Last Friday, a friend and I took a half-hour drive to two nurseries east of where I live. The first one, Green Touch Nursery, is entirely new to me although it's been open for six years. It specializes in succulents with an emphasis on the less common varieties you're not likely to find in your neighborhood garden center. My photos don't do it justice but my friend Gerhard of Succulents and More provided more comprehensive coverage in a recent post, which you can find here.
Located under power lines, it isn't a glitzy place but it has an almost overwhelming selection of plants.
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| This colorful wheelbarrow was stuffed with some of the more commonly sold succulents |
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| This open area showcased lots of the large pots containing plants often used by landscapers creating succulent displays. The more novel specimens were to be found under the shade cloth in the distance. |
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| As we visited just two days before Mother's Day, there were plenty of potted plants available to buy as gifts |
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| I spent most of my time looking through the collectible succulents in sizes I could afford |
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| The owner, Oscar, had a special selection of plants here |
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| Clockwise from the upper left, the plants that drew my eye included: a crested Aeonium 'Sunburst', what I think was an Agave 'White Rhino' pup, a Euphorbia squarrosa, and what I'm guessing was a Sinningia. When I saw the price on the Agave pup, I decided not to inquire about the price of the other plants. |
My own attention focused on the following plants:
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| A nice selection of some hard-to-find Aeoniums. From left to right: Aeonium canariensis (I think), A. dodrantale 'Grenovia', and A. 'Mardi Gras'. I have two of the three in my own collection. |
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| Left to right: Aloe polyphylla (aka Spiral Aloe, not yet spiraling), Agave 'Snow Glow', and Mangave 'Tooth Fairy'. I'll get a 'Snow Glow' some day, perhaps when my 'Blow Glows' start their exit. My 'Tooth Fairy', a slow grower, is nearing the size of the one shown here. |
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| I found the name of the cactus on the left on Gerhard's site - it's Ferocactus latispinus. The plants on the right are labeled Notocactus parodia but may be Parodia magnifica. |
And here's what I bought at Green Touch:
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Andromischus triflorus (aka Calico Hearts), noID Peperomia caperata (something in the 'Ripple' series maybe), Aeonium sedifolium, and A. 'Lily Pad'. As I seem to have collected so many Aeoniums unintentionally, I've decided to be more deliberate about it. |
Our second stop was
H&H Nursery, less than a mile away. I've visited this nursery before but I was surprised when I checked the date of my last trip and discovered that it was seven years ago. I'd forgotten just how big it is. It outpaces my local garden center both in terms of the breadth of its stock and the average price of its plants. Getting there requires navigating two freeways but, provided I don't travel the route during peak traffic hours, it probably only takes twenty minutes more in travel time, something I need to remember. Like Green Touch, it's sited under power lines and not fancy.
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| A display of assorted plants showing how they might be combined |
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| The edible plants section |
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| This view provides a sense of just how extensive the nursery's grounds are. All the shelves on the right were filled with plug plants in 6-packs. |
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| The view from under the shade canopy looking out toward the selection of plants favoring sun conditions |
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| View of a relatively small section of the shade plants are |
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| Succulents, mostly in well-priced small pots. Echinopsis 'Rainbow Bursts' on the lower right was tempting. |
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| I love their selection of indoor plants |
My purchases at H&H were fairly mundane but it was great to reacquaint myself with what the nursery has to offer - and my friend found a tree she'd been seeking for some time.
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| Most of what I bought at H&H, including two pony-packs of Gazanias and a few more succulents, were fillers for empty spots in my garden. The exception was a new-to-me plant from South Africa with silver foliage and white flowers, Gomphostigma virgatum. The label claimed it needs moderate water but online sources suggest it needs significantly more so it may not survive here. |
I'll offer a final shot of one of the butterflies I saw flitting through the plants in the sun-lovers section.
Next up is my monthly Bloom Day post, which I expect to publish on Saturday.
All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
