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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Spring at Windmill Nursery

After visiting so many beautiful gardens over the last few weeks and feeling totally inferior, I was delighted to find this combination at Windmill Gardens  that I could maybe pull off in my garden!  Cardamine oligosperma, Taraxacum officianale,  foliage of old tulips that won't bloom and a few grape hyacinths.  These people sure know how to make a guy feel at home!   This winning combination was in a little bed near the back of the parking lot that hasn't been spruced up yet, just like my whole garden! 
 Alison, her husband Nigel and I enjoyed a nice lunch at the cafe and then strolled through the garden that wends through the little shops on the grounds of the nursery (pond shop, tea shop, etc.)  You may remember my earlier visit to this place earlier in the year where I poked my head into the greenhouses where they were keeping plants for various Seattle Flower and Garden Show  garden makers.
 
 This NOID Camellia japonica was so delicate and sweet!


Someone likes pink!  Lots to see...  Hey, wait, where did Alison go?

Oh, she's off flirting with Ciscoe in the greenhouse!  And with Nigel just a few yards away in the parking lot!   You really do have to keep an eye on the quiet ones.   


Somehow, Alison was able to pull herself away to look at more plants.  I do love sempervivums!
 
 They look like little  stemless flowers growing on the surface of the ground.

Everblooming powder blue dahlia anyone?   Echeveria 'Topsy Turvy' fits the bill!  Are these sweet or what.  Fortunately mine weren't among the dead Echiverias in the glass room this winter so I wasn't tempted by these.

Both Ricki and Louis love this plant and right now this one looks like Audrey two from Little Shop of Horrors.  I couldn't resist.

Alison  couldn't resist the charms of Colocasia 'Mojito.' When the mojitos start rolling out, summer can't be far off!
 
 Speaking of summer...

Lots of temptations that scream warm weather!  Don't have space for any of these inside so I'll have to come back later.  (See how I've made an excuse to visit this nursery again?  It's a skill.)

I tend to forget the names of Coleus from year to year as the trade often changes the varieties that they offer each season.  Why not avoid the disappointment of not finding what you want?

 The first coleus that I remember was a large houseplant that my eldest sister kept by a large picture window in her dining room in Alaska.  Imagine my surprise when moving here that they could be grown in the ground in the summer.  Wow!


No shot of our cart but I snapped this one of another shopper's  treasures.  What is that interesting fluffy plant in the black pot with the pink stripe? 

And now some gratuitous playing around with Picasa photo editing:
 
Osteospermum 'Spider Pink' looks lavender, maybe mauve to me but what do I know?  This flower form has delighted me since growing O. 'Whirligig' in my misspent youth. 

Silly-looking thing was begging to be played with!





Our next stop was a place that I'd visited once many years ago and thought no longer existed.  Alison re-introduced me to it and Wow!  I'll be back!  To see the surprise, you'll have to tune in tomorrow. 

18 comments:

  1. I love your sense of humour, you had me laughing the whole way through this post!

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    1. I'm glad that you enjoyed the post! Laughter is a good thing!

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  2. You've got me wanting an Echeveria 'Topsy Turvy'...darn you!

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    1. You need one or maybe three! Five might make an attractive grouping. I just saw small (2" pot) ones at Lowes for $2.00.

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  3. Love little Audrey!!!!! great selections!! I've had my coleus outside for weeks now. They are looking great - so far. I just jump straight into the denial that any cold will return and plant tropicals way too early

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    1. We've had a cooler than normal spring. Coleus seem to do better for me if I wait. Of course when I wait, they're putting on a lot of growth in the nice warm greenhouses & I get larger plants for lower prices by mid May.

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  4. This post was a great reminder of how much fun we had that day. I'm stealing that photo of me (your skill at taking good photos of my garden seems to translate into an ability to take good photos of me too.) I love that Osteospermum too, but that Picasa editing hurts my eyes. I went back a few days later and bought another Mojito. I took the picture of the Petunia that is now on the banner of my blog there that day too.

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    1. It was pretty obvious that you and Ciscoe were having a lot of fun but I enjoyed the day, too! It would be fairly dangerous to live as close to Windmill as you do! Sorry about your eyes, the flourescent colors bring back memories of black light posters.

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  5. The very first botanical Latin I learned to say was "Osteospermum fruticosum". I loved the way it sort of rolls over the tongue.
    Now that Alison has shown us your garden and you have shown your handsome mug, you can't get away with all that self-deprecation. Oh well, go ahead: it's highly entertaining, and we'll never tell.

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    1. Ah, botanical Latin is such an oral delight.

      Alison is a very clever photo editor and you'll notice that she only showed three pictures, the rest was simply too horrifying. As for my mug...smoke and mirrors.

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  6. Fun! Every year, I say I'm going to plant a Coleus behind my Rodgersias for a little "pop" of color...and every year I'm too completely overwhelmed by the choice...les sigh.

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    1. There are so many gorgeous ones! Perhaps you should bring home several of each variety, choose one kind for behind your Rodgersias and pot the rest up to plunk into any bare spots. If you lack bare spots, they'd look lovely lining your front steps. On the other hand, you could simply go to Fred Meyer where the choice might be a little less overwhelming.

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  7. Looks like you guys had way too much fun! Love the coleus as it does great for me in our summers and you can't go wrong with hen and chicks. I don't know why, but I bought a truckload of plants yesterday and I have a greenhouse full of plants! It's a sickness, I tell you!

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    1. But such a sweet sickness. It's just us showing appreciation for all of the beautiful flora in creation. A sacred duty, a calling really. How's that for a rationalization?

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  8. Everything about this post is just wonderful.

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    1. Thanks Heather! It was such fun meeting you all at the plant swap!

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  9. Peter, I've been laughing all your post!
    Nice! I love the dog in a 'pot with a pink stripe', ha, ha!
    Camellias are wonderful as always.
    Have a nice weekend!

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed it! It is sunny now but rain is predicted for the weekend. I'll work outside anyway as my garden desperately needs some attention! Happy weekend to you!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.