  I didn't realize that homelessness was an issue on the island but Sylvia and Ross, owners of Dig, are quite charitable letting him stay like this.

Echiverias never cease to thrill me!  They're like flowers growing on the surface of the ground.

More succulent goodness.

I am crazy about the new (2 years old) greenhouse!  This little slice of zone 9 would take up most of my garden.  (I'm eyeing our detached garage...do we really need it? )   The incredible stone table that runs down the center has me swooning.  Wouldn't this be an amazing place to display one's plant collection and to entertain?  Picture it -  dramatic lighting, gorgeous plants, this stone table that could seat 40 of your closest friends...

Did I mention that on Northwest Perennial Alliance Open Garden day, Dig offers a 25% discount to NPA members?  I recouped the price of membership in savings here.  One of these four packs of aloes came home with me.  Aren't they cute?
 
 
Seeing succulents is like visiting the dog pound, each one is so adorable that I want to take them all home. 

So many plants, so little garden!  Why can't I grow 10 of everything?

Glass flowers.



Not a glass peony.


Nectaroscordum tripedale doing it's downward flowering upward seeding coolness. 
 
 
Another part of the nursery. 


Merchandising or just great plant combinations?  Who cares?  Cool it down or

heat it up. 
 
Another look at the terrific new structure.
 
Going inside to pay for one's purchases is also a treat!  This is my kind of white sale! 

I like screaming color better though.  It adds so much vibrancy to our gray northwest winters!

Must go back for some of these cute little potted tillandsias.  Those pots are about an inch and a half tall. 

Maybe even smaller.  This idea is really fun and would be perfect for the conservatory in your doll house!


Placing floaters in tall glass containers allows us to appreciate the dramatic root structure. 

 
 
Here are the geniuses  (Genii - we're all about correct Latin nomenclature.) behind DIG:  Sylvia Matlock and Ross Johnson.  Thanks for  15 years of ideas, inspiration, and fun! (O.K. fun for us, I know it's a lot of work for you!)
 
Sylvia's joke was saying that she was charging five cents a picture.  Click, "Five Cents."  I'm unsure if that includes all pictures or just the ones that I kept.  Anyway, the 33 here will cost  $1.65 which I'll be sure to remit post haste in the form of one hundred sixty-five loose pennies. 
 
 Next, we're back on the garden tour. 

20 comments:

  1. Fun (inexpensive) photos of a great place I'm so happy to have finally visited!!!

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    1. It's cool to have this place so close! Glad that you finally got to visit!

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  2. Peter, this ' oh la la' I liked as well! Great pictures!
    I think DIG is awesome nursery and hope you had a good shopping.
    Have a nice week!

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    1. We had very good shopping at DIG as we always do! Happy gardening Nadezda!

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  3. I'm already imagining how to move that rusty structure into my backyard ;-)

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    1. And how covering it in plastic for the winter could transform it into a greenhouse. I'm with you! If they find it missing some morning, I won't let on that you took it.

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  4. Maybe that guy on the bench is part of an employee wellness program, you know, reducing stress?

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    1. Alison and I felt so bad for him that we brought him back with us. Currently he's in a similar position on a couch in my living room.

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  5. Enjoyed the tour and you've shown us a few different views than previous. Places like this one that are always changing things up and showing new ideas are fun to visit.

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    1. Sylvia and Ross are constantly rethinking and doing new things. I wish they'd rethink my garden! Cool place and always fun to visit!

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  6. Their displays are inspiring Peter, and such fun looking place and photos!

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    1. Thanks Mark and Gaz! Another place to add to your list for when you visit!

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  7. Great place. A nursery like that here would keep me penny less. Thanks for the tour!

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    1. It's a good thing that the ferry ride makes it seem further away than it is or I'd be living on the street (or more likely, in my car with a collection of my favorite plants.)

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  8. Is it hard to keep those succulents from rotting with all your rain? The metal open 'shed' would be amazing covered in vines and decorated with a chandelier. Order up! One wall-less shed, sunny side up!

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    1. Many of the more tender succulents come inside unheated greenhouses during the winter where they can be kept dry. We don't get much rain during the summer usually so it all works out. Love that rusty metal structure!

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  9. That seems unfair. She should be paying you for the advertising. Mouth watering photos. Makes me SO want to drive up north. I've got a wire basket that needs something. With an overabundance of succulents all around the garden, I think I've just had an aha moment. Great post!

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    1. It was a joke as will be my showing up with 165 pennies! Oh grace, you should come up north! There are so many wonderful plant places to visit in these parts!

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  10. What a wonderful nursery. The little striped aloes are adorable. I don't think I've ever seen red Tillandsias. And so many cool blue Echeverias.

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    1. I always have a good time there! Great plants, smart and funny people - who could ask for anything more?

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