My ongoing effort to scout local garden centers for plants to fill various vacancies in my garden reached an impasse this week as I discovered that the Christmas tree takeover I described in last Friday's post was already well underway. While cut trees haven't actually arrived yet, landscape plants have already been cleared to make way for them. I visited two more garden centers this week and came home almost empty-handed.
A friend and I visited Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar on Wednesday and encountered the signs of the impending Christmas holiday at every turn.
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| The demonstration bed near the front entrance has been replanted to show off the toy trains that make their appearance every winter |
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| There were holiday ornaments big and small scattered throughout the grounds |
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| Although the cut trees haven't arrived yet, artificial trees had been decked out. This one had a nautical theme. |
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| These are just some of the ornaments the nautical tree featured. I should have asked where the container ship ornament was ;) |
That's not to say that there weren't any garden plants available. There were plants that grabbed my attention, just not the wide variety I'd have liked to have found.
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| Overview of the front section of the plant sale area |
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Top row: a wood container with begonias, Peperomia and succulents and an interesting hanging planter
Second row: Two versions of Kokedama
Third row: pocket planters |
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| California natives and succulents were on sale for 25% off |
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| Left to right: The same Furcraeas species I saw at Deep Roots last week, the best-looking Hebe 'Quicksilver' I've ever seen, and Pilea involucrata |
I didn't go home entirely empty-handed. I'm not sure I ever have on a trip to Roger's.
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Graptosedum 'Vera Higgins', Peperomia 'Funky Frog', Pyrrosia lingua 'Variegata', and Salvia discolor. I also brought home an Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) bulb and a gift for a friend I won't be showing off here. |
My trip to International Garden Center in El Segundo following a dental appointment the next day wasn't as fruitful. It didn't help that our temperature jumped from the low 70sF on Wednesday past 90F (32C) that afternoon, making plant shopping much less enjoyable.
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| At least this display near the front entrance acknowledged Veteran's Day amidst the Christmas holiday trappings |
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| I was also tickled to see this Gomphocarpus physocarpus in full splendor when I entered. Also know as family jewels and hairy balls milkweed, I didn't see any smaller specimens of this milkweed but this large plant was impressive. |
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| If I ever have to replace our fountain, I'll check out International for a replacement |
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| If it hadn't been so hot, I might have brought home a few of the Argyranthemum 'Aramis Pink Bi-color' on the upper left or the Calibrachoa 'Evening Star' on the lower right. Brunnera (upper right), beautiful as it is, wouldn't survive long in my garden and regrettably there's no pond in my future for water lilies (lower left) |
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| There were lots of succulents. I was surprised to see the Aloe 'Safari Sunset' (bottom, middle) in full bloom. I was intrigued by the Kalanchoe bracteata (silver teaspoons, bottom left). |
I'd hoped to see the garden's chickens but they were nowhere to be found, although I did find turtles.
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| I wondered if the netting above the turtles was intended to protect them or to keep them corralled |
The large area that generally holds perennials and shrubs had been cleared and strings of lights were going up, indicating that the preparations to receive Christmas trees were well underway.
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| Signs of the looming Christmas holiday |
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| The poinsettias almost glowed. I was very taken by the peachy-yellow ones. |
Although there were a few things that tempted me, the heat dissuaded me from buying anything. I also scrapped my plan to visit another garden center in Marina Del Rey, throwing in the towel on my plant search for the time being. The hot weather is expected to stretch through the weekend with no rain in the foreseeable future for Southern California so I'll focus on maintenance and keeping what I've already planted alive.
Best wishes for a pleasant weekend.
All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
having trouble commenting--can't comment on my own blog--you running into that at all?
ReplyDeleteI can understand the gardencenters need to make their profits to stay open, and this Christmas Shopping Insanity that ensues each October is the way to do it. But...yeech.
Have a great weekend, Kris.
I haven't run into that particular problem with posting comments on the Blogger platform - yet. As to fall plant shopping, I guess I was naive about just how early things shift. I spent September and early October digging things up, expecting that I'd have plenty of time in late October and early November to shop for plants ;(
DeleteAh, that worked!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the problem is resolved - and I hope it stays that way!
