Visiting the Rhododendron Gaden Nursery

It's always a joy to visit the nurseries of independent growers.  The Rhododendron Garden Nursery in Federal way is a one woman show. A retired school teacher,  Diane Bell is living her dream of propagating and selling plants at her seven acre nursery in Federal Way.  Check out a previous visit here.

The main sales area of the nursery has interesting and healthy plants beautifully displayed.  This Rhododendron sinogande is gorgeous!

I love walking through the whole place as there are finds around every corner. For instance this group of Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex' (double flowered bloodroot) in large pots.  These sell for 20 to 30 dollars in four inch pots at most nurseries; here they'e $20.00 for these lager than gallon pots.

Here are the two that are now in my garden.  I had one that I bought here a year or so ago and it's cheerful blooms and interesting foliage brighten the deep shade of the bamboo grove.  Can one really have too much of a good thing?

In bloom were Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel)  an eastern U.S. native.  They were tempting but it's been a banner year for these in my own garden so I didn't feel the need to get any more even though they were so inexpensive.  An attractive evergreen shrub with these long lasting flowers ranging from white to deep purple.

The buds are as interesting as the flowers themselves!  Are those sweet or what?  I have one that has florescent pink buds that open to the lightest pink flowers.

White buds open to this maoon and white bicolor.  Did I mention that these can tolerate a little shade?   I leaned from Diane that it takes three years to create a one gallon blooming specimen of Kalmia as they're very slow growers.

Rhododendron occidentale, the western azalea  is one of two deciduous azaleas native to the western U.S.  This is one beautiful and fragrant native!

Not so great for year round interest, hostas sure look great and even tropical during the summer!  

Who wouldn't love a plant that does all this in the shade?

This one was added to my collection!

I love the maple leaf pattern of variegation on some hostas.

There were many areas like this one.  Here we see trillium growing.  How exciting to think that these will be available next year.

The bright colors and fun flower forms of tuberous begonias always catch my eye.  

As the name of the nursery states, Rhododendrons are a specialty and there are acres of them.  Diane has photo albums of what the blooms of all of them look like should you shop when they're out of bloom. Shopping after bloom time is a great way to evaluate foliage.

Another specialty is hydrangeas.  I happened by the nursery just after most of the rhodies were finished blooming and just before the hydrangeas started.  There will be quite an explosion of color here very soon.

A hydrangea that doesn't need flowers to charm is Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey'

 More plants being grown on.  It's a pleasure to walk though this nursery because of the park-like setting.  

Rhododendron stenopetalum.

 Even more rhododendrons. 

What's the price for nice two to five gallon potted specimens?  

R. 'Az Flame'  

There was a heavenly fragrance that stopped me in my tracks.  Turns out it was coming from this Rhododendron polyandrum.  The specimens were too large to fit into my car and this isn't hardy here and would need to be brought in during coldest part of the winter. So sad to leave it behind as that fragrance is amazing, like a fine perfume.  The good news is that she has more started that are too small to sell this year but might be ready next year.

I so enjoyed chatting with Diane.  At the end of our visit, she snapped off a flower from R. polyandrum so that I could take the fragrance home without taking the whole bush.  How cool is that?  The plant mobile smelled great all the way home!

The House-Eating Rhododendron

It all started innocently enough, just a couple of pretty little shrubs by the side of the house  that would provide evergreen foliage and pretty pink spring blooms. 

The  home owner paid no attention to the tag on the plants.  Who does really?  Slowly, ever so quietly, the rhododendrons crept up on the house and before any one could suspect...

They totally consumed the structure.

They even invited a friend to share in the meal.  I kept my distance because the sound of  rhododendrons munching on house was deafening and frankly I was a little frightened that I'd be part of the feeding frenzy.

 

Driving away, I swear I heard the sound of a giant burp!  Pretty, brutal, and rude!  It's probably best to heed the warnings on plant tags or be prepared to either have our dwellings  eaten or  have a chainsaw relationship with our plants. 

 

Happy Monday and remember to practice safe planting!

A Visit to Rhododendron Garden Nursery

Kelly's beautiful garden from yesterday's post inspired me to visit his pusher, er...connection, I mean supplier.  He mentioned that many of his plants came from Rhodondron Garden Nursery in Federal Way, WA.  O.K. I fell in love whth that gorgeous blue 'Harlequin' hydrangea, called the nursery, and found that they had only one left which was slated to be taken to a farmers market in a couple of days.

Driving in, the main area looks a little small but upon further exploration, one finds seven acres of mostly shade tolerant plants, a few of which might even interest our pal Barry!

In looking for 'Harlequin,' I came across these Sanguinaria canadensis in rather large pots.  For $16, who wouldn't want this gorgeous foliage in his shade garden?  Because of this price, I was certain that these were the single-flowered form.  When I was checking out, Diane, the woman behind this one-woman show, said, "you know that's multiplex, right?  I just about fainted.  S.canadensis multiplex is the glorious double flowered form of Bloodroot which usually costs $24 for a four inch pot and here I was with a pot more than twice that size for $16!  Diane's story of how she got theseis that years ago, a woman was moving with her family from Illinois to Washington in a car so full that she had to carry a flat of Sanguinaria canadensis multiplex from her former garden on her lap the whole way.  She gave Diane a few and, over the years, Diane has propagated them to the point that she now can sell them. Lucky us! 

