Saturday Afternoon at Jungle Fever Exotics Nursery

Every great once in a while Jerry, the owner of Jungle Fever, takes a few hours off and I get to play at the nursery.  Since it's a dream of mine to work at a nursery in retirement or own one if I ever win the lottery, it's a real treat to step in and get to chat with people about the wonders of plants.  Of course the camera came with me.  Here's a sliver of what's to be seen at this magical place, a unique mix of unusual plants and garden art. While the nursery has changed over the years, the cool vibe remains constant.

Spiky temptation.

I have one of these that Darlene, Jerry's former partner, started before she died.  Perhaps this winter, I'll get around to finishing it.

Jerry  has found quite a few of these painted rocks on his walks.  They're part of the Tacoma Rocks project inspired by the Kindness Rocks Project.

While it may have started with just a few folks, there are now all kinds of people painting rocks and hiding them for others to find, keep or re hide. I've even found a couple in my parking strip.

You never know who might be watching you here. 

One of the things I love about the nursery is that it feels like walking through a garden except here, it's not considered poor form to pick up a plant that you like and take it to your own garden.

My Mahonia gracilipes reliably blooms but has never produced berries.  Do you suppose they have better fruit set with two?  One of these berry-laden beauties came home with me to test the hypothesis.

Fatsia japonica 'Spider's Web' is a bright spot in a shady corner. 

While I resisted the cacti, in addition to the Mahonia, a couple native Adiantum pedatum (Northern Maidenhair Fern) came  home with me along with a Clematis and a Bignonia capreolata ‘Tangerine Beauty.’

It's a pleasure to spend several hours poking around as there are so many plants that it's easy to miss a treasure or two in just a short visit.

A new batch of carnivorous plants from Courting Frogs had me drooling but I already have quite a few.

Jungle Fever was the first place in the area that used bowling balls extensively throughout their space about 15 years ago.

Jerry's image on an independent film festival poster can be seen to the right of Buddha. 

What a fun afternoon!