42 Green Thumb Nursery
September 3, 2021
44 Beautify Your Summer/Fall Gap
October 1, 2021
Alena Jean’s Flower Shop & Nursery
340 Purissima Street, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 • (650) 726-3662
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I rate Half Moon Bay's Alena Jean's Nursery in my TOP 5 charming boutique-ish-style nurseries of all time. You never know what treasures you are gonna' find there!!! Owner, Alena Jean, stocks only 1 or 2 of each plant which 1) allows great variety in a small space and 2) keeps you meandering through, wanting to see everything as you pass the rustic barn (main shop) and into a beautiful and eclectic yard. The whole place is put together by Alena Jean and most likely her landscape designer dad whose taste for the unique and colorful is so...up...my...alley!
Over the past 10 years I've taken Aunt Patti there several times. But I first came upon Alena Jean's one weekend 15 years ago on a Girl's Getaway to Half Moon Bay with Evelyn.
That weekend, Evelyn and I heard about a beautiful garden at the Mill Rose Inn and we wanted to take a peek. So we set off on foot to find it.
Well, on the way, we found Alena Jean's just around the corner from the inn! (I tell ya', Readers, I can sniff out a nursery like a dog to a bone.) As much as I wanted to stop, we went on to the explore the Inn.
That garden is absolutely stunning! Especially at the right time of year. Considering that Half Moon Bay's weather happens to be ideal from spring through summer, you have months and months to visit this beautiful place.
Evelyn and I took a tour of the grounds and the rooms. If you want a perfect wedding or anniversary destination, this place is it. I mean, it is truly romantic.
Inside that gazebo is a jacuzzi.
For one party at a time.
Ooh-la-la...
(Okay, shut down those daydreams...we're heading to the nursery now.)
When Evelyn I visited Alena Jean's that year, I came across a very unusual plant. I brought it home, planted it in a container and placed it between 2 birch trees. It has been there ever since—with NO maintenance other than cleaning up the dead foliage in late summer.
Pinellia tripartita (Tripartite Green Dragon)
It is herbaceous (dies down to the ground), loves shade, and is very heavily dense with foliage from spring through summer. By mid-August, the leaves start to die out and within a month or so, the foliage is gone—Green Dragon has decided it is DONE with the heat.
Just like me in mid-August.
When I bought it, I did no research except to read the nursery label. Jump ahead all these years and why have I still not researched this plant? No need. It grows fabulously!
Last year, however, I noticed that the 2 by 2-foot container was full to the brim with Green Dragon. I got worried that the roots would plug up the holes so I decided I better do some propagating and replant a smaller one to last another 15 years.
Thinking it was going to be a huge undertaking to wrestle the overgrown plant out of the container, I got out all my tools and prepared for battle. But when I tipped the container over, the entire plant just fell out!
And who knew there would be a million bulbs in there?!
This plant requires only about 6 inches of root space to produce fantastic foliage which can grow as high as 2 feet. The remaining container space was full of beautiful potting soil from 15 years ago. Not a root to be found. So, geez, wasted my time. No need to even have touched the thing. Had to put all my tools away. But talk about a low-maintenance plant!
After propagating, I ended up with 30 one-gallon pots, 16 of which I took to the El Dorado County Master Garden program's annual plant sale which funds the Sherwood Demonstration Garden. Let me tell you, those little Green Dragons sold like hotcakes!
With this one plant alone, Alena Jean's is still giving joy all these years later.
Here's more from a recent visit there...
This was during our NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS trip to Half Moon Bay in January this year.
I saw plenty I liked at Alena Jean's but bought no plants. However, Aunt Patti bought one, and it is doing very well. Here's a shot of it from another nursery.
Coprosma ‘Pina Colada’
AP can grow this more tender plant because where she lives she does not freeze like I do in winter. I particularly like this Coprosma because the colors of its tiny shiny leaves pair well with any color blossoms of companion plants.
Alena Jean herself is also a floral designer and offers up cute gift items in her shop along with items for floral arrangements as well.
Listen, if you take a trip to Half Moon Bay, you must include Alena Jean's in your nursery-hopping! It might make your TOP 5 too.
Now...do you get sales flyers from nurseries in your email? I often sign myself up with nurseries I like. Here's one I received recently.
Whenever a sale flyer like this lands in my inbox, and the nursery lies within a day's driving distance, AP and I jump in the car and we go!!!
Which we did just this Wednesday—drove ourselves to Cottage Gardens in Petaluma. And sure enough—at 30% OFF—we filled up both sides of the car!
I also saw a plant there I had never seen before.
In case you forgot, Lomandra longifolia ‘Platinum Beauty’ is among my TOP 5 plants (see Blog Post 5). Arctic Frost is a new variety introduced to California just this year.
Lomandra longifolia ‘Arctic Frost’
The difference between the two is that Arctic Frost has dark green leaves with white edges where Platinum Beauty has narrow green leaves with white central stripe and white margins.
Yeah...quite honestly, without my seeing-eye glasses I can’t tell the difference. I did not buy Arctic Frost this time because I would have felt like a traitor to my love of Platinum Beauty.
But I see another 30% OFF trip to Cottage Gardens before September ends, and I will probably grab one then.
Just so I can watch it grow.
What ELSE have I got to do?!
Photos courtesy Sheri Lynn Burke. All rights reserved.
