Friends, plants, and lunch

Is there a better way to spend several hours than meeting up with friends while wandering among plants on a sunny day, then tying things up with lunch?  Denise of A Growing Obsession proposed the get-together with HB of Piece of Eden and myself, the first time we've had an opportunity to see one another since the Puget Sound Garden Fling last July.  We met up at Roger's Garden, a destination garden center in Orange County.  I hadn't been there since September 2024 so the venue was a plus.

We spent a lot of time talking so my photo-taking was relatively haphazard.  I focused on the demonstration garden beds scattered throughout the nursery's grounds.

The large garden bed near the entrance had been decked out with a variety of pink flowers, presumably with Valentine's Day in mind

The nearby triangular beds were planted with spring bloomers

The Bird and Butterfly Garden had been fluffed up for the warmer season to come too

Shrubs in the sloped bed adjacent to Roger's Farmhouse restaurant were accented by masses of Geranium 'Rozanne' in full bloom.  While I grew that geranium in my former garden, it didn't survive long in my current garden; however, after seeing this display, I was ready to try it again.  Unfortunately, the plants weren't currently available for sale.

The California-Friendly Garden was heavy on rosemary (now classified as Salvia rosmarinus).  That plant is indestructible in my garden but I have all too much of it.

This foliage mix caught my notice

This Small Space Garden, combining succulents and Westringia among other things, was my favorite on this occasion.  We noted that some of the Mangaves, including 'Lavander Lady', were producing masses of pups.  The gray sculpture is one of Dustin Gimbel's pieces.

The garden was well stocked and geared up for the spring season.

A LOT of bedding plants were available

The shade plant selection was also extensive

The succulent plants had been moved to the upper level of the nursery since my last visit but the selection was extensive

Aeoniums and a wide variety of small succulents were available

There were a lot of agaves too.  We immediately noticed one-gallon containers of Agave 'Snow Glow'.  We spent time talking about the agave next to it too.  It was simply labeled Agave 'Choice' but we couldn't immediately find a description under that name online.  Based on a later search, I'm guessing it may have been Agave macroacantha 'Pablo's Choice'.  That plant's proclivity for pupping to form sizable clumps matches the concerns HB raised about the tiny pups already developing in those pots.

Mangaves were also prominently displayed.  The large pot containing a Mangave 'Lavender Lady' (right) was packed with pups.  I have 3 of those plants, just one of which was an offset of a larger plant.  I was surprised that 'Lavender Lady' could pup like that, even after seeing evidence of similar behavior in the Small Space Garden bed.

Rain chains planted with tiny succulents

Miscellaneous plant sightings included a Silver Bismarck Palm (Bismarkia nobilis), marked 50% off (which still meant $350), and a beautiful staghorn fern (noID)

I didn't walk away without plants either.  Here's my haul:

On the left, 3 carmine Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflora), 2 Osteospermum 'Violet Ice', 2 O. 'Berry White', and one O. 'Lemon Ice'.  On the right, 3 Echeveria mexicano, 3 E. 'Atomic', and another Agave 'Snow Glow'.  I also' picked up 4 sweet pea seedlings as those I sowed from seed back in November aren't looking good at the moment.

Now I just need to get everything planted.  Luckily, we're looking forward to a mostly sunny weekend with temperatures in the upper-60s to the low-70sF (20-21C).  Hopefully, I'll have time to tackle the weeds mentioned in my prior post too.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party