I remember Sky when it was a bit smaller as it's where I purchased my now large stachyurus praecox in a one gallon pot many years ago. I bet these huge lighted spheres look fantastic at night!
Retro seating.
And even more retro seating. It was just before mother's day so I'm guessing that's why there are those mixed pots everywhere. I hope they are all adopted out and making mothers very happy.
And in case you want to keep some plants behind bars...
Did you notice the Digiplexis? Has everyone noticed them everywhere? O.K. they're pretty already. (Pretty over exposed.)
Alison was seduced by some beautiful pelargoniums. I have to admit that they're a weakness for me as well (what plant isn't) The leaves, the smell and sometimes the flowers.
What's not to love?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH, Help, they're following us! I think they're trying to conquer the world. Run everyone run for your lives!
Totally adored this huge sphere but the price was a bit high for me. I instantly started thinking of ways to make one myself. making all of those wire circles would take a lot of time but soldering them together over a spherical form would be easy enough. Anybody know where one might find somewhat rigid metal circles?
Desire leads to coveting, and coveting leads to stealing. for if the owner (of the coveted object) does not wish to sell, even though he is offered a good price and is entreated to accept, the person (who covets the object) will come to steal it, as it is written (Mikha 2:2) [Micah 2:2], 'They covet fields and (then) steal them.' And if the owner approaches him with a view to reclaiming his money or preventing the theft, then he will come to murder. go and learn from the example of Achav [Ahab] and Navot [Naboth].
- Naimonides [13]
You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. - James 4:2
So what's with this sign? Is it merely asking us to break the tenth commandment or are we supposed to steal the plants or fight and quarrel until someone says oh for heaven's sake just take the damned plant. Are we simply supposed to ask for things in this section to be given to us? Frankly, I'm confused.
There were some nice plants in this section but nothing that I'd come back and steal.
Opuntia Santa Rita in bloom. I love you from afar my glochid-laden beauty. Sometimes the pain of love is just not worth the pleasure. If a plant requires an arsenal of special equipment and body armor to safely approach, it's not going to be my favorite.
Purple and orange. With a combination this exciting, one could switch to decaf.
The selection of palms and xeric plants was much larger than this small representation.
Lots of great garden art.
There's a whole section devoted to various statuary, rocks, etc. that we didn't explore on this visit.
Galvanized stock tanks of mixed plantings scattered around. Wouldn't it be a blast to work at a place like this and be able to throw together cool combination planters using whatever your heart desired from the stock?
Lots of fun indoor plants as well!
Some spikes
As Loree says, if you look hard enough, there's always an agave. In this case it's Agave 'Blue Glow' which is pretty sweet looking. I may need to go back.
So...it's a traveling agave show from Las Vegas? Agaves who have had it with the soggy weather and have packed up to go back to the desert? Way to overwinter agaves in a wet winter area? Simply attach a grow light to the lid and close the whole thing up at the first sight of rain in the fall, reopening in spring?
Hooray, tillandsias which remind me that mine could go outside for the summer any time now.
Even more!
Then inside to pay for our plants. Lots of nice interior ideas in the building. All in all, a superb nursery which deserves further perusing so don't miss it if you're ever in the area! I'm looking forward to going back!
Oh wow!!!!! be still my heart. I can't even imagine how much moola I'd drop at a place like that. Gorgeous. Love all their displays. Too much to choose from so I want it all!!!! Hahahahahaha
ReplyDeleteWe have an embarrassment of fabulous nurseries in our area!
DeleteThis Sky is the Limit. (Sometimes I can't help myself.)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the laugh my friend!
DeleteAre you serious about the metal circles for the sphere? You might try using the chain maille technique in which you make a spring (or buy a spring, maybe), cut it lengthwise, pound each circlet flat and solder. Then again, you might be able to get suitable jump rings from a chain maille supper. I get these types of ideas all the time, though. Once I've totted up the effort and expense, it usually makes me sympathetic with the cost of the item :-) I've been appreciating the look of crocheted metal jewelry and wondering if the technique could be translated effectively to garden spheres.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking that a lot of the expense of these spheres is the labor. I'm sure I can find a semi sphere form to work over, create the sphere in halves and then solder the two together. I have all the stuff to solder and could do this out of copper wire but would have to tin each ring and it would be tedious. Thanks for the great ideas for sources of rings.
DeleteI (unfortunately) live far away from your gorgeous PNW but maybe there's a cheap source in your area for an already made metal sphere made of circles which you can repurpose. I popped into a Pier 1 store last year and found a large globe like the one pictured - on a stick and stand meant for indoor use. In its present form it was ugly, top heavy and awkward looking. It was also on discount. I got it for $12 and ripped it off the stand. Over a year's time it has rusted nicely in the garden. (I could have coated it, but rust is my middle name). Maybe check out resale or cheap discount places before investing big time and money? Thanks for the great photo tour. I 'covet' your nursery sources!
