47 High-Hand Nursery
November 23, 2021
49 This, That, and the Other Thing
January 7, 2022
Roger's Gardens
2301 San Joaquin Hills Rd, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625 • (949) 640-5800
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I might as well tell you right up front that you'll find very high-end products at Roger's Gardens—all with matching very (very!) high prices. But it is an absolutely stunning showplace that fills other nurseries with envy! Which is why "The Real Housewives of Orange County" shop there. And if you don’t know this reality TV show, you live under a rock!
I have visited Roger's Garden twice and haven't bought a thing. But OMG the ambience! So inspiring. Like High-Hand Nursery it gets my creative juices flowing and splashing around at every turn.
Oh, and in case you couldn’t find me a holiday gift at High-Hand, you will definitely find one for me here. Just get me anything. Or everything.
As you enter, this greets you...
How can you go wrong with white pots and white orchids? This display perfectly fits the modern trend of designing with white, grey and black—which I appreciate and like. I've used it in many landscape designs that have turned out (must I say it?) rather stunning.
But I am a foliage gal and always will be.
Now that's how to create a beautiful houseplant design instead of just plopping a single lonely plant into a container. (Get creative, Readers!)
That's a beautiful container, I might add. Guess how much it costs? Yup, around $120—which is ridiculous! I'm guessing the entire design will run you well over $250, but I say "go for it" Orange County Housewives. Your indoor gardening staff can keep it alive for you.
In Roger's defense, houseplants are expensive no matter where you shop. On top of that, few nurseries offer warranties on them. Why not? Because most customers do not pay attention to the actual needs of houseplants (and have no gardening staff). Hence death without warranty.
Now, are these succulents real or fake?...
Actually doesn't matter if they're real or fake, that metal piece is absolutely beautiful! And for the low price of $400.
Hey, Mike! You got some spare sheet metal lying around. Whip me up one!
(They're fake by the way.)
Which reminds me—I bought this copper box at a cute little boutique in Carmel...
This was during a Girls Getaway with my BFF about 10 years ago and it was just a plain box when I bought it. Back at home I stored it away until I could figure out what I would do with it. Then about 4 years later, I came upon some succulents at Island Nursery in Ojai. They were ridiculously expensive but they were the highest quality of fake succulents I had ever seen!
I instantly thought of that plain copper box back home so I opened my wallet wide and TA-DA! (Patience pays, and I got it in spades.)
If you want real succulents and have a lot more time and money than I do, knock yourself out trying to copy this idea from Roger's...
Take note though, your pretty succulent wall will not stay pretty for long due to climate and water requirements. Believe me, I have tried something like this multiple times, and after just a year it never looks good.
But everything always looks good at Roger's.
Arbutus unedo 'Marina' and agave
These Wooly Pockets came on the market about 12 years ago...
Clever idea, but this doesn’t mean I want them.
Well...I do.
But not sure where to put them.
Though, if I thought about it, I'm sure I could find a place to put this...
I first saw one of these wrought-iron "umbrella" plant stands when a client hired me to create some hanging baskets for one she had bought. Along with creating baskets for her, I strung 1/4-inch irrigation tubing up through the middle of the umbrella to ensure no death.
Since then, I have been on the lookout to buy one for myself.
I saw one at Bushnell Nursery a few years back that cost somewhere around $850. Mike happened to be with me and I mentioned how much I wanted one. No comment.
As of today, still no comment and no iron umbrella.
In his defense, I could just buy one. Except I know in the back of my head I wouldn't know where to put it in the gardens. Don't you think this is beside the point though? I mean you gotta' have it or you don't.
Which is why AP and I stood in front of these for half an hour...
We were discussing whether or not to spend $300 for ONE!!! If we decided yes, we would split one 10-foot chain between us, each getting half.
In the end we walked away.
But I do have 3 rain chains already. Here's one...
Instead of holding plants, mine are being used as intended: to catch the rain and splatter it everywhere!
They came from Stone Manor the same place I buy my outdoor low-volt lighting. They were also $300 but much better quality than those made with flimsy metal you'll find in the market everywhere these days.
Don't you love this?...
Absolutely beautiful and so up my alley in terms of personal style—simple plain-old concrete with a ton of foliage.
The plants appear to be Acacia cognata ‘Cousin Itt’, Senecio, and Helichrysum petiolare (Licorice Plant).
Repetitive yet simple. Roger, whoever you are, you had me with this one.
And with this...
Lomandra longifolia ‘Breeze’
You cannot go wrong planting Lomandra. So nice as either a container plant or a mass planting on hillsides for erosion control or turf replacement.
Lomandra is not an ornamental grass, so no need to cut back once a year. Just a very pretty evergreen perennial with many uses.
Outdoor living! Well if you have money and don’t care if over-priced, then Roger is your guy. Just sayin’.
Speaking of over-priced...
OMG, I must have this outdoor lamp. Is it not the coolest thing ever for $3200?! Any guesses why I still don’t have one 3 years after first seeing it? (They also make them as heaters.)
The top and base give off a really soft warm glow which sets such a mood you’d think Mike would run right down and buy one for me.
Did I mention Roger's has a restaurant too? Sounds a bit like High-Hand Nursery, hmm?
Go shopping, friends. It is the holidays for plantsake!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I'll see you in the nurseries and around the bend in 2022.
Photos: Sheri Lynn Burke
