Aloes in Wonderland, a genius name for a rare plant nursery that's located in beautiful Santa Barbara, don't you think? I was thrilled to find it listed as the location for the opening night reception for the recent Bromeliad Summit. Of course I looked at their website, which features a couple of drone fly-overs on the homepage (here). Still, I was not prepared for the sheer beauty and size of the place.
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This is both a private garden and nursery, belonging to the Summit's organizer Jeff Chemnick, where theoretically everything happens to be for sale, if the price is right.
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Up near the house (the subject of today's post) the plants are in designed planting beds, a garden. As you venture further afield (which we'll do tomorrow) things become a little more like growing grounds, but still completely spellbinding.
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Of course Gerhard and I wandered around with our mouths hanging open in awe, occasionally looking at each other and laughing or asking "can you believe this?"...well, can you?
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I was there and I still can't quite believe it.
Cycads were the subject of an previous Summit, Jeff has quite the collection.
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After I took the above photo we headed down the hillside into a more "nursery-like" area. For today's post I skip ahead to when we had climbed back up—almost to house level—and a pair of greenhouses came into view.
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One was full of a mash up of different plants, the second contained mainly baby cycads.
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They sure were cute.
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Moving towards the back of the house this vignette stopped me...
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Tillandsia and cactus, who would have thought?
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I was temped to climb the stairs, but I did not.
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Orchids, outside, blooming away like it's no big deal.
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There was another pathway leading off , back down the hill. I was tempted to follow it, but figured I'd probably already been where it was leading, and dinner (pizza in front the house) was calling.
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Hechtia...
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So many plants...
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Another hechtia...
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Oh!
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Welwitschia mirabilis, in the tall container.
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Agave albopilosa
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So darn fabulous.
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Hechtia lanata, in bloom.
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Maybe Agave potatorum?
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Pachypodium of some sort.
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I think I was told this is an Agave titanota.
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And Puya something or other.
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Just a lot of cool spikes...
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Of course we know the big guy is an Agave ovatifolia.
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Flawless.
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When I first looked at this image, for just a second I thought I'd got a Lotusland image mixed in (we were there the next day), but nope. This is still Jeff's home.
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The colors!
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Yes, that encephalartos really was that blue.
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Turning around to the driveway island...
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Another pathway!
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And another hechtia...
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Everything was pristine. No insect damage, no weather damage.
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Come back tomorrow for more wandering around wonderland...
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Weather Diary, April 17: Hi 67, Low 50/ Precip trace
All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
This is both a private garden and nursery, belonging to the Summit's organizer Jeff Chemnick, where theoretically everything happens to be for sale, if the price is right.
Up near the house (the subject of today's post) the plants are in designed planting beds, a garden. As you venture further afield (which we'll do tomorrow) things become a little more like growing grounds, but still completely spellbinding.
Of course Gerhard and I wandered around with our mouths hanging open in awe, occasionally looking at each other and laughing or asking "can you believe this?"...well, can you?
I was there and I still can't quite believe it.
Cycads were the subject of an previous Summit, Jeff has quite the collection.
After I took the above photo we headed down the hillside into a more "nursery-like" area. For today's post I skip ahead to when we had climbed back up—almost to house level—and a pair of greenhouses came into view.
One was full of a mash up of different plants, the second contained mainly baby cycads.
They sure were cute.
Moving towards the back of the house this vignette stopped me...
Tillandsia and cactus, who would have thought?
I was temped to climb the stairs, but I did not.
Orchids, outside, blooming away like it's no big deal.
There was another pathway leading off , back down the hill. I was tempted to follow it, but figured I'd probably already been where it was leading, and dinner (pizza in front the house) was calling.
Hechtia...
So many plants...
Another hechtia...
Oh!
Welwitschia mirabilis, in the tall container.
Agave albopilosa
So darn fabulous.
Hechtia lanata, in bloom.
Maybe Agave potatorum?
Pachypodium of some sort.
I think I was told this is an Agave titanota.
And Puya something or other.
Just a lot of cool spikes...
Of course we know the big guy is an Agave ovatifolia.
Flawless.
When I first looked at this image, for just a second I thought I'd got a Lotusland image mixed in (we were there the next day), but nope. This is still Jeff's home.
The colors!
Yes, that encephalartos really was that blue.
Turning around to the driveway island...
Another pathway!
And another hechtia...
Everything was pristine. No insect damage, no weather damage.
Come back tomorrow for more wandering around wonderland...
Weather Diary, April 17: Hi 67, Low 50/ Precip trace
All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.