Monday, September 21, 2009

Nursery loot

This summer I've filled up my extra garden bed space with a mixture of vegetables, and annuals like sunflowers. But when harvest is done, I know there will be some holes in the garden. So I've been on a modest plant-buying binge.

While my brother was visiting from Pennsylvania, we went to Cistus and I acquired its namesake above: Cistus x obtusifolia. The tag says "masses of white flowers." Sounds good to me.

I also picked up a little Delosperma congesta 'Gold Nugget', but with no flowers on it it looks just like any little triangular sedum.

Being unable to resist most things in the manzanita family, I fell for arctostaphylos x Martha Ewan, above, at Cistus. She's a little smaller and better sized for the spot where I planted her larger cousin, arctostaphylos Austin Griffiths. I'll move him and put her in his place.

I stopped in at Pomarius for the first time last Friday and had a nice time looking at all the offerings. Since I wasn't going home and I didn't want lots of plants baking in the hot car, I confined myself to just one plant - this sweet little Lewisia cotyledon. It would look great in our native alpine area, but will probably end up in the south bed.


Last, but certainly not least, I hit the Hardy Plant Society fall sale. I think I showed remarkable restraint in only buying three plants. Above, Eucomis comosa 'Oakhurst'. I'm not quite sure where this should go yet, but after seeing the gorgeous eucomis at Danger Garden, I had to have at least one.

I went to the HPSO sale looking for Luzula of any kind, but no luck there. I found a few growers that have them at their nurseries, though. Instead, I ended up with two Carex morrowii 'Evergold' to brighten up my front porch this winter.

Now I'll just be patient (maybe) while the vegetables finish out the season, and the weather cools down enough for planting all this loot.

4 comments:

  1. YEA! You got a Eucomis Oakhurst! I hope it blooms like crazy for you next summer. My only advice is to plant it in the sun. Mine in partial shade have not yet bloomed whereas the ones in the sun are crazy. I can't remember what the official word on it's preference is, but that's my 2 cents!

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  2. I did the same veg/annual planting-couldn't wait for the Cistus shopping trip -went eary summer -no room for new plants.. oh dear... I

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  3. Glad someone took some Eucomis home. I was tempted, but passed them by for this sale. I'm definitely picking some up in the spring. I love that Carex evergold, so handy. I never can resist it. It seems like you can squeeze in one more of those just about anywhere, and I do. This sale I resisted, but I think I have some I can divide this year, so my collection will continue to grow. I do love plant-buying binges.

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  4. Pomarius used to be just a couple blocks from where we lived. I loved it sandwiched into such an unlikely spot, and they always seemed to have something of interest.

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