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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.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

The Heronswood Early Spring Sale 2015



Thinking that there were already too many plants waiting in my pot ghetto to squeeze into my already crowded garden, I was tempted to skip this sale but Alison and I had made plans for the rest of the day so I went. Somehow the car got filled with plants by the end of the day but that's another story. There are obviously a lot of other plant crazed folks around as I got to the sale before the opening time and there was already a crowd of eager shoppers there. 

This cool gold-colored succulent is not a sempervivum according to the grower but as the tag only says 'Gold Bug' I don't remember what it is but a couple of them came home with me.

Hardy orchids in bloom are always a hit at these sales. 

There was a lot of plant tag reading going on!

A lovely peony from Far Reaches garnered a lot of attention. 

 I posted a while ago about a new Rhododendron Hybrid whose foliage I am crazy about.  Here is R. 'Wine and Roses' in bloom.  The blossoms go beautifully with the red undersides of the leaves.

Judith Jones (Fancy Fronds Nursery)  was told not to keep so much cash in her change box.  This was bound to happen sooner or later.  She was last heard saying "Do whatever you will with me but protect the ferns!"


 Rheum tibeticum's big beautiful rounded leaves caught my eye!

Rheum australe

Many varieties of Arisaemas were available.


More milling about.

Impatiens omeana 'Ice Storm' has cool foliage!

Teddy, who I've visited with  at a couple of plant sales, is with the folks from Keeping it Green Nursery.  He's a very friendly and sweet boy who looks very much like one of my kids!  I tried to talk them into letting him come home with me but they're pretty attached to him.

 Lots of cool vendors and lots of great plants!  So, what did I get?  We'll save the whole haul for another post but here's a three begonia teaser.  All three are from Windcliff Plants.

Begonia aff. palmata  collected in 2013 in Myanmar.  Untested here, it may or may not be hardy.

"Exceedingly hardy" Begonia pedatifida.


Begonia aff. Sizemorea from Vietnam.  Also of unknown hardiness but this furry fellow can have a place in the greenhouse for the winter.
Wow, it's brown and looks dead.  Gotta have it!


21 comments:

  1. Your last comment made me laugh! Lots of nice goodies there and great to see that Wine and Roses is already there across the pond. It's a lovely rhododendron with such unusually coloured foliage :)

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    1. Thanks for sending 'Wine and Roses' over; I'm crazy about it!

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  2. LOL at that last! It's so true. I had to have it too. I'm such a copycat. Maybe we should start a support group, Plant Collectors Anonymous. I just spent the last couple of days planting a bunch, and my back is aching, so I really am going to make an effort to buy less at Hortlandia.

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    1. I've only planted one plant from all of my plant excursions this spring. Crazy! A support group sounds like a good idea but you know we'd end up heading out to the nearest nursery for a fix, promising to be better next time.

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  3. That sale looks like it was tons of fun. Brown, looks dead, gotta have it: oh so true!

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    1. It was great fun! When our plants die, we should simply leave them in and try to convince ourselves that they're special collector plants.

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  4. Drool drool drool!! You have so many great nurseries out there. I'm curious to see how your dead looking begonia does. It looks a bit zombie-ish to me.

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    1. We're sure lucky to have so many great places to buy plants! If the begonia eats my brain, I'll let you know. Of course there's so little there it would still be hungry.

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  5. A begonia haul! So it this your first Begonia pedatifida? I am determined to get one this year.

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    1. Yes, it's my first Begonia petatifida. I'm not exactly sure where I'll put it as most of my shade is pretty dry - big pot maybe?

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  6. Pleione! I love those orchids. And that first begonia is great.

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    1. Pleione are such bright and cheerful little things! Don't like the brown and dead look?

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  7. Your last line made me laugh!
    Was this ale actually at Heronswood? How's it looking out there?

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    1. That last line is kind of true though... The sale was at Heronswood. I didn't look at the garden this time as I'd seen it during the last few sales. It was looking good, they've made a lot of progress but if you were used to seeing it when strange new rarities popped up at every turn, it's not quite there yet. It's still fabulous but it's lost some of the "personal garden" feel it used to have. When I walked through a couple of springs ago, it made me sad that so much had been neglected.

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  8. So, to take in the key garden shows, as well as the terrific spring plant sales, do you figure I need to rent a place in the PNW for 1 month, 2 months, or an entire quarter?

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    1. A couple of months might do it but a quarter would be best, you wouldn't want to miss anything!

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  9. I missed the Spring sale again this year (out of the country). I made it to the fall sale last year for the first time (ever). It's nice to be able to log in from a great distance and see what I'm missing.
    There is an unreal number of begonias out there; its hard to get my head around it. Love that odd one at the end of course.

    The "Gold Bugs" will find a perfect home in the miniature pots you have in your possession. It will look awesome!

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    1. I hope you're having fun being so far away! Sorry you missed the spring sale this year but Hortlandia is still to come in Portland on April 18. It's the king of all plant sales. Hope you can make it!

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  10. Dear Mr. TOG
    Do you know how close I came to launching my computer out the window with this post of yours?
    I am still locked in snow .. can't do a thing in my garden but DREAM .. then you tease me with this post of an actual plant sale I would do anything to participate in ... BIG sigh!!!!!!
    I will take "Gold Bug" ,"Wine & Roses" ..Arisaemas of your choice for me ... and what ever else is eye catching .. the cheque will be in the mail forth with !!! LOL
    Truly ... I haven't been to a plant sale in so long ... I forgot the etiquette .. but it looks like no one is too bothered about it in any case ... hum ? .. Oh yes!!! and some ferns too please ?!!
    BIG SIGH !
    Joy .. locked in the frozen north

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    1. Oh Joy, so sorry that you're still locked in snow! I'll get the package in the mail post haste! Maybe you need a winter place in the wild west (Vancouver? Victoria?) where you could garden in the winter. In the meantime, hope you're enjoying the great white north!

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  11. What a great sale, I wish I could have been there. I would certainly have come home with a couple of Pleiones, oh, and some Arisaemas; I can' t resist them. . I love the Rhododendron too. Like you, I would have found that furry , brown dead- looking Begonia irresistible.

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