It was opening day at Joy Creek Nursery...

He parked and I got out to walk the display garden. There were lots of hellebores.

Some flattened by the recent snow.
The Dasylirion wheeleri bloom from last summer was still standing tall.
I'm sure everyone who regularly visits this nursery has their favorite plants in the garden they head to first. The Agave neomexicana are mine, of course.

On the other side of the tall retaining wall grows a Euphorbia rigida, it was nice to be able to photograph it's bloom at nearly eye level, rather than sitting on the ground to take a photo as I do here in my own garden.


Moss and rhododendron buds, a good combination.
That Drimys winteri is arching over the pathway in a slightly concerning manner. 
Garrya elliptica bloom tassels winding down for the season.
It's always a bit odd to look out over a spot like this, one that is so lively in the summertime (classes and workshops happen here) and see it empty.
Of course the empty time is also when we can enjoy the spare bones of the place...





Nothing spare here, lots of evergreens to fill the frame.
Always on the lookout for wreath/vase material I almost gathered these fallen cryptomeria bits.
Looks like a project in the works?
And there were witch-hazels, of course...
I've finally made my way back around to the retail area, time to shop!
Chaenomeles 'Contorta', flowering quince.
Ipheion uniflorum, spring starflower.
One of the shady character table plantings, still a little dormant, but looking great.

I'll be scouring in the wild for a small bit of tree like this to plant in.
I was prepared to leave empty handed (yet with a mind full of excitement and inspiration), but then I spotted this group, Holboellia angustifolia var. angustifolia, a slightly different version of the sausage vine from what I currently have. I grabbed one of these!
And then took just a couple more photos of the display garden where it borders the parking lot...


Hardy bananas, Musa basjoo, cut down by winter, but ready to spring to it and become lush and lovely again by summer.
You guys.... it's here, another gardening season is on the way!!!!!!!!!!!!