20 Fabulous Fall Foliage
December 11, 2020
22 Miss Viola
January 8, 2021
W hat do you do while cruising down the road and you see a sign that reads, "GIANT PLANT SALE"? Duh! In the Name of Plants you STOP! There is nothing that should keep you from screeching those tires, making a hard turn, and jumping from your vehicle to start waltzing. Which is exactly what I did recently at Bushnell Gardens Nursery (BGN).
I have visited BGN regularly for 25+ years. I even got to know the (recently retired) manager quite well due to "necessary negotiating" from time to time in order to get what I want. I think he enjoyed haggling with me because whenever he saw me waltzing in, he didn't turn away and pretend to be busy elsewhere. (I can’t say the same about some other nursery managers who see me and duck for cover!)
Sometimes when a business tries to offer too many services, the one service it exists for can suffer, and BGN has had some growing pains. But in the last year it appears to have found its footing! It stocks all the run-of-the-mill plants, but I go there for the pottery, garden art, outdoor furniture, and most importantly their unusual conifers and succulents.
BGN has a gorgeous gift store that stocks household accessories and knick knacks but they also carry high-end artisan items such as sculptures and furniture.
I cannot fit all of my BGN purchases in this post, but here are some highlights.
During the holidays, BGN's gift shop turns into a Winter Wonderland of stunning ornaments and decorations. Since red is my favorite color, I bought this angel for the top of our Christmas tree. Don’t you just love how her dress flows over the tree and lights?
As I have mentioned before, I am a very patient person. I happen to like watching grass grow—just that kind of gal.
About 10 years ago I saw this beautiful 3-foot sculpture in BGN's gift shop, but the price tag made me walk away with a sob and my mind screaming, "I MUST HAVE HER!"
So, patient me, for five years I visited her often, thinking, "Some day, you will be mine!"
Then one day I couldn’t find her in the shop and I panicked. I found out they had moved her outside to the huge covered patio and while there she got some weather damage. But LUCKY me! Because of the damage, BGN cut her price in half!
I immediately told my husband about this—you know in case he needed to buy me a gift for some reason (though you’d think after 37 years he shouldn't need a reason). So guess what he gave me for my birthday?!
She is in my bathroom. Right where she belongs.
Here is our very first purchase at BGN...
Concrete Skeleton Fountain
This "one-of-a-kind" fountain was another birthday present from my husband. Years later he incorporated its concrete basin into our deck extension. The small trough at the fountain's top can accommodate up to 10 finches drinking and bathing.
Most of my plant purchases at BGN have been conifers. Even when nurseries hold "Giant Sales" they don't usually reduce prices below my everyday contractor’s discount. So no savings to me. But sometimes they do. And lucky me when I found this itty bitty rare conifer on sale—so perfect for a container.
Pinus mugo ‘Spilled Milk’ (Dwarf Mugo Pine)
Even on sale, this dwarf pine was pricey at $35.95 in a one gallon pot, but I had NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE (...that is my story and I am sticking to it...) and I HAD to have it.
Its maximum height is only 6 to 8 inches but it can grow to 3 feet wide—though very slowly. Maybe I'll live long enough to see it at maturity. Supposedly it turns gold/yellow in fall and back to green in spring/summer, though there is no mention of color change in my research. Not complaining!
Here is a spruce that is very unusual too, so I had to grab it at $35.95 in a one gallon pot. I put it in this 2-foot tall container with the Black Mondo Grass for contrast.
Picea orientalis ‘Tom Thumb Gold’ (Oriental Spruce)
Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ (Black Mondo Grass)
The grass costs $14.95 in a one-gallon pot, and I do not understand why it is always expensive...I mean just because it takes three whole months to germinate from seed and is s-l-o-w growing (LOL). Anyway, I split it into 6 babies and got a good deal!
So this is me: I complain about high prices for common plants but won't blink an eye when an unusual plant costs a ridiculous amount of money. Priorities, Readers!
Beschorneria yuccoides (Mexican Lily)
The Mexican Lily lives in the Agave and Yucca family. It can grow 5 to 8 feet tall with 2-foot long gray/green leaves. In summer, thick 2-foot bright pink flower stems appear with cream/red flowers just like a Yucca.
When I bought this Mexican Lily at BNG the plant label said it takes sun/shade. Rather than put it in my holding area at home, I planted it directly in a part-shade area of my garden for observation. Not my usual way but the root was bulging out of its pot, and I DO know how to keep Yucca’s alive, so...
By the way, I just want you all to know something about me when taking photos in my garden. I am NOT a photographer and am not used to maneuvering with the camera and at the same time paying attention where I'm putting my feet! It is truly exhausting trying to take pictures for this blog without killing myself. Soooo many times I have almost fallen off a cliff...as my property sits on a hill and it is all downhill from there!!!
Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Goldcrest Wilma’ (Lemon Cypress or Goldcrest Tree)
As I mentioned before, these cypresses are soooooo cute at holiday time all dressed up for shoppers to snatch up. But then the season ends, and they grow up very very fast.
I bought one of the itty-bitty things 3 years ago and put it in a container—which it quickly outgrew. So into the ground it went, and look! Now it is 5-feet tall and 2-feet wide!
If you need a fast-growing pop of color in your garden, the Lemon Cypress makes a really striking tree with its yellow and green foliage. I put mine near the border so I can smell the fresh scent of lemons!
Well, Readers, this is my final post for 2020. I will be back in January 2021. Until then, happy gardening. And a big thank-you for subscribing and for all the positive comments I receive.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Photos courtesy Sheri Lynn Burke, Bushnell Garden Nursery. All rights reserved.
