Joy Creek and Means, The Last Two Stops on the Post-Hortlandia Nursery Romp.

Joy Creek is a nursery which I frequently visit on the way home from Portland.  See previous posts here.

Joy Creek is a great retail nursery but they have even more extensive offerings in their mail order catalog here. 

Last summer, when the Garden Bloggers' Fling was in Portland, many of us fell in love with Clematis 'Oshikiri' in bloom in J.C's garden. See description and photo here.   The nursery had sold out but recommended checking their mail order list when it came out in January.  I remembered but forgot to order.  When we got to the nursery, I couldn't find one among the large selection of clematis.  Rats!  However, I asked the kind folks about it (I didn't remember the name)  and a nice young man went off somewhere and produced one.  This may be one that they bring in as the tag, including planting directions was in Japanese.  Anyway, I was so excited to have captured one of the last ones for this year (their site shows that there are now 0 available) that I forgot to take more pictures.  Oops!

 Oh well, it's always a Joy to visit Joy Creek!

Next stop, Means Nursery just down the hill and across highway 30.  Here the intrepid plant hunters Vickie and Alison check out the perennial offerings.

You may remember that Means is a large wholesale grower with fields in a couple places in Oregon and in Ohio where the corporate offices are located.  This is their only retail outlet and prices are often crazy low.  For more information, go here.

You never know when you'll find 8 foot tall magnolias on sale for ten dollars.  Their specials are sometimes out of this world.

They supply several big box stores on the east coast among other clients.  This deciduous azalea was as fragrant as it is beautiful.  Wish I had more sunny space in my garden!

Always great prices on their Acers!

 Labeled Ficus cardota 'Italian Black' (Maybe Ficus carica 'Black Italian'?) with that handsome foliage was tempting!

Again feeling a bit silly for starting tomatoes from seed this year.  The "Mighty Mato" was new to me.

I knew about grafted tomatoes but the two variety idea was really interesting. 

 So many possibilities. 

Meanwhile, in my greenhouse, the seedlings that I planted into four inch pots are ready to go into gallon pots, and the two that I bought in gallons were planted into five gallon pots and are now as tall as I and have green tomatoes that will be ready in a couple of weeks.  

Hey there experienced tomato growers, what is your opinion about pruning suckers from indeterminate tomato varieties? 

More of that Wonderful Day in Portland

After leaving Cistus, Alison, Loree, and I continued up Highway 30 to visit Joy Creek Nursery.  Unfortunately, we arrived at about 4:45 and the nursery closes at 5:00  this did not deter us from quickly shopping our way through the nursery but I didn't stop to take pictures.  For previous visits to Joy Creek, look here.  

This beautiful old barn is one of the great parts of Joy Creek!

Then we stopped by Means Nursery.  Here's Loree proving her saying that if you look hard enough, there's always an agave!  Means is known for it's extremely low prices.

You never know what you'll find here but if you're starting a new garden and need a volume of plants, this is the place to find the basics that make up the backbone of our gardens.  There is always a nice Acer palmatum selection at rediculously low prices.

Remember when Petunia 'Pretty Much Picasso' was new, hard to find and expensive.  I thought the color combination was cool but wish that it had the fragrance of some petunias.

The color of this begonia is delicious!

As is the foliage of this one.  (Alison bought a couple of these.)

Every now and then, there'll be something a bit more unusual at Means like this Sciadopitys verticullata. 

There's also usually some sort of crazy cool bargain like these magnolia trees that are about eight feet tall for only five dollars.

 Or these soon to be very fragrant deciduous azelias for the same price.  One can see large growing fields behind the nursery so I knew that some of what Means sells is grown there but the clerk who collected my money told me that Means is a large wholesale grower with fields here, in another location in Oregon, in California and in Ohio.  They have clients such as Lowe's and the Home Depot on the east coast.  This is their only retail outlet and explains why the prices are so low.  Check out their website to find current special sale items.

