Pat Calvert Greenhouse, at the UW Arboretum Foundation

I paid my second-ever visit to the Pat Calvert Greenhouse on October 19th, when I was up Seattle-way (photos from my first visit, in 2015, here). Why? Well, first of all I was hoping to score another Erica arborea var. alpina, a great plant I bought the first time around — no luck on that by the way. The second reason was I'd heard one of their Agave parryi var. couesii was blooming, and I thought maybe I might catch the tail end of it.

I guess I did, sort of.

Poor thing, it must of hit a branch above and bent/broke.

The bloomed plant's on it's way out.

But the second one is still looking lively. I hope they replant another, it's obviously a great location for them.

Moving on towards the greenhouse area I was temporarily sidelined by a mass of running, screaming, children. Thank god they were running away from where I was headed, I just had to hide for a moment and they passed.

I so miss the huge Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) that used to grow in the park by my house. Why it was cut down I will never understand.

The drive up to Seattle was a foggy one, a little was still lingering in the garden.

The greenhouse wasn't open, although I think the children I'd encountered earlier were inside for a class.

What a gorgeous tree.

A Cryptomeria? (I found no sign)

Their big plant sale was back in September (FallAbundance), but there were still so many plants for sale I can't imagine what it must have been like then.

It's always nice to see Daphniphyllum available.

I think they were $15, probably the most expensive thing there.

Lomatia myricoides, only $4!

Hakea epiglottis

Correa 'Ivory Bells'

There were lots of Cyclamen.

And this little cutey, Lemmaphyllum microphyllum. It's a tender, spreading, epiphytic fern that lives on rocks or tree branches.

There were plants not for sale...

And plants not for sale, but free for the taking! (Maytenus boaria and an unidentified Podocarpus, if you're curious)

I'd made a few selections and it was time to head to the visitors center to pay.

But the light was magical and this airy. ferny, conifer (?) caught my eye. Anyone able to give it an ID?

The ginormous Gunnea leaves and Blechnum chilense were also worth stopping to admire.

Such a fresh green...

And the arching new fronds were gorgeous — in all honestly I don't recall mine every being at this stage, open and arching, but not yet with pointy edges.

So here's my haul ($22): I bought both of the remaining Lemmaphyllum microphyllum (only $3ea), a pair of Asphodeline lutea, a Lomatia myricoides and Correa 'Ivory Bells'. I had another Correa for a few years, but it perished after the winter of 2016/17 (since this one is even less hardy I'm hoping I can just get it through this winter). These great finds almost make up for not getting another Erica arborea var. alpina, almost...