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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.

Friday, November 20, 2015

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly; Watson's in November

Watson's is always mostly good and beautiful but without a bit of bad and ugly for comparison, how would we know?  First the bad and ugly.  Of course, this is just my opinion and you are free to love these as much as you wish.

While I'm a big fan of warm colors, especially red and orange, in gardens, my small mind just can't wrap itself around spray-painted heathers (Calluna vulgaris.)  Dead trees, yes; living plants, no.


I'm fond of the hanging glass orb tillandsia/cacti/succulent thingies although I don't have any myself. Artificial succulents can come in handy if you really need a plant in a dark place or can't grow live ones for one reason or another.  Garden fairies aren't my thing but I don't mind them.  That being said, this combination looks a bit goofy to me. What is that figurine?  I guess if you glue butterfly wings to anything, it becomes a fairy.

I'd heard about this evil and even seen it on Danger Garden but never thought it would come this close to home.  The wax-covered bulbs come with a metal stand to hold them upright, require no water or soil, and will bloom for three to six weeks.  I still like the idea of growing these pots with soil to at least pretend that I'll keep them for years and not just toss them into the compost heap the second the last bloom fades.

Now, the good.

Love this group of winter pots.

At 50% off these were tempting since they could be lovely Thanksgiving decorations and then pumpkin and or squash soup.

Watson's has a great selection of ornamental cabbage and kale priced very reasonably. The red and white combination is handsome and perfect for the holidays and the rest of winter.



Look at that glow!  This one is my current favorite variety. 

Icy silver.

Rusty metal spheres of butterflies are pretty cool and must look fantastic lit.  Would these be considered butterballs?

A new shipment of tillandsias is always a good thing; the colors of the birds, I'm not so sure. 



The big bowl of Sansevieria something or other from Fleetfoot and Foul Weather is about to bloom.

 Swell small succulent bowls. 

Always happy to see the succulent area full of plants and  was taken with the textural combination of the senecio, aloe, and aeonium.

Another temptation from Fleetfoot and Foul Weather.  May have to go back for this one. 

Philodendrons dressing in red for the upcoming season.  Who needs spray paint?


One never knows what the various pianists will play.  This day we were treated to Mozart - Variations "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman", K. 265.  Had to linger a little longer to enjoy it!

If you'd like to experience it, there's a video.


Usually I don't like to think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving but this year, it seems like we could all use a little peace and goodwill a little sooner. The scent of cut evergreens always pulls my heart toward December.


Cute little hollies and reindeer.

Do you pick up cones on walks around your neighborhood, in the park, etc?  Do people think you're a little odd for doing it?

More than in some years, red is the predominant color on the decorated trees although there are still lots of other colors as well.

Let it snow!

Lots of applications for these metal branches.  

Shiny, bright silver.


Notice the floral arrangement on top of this one. 


Rich warmth.

Meanwhile, at the beach house.



Poinsettia with double white kalanchoe, a great long-blooming combination.  

Hedera helix trees.




With Thanksgiving being only 6 days away, it's time to start thinking about decorating (or not) for the darkest time (in this hemisphere) of the year.  Have you any special ideas about  things you'll do this year?   


Happy weekend and happy gardening!

17 comments:

  1. Lovely ;-) Thank you for sharing. I want to go there now!

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  2. Thanks for sharing your photos of Watson's. It was almost as good as going there myself. With all the horrors in the news lately, we can definitely use as much good will toward our fellow humans as possible. I like those rusty butterfly spheres.

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    1. And much less expensive! Although I only got one tiny plant as there's already too much holiday stuff stored in our house already.

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  3. I can't get over the fact that you have a garden center with a pianist...

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    1. The pianists are only there at special times of the year but the cafe/coffee shop is a permanent fixture so you can always sip a latte while shopping.

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  4. Darn, it's Christmas decoration time already. You know what I love though, those jellyfish tillandsias. LOVE. That's how I'm going to display mine... just have to find the right body (or make one somehow...)

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    1. The jellyfish tillandsias are a favorite of mine too. I got urchin shells, what they've used here, online from a place in Florida.

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  5. Yes, you need to go back and get that Leuchtenbergia Principis. Funny you mention red as the predominant Christmas decorating color at Watson's this year. I'm leaning that direction myself, that might have something to do with the Poinsettia challenge though...

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    1. Okay, if you say so I'll force myself to buy it. I'm liking the smaller succulents and cacti lately because they're easier to fit in than the huge agaves. Who knew they'd grow so fast? Looking forward to hearing the details of the Poinsettia challenge.

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  6. Yeah, I'm not a big fan of spray-painted stuff either. Otherwise, that place had some nifty offerings. Love the gazing balls and the holiday decorations!

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  7. What is it with the spray painted heathers? I am seeing them everywhere. Someone is making a lot of money on something that should be an embarrassment to any real plant nursery.
    That said, Watsons is lovely at the Holiday season.
    Tom was up on the roof with the leaf blower this afternoon, cleaning off all the fir needles and cedar debris. Next step is to get the house Christmas lights up. Everything else will wait until after Thanksgiving. My decorating is pretty much the same every year.

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  8. Ugh. Spray painted heathers and wax-covered bulbs. Will the gimmick creators never cease their horticultural atrocities? Whoever came up with this should be covered in wax and spray painted themselves. I got a good laugh out of the 50's housewife fairy heading off to market, though.

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  9. This is a great way to cheer up one's spirits...all the different colors are fun to see. Is it Christmas already? I know the season is beginning. Think taking a tour myself this week is a good idea.

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  10. Spray-painted live plants? Oh, the horror! We need to start an American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Plants (ASPCP). Also, that is the first fairy I have ever seen with a pocketbook. What would they need a pocketbook for? Keys, credit cards? Kind of detracts from the magical aura.

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  11. I'm in horror over the spray painted heathers. Good Grief! However, I love all of their xmas trees. I can't say I've ever seen a 'beach' themed xmas tree. Why not? I always enjoy these posts. Thanks Peter!

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  12. The good, bad & ugly, for sure. Sometimes, tho, it is hard to tell which is which. Some things I feel a little queasy about loving, like the upside-down Tillandsia/squids. The twig Christmas trees I adore unapologetically. And you know What? I take back that thing about NO CHRIStMAS until after Thanksgiving. You have actually put me in the mood for the holidays.

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