August 8 will be the last day of her plant sale (40% off all plants) and when I visited, there were still a lot of rare and unusual gems like variegated ginkgos, unusual maples, and more so if you're in the area, stop by and get some great deals!
Let's take one last look around this art-filled garden, shall we?
Heidi has and operates heavy equipment so when she decides to re - envision a garden space, she does it in a big way!
this whole area has been re done including the rustic log pergola. I can't tell you how huge that thing is.
Hot pot combination.
The blue eucalyptus/gold bamboo combination is one I've copied in my parking strip but my eucalyptus isn't as large as this yet.
There was a recent art festival and some of the artists left pieces. Is this cool or what?
No fire pit is complete without firesticks, right?
Oh that I had space and the resources...
Heidi will continue to live and garden here, the online shopping site will continue, and the garden will be available as an event space (thus a lot of the re-envisioning of space) but the retail on site nursery will be no more.
What a great space to be married or celebrate a significant event in one's life!
The upper garden by the house has undergone fewer drastic changes over the years, probably because the backhoe would have to take out some outstanding trees to get here.
This guy likes to watch people and is the guardian of the schefflera on the left.
Sorry about the light. Strolling through the shade gardens.
Everyone needs a life-sized bovine in his/her garden right? Heidi has named him Ferdinand after the children's book. ("Ferdinand is the world's most peaceful - and - beloved little bull. While all of the other bulls snort, leap, and butt their heads, Ferdinand is content to just sit and smell the flowers under his favorite cork tree.")
Great pot and plant combinations!
Meanwhile back to the lower space...
Going to the greenhouse (which actually always happens first) to visit the resident Schefflera macrophylla seen here in it's former glory.
I found this - No S. macrophylla. It had looked worse and worse over the last few visits. Heidi said that that the trunk just came away from the roots. There was lots of new growth around the top and Heidi tried to root cuttings in a variety of ways but, like everyone else who's tried, she failed. Schefflera macrophylla - DYK(Dead You Know) (Difficulty in propagation is the main reason this great plant isn't more widely available here. There's still hope as the Rhododendron Species Foundation Garden Conservatory has several although they've mentioned difficulty in propagation as well. Oh well, where would I put it anyway?
On to happier things.
On to the future of Dragonfly as an event space. I wish Heidi much success in her new adventure.
So sad to see another independent nursery close, especially one that specialized in unusual stock for plant nerds. With the Costcoization, Disneyfication, Walmartinizing of retail, it's difficult for small independent specialty nurseries to survive. As we bid farewell to Dragonfly Farms, let's try to support our local specialty growers! One way to do that is to attend the Fronderosa Frolic this Saturday!
Hail and Farewell Dragonfly Farms Nursery and may your future trails be bright Heidi!
I was very saddened to hear about Heidi closing. It was a great nursery. (BTW, the Seattle Fling had its closing cocktail party there, not lunch.) Have you also heard that this is the last year for the Fronderosa Frolic?
ReplyDeleteIt was a great nursery! Thanks for catching my mistake. I hadn't heard about the Frolic but am not surprised. It's such a big event to manage. Another sad loss. The Frolic had become a tradition for us. Oh well, one last time!
DeleteNO!!!! So sad when a nursery closes...and even though I've never been there, I always enjoyed your posts about them :-(
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to see a nursery go!
DeleteToo bad indeed. What Scott said, even though I have never been it's sad for people around the area and I too enjoyed your posts. Thanks for sharing and much luck to Heidi in her future adventures.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to see a nursery go and sadder yet is that new ones aren't popping up to take their places.
DeleteOh I love the pots in the photo underneath where you've written 'great plants/pots combinations'! So cool. And blue eucalyptus is the best kind.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite a fun collection of pots! I've seen so many interesting eucalyptus on your blog...the variety is amazing.
Delete*sigh* this makes me sad. I knew Heidi was closing shop but it's more of a reality to see pictures. I wish I could make it up there to say good-bye, I haven't been for a few years.
ReplyDeleteI was going to add that this is also the last year for the Frolic, but see Alison mentioned that already. Sad I'll never get to attend that...
