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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, April 7, 2017

Dragonfly Farms - Huge Flash Sale. All Must Go.

So read the email that arrived in my inbox a week or so ago.  On the same day as the Heronswood sale, Heidi opened Dragonfly Farms for one last sale.  It was a delight to see her and her fabulous garden again.  The space is now available as an event venue and is still Heidi's home.    Heidi is constantly re inventing her garden.  This structure is huge, much larger than it appears in the picture.


Heidi did major damage to her ankle (breaking and tearing were involved) and is just getting on her feet again but her garden looks grand nonetheless.

The space is still full of interesting perennials, reseeding annuals, etc. but over the last few years, evergreens are playing a larger role, making the garden look great year round.

Heidi's garden is full of fabulous artwork.

 A fun surprise in the paving of one of the patio areas surrounding a large fire pit.



You can see the structure of the former main sales greenhouse in the background. 

What an awesome space in which to host an event.


Every time I see these mirror-mosaic spheres, I vow to make some. 




All of the plants for sale have been moved to an upper, less visible space. Lots of super conifers. 

Among the deciduous plants were quite a few unusual ginkgos, even some variegated varieties

Unusual acers.  The prices of all of the plants was incredibly low.  

So tempting to buy a car full of plants but I limited myself to a couple of Larix kaempferi 'Tunis' standards,  four Hebe 'Pink Elephant' and an Ilex crassifolia.

Where does she find such unusual garden art? 



Frequent visitors to the farm are accustomed to seeing this area full of plants for sale but it's lovely this way as well.


The sight of this Schefflera taiwaniana sitting outside the greenhouse skeleton brought back a fond memory from a few years ago.  At that time, Monrovia was slowly releasing this plant and nurseries were only allowed three or four the first year.  The next year a few more were allowed and Heidi called me to let me know that she'd gotten some in.  I left work right on time and drove an hour and a half to get to the nursery just before closing to purchase one. In retrospect, it was a bit silly as these are now in generous supply in many nurseries at far lower prices but at the time, I felt very lucky to have one.  






Jim's spheres still adorn the garden and I think some might be available for sale. Because of his health, Jim is no longer making them.

My fourth grade teacher did not like messy desks and would often dump the contents of same on the floor for her students to organize.  What would she have thought of this?





It's nice to know that the garden will continue and that Heidi will be starting an exciting new project this summer.  I'm looking forward to experiencing it and sharing it with you!  With Heidi's energy and creativity,  this new chapter will surely be a smashing success!

13 comments:

  1. Gorgeous! It's good to know the garden will continue and new adventures are on the horizon.

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  2. Thanks for sharing these pictures of what Heidi's doing with her space. It's an amazing transformation from the sales space she had. I hope she has great success with her new venture as an event venue. My first visit there was during the Seattle Fling and it was a revelation.

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  3. OMG...I want that rusty metal tree!!!

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  4. I was just thinking of Heidi the other day and wondering what she was up to. What a great lady, I will always have fond memories of her and the nursery.

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  5. There are lots of wonderful touches here. I LOVE that twisted rusted metal tree. I'm glad she's found another way to evolve her business so the garden will continue to be enjoyed by a wide audience.

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  6. Such a wonderful nursery, and I'm so glad to have been able to see it. Best of luck to them in their new venture.

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  7. Oh my gosh! What a fantastic place! I hope she will recover completely from her injuries. Her style is just wonderful! All the artwork is amazing. I loved the heart in the patio and the rusty flowers with a hummingbird, and many more, but those two grabbed my heart. :-)

    Have a great weekend and thank you Peter for sharing all of these interesting nurseries, etc. They are a real treat ~ FlowerLady

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  8. We were only at Dragonfly once, but I remember it well. She had such a flair for making art out of the unusual.

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  9. Wow. What amazing art! I just love that twisted tree. (I have a little miniature wire tree a lot like that. How beautiful a lifesize one looks in the garden!) And all the rusted iron things repurposed in the garden with such creativity! Love that desk overflowing with plants. What a fun place to visit.

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  10. It's like an art museum and garden in one! It is fascinating how gardens evolve with their owners. It'd make an interesting long term study, don't you think? I can just see the coffee table book!

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  11. If I were planning an event, this would be the place.

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  12. I'm jealous of your excursion (but put it aside to enjoy every view). Thanks for sharing your photos and the experience. What a fascinating new venture...

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  13. I really wanted to go to the sale and raid the conifers, but couldn't justify the drive when I have so much to do at home. It's sad to see the nursery portion end, but I'm sure Heidi will do marvelous things with the space as a venue for events. That rusty tree is absolutely fantastic!

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