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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.

Friday, May 6, 2016

Tilting at Windmill

Well just visiting Windmill nursery in Sumner really.  Why, you may ask, would someone who has too many plants as it is go to a nursery?  Because it's fun!  Candy stores aren't usually visited by thin people who are hungry, right. Also, because it was there or rather, I was very close, at my pal Alison's house to pick up lots of her plants to take to the plant swap this weekend. While Windmill remains open year round, they have a lot fewer plant offerings in the winter and shut down some areas to customers.  Mother's day is the day when more sales are made in the horticulture biz in this part of the world, than any other day of the year so most nurseries are stocked floor to ceiling.

Well, okay, let's.
Windmill (more info in previous posts here. ) is owned by the DeGode Brothers, a huge and long established wholesale grower that supplies Fred Meyer and other retail customers with great plants, especially fuchsia baskets so it's no surprise that Windmill is dripping with these beauties right now.


These are huge plants taking up four or five feet in all directions.  The fuchsia basket has become an ubiquitous mother's day gift.  In the ground, I prefer the more diminutive flowered varieties, as porch ornaments, these huge overblown flowers which dwarf hummingbird visitors are quite the sight.

Having a smallish front porch, one of these would have been more than enough for the Outlaw Garden.  After considering that it would mean daily watering, weekly applications of some sort of food, and picking up spent flowers all summer, the tough decision of which one is most beautiful was eliminated.


So pretty!

Don't have a place from which to hang a fuchsia?  Fear not, a standard is just the thing!

So much color!  Surely something to please every mother!

In addition, there's  a great selection of perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, cut flowers, supplies, and gifts.

Nice arrangement featuring our native Lewisia.

Agave 'Mr. Ripple' with a Delosperma.  One would need good gloves and a steady hand to under plant an agave!


Looks like we just missed a big flush of blooms on this jasmine.  There were still enough unspent blooms to send a powerful and lovely scent through the space.




Medinilla magnifica have been blooming since February.  

Ah, the tropics with big bold foliage textures that remain year round. 

It's nice to have a cool green visual rest from all of that floral color. 




All ready for July!

I usually get a few New Guinea Impatiens with variegated leaves each season to throw in pots on the back steps so these came home with me.

The sweet little double flowered variety of wax begonias (not my favorite begonia usually)  tempted me briefly.


If you celebrate Mother's Day now (U.S.) did earlier as they do in the U.K. or celebrate your mother's love every day of the year, I hope you have a great weekend  and do something nice for or in memory of your mother.


14 comments:

  1. Aah - the abundance!!! This mother loved the little Lewisia planter - very nice. But fuchsias too are faves - the hardy ones I have in the ground are the Energizer bunnies of my garden. They just keep going and going until frost does us apart. Can't beat that! :)

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    1. The hardy fuchsias are favorites of mine too and the big hanging pots remind me of growing the poor things in my Alaska garden were they got beat up by our summer winds.

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  2. I love that tropical display. Indoors or outdoors, it's always great when nurseries have a display garden. Looking forward to seeing you at the swap tomorrow!

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    1. I look forward to seeing you and all the PDX gang!

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  3. Ah you've reminded me of the huge fuchsia basket my mom used buy every Mother's day for my grandma. Happy memories.

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    1. I wonder where/how/why that fuchsia tradition started in these parts?

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  4. You had to show the fuchsias! I'm trying very hard to avoid their siren call this year as bringing them home here is equivalent to sentencing them to death row.

    Have a great weekend, Peter!

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    1. What, you haven't installed that air-conditioned greenhouse yet? Hope you have a great weekend, too, Kris!

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  5. We always enjoy our several trips a year to Windmill Nursery. No fuchsia baskets for me, either. We prefer the hardy fuchsias in the ground.

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  6. Those fuchsias look unreal, almost made of silk fabric. I love that Lewisia arrangement too. I have it blooming right now, and I think I could use a few more of this easy-to-grow plant.

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  7. So much choice, how does anyone decide what to buy! The huge fuchsias are amazing, they would need a huge porch to put them in.

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  8. I like how you describe the nursery as a plant-lover's candy store. Yes, indeed! Those Fuchsias are amazing! I always plant several around the house, because the hummers do seem to love them. I haven't grown Wax Begonias in years, but like you--sometimes I'm tempted.

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  9. Looks like a place where even those of us who remain unmoved by fuchsia baskets could find something to love.

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