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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, June 2, 2017

Stopping by Bellevue Nursery

When visiting Wells Medina, we always make a stop at Bellevue Nursery due to it's proximity.  The nursery has been a neighborhood fixture since 1955, when Bellevue had a population of about six thousand people, a far cry from the bustling city of about one hundred thirty-nine it has become.  The nursery is not large but they carry a surprisingly large inventory.  Good things do come in small packages!

The nursery has been called "The eastside's finest source for seasonal color" for good reason.  Every time I visit this nursery, there are beautifully planted pots available.


Pelargonium (Geraniums) are popular at many nurseries, probably for their vibrant and constant blooms.  I must admit to having several in my own garden but my personal preference is for those with unusual foliage.  The hummingbirds seem to enjoy the flowers so I don't cut them off.

Lots of annuals, vegetables, etc fill the tables.

Fabulous coleus foliage.  I've grown a few in pots on my back steps for many years but didn't take cuttings last fall so am thinking of taking a break this year.  These beauties were giving me second thoughts.



I love Iceland Poppies but they usually don't stick around in my garden for some reason. 


Crazytunia 'Moonstruck' has a nice combination of colors.

The first bougainvillea sighting of the year had me dialing my pal Loree to see if she needed one. 


Speaking of Danger Garden...

Suddenly, every nursery seems to have Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer'  Hooray!  Fingers crossed that it likes my garden as much as some of the others that I grow.

A good selection of ornamentals and edibles. 

I love roses and usually shop for them with my nose.  For me it's all about the fragrance.

Carex laxiculmis 'Bunny Blue'  almost came home with me because of both the color and the name. The plant likes moist shade.  Most of my shade is pretty dry so it stayed at the nursery.





Artichoke foliage always thrills. 

Some hard to find fruit trees.


More green goodness.

Rose 'Drop Dead Red' 
 There is a large area inside with lots of interesting garden-related giftware but I was drawn to the indoor plant area.




I'm always impressed with the creative ways that these folks display tillandsias.


Since I already have the head pot, this tillandsia clump had to come home with me. 
Hope you have a delightful and garden-filled weekend!

12 comments:

  1. We were impressed with Bellevue Nursery when we were there for a class several months ago. Looks great now, too. i love that petunia, and the alstroemeria, but we have neither in our garden this year. No place in our yard has full sun all day.

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  2. That Alstroemeria with the dark foliage is absolutely gorgeous. Is it a big of a thug as the one I already have (and can't get rid of), or maybe better behaved? I'm thinking of going to Bellevue Nursery first thing tomorrow to pick one out. If it's safe.
    You left us hanging: did Loree need a bougainvillea?

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    1. Oops. I know she did... How did I miss that...

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  3. I know where to go next year when I finally get around to trying Bougainvillea again. Love the big black feathers with the Tillandsias. I still have the big jade plant that I bought there a couple of years ago when we were there together.

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  4. Ah, more memories! I used to stop here quite often as it was on my way from the mall back to the freeway.

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  5. I love those dark-tipped Tillandsias. I was giving coleus a pass too this summer but fell prey to a bright lime number.

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  6. What another great nursery! You have so many in your area.

    I shop with my nose also when it comes to roses. If I'm buying from online, I look for the words very fragrant, wonderful scent, etc.

    Have a great weekend Peter ~ FlowerLady

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  7. I don't know how you keep up this grueling pace of nursery visits, but thanks! Your efforts are appreciated :)
    Sometimes I'm glad plants will politely fade away and die when neglected, it's so much easier to ignore the fact I buy much more than I need... it's just disposing of the pots which becomes a problem.

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  8. Did I say shopping or window shopping with you is always fun.

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  9. They keep coming up with new Coleus every year, it seems so I treat them as annuals and let them die a natural death after they have provided exuberant color all summer long. We actually visited a garden shop this morning (bonus: they serve breakfast). It was a fun Saturday excursion...don't know why we don't do it more often. You continue to lead by example.

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  10. Looks like a fabulous nursery. Every year the Chicago Botanic Garden plants a whole hillside in Iceland Poppies. Beautiful - but they are treated as annuals, in fact until I read your post I had always assumed they were annuals.

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  11. Peter, I've spent a good hour reading through all the posts I've missed. And it was a good hour; I should say an excellent hour! I've enjoyed all the tours of the nurseries, so much imagination in the displays. I enjoyed reading about the two rescued gardens, too, how wonderful they were saved and placed into botanical protection. And most of all, I enjoyed seeing your own garden (complete with hose-snakes trying their best to trip unsuspecting garden visitors, for just like any garden, things are not always absolute perfection! My mantra this spring has been progress, not perfection, but lately even progress is not guaranteed. I have a disaster here this year, unrivaled by any previous disasters in the past thirty years of gardening. I can only hope my garden shapes up as wonderfully as yours!

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