29 Hello, Hellebores!
March 5, 2021
31 Spring Sprang!
March 27, 2021
E very year—in addition to one 5-day nursery marathon—Aunt Patti and I make a handful of day trips to visit nurseries. We pick a city and go! (Oooh...just writing these words gives me chills!)
On one of these day trips, Armstrong Garden Center in Dublin, California, was 6th on our list to visit. Armstrong has a chain of nurseries throughout the State and we have been to many of them. But for this post's story, we have to backtrack to the beginning of that day.
The first nursery on our list, MacAlveys Nursery & Landscape Materials in Martinez, ended up being ONLY landscape materials and NO nursery. It chaps my hide when a business puts the word "nursery" in its name but stocks no damn plants!!!! Of course Aunt Patti and I could not move on without examining the place from all angles to make certain there were no damn plants! Sometimes plant hope makes us irrational.
As I was driving (IOW speeding along) to the next nursery on our itinerary, we suddenly caught sight of hanging plants, and a Sloat Gardens nursery came into view.
Like Armstrong, Sloat Gardens is a nursery chain, and we have been to many of its locations. Since MacAlveys had been a bust, and even though Sloat's was not on our list to visit, we decided we had time to stop.
But the car was going so fast, we missed the entrance and had to drive in at the exit. Yes, blame Aunt Patti’s car. It goes so fast, we exit-entered 3 nurseries that day!
In order to see Sloat's outdoor plants, you have to go through the building past houseplants, tools, and other "must-haves." Since I had a mission in mind that day to find a houseplant for my kitchen island, I stopped at the houseplants for a peek.
Lo and behold, a vision of beauty stared right back at me!
Aglaonema ‘First Diamond’
I picked it up and called Aunt Patti to "Come here." (I say this a lot to her.) We oohed and aahed until I noticed the price tag said $99.50. Are you freakin kidding me?! I have no issue putting down that kind of money for an outdoor plant. But for a houseplant?!
I put it right back where I found it and proceeded to the outdoor plant area. All the while, though, I could not stop thinking about that damn Aglaonema. You know how I am. I HAD to have it. But no way was I going to pay that much for it.
Maybe because I was distracted I found nothing I wanted outside. Though of course Aunt Patti found herself "something with COLOR."
Campanula medium (Canterbury Bells Pink)
I went back inside for another look at the Aglaonema and—being my usual outspoken self—I said loudly,"Why is this so expensive?" A salesperson heard me and told me it is a very rare plant. No surprise, Reader. The more rare the plant, the more my eye is drawn to it, even before I know its rare usually. And that is me. In. A. Nutshell.
I told the salesperson, "That price is ridiculous "and I left the building. I would hunt for a kitchen plant elsewhere.
But after visiting almost all the nurseries on our day-trip list, I had not found one I remotely liked as well.
Then we arrived at the Armstrong Garden Center in Dublin. This garden lady sculpture sits at the entrance to the parking lot. I'd seen her before and did not want to miss her, so I put on the brakes in plenty of time to avoid exit-entering this time.
I WANT her! My husband likes to tell me, "It is good to want." Not helpful.
Here's another item I want at Armstrong. In fact, I must have it. And so—she tells me—must Aunt Patti.
Red is my favorite color. I think this set would be stunning at my She-Shed with its slate-gray siding. Don’t you? This outdoor set has good quality fabric, is very comfortable to sit on with chairs slightly curved. Great price too at 30% off, which brings it down to $1,085.
Where’s that damn U-Haul?!
Petchoa petunia x calibrachoa hybrid ‘Supercal Premium Sunray Pink’
Petchoa petunia x calibrachoa hybrid 'Supercal Premium Caramel Yellow’
Aunt Patti buys more petunias than anyone I know. (Remember, she must have color, color, color.) She bought ‘Sunray Pink’ at Armstrong and ‘Caramel Yellow’ at a different nursery.
Armstrong has an excellent inventory of succulents in all sizes and shapes. I've said before how I love ready-made nursery succulent bowls. They are great grab-and-go gifts.
Fake or "faux" succulents have come a long way over the years. You can hardly tell the difference.
Fake succulent wall wreath at Armstrong.
INSET: Fake succulent plant belonging to Aunt Patti.
Armstrong Garden Centers don't carry a huge variety of plants and not in large quantities either. But they do have enough to peak one's interest.
And I love love LOVE this display they put together! Nothing like a pop of color to draw your eye to an area.
Back to my mission of finding a plant for my kitchen island. I had already discovered one perfect choice that day, and I seldom will settle for anything just suitable. So I went into Armstrong's houseplant department mostly expecting disappointment but urged along by that "plant hope" I mentioned earlier which never shuts up and constantly drives me.
Well. Guess what? Yup! Tucked on a shelf in the back was another Aglaonema ‘First Diamond’ just waiting for me. Pricetag, $69.50. If we had come here before Sloat's that day, I would have seen that price and still have said, "Are you freakin’ kidding me?" But now at $30 less? I instantly paid up and brought that beauty home!
It's always productive and satisfying when—on one single day—I search for and find a new must-have plant!
Photos courtesy Sheri Lynn Burke. All rights reserved.
