Flora Grubb Gardens

I finally made it to Flora Grubb Gardens in Marina Del Rey after meeting a friend for lunch last week.  As the restaurant placed me less than thirty minutes from the nursery I decided the time was right to stop by, even if we were building up to a heatwave.

 

I was familiar with the nursery's location, which had operated for decades under different management as the Marina Del Rey Garden Center.  In fact, for a time, fresh out of graduate school, I worked for the hospital directly across the street from it.  I left the hospital for greener pastures after a couple of years but while living in one nearby beach city, followed by another, I shopped at the MDR Garden Center frequently over the years.  My current home is further away but I dropped in periodically even after that move.  I can't remember when I last visited but I think it was prior to the start of the pandemic.  When I heard that Flora Grubb had acquired the space in May, I immediately planned to visit but it took me over two months to act on that plan.

I was curious as to how extensive the changes would be.  The first thing I noticed was that parking was a lot easier.  When visiting MDR Garden Center, I was often forced to park elsewhere and space in that area wasn't always easy to find.  I'd always thought the MDR Garden Center was more attuned to the requirements of our warm, dry climate than many other nurseries I frequent but Flora Grubb Gardens has kicked that up another notch.

Palms and succulents held pride of place at the front of the nursery

All the plants I saw were in pristine condition and the stock leaned heavily toward the kind of plants I use a lot in my current garden.

The mix of agaves shown here included Agave attenuata, A. geminifolia, A. 'Swordfish', and A. victoriae-reginae

The succulents shown here included Pilocereus azureus (aka blue torch cactus), Cleistocactus colademononis (aka monkey tail cactus), and Aloe doratheae 'Canary Yellow'

They made excellent use of the stretch of land adjacent to the Marina Freeway as shown in this series of photos

The extensive stock of drought-tolerant foliage plants, clockwise from the upper left, included: Acacia covenyi, Cussonia spicata (aka cabbage tree), Fatsia japonica 'Spider's Web', Leucadendron 'Hawaii Magic', L. 'Safari Goldstrike', L.'Safari Sunset', and Leucospermum 'Royal Hawaiian Brandi' (or 'California Sunshine', I can't remember which but I already have both)

Lots of the plants were sold in large three and five gallon pots.  I was impressed by their descriptive labels.

Online sources say that Protea 'Claire' is similar to 'Pink Ice'.  It might be a candidate for one of my front garden beds, although I've yet to get flowers from my 'Pink Ice'.

 

Plants in smaller pots were available.

Lots of small succulents

Clockwise from the upper left: bromeliads, bedding plants in 6-packs, a variety of shade plants, more shade plants, flats of groundcovers, and house plants

This display surprised me.  I didn't see any tags that identified the genus of these plants but I guessed they were tropical (Vireya) Rhododendrons.  I foolishly failed to ask but, after checking for a Rhododendron 'Butterball', it seems very likely that's what they were.  I've been interested in trying one for years.

The nursery is well laid out and comfortable to explore.

Decorative displays were spare but stylish

I couldn't figure out the purpose of what appeared to be a concrete igloo but I kind of liked it.  Maybe it's intended to serve as a shed to hold garden tools.

I didn't buy anything but it was hot and I wanted to get on the freeway to head home before traffic picked up.  I'll definitely be back, though.  There's a Protea and a Rhododendron to take another look at and, if I redo my front garden succulent bed as planned this fall, I may be the market for some large agaves.  The Cussonia spicata is also calling my name but first I need to find a spot for it.

One mystery remains.

I couldn't find an explanation for this RV.  'Pretty Problem$' turns out to be a comic film released for limited distribution in October 2022, directed by Kestrin Pantera.  But what is it doing in a nursery parking lot?  My theory is that, with locations in both San Francisco and Marine Del Rey, the Flora Grubb Gardens staff may be using it as a mobile office.

