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!

Wells Medina Nursery

Since we were already in Seattle for the Glass Eye Studio sidewalk sale in mid May, why not take take a little side trip to Wells Medina Nursery.  We're lucky in the Pacific Northwest to have an embarrassment of riches in the nursery department.  Although the trove has been diminished significantly in the last few years, Wells Medina remains one of the larger jewels in the crown.  One will find some of the usual nursery fare here but there  also  an array of specialty plants sufficient to thrill even the most jaded nursery shopper.  Let's go shopping!

Not all blooms are invasive monsters like the sulfur-flowered  Scotch Broom that turns our landscape golden in late spring, seeding freely.  Cytisus x praecox 'Hollandia' is quite a lovely thing.

Almost picked up another one of these as I had one that grew huge.  Tip:  tropical plants do not like to be on the floor of the greenhouse in the winter when a forgetful gardener doesn't close the door securely and a cold storm blows the door open in the night and it remains that way for a day.

Pelargonium 'Occold Shield' 

Phormium 'Guardsman'  has been high on my lust list since first seeing it at Flora Grubb in San Francisco.  However I'd only seen it at one nursery in the area and the price was a bit too dear for me. The thrill of finding nice large specimens at a much lower price made me a little giddy as I conducted the beauty contest between at least 30 of these.

Wouldn't it be dreamy to have space to create something like this in one's own garden? 

Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) 

Fremontodendron californicum 'Spring Fever'  has red branches.  This variety was new to me. 

Coniogramme japonica

So many roses it boggles the mind.

Hosta heaven.

Dodecatheon pulchellum 'Red Wings'

Dactylorhiza fuchsii

Arisaema ringens 

bursting forth.

Polygonatum 'Greay Yellow River'  

Tapestry of purple orange, and yellow. 

Papyrus

The picture doesn't do justice to the huge contrast in colors that drew the eye and admiration of many from far across the crowded nursery.

For a conifer collector, this would be a must have specimen!  Although this is a mature specimen that won't get much larger, it's still too large for my garden. 

Acerville

Rhododendron land. 

For fans of green, R. 'Windsong' 

Apricot Fantasy

Lost the name of this one but bi-colored blooms are favorites.

Rhododendron 'Nancy Evans' is an interesting banana-yellow color. 

Davidia involucrata in bloom. 

Schefflera forest

The new growth on this camellia stopped me in my tracks.  What a beauty!

The flower shape of Rhododendron 'Lem's Stormcloud' was cool.

Rhododendron 'Blue Peter' almost came home with me because of the name and the orchid-like flowers. Okay, enough of that.  No room for more rhododendrons!   These are but a tiny fraction of the huge selection.

Phormium 'Sea Jade' 

Fab new wallpaper on the wall of the indoor area.  Wells Medina also has a nice library of reference books.  Customers may sit in the comfy room and research to their heart's desire.  This nursery is about plants and a few pots but doesn't carry gegaws, giftware, and the like.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, I'm a lover of  interesting tchotchkes!

Last summer, this blue wall was adorned with hanging yellow and  orange pots full of succulents.  How the feeling changes when the wall plays backdrop to a pair of Cercis canadensis (Redbud trees) and a trio of green pots.  I can't wait to go back later in the season to see what they do next!

  I hope you enjoyed visiting as much as I did.  Happy June!  Can you believe that it's June already?  Okay time slow down and let us enjoy this exquisite time in our gardens a bit longer!