Sky Nursery Ushers in the Season!

These rusty metal spheres always hang above the entrance to Sky Nursery in Seattle but they look especially festive right now.  The forms in various sizes and shapes were available for purchase inside the nursery!  Check out Sky's blog here and their website here.

In looking at my pictures, I realized that I didn't take any pictures of the many tables of plants inside and outside or the huge sculpture area which is a shame as there was a lot of great merchandise all over the place.  (Bad blogger!) I was preoccupied with a lot of the other cool stuff and it was a cold day and I forgot a coat.

Urban chickens that require no care whatsoever.  Of course, going out to the coop to collect eggs would be futile and people say that the meat of this variety has a bit of a tinny flavor.

These lanterns would look great in a greenhouse yes?

Another festive touch.  In looking at this picture, I'm reminded how lucky we are that our nurseries carry such a wide variety of frost proof pots!

Cyclamen persicum are everywhere this time of year.  Their gorgeous foliage alone is worth growing them; the colorful blooms are a nice bonus.   A couple of these came home with me to add winter color to the greenhouse.

I'm still seriously in love with this furniture even though I don't really have space in my garden for it. Although the central arrangement is in a pot, this would be a great winter use for a fire pit!

Seriously love this covered garden bench with side windows but again, where would it fit?   Bet I could make some space.

Leucadndron flowers add a special touch to this arrangement and  thy remind me of my virtual friends in Australia where it is native and California where it grows with abandon out of doors.

Orchid corner in the houseplant area.  

I don't know how I forgot to take a picture of this at the nursery but in the succulent area among a lot of echiverias, was this plant that obviously wasn't an echiveria.  It was the lone specimen of it's kind and its shape whispered agave.  From across the room,  I couldn't really see the coloring but as I approached, it became clearer (glasses were left in the car.)  Could it be?  Yes, there it was in a Seattle nursery with a price of $19.95 and a tag that read "Agave 'Joe Hoak'"  You'll notice that it isn't at the nursery anymore!

A holiday vision in pink and white.

ABCDEFGHIJK MNOPQRSTUVWXYZ.  

Someone has lost his L again this year.  If I've told you kids once, I've told you a thousand times, be careful with your alphabets or you'll drop some letters.  What is it about this time of year that makes the L especially susceptible?

Inside the store there were lots of great ornaments.  I especially liked this suitcase filled with ornaments from various parts of the world.

Even without the decorations this potting shed is wonderful!

 Musical instruments.  Notice the accordion?  Not a lot of people playing this anymore.  Do you know of anyone?

I also picked up three amaryllis bulbs to plant in the greenhouse (because Jean's are so gorgeous,) and some potting soil.  The plant mobile still has more space so we're off to the next nursery.

Flying Through the Sky

Sky Nursery in Shoreline, north of Seattle, that is. On that whirlwind Outlaw and Lassie Saturday of visiting five gardens and two nurseries in six hours, we had time for a quick visit.  Sky is a large nursery and requires quite some time to see everything.  Here's a bit of what we saw in our brief visit:

I remember Sky when it was a bit smaller as it's where I purchased my now large stachyurus praecox in a one gallon pot  many years ago.   I bet these huge lighted spheres look fantastic at night!

Retro seating.

And even more retro  seating.  It was just before mother's day so I'm guessing that's why there are those mixed pots everywhere.   I hope they are all adopted out and making mothers very happy.

And in case you want to keep some plants behind bars...

Did you notice the Digiplexis?  Has everyone noticed them everywhere?  O.K. they're pretty already.  (Pretty over exposed.)

Alison was seduced by some beautiful pelargoniums.  I have to admit that they're a weakness for me as well (what plant isn't)   The leaves, the smell and sometimes the flowers.

 What's not to love?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH,  Help, they're following us!  I think they're trying to conquer the world.  Run everyone run for your lives!

Totally adored this huge sphere but the price was a bit high for me.  I instantly started thinking of ways to make one myself.  making all of those wire circles would take a lot of time but soldering them together over a spherical form would be easy enough.  Anybody know where one might find somewhat rigid metal circles?

Covet - verb - to wish, long, yearn or crave to posses or have (something)

Desire leads to coveting, and coveting leads to stealing.  for if the owner (of the coveted object) does not wish to sell, even though he is offered a good price and is entreated to accept, the person (who covets the object) will come to steal it, as it is written (Mikha 2:2)  [Micah 2:2], 'They  covet fields and (then) steal them.' And if the owner approaches him with a view to reclaiming his money or preventing the theft, then he will come to murder.  go and learn from the example of Achav [Ahab] and Navot [Naboth].
- Naimonides [13]

You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.  You do not have, because you do not ask. - James 4:2

So what's with this sign?  Is it merely asking us to break the tenth commandment or are we supposed to steal the plants or fight and quarrel until someone says oh for heaven's sake just take the damned plant.  Are we simply supposed to ask for things in this section to be given to us?  Frankly, I'm confused.

There were some nice plants in this section but nothing that I'd come back and steal.

 This wood furniture on the other hand might make me quarrel with someone if I thought I could find it loaded in my truck as a result.

Opuntia Santa Rita in bloom.  I love you from afar my glochid-laden beauty.  Sometimes the pain of love is just not worth the pleasure.  If a plant requires an arsenal of special equipment and body armor to safely approach, it's not going to be my favorite.

Purple and orange.  With a combination this exciting, one could switch to decaf. 

The selection of palms and xeric plants was much larger than this small representation. 

Lots of great garden art.

There's a whole section devoted to various statuary, rocks, etc. that we didn't explore on this visit.

Galvanized stock tanks of mixed plantings scattered around.  Wouldn't it be a blast to work at a place like this and be able to throw together cool combination planters using whatever your heart desired from the stock?

Lots of fun indoor plants as well!

 Some spikes

As Loree says, if you look hard enough, there's always an agave.  In this case it's Agave 'Blue Glow' which is pretty sweet looking.  I may need to go back.

So...it's a traveling agave show from Las Vegas?  Agaves who have had it with the soggy weather and have packed up to go back to the desert?  Way to overwinter agaves in a wet winter area?  Simply attach a grow light to the lid and close the whole thing up at the first sight of rain in the fall, reopening in spring?

Hooray, tillandsias which remind me that mine could go outside for the summer any time now.  

Even more!

Then inside to pay for our plants.  Lots of nice interior ideas in the building.  All in all, a superb nursery which deserves further perusing so don't miss it if you're ever in the area!  I'm looking forward to going back!