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

A long-delayed nursery trip (part 1)

A friend and I'd planned to visit our favorite nurseries in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties back in February.  We rescheduled several times when one atmospheric river after another interfered with our plans.  Last Saturday we finally got our chance to get on the road.  We only made it to two of our three usual stops this time (with a nice lunch break in between).  Our first stop was Seaside Gardens in Carpinteria.  I'll cover it in this post.

The attraction of Seaside is two-fold.  Not only does it have a great range of plants, many of which I've never found in the Los Angeles and Orange Counties garden centers I visit more often, but it also has a series of wonderful display gardens.  (You can view the map here.)

I spent more time in the display gardens than I spent in the nursery on this visit.  I'll share my tour, area by area.

Cottage Garden

Glare was an issue when taking photos all day but we enjoyed blue skies and sunshine.  It started out on the cool side but warmed up considerably during the course of the afternoon.  The Cottage Garden was mostly green but there were splashes of color here and there.

Clockwise from the upper left: what I think was a Dianella, a mass of Leucanthemum vulgare, Phlomis fruticosa just coming into bloom, Rosa banksiae 'Alba Plena' (including a closeup), and the Salvia collection just starting to produce buds

California Native Garden

A little wild but always a joy to see California poppies

Clockwise from the upper left: Verbena lilacina 'De La Mina' with poppies, more poppies, Plantago lanceolata (not actually native to California but naturalized all over the US), and Heuchera maxima.  The Ceanothus were in bloom too but I didn't get a good photo.

Grassland

Most of the grasses had been cut back

The area included a bench made from a tree and a few noID flowering shrubs

A gigantic mass of Echium candicans sits along one edge of the Grasslands area

Succulent Garden

One of my favorite views of the Succulent Garden

A mound of Aeonium behaving as it does in my garden when left to its own devices (left) and Portulacaria afra, aka elephant bush (right)

Clockwise from the left: noID Agaves in bloom, A. vilmoriniana, and noID Mangave

Most Aloes were done blooming with the Aloe ferox on the left being a notable exception

Xanthorrhoea preissii, aka Western Australian grass tree (left) and Cyphostemma juttae, aka wild grape, just breaking dormancy (right)

South African Garden

The first thing I noticed upon entering the South African Garden were the Leucospermums.  The red-orange one is 'Sunrise'.  The yellow one may be 'High Gold'.

Leucadendron 'Jester' on the left and 2 shots of L. 'Ebony' on the right

There was one fresh pink bloom on Protea 'Pick Ice' but even the dried blooms were attractive

The blooms of Dombeya wallichii (left) had also dried but remained in place.  Polygala fruticosa is shown with fresh blooms on the right.

Chondropetalum, aka Cape rush.  It looks bigger than the dwarf C. tectorum.

A restio, possibly Rhodocoma capensis.  I've mixed feelings about this plant but its stems were looking very flashy in the sun.

Central-South American Garden

Clockwise from the upper left: variegated Agave americana, a noID Dyckia, 2 other noID bromeliads, Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', and Fuchsia arborescens, aka tree fuchsia

Australian Garden

With time running out, I didn't give the Australian Garden its due.  Clockwise from the left: noID Acacias, noID shrub, and Prostanthera ovalifolia in bloom

Asian Garden

I always liked the fresh red foliage of Photina x fraseri but I'd never seen the plant in bloom.  I love it!

Of course I didn't ignore the nursery.

Views of the plants for sale in various areas

Some of the plants that drew my attention included, clockwise from the upper left: Asplenium antiquum 'Hurricane' (fern), Callistemon viminalis 'Red Alert', Leucadendron laxum, and Phormium 'Duet' and 'Sundowner'.

I brought home a Leucadendron laxum and three other plants from Seaside.  I'll show these and my purchases from our second stop, Terra Sol Garden Center, in my next post.  For now, here's a glance at the trunk of my car when I got home.

We had a great day but it took me over 2 hours just to get home from my friend's house in the San Fernando Valley.  LA freeways can be a nightmare.

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

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