On April 18th after work, I drove up the road a few miles to attend a plant sale that I seldom miss. (Previous post here.) It's a delight to have a plant sale that's so close to home and work. Sorry for not posting about it until now but I kind of misplaced the pictures. Anyway, you've got a few months to plan to attend the fall sale in October!
Although the sale is a fundraiser for the RSG, there are all kinds of plants offered by a diverse group of growers. Of course there are rhododendrons present as well like this R. faithiae that caught everyone's eye with it's beautiful furry red new growth.
R. 'Ever Red' that also had a beautiful dark indumentum on the backs of the mature leaves.
A chorus of arisaema entertained the crowd.
The flowers of Fuchsia exorticata looked pretty swell to me.
Even more entertaining was Ian's informative label for the plant. "Guaranteed hardy until it freezes." Funny stuff!
There is a grower of hardy succulents whose offerings I always look forward to seeing as she has a great variety of well grown sempervivum, sedum, etc. I like this basket idea.
Nandina 'Tuscan Flame' demonstrating how it got it's name!
Most years someone has embothrium coccineum for sale. These grow quickly to 15 foot trees that are covered in early summer with amazingly orange flowers that hummingbirds reportedly love. Mine has grown from a seedling like this to 10 feet in the last couple of years but hasn't bloomed yet.
Golly, you never know who you'll run into! Actually Alison and I had planned on meeting at the sale. Here she's found another cardiocrinum giganteum to add to her growing grove of them. I look forward to seeing them all bloom; it will be an impressive sight!
I was delighted to meet Alison's charming gardening friend Annette who gardens about a 5 minute walk from where I work! Here they are admiring their carts. Alison, the dark glasses aren't fooling anyone! We can still see what's in your cart!
Viburnum x burkwoodii's fragrance won many admirers!
There was also a rare/unusual plant raffle with a whole lot of choices. One could buy tickets and place them in a receptacle next to the plants that (s)he wished to win.
Taraxacum officinale is rare - on Mars. It's all a matter of perspective.
There were some other plants in the raffle that are less common on our planet like this Paris (quadrifolia?)
And this Schefflera fengii.
Other than the Viburnum x burkwoodii, I found a couple more tropaeolum speciosum to continue trying to grow. For some reason, they last for a few years for me growing bigger and more beautiful each season and then disappear. I've heard that winter drainage is the key to keep the roots from rotting. Hmmm. There were a few other plants as well but I don't remember now what they were. What a great way to end a work week, a plant sale, meeting a new gardening friend, and coming home with a few plants. Who could ask for anything more?
I'm looking forward to those Cardiocrinums blooming too, but probably not for a few years. I'm going to buy a couple every year so they keep going. My second Embothrium that I bought in the fall lived through the winter, and is getting bigger. I hope I can keep it alive through the summer.
ReplyDeleteYou'll have a twenty foot tree full of orange blooms before you know it!
DeleteWho could ask for anything more?
ReplyDeleteSomeone to dig the holes and plant the new acquistions?
You are spot on Jean! What was I thinking? We could also wish for a garden staff to do things like hedge trimming and lawn mowing.
DeleteOh that Schefflera fengii is a looker! I'd planned to purchase another embothrium this spring at one of the sales but never found one...
ReplyDeleteI bet they'll be at the Seattle show again this year! I didn't get a ticket for that Schefflera fengii because I got one from Far Reaches. We'll see what it does!
DeleteWait...that's the one you got at Far Raches? Us mere mortals don't have a chance do we?
DeleteA tree-sized Fuchsia! (Sigh.) I need to develop a shade garden - all I've got to do is find some shade, wind protection, and lots more water than our water service wants to give me...
ReplyDeleteAre there plants that will tolerate dry shade in your zone? A tree sized fuchsia does sound dreamy.
DeleteWe managed to walk away from the latest Rhody sale empty-handed. Not so the presentation at Joy Creek by Mike Stewart. He had some exotic beauties, one of which he said we would be among the first to have in our garden. Are we becoming Rhody snobs?
ReplyDeleteLeaving a sale empty handed? Are you feeling o.k? You're not Rhody snobs, just discerning gardeners! The RSG has some rare and unusual plants that their resident plant explorer finds on his expeditions so it's always fun to shop at their shop. The sale with specialty growers of all over the state is pretty cool.
DeleteI want that Schefflera fengii!!!
ReplyDeleteYou need one!
DeleteLooks like a fun sale! Rhodies are relatively rare here and they usually aren't too happy when you do see them. You are lucky to live where they can thrive!
ReplyDeleteWe are indeed! They're our state flower and so common here that some gardeners won't grow them.
DeleteWe bought a few plants at that sale too, but now I don't remember which ones either. We did tour the rhododendron garden with our garden group after shopping at the sale. It was Saturday and it rained! I do remember that.
ReplyDeleteLuckily on Friday afternoon there was no rain!
DeleteI'd love to have a fuchsia tree and I like succulents as well. It would be fun to visit a sale like that. Happy Tuesday, Peter!
ReplyDeleteHappy Tuesday to you, Satu!
DeleteI bought a couple of those ever reds and am struggling with where to plant them so they don't get devoured by weevils. I already found a green looper on one of them munching away!!!
ReplyDeleteI'd never had weevil problems until about 4 years ago. Now they're everywhere in my garden. I spray the beneficial nematodes but they seem to increase their territory every year!
DeletePeter, I tried twice to grow Tropaeolum speciosum but they are sooo persnickety. If you can get yours to survive, please share your secret. Fun sale.
ReplyDeleteAt Heronswood they grew over arborvitaes and I've been told that the secret is to put them around thirsty evergreen roots that will keep them dry in the winter. I've had success with them for several years but ultimately, they peak and seem to die after about 3 or 4 years. Sometimes they'll come up somewhere and surprise me with a sudden flash of unexpected orange. I just keep planting and hoping that someday I'll have reliably hardy specimens!
DeleteGlad you enjoyed our sale! If folks missed the spring sale , we do have lots more R. 'Ever Red' as well as R. 'Wine and Roses' available at our onsite nursery. We're the sole U.S. distributor of these two new hybrids from Scotland.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your great photos! Oh, our Cardiocrinum gigantiums are in bloom now ... come see!
The RSBG
I try never to miss the RSG sale! Thanks for continuing that fun (for us) tradition!Those two rhododendrons were sure stunning! Hooray for blooming Cardiocrinum gigantiums! Such a fun sight!
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