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of looking for other sources before making something myself. Just couldn't bring myself to buy this big one for $375.00. Yikes, that's a lot of plants! You could always move out west; you'd be as welcome as the flowers in spring!
DeleteI really wish we could have had more time there that day, but we were running soooo behind. Sky is one of my favorite nurseries, and I'm so glad I could share it with you in its present incarnation.
ReplyDeleteWe wouldn't want to have all our fun in one day! We'll revisit Sky sometime! What a great day that was!
DeleteI agree that it would be fun to work in a place like that, but all the plants in the world would not a world-class container designer of me make.
ReplyDeleteOh, I don't know, practice sometimes makes perfect right?
DeleteSky nursery is very fabulous. It is transformed greatly from it's semi obscure bargain nursery of years past. They remodeled and expanded, have great selection and it takes a long while to see everything. What you rarely find are bargains... but I still go every year. Am I noticing an opposition to the Digiplexis? I admit to loving my Foxglove; it's by far my favorite weed. What am missing here? Beautiful shot of the Optunia. It's a proof that some things are meant to been, not touched!
ReplyDeleteSky is a great place! I share your love of foxgloves and encourage them to grow in my garden as they're such pretty things. Digiplexis is beautiful but the market has been so flooded with them that they are everywhere all at once, nurseries, box stores, the corner store that only carries some petunias, a marigold or two and a few pansies... Often new introductions are only available at specialty nurseries first, and slowly over a few years become widely available. This market flooding seems to be a slightly different marketing technique. I've no opposition to the plant and bought some myself it's just that it's the "it" plant this year.
DeleteI've never visited Sky Nursery, I came close last summer but ran out of time. Soon!
ReplyDeleteOh and what's with the "pay for our plants" mention without telling us what those plants were? Inquiring minds want to know!!!
Believe it or not, I didn't buy anything but Alison got two or three pelargoniums. Shocking but true...
DeleteAnother wonderful PNW nursery! I've often dreamed of working in a nursery just so I could hang out with plants and arrange them to my heart's content without sacrificing food, utilities, etc.
ReplyDeleteThat would be paradise!
DeleteNice nursery Peter! I love rhododendrons and opuntia, also I'd liked the wooden sofa and some garden art!
ReplyDeleteThank you Nadezda! I'm so glad you enjoyed our visit!
DeleteThose blue retro seating and wooden high back benches are statement pieces for a garden. And I wouldn't mind all those green vases too, very nice!
ReplyDeleteSo many great pieces, so little garden!
DeleteI've been to Sky Nursery once and loved it. I love your humor with the Digiplexis. It really is pervasive, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI second Loree's comment about not telling us what plants you bought. Do tell!
I will definitely go back! Digiplexis is a lovely flower but it's everywhere, even in my garden. (Sorry, it was a weak moment.)
DeleteYou'll think I'm lying but I didn't buy anything at Sky but Alison bought some zonal geraniums (pelargoniums.) I also love them but had purchased some earlier in the season. I know that they're common but the patterned foliage makes me happy and I love the fragrance of the foliage when brushed.
In regards to the word "covet": Another case of not really understanding the meaning of the word and using it inappropriately. I would think savvy retailers would ban that word not paint it on a door. LOL. Lots of goodies here. Great post.
ReplyDeleteLove the tour of a local nursery. Yes, that digiplexis went from unknown to overexposed in record time. And I share your fear of opuntia. There's a cautionary example close by, of a front garden filled with it that failed to keep up with the weeds, and there's no way to clear out the weeds now. It will have to be napalmed. That's some amazing self-restraint you're practicing, to come home without any plants.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your exposition on coveting, my solution is to try to grow as much as I can from seed, just think, I can order a packet with even 1000 seeds for $2-3. Of course they don't always grow, or I forget to water them and they wither up, or they look marvelous one year then don't come back the next year, or they turn out to be the next horrifically invasive plant. I wasn't understanding your obsession with creating your own metal ring ball until you mentioned the $375 price tag. But what do you do with the ball? Is it to be a bare ornament or do you cover with a vine, in which case you might as well make a ball out of chicken wire as it will disappear.
ReplyDeleteSo true about the cacti, I went to a sale where they gave children neat little cacti in tiny pots, and I say to them, "Don't touch them, they might stick you with little spines," whereupon the 4 and 7 year-olds start poking the cacti with their fingers!! I guess I should have used reverse psychology.