Andrew and I just wrapped up a nice, week-long, trip to California. The best part? We drove! You know what that means…I bought plants. Our first stop was a visit to Gerhard’s wonderful garden in Davis, CA (yes, there will be a post, I took a lot of photos). I also left with plants, Gerhard’s a generous guy...
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This Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor' is one Gerhard divided from his main plant and had tucked into a holding area (above photo from his garden). Now it's mine. What a beauty!
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These two pups also came from Gerhard, on the left Agave havardiana (which will be fine here in the ground) and on the right a pup from his Agave 'Joe Hoak'. Initially I passed when he offered the baby Joe, after all I already have two and I didn't want to be greedy, but then when I saw the mama plant, well I changed my mind. His plant is so silver, I realize it might be due to the light of Davis vs. Portland but it just looks so different than my others, I had to take one!
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Another gifted pup Agave ‘Sharkskin’ this one fell out of it's container in transit so it's temporarily sharing a pot while it gets a few roots.
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Once we arrived in the Bay Area our home base was in Berkeley, with a Saturday morning trip into San Francisco and a few brief wanders into Oakland or Richmond. High on my list of must-see destinations was The Dry Garden, a nursery in Oakland. That's where I found the top plant on my list of things I hoped to bring home: Sonchus canariensis...
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I had one of these that I loved, and lost to root-rot last fall. It was my fault for not noticing the container wasn't properly draining. I will do better with this one.
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This was an exciting find at Flora Grubb, Agave xylonacantha. I was pretty sure I'd never seen it and the reaction of all the employees ("isn't that great, we just got that in, never have had that one before") confirmed it was something special.
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This one is a bit of a head scratcher. Labeled as Furcraea gigantea 'Striata' it certainly doesn't fit with any of the photos I find online, bought at a quick foray into a big-box store (curiosity ya know).
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Lupinus albifrons “Silver Bush Lupine” (the small leaves) and Lupinus sericatus “Cobb Mountain Lupine” (the big ones). When I stopped in Berkeley Horticultural Nursery I discovered all California natives were on sale and that included the L. albifrons, which I love so I grabbed a couple. The L. sericatus was a find at Annie's Annuals. Both are very very silver...
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Also from Annie's: Lessertia montana “Mountain Cancer Bush” which I fell in love with in Heather's garden.
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Greenovia aurea ‘Gran Canaria Form’...
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And Echium fastuosum round out my Annie's purchases.
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I've long lusted after Salvia apiana but never found a plant I thought measured up to what I see in photos. This one is gorgeous...(also from The Dry Garden)...hopefully it will stay that way.
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When in the Bay Area one must buy a Leucadendron, it's a rule. L. 'Safari Sunset'...
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Here's what Andrew was doing while I was investigating nurseries and gardens, his book haul:
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Plus one more too big for the stack...
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But this is a garden blog so we should end with an image of the plant haul! (and a disclaimer...a few of these (the Caesalpinia gilliesii, verbascum and Eryngium paniculatum for example) were not purchases from this adventure). Looks like somebody better get busy planting!
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All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
This Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor' is one Gerhard divided from his main plant and had tucked into a holding area (above photo from his garden). Now it's mine. What a beauty!
These two pups also came from Gerhard, on the left Agave havardiana (which will be fine here in the ground) and on the right a pup from his Agave 'Joe Hoak'. Initially I passed when he offered the baby Joe, after all I already have two and I didn't want to be greedy, but then when I saw the mama plant, well I changed my mind. His plant is so silver, I realize it might be due to the light of Davis vs. Portland but it just looks so different than my others, I had to take one!
Another gifted pup Agave ‘Sharkskin’ this one fell out of it's container in transit so it's temporarily sharing a pot while it gets a few roots.
Once we arrived in the Bay Area our home base was in Berkeley, with a Saturday morning trip into San Francisco and a few brief wanders into Oakland or Richmond. High on my list of must-see destinations was The Dry Garden, a nursery in Oakland. That's where I found the top plant on my list of things I hoped to bring home: Sonchus canariensis...
I had one of these that I loved, and lost to root-rot last fall. It was my fault for not noticing the container wasn't properly draining. I will do better with this one.
This was an exciting find at Flora Grubb, Agave xylonacantha. I was pretty sure I'd never seen it and the reaction of all the employees ("isn't that great, we just got that in, never have had that one before") confirmed it was something special.
This one is a bit of a head scratcher. Labeled as Furcraea gigantea 'Striata' it certainly doesn't fit with any of the photos I find online, bought at a quick foray into a big-box store (curiosity ya know).
Lupinus albifrons “Silver Bush Lupine” (the small leaves) and Lupinus sericatus “Cobb Mountain Lupine” (the big ones). When I stopped in Berkeley Horticultural Nursery I discovered all California natives were on sale and that included the L. albifrons, which I love so I grabbed a couple. The L. sericatus was a find at Annie's Annuals. Both are very very silver...
Also from Annie's: Lessertia montana “Mountain Cancer Bush” which I fell in love with in Heather's garden.
Greenovia aurea ‘Gran Canaria Form’...
And Echium fastuosum round out my Annie's purchases.
I've long lusted after Salvia apiana but never found a plant I thought measured up to what I see in photos. This one is gorgeous...(also from The Dry Garden)...hopefully it will stay that way.
When in the Bay Area one must buy a Leucadendron, it's a rule. L. 'Safari Sunset'...
Here's what Andrew was doing while I was investigating nurseries and gardens, his book haul:
Plus one more too big for the stack...
But this is a garden blog so we should end with an image of the plant haul! (and a disclaimer...a few of these (the Caesalpinia gilliesii, verbascum and Eryngium paniculatum for example) were not purchases from this adventure). Looks like somebody better get busy planting!
All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.