And then there were these labeled only "Fan Fern" which I was told is evergreen

More shady characters including another fern I don't yet have!

I love the foliage of Rhododendron Sinogrande!  It's like a loquat on steroids.

Isn't this hardy fuchsia lovely?

I searched high and low but didn't see 'Harlequin!'

 The growing areas go on and on through rhododendrons, azaleas, Japanese maples, more shade stuff... well-grown on site and sturdy characters all.

 These five gallon pots are mostly priced at twenty nine to thirty five dollars - what a deal!

 Finally I gave up and asked Diane where 'Harlequin' was and she took me to this.  She explained that she had made it pink and if I planted it and did nothing, it would revert to blue.  Hydrangeas are fun plants in that many varieties react to soil ph.  Acidic soil yeilds bluer blooms while alkaline causes pink. 

Diane, a charming person,  loves her work and loves to chat about plants.

I came away with the pink-for-now 'Harlequin,' a 'Blue Danube,' the "Fan Fern," and that cool Bloodroot.  I'm thinking I might have space in my garden for a purple hydrangea with jagged edges as well so I'll have to go back soon!  This nursery was a delightful surprise and even had some sun loving offerings!

Rhododendron Garden Nursery, not to be confused with the Rhododendron Species Garden, also in Federal Way, is well worth a visit!  P.S.  Don't forget your wallet!

Stop in the name of love

The other day, after sitting all day in a class in Maple Valley, I was headed back home on highway 18.  Traffic looked like it was getting pretty congested on I 5 south.  What was a gardener to do?  This one exited on Weyerhauser Way South to wait for better traffic and my car led me to The Rhododendron Species Garden.  That car seems to find places like this.  If you haven't been, the garden is on the Weyerhauser campus and is run by the Rhododendron Species Foundation.  The grounds are also home to the Weyerhauser Bonsai Collection (Awsome!)  Twice a year the RSF sponsors a plant sale here which draws vendors from around the state and this gardener seldom misses it.  Unfortunately, I arrived at 3:30 and the extensive botanical gardens close at 4:00 but there was still time to wander around the plant sales area.

Rhododendrons may not be your favorite plant but I'll bet that there are one or two in the collection that might change your mind.  There is even one variety, Rhododendron williamsianum, (above)  whose tag boasts, "The rhododendron for people who hade rhododendrons."  Look at that cool foliage, it's like a half sphere of giant wire vine (Muehlenbeckia complexa.)

Baby Rhododendron sinograndes.  I grow this one for the huge foliage which can reach three feet long - sort of like a Loquat on steroids.  The new leaves are purplish and spangled with white spots.

In addition to rhododendrons and azaleas, there are lots of (sometimes quite unusual) shade loving plants.

That red fir...cool!  Sorry, don't know the variety, do you?

On the left you can see the newly-opened  Rutherford Conservatory.

It still has a very new feel about it but contains great plants.

Perfect place for an agapetes

At the center  is an attractive water feature.

And a Schefflera macrophylla which is at the top of my current plant lust list!
Does anyone know where to find this plant for sale besides England?

Another look at that Schefflera just for you Loree!

 Pyrrosia Sheareri - much bigger than mine from  Far Reaches which has made it through a couple of winters in the ground. 

Back on the road,  southbound traffic looked even worse than before but I 5 north was speeding along nicely.  Hmmm.  Ferney's Nursery in Des Moines is open until 6:00 and is right on Higway 99 which is sometimes a less congested way to get home. 

The first thing most people notice as they pull into the parking lot is the eaves of  the street side of the nursery which are totally covered with screamingly bright petunias (not pictured here.)

This is a long-established and very well-stocked store.

I always head to the "new, rare, and unusual plants" area first.  Eryngium 'Jade Frost' with beautiful variegated foliage.  Those blooms will be brilliant purple...may have to go back and get one or three.

Gunneras a go-go!

 Phormiums and Palms

 This wind chime is about 14 feet high and vibrates your whole body when it sounds it's dulcit low tones. That experience alone is worth a stop! 

 "Next Gerneration Reblooming Hydrangea 'Pistachio' remains compact and does well in pots" which is a good thing because it wanted to come home with me and I don't have much space left in the ground. The actual flowers inside are a pinky lavender.  Gaudy? Tasteless? Tacky? I must have it!

 Objets d'art (?) pour le jardin

For those who like faces.

I double dare you to put this in your garden next to your gunnera. 

I love this large gothic tracery but lacking a really great place to put it and being unwilling to part with $500.00 (that's a lot of plants!) it remained on the wall.

If you ever find yourself in heavy traffic, I highly recommend finding a nursery or two at which to wait out the worst of the commute.  It's much more enjoyable than sitting in your car on the freeway and it's a fact that vehicles run better when full of plants.  Really, I read it somewhere.