Sad, sad, sad! I'm glad I got to see Dragonfly one more time. One last frolic. Sorry you never got to attend.
DeleteShe's very astute to see when it is time to move on to event venue. I hope that trend serves her well. It looks like a fun place for a huge party.
ReplyDeleteShe is indeed but it's sad to see the nursery go. It would be a blast to have a party there!
DeleteIf mail order is still available, it's not entirely closed, right? (That's how many of us "visit" PNW nurseries anyway...)
ReplyDeleteGardening is change...
It's true. Gardens are ephemeral and so are nurseries. The mail order part will be mostly conifers and companion plants.
DeleteI share your dismay at the closure of what is clearly a wonderful nursery. I'm glad to hear that the owner plans to pursue her mail order business and will continue to use the beautiful space she's created (unlike the situation of one of my beloved "local" nurseries which is being turned into an extension of a car dealership).
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of nurseries in Tacoma, one in business for one hundred years, the other for sixty that were torn down and the land reused. Both new developments carry the names of the former nurseries. Everyone needs larger car dealerships right? So sad.
DeleteI remember that huge satellite dish from a previous post: it's such an amazing thing.
ReplyDeleteI was wandering what will happen to that wonderful garden, and it sounds like it will continue to be wonderful, just not in a retail setting. That fire pit firestick is very cool! Anyone with a green house can borrow the idea...
It is nice that the space and special garden will remain! The fire pit is fun and it's an idea worth borrowing!
DeleteAnother great nursery I will never get to visit now. It's so sad. I understand that people want to shop at the big box stores, but their selection is small and generic, they will never be able to replace independent nurseries--at least that's how it would be in a world ruled by sanity and common sense.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason to support our local independents. The big box stores are fun too but you're right, hey don't carry the variety of cool plants that the smaller businesses do.
DeleteSo sad to see this nursery closing. I have only visited a handful of times but came away with treasures every time.
ReplyDeleteThere were always treasures to find at Dragonfly "Where Abnormality is [was] the Normality!"
DeleteWas the crack in the entry stone signage on omen? I hope this is less a sign of diminishing returns on specialty plants and more a liberating move for Heidi. Dealing with the public on a daily basis can be draining and it sounds like she has many other irons in the fire. Thanks for this last glimpse into a great endeavor...and happy trails to Heidi.
ReplyDeleteHeidi said that the plant nerds are getting older,their gardens full and the days of people filling their cars with specialty plants have given way to people wanting "onesies, twosies." I think Heidi enjoyed working with people. The landscaping part of her business, which will continue, often carried the nursery. We wish her well and thank her for years of fun plants!
DeleteOh those pots! Shame to hear it's closing, the place looks so fun and cool.
ReplyDeleteIt is a special place and there were always great and unusual plants to find.
DeleteMy Idyll friends and I so enjoyed our visit here a few years back..Heidi was very entertaining indeed, and the display gardens were quite lovely. I hope she is wildly successful in her future endeavors.
ReplyDeleteI wish her great success. She's such a hard worker and always very entertaining!
DeleteAll good things must pass, and Dragonfly was obviously a good thing. I wish Heidi great success with her new business venture.
ReplyDeleteIt's true but sad and specialty nursery closings seem like a trend. Good luck to Heidi!
DeleteI loved visiting Heidi's nursery with Kathy and meeting her Blue Heeler. I've got to find that post with her dog and maybe repost it. The display beds were really high quality. The site is perfect for an event venue. Best of luck to her with the new incarnation.
ReplyDeleteThere is now a pack of Blue Heelers at Dragonfly. The nursery will be missed but the gardens will continue!
DeleteIt looks like not only a fun nursery but a great garden, too, so it's great Heidi will be having time to develop it as a fun event place, what a creative enterprise.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear that Dragonfly Farms is closing shop, as it was one of my favorite nurseries visited during the Seattle Fling a few years ago. Heidi has true creative vision! I wish her all the best with her event business. Thanks for this last look, Peter.
ReplyDelete