A Wet Walk Through Portland Avenue Nursery

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting a coworker's new home, meeting his wife, delightful children and holding the newest member of the family, a recently-born adorable baby girl.  What a special treat.  An added bonus is that their house is very close to Portland Avenue Nursery.   It was raining outside but who would let a little thing like precipitation keep him from plant shopping? 

Rusty vehicles, old gas pumps and topiary let us know that we're definitely at PAN.  The sign above was also a dead giveaway.

 Annuals, veggie starts, and potted bulbs fill the shelves.

I love the foliage of Alstroemeria 'Rock n Roll' but in my garden, it doesn't  come back in subsequent years with as much vigor as it displays the first year it's planted.

The flowers are nice too but it's really the foliage that excites me.  

What a difference a few months make.  Here is a November view. 

Now, perennials and potted rose bushes fill the space!

 Again, a view from a November visit.

Now the tables are once again present and filled. 

Love this color combination. 

A formerly vacant area is once again full of azaleas waiting to burst into brilliant bloom. 

There were some fun unusual surprises like Trillium sessile

Shrubby goodness showing great twig color for winter interest. 

Superb collection of  evergreens. 

Camellia 'Carter's Sunburst' has huge blooms and was tempting.

So was C. 'April Remembered'

The soft pink color and heart-shaped leaves of 'Taylor's Perfection'  are fabulous.  As the petals fall, they litter the ground with pink hearts.  I lingered for quite a while trying to decide where this could possibly fit in my garden.  I'd probably have to get rid of one of my white camellias to grow this one and that would place this one within eyeshot of a more orange-pink  camellia with which it would clash horribly so that one would have to move but then this one could go in that spot as it would look really sweet with the white one.  Too much thinking, too much work, enough camellias in my garden already.  Although these are such sweet late winter through spring bloomers.   Maybe I'll go back sometime and see if it's still there. 

It's reassuring to know that all the rusty old vehicles have a fuel source. 

Oh deer.

And as Loree says, "There's always an agave."

While passiflora in our gardens won't be blooming for a while yet, these greenhouse sweeties (or maybe brought up from California) are  popping now. 

Nothing made it into the plant mobile this time.  There's still a pot ghetto at home filled with plants waiting to find a home.