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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.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Visiting Vassey

Vassey Nursery in Puyallup is one of my (many) favorite nurseries.  Small enough to be friendly and fun, large enough to carry a large variety of plants.  See many previous visits here for information about the nursery.


Scoping out the green pots. 

I'm increasingly drawn to these glazes, new (in the last few years) on the market.  It looks like they've been over fired or maybe they've been found at the bottom of the ocean in the hull of an ancient ship.

I asked for opinions about the glaze last year and someone said she thought it looked like a skin disease of some sort.


Plum pretty!

Got the blues?  Vassey's pot prices will cheer you up as they're very reasonable and in the fall, there's a great sale that I seldom miss!

Talavera bird bath would look awsome in the right setting!

Vassey is getting more and more adventurous in their plant offerings.  The owner credits pal Melinda with bringing in some of the more unusual plants. Crinodendron hookerianum is a lovely thing that one doesn't see every day.  Okay, I do because there are two in my garden but we're talking nurseries here.



Hands down the best pelargonium grower, Vassey gives each plant a generous 12 inches of space in the greenhouse to develop.  I always get geraniums here in the spring because for the price of a four-inch pot, I get a gargantuan plant that will fill a large space immediately.  This year, more 'Persian Queen' gold foliage under hot pink flowers.  A combination visible from space!  For some reason I didn't take any pictures of my purchases.



Tiny Agave ovatifolia 'Vanzie' got left there but A. ovatifolia has done so well in my garden for the last three years that perhaps adding another wouldn't be a bad idea.

Swell succulents!




Anigozanthos   

Fun stuff inside too!



Arisaema
 A favorite spot at Vassey.

 Schefflera taiwaniana

I love the shade house.  Near the pond, it's the coolest place at the nursery on a hot day.  The sound of water, a gentle breeze, the shade of the great grape vine.  Who could ask for anything more?

Paw Paw (Asimina triloba) tree anyone?  Mine have once again bloomed  and I'm hoping that since the neighbors bees were visiting that there will be fruit this year.

Evergreens certainly shine in the winter but ain't so bad in the summer either.

Rhododendron 'Ebony Pearl' Mine doesn't look this happy as it doesn't get as much water as it would like.

I've enjoyed my  Hosta 'Curly Fries'  which is an interesting novelty and would look great in the right pot or situation but it's not a particularly full or fast-growing plant, certainly not supersize!  

Perennial treasures.  
Joining the geraniums in my cart but not my camera were Saxifraga fortunei 'Pink Elf' and S.fortunei 'Magenta' aka Berry Bright both of which have sweet foliage and adorable blooms.

17 comments:

  1. Vassey is a wonderful nursery and close to me. I haven't even poked my nose in this year. Is it unusual to find kangaroo paws at a nursery up in this area? I don't think I've ever seen one, or have I just not been looking in the right place, or maybe not observant enough? Personally I love those spotted pots, and that Talavera birdbath is very tempting.

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    1. The Talavera birdbath would look smashing in your garden! Seems like Kangaroo Paws were around here more in the past but not so much anymore. Glad that Vassey has them!

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  2. Yep...I still think that glaze looks like a skin disease!

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    1. Maybe putting a yuccacne-infested Yucca 'Bright Star' in one would be a perfect match.

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  3. Those cobalt pots are a lot prettier than the skin disease ones. I am awed by the Geraniums. They do love space and water, don't they?

    My pawpaw is the native one with the slender leaf. It always has blooms and usually fruit, but critters never let the fruits ripen, hence the name 'Dog Banana.'

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    1. Their geraniums are huge! Sorry you never get to eat your pawpaw fruit.

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  4. Looks like a great place for both pots and plants!

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  5. No no no. Not skin disease. Nicely weathered look; "ancient ship wreck" is a good description. The succulents in the galvanized gutters are adorable but any display with succulents is appealing to me. I noticed a small collection of ceramic flowers that looked awfully familiar...

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    1. Succulents continue to ride the wave of popularity which makes me happy as I love them too. Funny that those ceramic flowers looked familiar...

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  6. I was impressed by the vertical succulent "painting." I wonder if it has to be taken down to be watered properly. I've yet to have the energy to try creating one of these.

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    1. I too enjoy looking at those but haven't created one. I did a sphere that lasted well for a couple of seasons but I disassembled it once it got leggy.

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  7. Nursery visits are always fun. I've seen those pots in person and like their weathered look. That hosta looks like manfreda.

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  8. What a fabulous selection of pots! Something to satisfy even the more macabre of tastes. I'm not drawn to the skin disease pots but I'm sure there are those who could "Make it work", as Tim Gunn would say.

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  9. Love the shot of the evergreens with those towering trees in the background. I think it's a given that any Hosta with an unusual leaf shape takes forever to make a statement.

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  10. I guess I haven't posted my photos of our trip to Vassey. I took many of the same photos. I'll have to post some up. We really like Vassey too.

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