A quick stop at Roger's Gardens

I've let my posts about our December Southern California trip drag on F O R E V E R...so here's a quick refresher. We flew into San Diego, CA, on the 17th and stayed until the 21st, the morning of which we loaded up the rental car and drove north. Our destination for the night was a hotel in Pasadena, CA, but of course all I could think about was our stop in Long Beach at the garden that inspires A Growing Obsession. However because I knew we'd need to take a break en route, and I'm a sucker for nursery visits, I planned a stop at Roger's Gardens.

I’d heard a lot about this nursery and was excited to visit. Turns out Dacember 21st was not the best day to do so. Every family for miles had turned out for their annual photo with Santa. The parking lot was full, the line was long (above), and I don’t think there was an actual gardener in the place.

Unfortunately I was keenly aware of the mix and it turned me off, immediately. I halfheartedly snapped these photos, since I was there. But I remember thinking “this isn’t a nursery, it’s a place the rich go to buy the plant background for their outdoor rooms” or some such negative sentiment.

I didn’t even think it was worth posting about and almost deleted the file. But then I looked at the photos. Wow, not bad!

I wish I'd been in a better frame of mind when we stopped because there are some really lovely plants and plantings.

This table is following in the footsteps of many a planted up table with a center rill, and it's doing it oh so well...

Rustic. All about the plants. Nobody is going to be eating dinner here.

It's a mini-High Line!

Sigh, this is one of those plants I'll grow, someday. Russelia equisetiformis

Agave lust...

I've never seen so many Kalanchoe in one place before!

Damn. Agave 'Snow Glow'

I let it willingly slip through my hands...

Agave 'Blue Glow'

And so very many Euphorbia tirucalli...

Agave potatorum 'Kichiokan Marginata'

And this!

Is this normal?

It looks like a response to pruning.

Ya, looks like there's been some. But I think it's just naturally bizarre too.

Did you notice how devoid my photos are of people, well, people looking at plants?

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.