Garden Bloggers' Fling Visit to Annie's Annuals Part Two; What a Place!

 

 

Have you ever visited a place that you've heard about and ordered from for years only to find that the place just didn't live up to the hype?  I was fairly sure that Annie's Annuals couldn't be as wonderful as the catalogs made it look and was ready to say something like, "what a great nursery BUT..."  Seems like the only big But(t) at Annie's was my own.  Annie's is a magical place that is even better than the catalog makes it look.  To make the visit even more special, we got to meet Annie herself and listen to her share her passion for growing  unusual plants from seed without the use of growth regulators.  This is a woman passionate about her trade and whose ebullient  nature is infectious!

Here's Annie trying to make herself look younger for the camera.  Really?  Any younger and she'd be embryonic. 

The wide selection of unusual plants is what truly takes center stage at this nursery where they grow all of their stock themselves.

There was also some fun artwork!

Tithonia

Aeonium nobile, a plant that's a favorite in my own collection.  It's monocarpic so it'll be sad when it blooms once and dies but it's a relief to know that Annie has some more waiting!

Greenovia aurea 

 

In drought situations, Greenovia aurea curls up like the one in the middle of the picture.  Isn't that adorable?

 

Huge Dyckia just outside the chapel. 

 

Crassula capitella 'Red Pagoda' looks even better in person!  This is worth bringing in for the winter!

 Echeveria (elegans?)

The plant tables go on and on!

Annie's signage is very informative.  Since I was flying back, I took lots of pictures of plants, tags, and signs.  As you might imagine, there are more things in the nursery than what's in the printed catalogue.  However, I was told that one could order non catalog items as well.  Hooray!

Aloe, Aloe.  Is anybody there?

Digiplexis  - Coming next year. 

Baby Cussonias. 

Solanum quitoense, another of my faves!

Leave it to Annie to come up with a variegated  form of Impatines niamniamensis!  Purty!

 

Graptoveria 'Crested Form'

No idea.  We'll call it "Assorted Succulent"  like  retailers sometimes do.

Aloe glauca

Denise  having a Growing Obsession with Wachendorfia thyrsiflora. 

Just hanging around.

It's a shame  they're afraid of using color at Annie's!

From riotous carnival to subdued cottage garden in just a few steps.  What's not to love?

These fine specimens of purple yucca drew a lot of attention from the group!

I'm not usually a fan of  flowers that are simply beautiful being made into double monsters but this Cosmos 'Double Cranberry' was really quite nice.

This is a truly wonderful nursery!  We  could have spent a whole day here discovering lust-worth plants!  This visit will be remembered fondly each time I unpack a box from Annie's! 

 

 

Charming greeters  hope you enjoyed your visit!  BTW, did you miss this celosia?

 

 



A Garden Bloggers Fling Visit to Annie's Annuals Part One; Going to the Chapel.

For those of you who didn't attend the recent garden bloggers' fling and who are following my series of posts about it, we now find ourselves still in day one of the adventure.  It's a beautiful sunny morning, we've just visited a couple of incredible gardens and we're now visiting Annie's Annuals and Perennials in Richmond, CA. (one of the fling sponsors) where we'll have a nice catered lunch and listen to an informative presentation done by a representative of the Dramm Corporation,  a  major sponsor of the event. Thanks again to all of the sponsors for keeping costs down for participants allowing a larger number of folks to attend not to mention all the cool items donated!  Like many gardeners,  I've ordered from Annie's catalog and online for years and was looking forward to seeing this fabled place in person. (BTW, if you don't get Annie's catalog, and enjoy gardening, make sure you click on the link above and rectify the situation.  Since Annie's carries a lot of rare and unusual annuals that will grow in nearly every zone, there is sure to be much in her catalog that you can't live without!)

Perhaps you already know that I love yard art, tasteful to tacky,  it all brings me pleasure.  I should say that  clean architectural lines, beautifully placed pots, limited color etc. to be an equally  stimulating artistic statement.   The Dramm presentation (I think it should have been titled, "It's one Dramm thing after another.")  took place took place beneath the shade of  an event tent(whew, it was a sunny and hot day!)  Dramm's new line of brightly colored and well made irrigation tools were a delight to see but my attention wandered during the presentation to a chapel in the background.

 

 

The work  by California mosaic artist Tina Amidon, is titled "Allegorical Reliquary-Mosaic Chapel Fountain" and is a visual delight through which to walk.   I love symbolism  and tried to figure out what was being said here.

I wonder if the round or rose window at the top of this end panel with it's space ship and moon is an intentional homage to the space window at the National Cathedral?

The inclusion of entire three dimensional objects like these tea pots in this large-scale mosaic  fascinated me!

The rose window at the other end. 

Here's a video of the artist explaining her work.  It's interesting to hear her explanation after reading my own interpretation into her opus and also to see water pouring over one of the side walls.  You can see the receptacle at the base of this wall.  I wonder if it's still functional?

Not that this needs water.  It's quite interesting just the way it is. 

The chapel is for sale in case you were wondering.  I didn't see a price but I bet that the friendly folks at Annie's would be more than happy to tell you.  You may find yourself

Could you see this  chapel in your garden?  I think I have a place where it might work very well.  How much do you suppose it would cost to ship a few tons of concrete nearly a thousand miles?  Fear not, it may be heavy but not as heavy as one might think.  From Ms. Amidon's website, we learn that it's "made of mosaic and stucco on polymer-fortified concrete, fiberglass mesh, and polystyrene foam armature.  Hmmm.

 Do you remember the UNCF slogan, "They're not looking for a hand out, just a hand?"  

 

 

 Are you a fan of mosaic work?  Stepping stones, mosaic pots, or other objects?

 

 

  Unfortunately, the paint is crackling off the red bottles taking away their original vibrancy. 

 

What are your thoughts about this chapel?  Does your garden need it?  Do you think it might be interesting  but only in someone else's garden or do you dislike it altogether?