How to round out such a great day?  Visit a mortuary, of course.  This used to be the Chapel of the Chimes funeral parlor but has been converted by the wizzards at McMenamins into the Chapel Pub.  Loree, Alison and I had a lovely dinner here.  What a treat to sit and catch up with dear friends!

After dinner, we went to Sean Hogan's house for his post Hortlandia party.  His home garden is as  fabulous as his nursery (Cistus.)  He is a delightful person and his garden is equally special!  I didn't take any pictures as the light was fading and I've heard that flashing at a party is in poor taste.  (I guess it depends on what kind of party it is.)  but if you'd like a peek, look here.

I had so much fun with Alison from 7:00 a.m. until we got home way over twelve hours later.  Here are the obligatory plant conquest shots. 

 The plant mobile still had lots of empty space!

Although from some angles, it looked a little full.  

I'm so looking forward to another summer of garden adventures!  

A Day in Portland Part One

Or, How to visit four nurseries and three gardens in Six hours.

I love going on day trips because we don't have to worry about finding care for our pets. One fine Saturday, Alison, Nigel, Tom and I set of on a Portland adventure.  Portland is a three hour drive so I set of early enough to hit Cistus Nursery before we were to meet Scott at Joy Creek Nursery.  Together we visited Means Nursery  and Scott and I went on to Xera while Alison and Nigel went directly to the next garden where we would meet.  Each of the gardens we visited were spectacular so I'll post about them separately.  Realizing that I had limited time at each nursery, I decided to spend more time shopping  than taking pictures.  With the exception of Xera, which opened since my last visit, I've posted  about these before.  You will want to see more of what Portland has to offer so I suggest that you start making plans now for next year's Garden Bloggers' Fling which will take place there early in July next year. 


It's so cool to see these huge cannas at the back of the parking lot of Cistus.  When last I was there in April, there were only tiny leaves poking out of the soil.  What a difference a few weeks makes!

 Wonder what the pink flags mean? 

Yucca rostrata anyone?

Agave Americana 'Yellow Ribbons'  Look at those pups emerging from the drain holes in the pot.  Is that adorable or what?

 

 Shade area of "The Big Top"  one of my favorite spots.

 

 Here's a section of the driveway leading to the parking area.

Taking a few plants with us, we drove up the road a piece to meet Scott, Alison and Nigel.  The gardens at Joy creek are looking so much fuller than they did in April.

Two specialties of Joy Creek are hydrangeas and hardy fuchsias.  Didn't get any hydrangeas this time.

This time of year, I always fall for a few more hardy fuchsias.

 

 Not the best picture but this miniature garden was way cool.

It still tickles me that we can grow alstroemeria in the ground here.  I remember seeing them in flower arrangements as a child in Alaska and thinking that they were the most exotic looking thing ever.

A green roof for environmentally concerned  birds.

And we're off to Means, home of the least expensive Acer palmatums anywhere.

Scott assuring Alison that she really should get one of these good sized brugmansias.  (only 19.95!)

Nice to see that Means carries seeds from Botanical interests, a sponsor of the Garden Bloggers' Fling!

Finally, off to Xera, fairly close to one of the gardens that we had the pleasure of visiting.  Xera Plants shares space with a business newly named Repotted which sells containers by themselves or beautifully planted up. 

I seem to be drawn to this orange color.  Could it be because this fuchsia is called 'Thomisina?'

Portland has enough summer heat (most years) for crepe myrtles to bloom happily. 

This little cutie was calling my name.  There's always room for one more cute little agave, right?

Simply beautiful planting by Repotted.

 Sorry I didn't get more shots of the great plants but this is a nursery worth visiting and will certainly be added to my must visit places when visiting Portland!

 

I know you'll find it hard to believe but somehow, the car got filled with plants.  Well, not totally full but I came home with a few treasures!  Next week, We'll visit the gardens.  Portland is a town where a lot of folks garden and simply driving down the street in residential areas is a treat!