A shorter drive...

I was feeling stir crazy and decided I "needed" a trip to a garden center this week.  I remembered reading that Flora Grubb Gardens had taken over the former Marina Del Rey Garden Center I've frequented often over the past decade, so I decided to make that my destination.  However, I didn't get out the door until almost two hours later and, even once I was on the road, I was ambivalent about taking the freeway.  I chose to bypass the freeway but, as I headed in the direction of the coastal route I prefer when going to Marina Del Rey, I abruptly decided to put off the visit to Flora Grubb Gardens in favor of another garden center, Deep Roots, half the distance away in Manhattan Beach.

Located off a very busy boulevard, Deep Roots is smaller than the Marina garden center but it's anything but ordinary in terms of its plant offerings.  In fact, I've purchased many Leucadendrons and Grevilleas there.  Prior to the pandemic, I used to pass by its location on a frequent basis but a lot changed during and after the pandemic shutdown and, for a variety of reasons, I don't drive that way nearly as often as I used to.  In fact, my records indicate I hadn't visited Deep Roots since early November 2021.

I parked in the upper lot.  These are views of the garden center from a stairway looking down at the garden center.  The 2 areas in the foreground hold stock of California natives and other drought tolerant species adapted to our Mediterranean climate.

I've been looking for a Leucospermum 'Blanche Ito' in a one or two gallon container.  I missed out on one I saw it at my local garden center several weeks ago due to dilly-dallying and I haven't come across another one since but I thought Deep Roots might be a good bet as a source.

 

They had Leucospermum 'California Sunshine' (shown here) as well as L. 'Rainbow' but I purchased the former earlier this year and the latter is too much like others I already have in color

 

Other plants that caught my eye in the area included, clockwise from the upper left: various Achilleas, an orange Arctotis, Halimum atriplicifolium, Helichrysum amorginum 'Ruby Clusters', a Diplacus (monkey flower plant) I didn't get the name of, and Tanacetum camphoratum

 

 

The most interesting plants I found on this visit were these:

 

This is Metasequoia 'Amber Glow'.  It's beautiful but I was surprised to even see this for sale in a very urban area.  The tree grows 30-40 feet tall by 10-15 feet wide.  For the record, although properties in Manhattan Beach tend to be very expensive, the lots on average are relatively dinky.

 

This was the best photo I could manage of Bursera fagaroides.  It has low water requirements and generally grows only 1-5 feet tall, making it useful as a bonsai subject.  Its leaves reportedly have a citrus odor when crushed.  The plant produces small greenish flowers.

There are 2 varieties of Digiplexis, a hybrid of Digitalis purpurea and Isoplexis canariensis (aka Canary Island foxglove).  These were very popular when first introduced but I haven't seen it often in the last few years.  I loved the plant but it was swamped by woolly aphids when I grew it.  The varieties shown here are 'Illumination Apricot' and 'Illumination Flame'.

 Deep Roots always has a nice selection of smaller plants offering seasonal color.

Lots of bright summer-ready flowers but nothing I had to have

I don't usually linger in the shade plant area but my lath house could use a few replacements for plants that didn't appreciate our colder, wetter winter and spring this year.  The Begonia luxurians (upper right) is what I hope my still small plant may look like some day.  I generally prefer white calla lilies but the brightly colored ones tugged at me a bit.

Deep Roots often has interesting succulents.

There were some succulents in 2-inch pots for $2.99, the lowest price I've seen since succulent prices soared in the past year.  The small pots of Lithops (living stones, middle row) cost a lot more.  $12.99 for a 1-gallon pot of Aeonium arboreum (bottom left) almost seemed reasonable.  Maybe I need to open a plant stand in my driveway.

 

I didn't shop the house plant section or the container collection but those areas often offer great options in both categories.  As I was waiting to check out, I noted a collection of boxes designed to hold small plants, all of which had appropriately beach-y themes.

Here's what I took home:

These were odd but spontaneous choices on my part, a Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' in a 6-inch pot and a 1-gallon pot of Fuchsia 'Windchimes White/White'.  The Fuchsia was too cute to pass up.  Hopefully I can keep both alive and healthy through the summer months.  As Deep Roots honored my old, fully-punched discount card, I got $10 off so my purchase felt like a gift.

 I'll visit Deep Roots again, perhaps on my way home from Flora Grubbs Gardens when I eventually get there.

 May Gray has been followed by June Gloom here.  I've taken advantage of the cool temperatures to clean up after the early spring bloomers to ready the garden for summer flowers that appear ready to move in regardless of the prevailing temperatures.

 As always, best wishes for a pleasant weekend.

All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party