DeleteThe commercialization of Christmas really has got to me this year. Can't we hit a reset button somewhere? It seems insane to keep demanding more junk when we can't even get the basics that we need. Rampant consumerism has contributed to the supply chain issue. How about giving handmade gifts or instead of giving your kids 10 things, just one or two? I'm wondering if in the near future, they are going to prioritize what gets trucked? We need food, medicine and gas... tchotchkes, we don't. Okay, I'll step off my soapbox now. ;)
ReplyDeleteI understand how you feel, Eliza. I'm having difficulty finding enthusiasm for any of the year-end holidays, much less the exercise of gift shopping. However, I know the holidays offer comfort and a sense of normality for a lot of people. Hence the Hallmark Channel's decision to play an endless stream of holiday-themed moves in July and then again starting in October...
DeleteCongratulations on finding the elusive Salvia discolor. I've been searching in vain. I'm also interested to see how the Pyrrosia does for you-I have a couple of potential spots but ferns are hard to come by here-I see that your has a Little Prince tag so mail order from them is always an option. I'm trying really hard to tone down on Christmas-I love to make my foraged wreath for the front door every year but I could easily pass on the rest of it. At least I've been semi-successful in limiting the number of gifts per person.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to come across a dozen or more pots of Salvia discolor at Rogers, Kathy. I haven't seen it offered much either and, as my old plant got torn out by mistake along with the asters I dug up and the cuttings I took collapsed, I was delighted to find a replacement. Ferns in general don't do well in my garden but the tag on the Pyrrosia I saw at Seaside Gardens last month claimed it was drought tolerant. I noticed that Little Prince's tag doesn't echo that claim but life in a pot in my lath house offers it the best chance to survive.
DeleteAaargh, I hate having valuable nursery space taken up by Christmas stuff. I totally understand it, it's just not my thing.
ReplyDeleteYour nurseries still seem to have a lot of good plants in stock though!
The situation in the nurseries/garden centers gets worse as the holidays draw nearer as more and more stuff - poinsettias, wreaths, garlands - encroaches on garden plants. The cut trees are only part of it ;(
DeleteI'd rather see nurseries in full Christmas mode than shut down for winter, as some smaller outfits are forced to so. A plant or another garden related item make a wonderful gift, so keeping that in mind I'm able to enjoy the festive atmosphere and marvel at the beautifully decorated trees in my West Seattle nursery.
ReplyDelete"Gomphocarpus physocarpus... also know as family jewels and hairy balls milkweed." totally cracked me up!
While I periodically dream of moving north (somewhere it rains), I admit that I'd experience a degree of shell-shock in the face of closed nurseries/garden centers during the winter months! As to that milkweed, I have a vague recollection of growing it once but I don't believe it did well. Politer common names include balloon plant and giant swan milkweed.
DeleteWell the question I asked of you on my blog (what pyrrosia it was that you purchased) has been answered! Nice score. It's a good one. I haven't been to a local nursery in a couple of weeks, I wonder if we're being Christmas-ized too...
ReplyDeleteI swear the holidays creep into nurseries and garden centers earlier every year, Loree.
DeleteI haven't been into a garden center since before the pandemic began (mail orders are a different story). It's kind of nice to see the selections and presentations at the places you visit. Glad you found a few things to bring home with you.
ReplyDeleteAfter a brief closure at the start of the pandemic, our local garden center remained open with masking and controls on customer traffic. It provided a nice psychological boost during an difficult time - and still does!
DeleteI can hardly believe Christmas is almost upon us, Kris. Despite the influx of Christmas goods, the nurseries still had something interesting to see. It was a shame about the excessive heat in the second one. I haven’t heard of Salvia discolor but being a big Salvia fan, I think I will have to look for one immediately!
ReplyDeleteSalvia discolor is attractive even when not in bloom but the flowers, which appear sporadically, are special - they're such a dark purple, they can be taken for black. The leaves are delicately scented too. I had it in my garden for years but it was torn up by mistake when I was digging out a rambunctious aster. Hailing from Peru, it's hard to find even here so I was glad to come across a replacement.
DeleteI am glad you didn't come away empty handed. I always find it a bit depressing when garden centres fill up with Christmas stuff. I came across that Hairy Ball plant in Madeira, what an astonishing sight it is.
ReplyDeleteThe Gomphocarpus is indeed an interesting plant, even without its amusing common names ;)
DeleteWhat a shame that the Christmas trees have snuck in extra early Kris! I did like the little train though - something slightly different. Is there much choice of plants from nurseries that you trust available online at the moment?
ReplyDeleteMany of the mail order nurseries stop shopping in October (at least partly because they're located in colder areas of the country). My favorite mail order nursery in Northern California doesn't close, although their supply is reduced. Most of the succulent sellers I use don't shut down either :)
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