Plant shopping opportunities were scarce during the 2019 Fling in Colorado, which I've been calling the Denver Fling, but we spent a day in Ft. Collins and a day in Boulder, so we definitely saw more than just Denver.
While I was on a bus visiting gardens Andrew was out and about exploring the city. He sent me photos of a plant filled window at the Queen City General Store...
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I tried not to be to jealous, I mean I don't really need more plants, do I?
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Thankfully I didn't return home plant-less. Here's the final haul, back home in Portland.
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The little sempervivum at the bottom of the plant pyramid (above) came from this clump...
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...in the garden of Linda Boley. When I asked her about the odd knuckled leaves on a few of the plants, she said that was her “pine-cone sempervivum” and asked if I wanted one, of course! She then proceeded to pull one out of the ground and hand it to me, as well as doing the same for two friends who walked up and admired it. What a generous lady with a great garden...
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See how the tips resemble a pine cone?
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The Denver Botanic Gardens gift shop provided shopping opportunities.
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Complete with rusty cacti...
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...and Little Pickles!
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While I loved the name, the plant itself wasn't something I needed to bring home.
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I was tempted by the Puya alpestris, but didn't want to torture the poor thing.
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There were a few great containers, but the fact we flew to Denver kept me from even looking at the prices.
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I did however succumb to the temptation of these cuties.
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Aloinopsis spathulata, aka hardy living stone
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Full sun, well drained soil, Zone 6
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My other two plant purchases weren't actually purchases but rather gifts. Andrew and I returned to the Denver Botanic Gardens on Monday (after the Fling proper had wrapped up) and ran into Panayoti Kelaidis (Senior Curator and Director of Outreach at the garden, as well as all around amazing plantsman). Just a few minutes of talking with him and he was working to connect us with Kelly Grummons (the cactus man) for a garden tour. So after a wandering the DBG for a bit we then set off to meet this kind (and very knowledgeable) man who spent a couple of hours touring two complete strangers around his garden and through his small retail greenhouses. I fell hard for that blue agave...
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It's Agave parryi v. neomexicana x utahensis, or deep blue form New Mexican agave (available here). It's hardy to Zone 5, and of course needs excellent drainage. Isn't it a beauty?
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That's it on the left. The other plant, Echinocereus triglochidiatus...
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...was one I fell in love with in the greenhouse. The larger 4" pots weren't for sale, as he's saving those to gather seeds for propagation.
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But I got one of these smaller guys, they're so pristine! The deep red claret cup flowers were a feature of many of the gardens we visited during the Fling, if my plant blooms someday it will definitely take me back.
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There were a few other plants I was seriously lusting after at Kelly's place, this petite opuntia (below) topped the list, but he didn't have any available on site. Meet Opuntia polyacantha 'Peter Pan', so called because it never matures and never blooms. Forever staying in this, it's juvenile form. Yes, I've already ordered a pair...
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Weather Diary, June 19: Hi 70, Low 54/ Precip 0
All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
While I was on a bus visiting gardens Andrew was out and about exploring the city. He sent me photos of a plant filled window at the Queen City General Store...
I tried not to be to jealous, I mean I don't really need more plants, do I?
Thankfully I didn't return home plant-less. Here's the final haul, back home in Portland.
The little sempervivum at the bottom of the plant pyramid (above) came from this clump...
...in the garden of Linda Boley. When I asked her about the odd knuckled leaves on a few of the plants, she said that was her “pine-cone sempervivum” and asked if I wanted one, of course! She then proceeded to pull one out of the ground and hand it to me, as well as doing the same for two friends who walked up and admired it. What a generous lady with a great garden...
See how the tips resemble a pine cone?
The Denver Botanic Gardens gift shop provided shopping opportunities.
Complete with rusty cacti...
...and Little Pickles!
While I loved the name, the plant itself wasn't something I needed to bring home.
I was tempted by the Puya alpestris, but didn't want to torture the poor thing.
There were a few great containers, but the fact we flew to Denver kept me from even looking at the prices.
I did however succumb to the temptation of these cuties.
Aloinopsis spathulata, aka hardy living stone
Full sun, well drained soil, Zone 6
My other two plant purchases weren't actually purchases but rather gifts. Andrew and I returned to the Denver Botanic Gardens on Monday (after the Fling proper had wrapped up) and ran into Panayoti Kelaidis (Senior Curator and Director of Outreach at the garden, as well as all around amazing plantsman). Just a few minutes of talking with him and he was working to connect us with Kelly Grummons (the cactus man) for a garden tour. So after a wandering the DBG for a bit we then set off to meet this kind (and very knowledgeable) man who spent a couple of hours touring two complete strangers around his garden and through his small retail greenhouses. I fell hard for that blue agave...
It's Agave parryi v. neomexicana x utahensis, or deep blue form New Mexican agave (available here). It's hardy to Zone 5, and of course needs excellent drainage. Isn't it a beauty?
That's it on the left. The other plant, Echinocereus triglochidiatus...
...was one I fell in love with in the greenhouse. The larger 4" pots weren't for sale, as he's saving those to gather seeds for propagation.
But I got one of these smaller guys, they're so pristine! The deep red claret cup flowers were a feature of many of the gardens we visited during the Fling, if my plant blooms someday it will definitely take me back.
There were a few other plants I was seriously lusting after at Kelly's place, this petite opuntia (below) topped the list, but he didn't have any available on site. Meet Opuntia polyacantha 'Peter Pan', so called because it never matures and never blooms. Forever staying in this, it's juvenile form. Yes, I've already ordered a pair...
Weather Diary, June 19: Hi 70, Low 54/ Precip 0
All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.