Plant Shopping: Green Touch and H&H Nurseries

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.

This colorful wheelbarrow was stuffed with some of the more commonly sold succulents

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.

As we visited just two days before Mother's Day, there were plenty of potted plants available to buy as gifts

I spent most of my time looking through the collectible succulents in sizes I could afford

The owner, Oscar, had a special selection of plants here

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:

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.

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.

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:

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.

A display of assorted plants showing how they might be combined

The edible plants section

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.

The view from under the shade canopy looking out toward the selection of plants favoring sun conditions

View of a relatively small section of the shade plants are

Succulents, mostly in well-priced small pots.  Echinopsis 'Rainbow Bursts' on the lower right was tempting.

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.

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

The Gardener Goes Inland

My nursery and garden center forays generally keep me close to the coast.  Last Saturday, following spontaneous recommendations received from 2 neighbors at different points in time, a friend and I ventured inland to check out a nursery new to both of us, H&H Nursery in Lakewood, California.  The nursery itself isn't new.  According to its website, this family owned and operated nursery was established in 1976.  Getting there involved a 20 mile drive and 2 separate freeways.  Its location under a grid of electrical wires isn't particularly scenic but the 5.5 acre growing operation was impressive.

The back half of the property was occupied by hoop houses used for growing

A peek into one of the growing areas

Another growing space

This appeared to be a staging area

H&H is a general nursery, offering everything from bedding and house plants to trees and succulents.

A view of the indoor plant area

A particularly nice looking Schefflera

Gobs and gobs of shade plants

Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) 

A mix of cactus and succulents, including barrel cactus, which I don't often see in local nurseries

The large barrel cactus come at hefty prices - I didn't notice the prices on the smaller ones

More succulents

Note how everything is labeled

There were also decorative items, although not so many that the plants took second billing.

I'd have loved to take one or more of these glass globes home but they were pricey

There were an unusual number of Chihuahua dog statutes of various kinds, perhaps signifying a soft spot in the heart of the owners

In addition to the sheer size of the operation, I was impressed by the evident helpfulness of the staff, the wide selection of plants and their overall good health, the ready availability of plants in 4-inch pots (the size at which I prefer to buy), and the reasonable prices for plants in large pots.  I was tempted by numerous plants.

Clerodendrum ugandense - I passed because the one I thought I killed appears to have revived

Russelia equisetiformis - I don't need a 3rd one but this one in a hanging container certainly looked good

Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' - now I know where I can find them if I decide to add more to my garden 

Dendromecon harfordii - an extremely drought tolerant plant under consideration

Agave 'Blue Flame' - I may add one or more of these to my dry garden this fall

Agave guiengola 'Creme Brulee' - I'm regretting my failure to take this one home.  Look at all those offsets!

Aloe elgonica hybrid - I think I may "need" this too

Lagerstroemia 'Muskogee' - if the ailing Arbutus in my side yard fails, I may buy a lavender crape myrtle like this one

Unlike any nursery I can recall visiting, everything appeared to be labeled, even the succulents in 4-inch pots.  I can't say I conducted an audit in this regard but there wasn't a single plant I personally picked up that didn't have a label and I consider that utterly remarkable.

What isn't remarkable is that, despite a recent statement on this very blog that I didn't intend to buy any plants other than succulents until September or October, I did just that.  Here's what I took home:

3 Coleus 'Chocolate Splash' and a bright green pot to put them in

3 Alternanthera 'Hoya del Loro' (aka Brazilian Red Hots) - how could I resist?

However, absolutely no further nursery visits are planned for a full 2 weeks...