109 The Art of Giving Gardening Gifts
January 31, 2026
The Meadow
7510 Green Valley Rd, Placerville, CA 95667 • (530) 377-5877
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I t’s May already, and I thought this post was late to the Spring Party. But spring has started and stopped like 5 times around here, and it could do it again.
So…so what if the wrong flowers are in bloom! I’m telling myself this post is “just in time” for spring!
I have been away from my desk for 2 months installing a client’s backyard landscape that turned out a beauty. I’ll feature it in a future post about how to transform a blank slate into a personalized and useful landscape.
This nursery reminds of a little town called Arcata in Northern California’s Humboldt County where I grew up. It has that same vibe. Think Birkenstocks, yoga, cafes serving “wholesome goodness,” people in natural fiber clothes hugging Redwood trees and all that.
The Meadow’s tagline is “connect, grow, nourish.” Yeah, that says it.
If you park on the side by a well-built fence and pampas grass, you notice the ground has not seen a weed whacker or weed spray in…like, forever.
The Meadow is not one of those high-brow, well manicured nurseries where every plant sits in a carefully considered place and where it’s okay to look but you don’t want to buy anything that would mess up a perfectly designed display.
No. Even entering through the side gate, you discover The Meadow is like its name…
An easy-does-it, free flowing mix of plants and garden items where nothing competes too hard for attention, and everything is worth a browse.
It’s not messy, but it’s not “neat and tidy” either. Which is why The Meadow is MY kind of nursery where I use my favorite “stop, go and turn” approach. Every few feet I pause to look around and really see what I’m seeing.
If you take your time and look in every direction you don’t miss spotting a plant, a pot or piece of garden art that may be crammed amongst other finds.
I came upon these lovely gems…
This hosta would make a perfect bright spot underneath or next to a dark green plant. I would buy a minimum of 3. Why not!
This showy petunia with spotted purple blooms perfectly fits AP’s style!
Just look at those red poppies…. Need I say more?!
The Meadow’s nearest competitor, Home Depot, sits just up the road. But here you get a less “mass-consumption” plant selection plus that “connect, grow, nourish” vibe that Home Depot can’t even dream about.
In comparison, The Meadow’s pricing is spectacular, too. Especially considering its small town location.
One-gallon shrubs and trees run around just $11.99. Unheard of these days! Just remember, these cute little 1-gallons do grow up and get very big.
I prefer buying small because I live on a boulder where it’s easier to dig a 1-gallon hole than a 5- or 15-gallon hole. Besides, you try asking Mike to bring a backhoe every time you want to put a shrub or tree into the ground.
I have tried to grow 3 of these Flannelbushes…
Fremontodendron californicum (California Flannelbush)
All are dead.
As you know, I never over-exert myself figuring out why a plant dies—I just buy another one and try again. I AM the Forever Optimist. Aren’t all gardeners?!
Besides, trying again lets me blame death on the deficient plant!
But 3 tries ending in death is a bit rude! So I remind myself of one of my mottos—”Not every plant is compatible with its gardener”—and I don’t try again.
How about these pots?…
That first set, being low and wide, would be perfect for succulents. I am not the biggest fan of the ombre or two-toned look, but it works with the texture on those pots.
I don’t know what the hell this thing is suppose to resemble as garden art. But I LOVE IT…
It’s not for sale, but I would totally buy it just to hear my husband’s comments.
The Meadow has a little café where you can get a some nourishment before waltzing through the plants.
They also do yoga classes.
Yoga, nourishment and smelling the roses. What a great way to start the morning!
But don’t expect to see me doing any yoga. Not because I’m fit enough and don’t need it (mm-hmm). But because, knowing there are plants right outside the yoga studio door, my brain would not let me relax enough to maintain any yoga poses!
The Meadow is one of 2 local nurseries that I buy from regularly. I haven’t blogged about it before because it feels “close to home.” I have friends on staff there, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to use the place for my own blogging purposes.
But it deserves recognition as a plant-passionate, knows-what-it’s-doing nursery with a simple, off-the-grid, serene kind of vibe you can’t help but breathe in and enjoy.
Readers, please find an independent nursery near you that you can love. If you have one, give it your support and share it out like I have.
P.S. Thank you to my readers who attended the Landscape Design Workshop put on by the El Dorado County Master Gardeners. We loved seeing you there!
