Wells Medina Nursery Part One.

Medina is a very exclusive area quite near Seattle with a population of nearly 3,000 people of which Bill Gates is probably the best known.  Visitors are welcomed by signs that read "You Are Entering A 24 Hour Video Surveillance Area."  The system records the license plate of every car entering the city and police are notified if the license number is recorded in any database.

In this area is Wells Medina Nursery (previous post here.) started by Ned Wells in 1972, now run by his two daughters. Although they don't propagate their own stock,  Wells Medina is a plant lover's paradise as they carry not only standard nursery stock but also less common and unusual plants. The variegated camellia from a previous post was purchased here.  It's a treat to visit this nursery that is a nine minute drive from the bustle of downtown Seattle.  The setting is quiet and park like and the people who work here are friendly and serious plant people who really know their stuff.

There is always something interesting to b found  here regardless of the season but spring is a special time at any nursery!

I love the circle of palms echoing the circular shape of the raised beds and planter in the center.

They're getting ready to bloom!  In case you were wondering, that price tag reads $995.00

This is a place that doesn't do anything in a small way.  Here is a tiny portion of their rose selection. 

Huge pots of Anigozanthos flavidus (Kangaroo Paws) for instant impact.

A small forest of Abyssinian Red Bananas (Ensete ventricosum)

Paeonia veitchii with gorgeous foliage hails from China and is one of the few peonies that thrives and blooms either in sun or shade.

Speaking of instant impact,  feast your eyes on this fabulous blooming brugmansia.

Looks like the WEHOP (Western Horticultural Products) truck made a delivery as these chartreuse pots are all form Montery Bay Growers.

 Echiveria 'Doris Taylor' is such a cute little hirsute thing!

Dudleya caespitosa was a serious temptation. Others also must have agreed as there were only a few left.  Since one already lives in my greenhouse, it was easier to leave it behind.

These always tug at my heart.  Each plant looks like a flower.  

Abutilon 'Rosa Linda' is a charmer!

So, here I am feeling smug that I wintered these over in my greenhouse.  Perhaps someday mine will be as big as these fifty dollar, two gallon Cordyline 'Pink Passion'

Four inch pot of Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex.'  

Lots of charmers for shade.

I'm liking Heuchera 'Fire Alarm.' Such vibrant color.  

Who doesn't love Cardoon foliage?  I was seriously tempted by this but for thirty some bucks, I decided it would be better to find a seedling and watch it grow. The nice thing about the availability of these large plants is that if one really wanted to impress the garden club when they come for tea and cucumber sandwiches, the addition of a few really grand plants that look like they'd been there for a while would do it!

 O.K. Stachys Bello Gigo is officially everywhere this year.  I've seen it at lots of nurseries.  I vow to get mine in the ground in the sun this year and not let it struggle in a pot the way I did last year.

Itoh Peonies are nice enough and don't require staking but I'm not all that crazy about them.  

 Camellia japonica 'Nicki Crisp' 

 A lovely collection of conifers and beyond that deciduous trees, not to mention the Acer palmaum collection.  Sigh.

 Lophomyrtus x ralphii 'Kathryn.' Is that cute foliag or what?  My plant lust-o-meter dial was on ten until I saw that it's only hardy to zone 9a.

Azaleas screaming out that it's definitely spring.   The rhododendron area will get it's own post.

There's a Pieris Japonica for just about everyone!  P.j. 'Flaming Silver'

P.j. 'Rialto'

P.j. 'Katsura' 

 I nearly added American Hybrid tuberous begonias to the Begonia experiment in the laboratory. The tubers from Breck's finally arrived so we have hardware store, Blackmore and Langdon, and Breck's Dutch tuberous begonias to compare.  There are already lots of them in the lab so these stayed at the store but  perhaps next year.

The size of the tubers is larger than any of the others I'd planted.  These were too large to even fit in the four inch pots in which the others are starting.

Coprosma repens 'Infeno' 

Sigh, this Yucca rigida is gorgeous and for $595.00 it could be yours!  Instant impact does come at a price.

If you're ever in the Seattle area, a visit to Wells Medina is a must!