In search of plants...

I've got lots of empty garden space but not the plants to fill it.  The available supply of garden-eligible plants in my local garden centers was reduced during the holidays as stock was pushed aside to make room for Christmas trees, poinsettias and other holiday decorations.  Since New Year's Day, I've visited 4 garden centers but the stock remains very limited.  With rain predicted this evening, I made a trek to Roger's Gardens this morning with a gift card burning a hole in my pocket.

As I was by myself, I took the time to check out the plant displays, starting with the ornamental grass and succulent garden that sits at the corner of the property along the street.  I've visited several times since its installation, usually with friends, but we've never hiked up to the front of the property to check it out.  With time to spare, I did so today.

This display garden sits at the intersection of 2 very busy streets

A gazebo serves as the focal point

Ornamental grasses and succulents are the mainstays of this display

Tall pine trees bordering the nursery's property provide a backdrop

Drought tolerant Arctotis was used liberally to add color

The orange red of the Aloes, many of which are coming into bloom, echo the color of the Arctotis, as well as the foliage color of some of the succulents, like the Kalanchoe shown here

Succulents in baskets add interest to the gazebo

Here's a look at some of the individual plants featured in the area:

My best guesses on plant IDs, clockwise from upper left: A mix of ornamental grasses (no ID), Agave attenuata, Agave 'Blue Flame', Aloe (no ID), Aloe dorotheae, Cordyline 'Electric Flash', Grevillea lanigera, Hesperaloe parviflora, Lomandra longifolia, and Opuntia (maybe santarita)

On my way to and from the corner garden, I took note of the plants along the sidewalks and the parking lot as well.

I was struck by how good Westringia fruticosa 'Morning Light' looked (shown in the 2 photos in the top row above) and I'm now considering adding some of these to the areas left bare by removal of 2 large Ceanothus along a slope in my own garden.  I think the plants used along the "parkway" (not actually open to parked cars) on the bottom left may be Chondropetalum tectorum and Aloe 'Rooikappie'.  The Grevillea on the bottom right (maybe G. 'Scarlet Sprite') was used effectively en masse and should be spectacular when in full bloom.

3 vignettes in the parking area

There was plenty to see in the front entry of the nursery area as well.

I'm a sucker for rusty metal things so I loved the displays at the front entry (top row, above).  Kids were still enjoying the model train display (bottom. left).  White and blue flowering plants were on center stage around the fountain (bottom, right).

The succulents on display in the sales areas also drew my attention.

While more well-stocked than the 3 garden centers I visited earlier, the plant stock at Roger's was more limited than usual, or so it seemed to me.  Pots, prices discounted, occupied prime plant space.

I wondered if Rogers was clearing stock prior to taking annual inventory, or if the construction at the back of the property was squeezing the area available for plants.

A restaurant is going in at the back of Roger's property, scheduled to open sometime this spring.  I have mixed feelings about this but, as land values are at a premium in SoCal, especially along the coast, a restaurant is certainly one way to maximize the value of this property.  The executive chef previously ran a restaurant I loved back when I worked in Irvine so I'm looking forward to eating there - as long as it doesn't unduly encroach on the plant inventory.

Plant stock may be low simply because the nurseries and garden centers are planning for light traffic during the heavy rain expected to accompany El Nino.  Despite the relatively light inventory of plants, I still managed to exhaust the credit available on my gift card and then some.  Here's what I came home with:

I brought home an Acanthus mollis, 2 Dianella tasmanica 'Yellow Stripe', several ornamental grasses (Seslaria 'Greenlee's Hybrid', Festuca californica, and Festuca glauca), more Gazania, Limonium perezii, Kalanchoe orgyalis, Cotyledon orbiculata, Coprosma 'Rainbow Surprise',  Tanacetum niveum, Aeonium 'Kiwi' and a Helichrysum I can't ecall the name of

But I'm still thinking of what I left behind.

Echeveria agavoides 'Vashon' and Protea cynaroides 'Mini King'

Maybe I'll get back next month.  There's still a lot on my wish list to fill in the vacancies left as as a result of removing my remaining lawn this past fall.  Planting what I've already bought is on hold for the time being anyway.  The ground is too wet to plant now.  It hasn't dried out from the rain we got earlier in the week, approximately 1.25 inches in my location.  We got a tiny bit more late this afternoon (less than 1/10th of an inch) but next week should be mostly dry before the rains return (hopefully) the following week.


All material © 2012-2016 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party