"How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence."
– Benjamin Disraeli
2/23/17:
Last Saturday, my friend Gretchen invited me to have lunch and then visit Scarborough Gardens. I had never been to this store before, so was delighted to be wandering around looking at plants, discussing landscaping with Gretchen, and sharing a bit of my gardening knowledge. In addition to a decent selection of green things and even some flowers (considering that it's winter), they have an impressive selection of pottery, statues and fountains.
I picked up some organic rose fertilizer and a butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii, Cornwall Blue). It's not blooming yet, but apparently will have cone-shaped clusters of lavender flowers that are great for attracting pollinators. It needs full sun, so I'll re-arrange the cluster of pots in front of the porch to accommodate this one.
Clicking on the small images below will bring up the full version.
Scarborough Gardens.
Butterfly bush.
Statue menagerie.
I considered other plants, such as the funky Chinese fringeflower and some velvety-looking purple violas, but decided to hold off on purchasing until I see how much room I'll be devoting to the new plant ideas I'd already had in mind for this year.
Gretchen bought two large glazed pots in a beautiful pale teal color. These are for the deck area of her house up in the hills, which gets much more full sun and less fog than my home nearer the ocean. She plans to plant ornamentals (perhaps small palm trees) and probably tomatoes. I want to replace some of the cheaper-looking plastic pots around my own yard, but will carefully consider what sizes and styles might work best in the space I have before acquiring anything.
Chinese fringeflower.
Velvety violas.
Unfamiliar camellia varieties.
