A Quick Run through Windmill Nursery

The other day after work I got to drive over to Alison's House to collect a plant (Erythrina crista-galli) that our pal Loree sent  from the Portland area bloggers' plant exchange for me.  Alison's garden is looking especially gorgeous right now  and I got to see her new greenhouse and "Alison's Folly" with my own eyes.  Her whole new front yard is fab!  It would be a shame to be so close to Windmill Nursery and not stop by for a visit even if there was less than an hour before they closed. Here's a quick spin through some  of the nursery.  (Visit many previous visits here.)

If I had a bigger garden, I'd grow Ekianthus  because they have such cool flowers.  This one, E. campanulatus, is sweet!

So nice to see Pernettya mucronata 'Rubra', one of my favorite shrubs for sale.  Beautiflul evergreen leaves, pretty pure white blossoms and truly beautiful big purple berries all winter long.  Mine is blooming now and still has berries and often hangs on to the old berries until new ones start coloring up.  This is a great small shrub with year round interest.  Every garden should have at least one!

The sight of a nursery overflowing with plants is one of those sights that makes gardeners very happy!

I rounded a corner and what to my wondering eyes should appear but this plant that Alison and I were so excited to find in Portland.  Maybe ten minutes from Alison's house, here sat several Alstromeria 'Rock n Rolls.'  Such nice foliage.  Sure hope it proves to be winter hardy here.

 Aren't Calceolaria calynopsis fowers fun?

 Cute animal plant pots!

Windmill has moved the arid plant section from an area further from their little indoor jungle  and along a weathered wood covered wall .  I like it back here and think that the plants go very well with the wood!

These huge Kalanchoe thyrsifloras from Monrovia are making an appearance at several nurseries recently.  So tempting.

So is this Opuntia microdasys which is Latin for looks really cute but will irritate the hell out of you if you get at all close to it.  I'm convinced that they can throw their glochids.  Once I dragged a hose by one and  it picked up a nice collection of glochids which my hands found.  Much as I like the way these look, I'm staying with Opuntias that are glochid free, well with the exception of the ones I already, ouch dammit, have.

I forgot the name of this but the rule is, "If it looks weird, it's probably a euphorbia."  so we'll go with that.

 Bright yellow variegated leaves and nearly magenta flowers.  Love this plant by Crayola!  Bougainvillea something like godthatsbrightiea

This little box of happiness just arrived.  Aren't these cute little Rex Begonias? 

Painted Paradise Impatiens.  What nice foliage.  

Speaking of foliage, these seasonal pots were very handsome without flowers.

there are some flowers and there will be more but they're not necessary for the success of the compositions.

On the way to the check out counter was this rather large fairy garden display with a poster advertising a make and take fairy garden workshop.  These things are so dang cute and a great reason for grown ups to buy doll house furniture.

From right to left, Birdhouse, UHO (unidentified hanging object) and possible addition to someone's hanging pot collection.  It wouldn't hold much soil but tillandsias would be happy to live there.

Obviously from a shop in Portlandia as someone put a bird on it. 

Made it to the front desk just in time for the "We'll be closing in 10 minutes, please bring your purchases to the counter at this time." announcement.  

In the display garden, the tulips were wondering what the heck was going on with the weather.  We had record breaking heat for that day in May (84 degrees F)

Still looking fresh and happy, they were real troopers!

Dig the cool red flame on the inside of the petals and the red line on the outside.  

 Getting a plant from a friend, a visit to another friend's garden, and a nursery visit was a pretty special way to end the day but, being greedy, I decided to drive home through Puyallup and check out a park that my pal, Vicki, told me about.  Tomorrow, we'll explore it together.