67 Heritage Museums & Gardens
September 30, 2022
69 The Rest of the Story
November 4, 2022
Thompson Building Materials
& Nursery (aka Silverado)
9297 Jackson Rd, Sacramento, CA 95826 • (916) 361-7374
Website
B efore new management took over Thompson Building Materials & Nursery in Sacramento, it was called Silverado. At all other times—except in my blog—I will forever call it Silverado like the locals. In writing I’ll use Thompson’s out of respect I guess. (Though it’s hard to respect that logo. Looks like it belongs on an auto parts store!)
Oh well…Thompson’s is my #1 “Go-To” when sending clients to pick out pavers, ledgestone, block stone, fountains and pottery. MY #1 because, take a look…
It goes on for acres and has one of the largest selections of outdoor materials you can find. It’s easy to get to, too. Plus, there’s a Hasties Sand & Gravel right across the street where you can do a drive-thru and take pictures for picking out your mulch.
Thompson’s has such a huge variety and inventory that on your first visit (even your second and third) it can be overwhelming. You just stare at it all with your eyes glazing over and your brain on overload. Making a decision seems impossible.
Which is why I give my clients instructions beforehand to help them focus on what they’re there for. But upon arrival…well THIS happened to one client who went to pick out pavers—ONE style of pavers.
Via email: “So, I’m overwhelmed by all the choices out there. I had one thing in mind, and now I want ALL THE DIFFERENT PAVERS!”
Yup. Happens. Thompson’s is famous for making you want more things than you should.
And their plant selection? I have to say there’s not a whole lot to choose from if you compare Thompson’s to other nurseries that focus on plants, plants, plants. But here’s a taste of what you’ll find…
Whenever I’m at Thompson’s, I usually do check out the “& Nursery” part of the business. It’s not a fully dedicated complete nursery, but I have found unusual or hard-to-find plants there. I also occasionally come across something that’s perfect for a particular spot in a client’s landscape.
Case in point—I needed a plant that would work in a client’s narrow raised area along a back fence, and I found the perfect one at Thompson’s. Here are 2 of them healthy and happy in the client’s yard…
Pyrcantha fortuneana ‘Graberi’
Growers often espalier Pyrachanthas like that. These shrubs can reach 12-feet high and wide but are easy to control by quarterly pruning. And they’re super useful in gardens. They’re evergreen and attract pollinators with beautiful masses of white blossoms which are followed by red berries.
This ‘Graberi’ variety is hard to find—unlike more common ones seen growing on hillsides. I was lucky Silverado—oops, Thompson’s—had it for me on the day I went looking!
On a visit in 2020, I started smelling a sweet scent as I meandered through the vines section. I sniffed it out and found these fragrant itty bitty white flowers on a lovely vine…
Akebia quinata ‘Alba’
Couldn’t resist. I snatched it up and put in my own yard!
Here’s a picture taken in June, 2022. Beautiful, I must say—even when not in bloom.
Akebia is evergreen and takes part shade or full sun. It’s not vigorous—meaning that it won’t take down a tree like the stupid wisteria did that I planted near a redwood tree. I even put it there after I had gotten smart about wisteria. Now I have to prune the damn thing every 2 weeks! Gawd.
By the way, there’s a ‘Chocolate’ version of Akebia too. Smells heavenly.
Okay. Now for the real reason I love love love Thompson’s.
GARDEN ART!!!
Here’s a piece that’s even mine!
Fabulous face! I could not pass it up during a recent trip to buy plants for a client. (You know that saying “one for you, one for me?” Use it. Life’s short.)
Here’s two metal yuccas from Thompson’s in my garden…
There should be 3 yuccas there of different sizes. But the third size was out of stock.
Ok. I’m patient.
When my husband took me to Thompson’s a few months ago so I could pick something out for my birthday, if you can believe it, we came away with nothing. I’m not a fan of people making me shop for myself on demand!
We did see a fire pit which I told Mike would go perfectly in one of our gathering gardens. But we didn’t buy it ‘cuz it was 100-degrees out and just thinking about fire made me start melting.
Jump ahead two weeks, and I’m there again shopping for a client. Saw the fire pit, couldn’t believe it hadn’t sold yet and bought it.
We had our first fire in it a month ago on the day of our first seasonal rain. Yes, we roasted marshmallows during a torrential downpour! John, the grandkid, didn’t mind.
You know I like to shop bargain areas. Thompson’s has a good one on the east side of the nursery.
You’ll find mark-downs there on garden furniture, plants, art, pottery and more.
I bought this $250 bench for $75.
LOL. Someone doesn’t know their grammar—which is probably why it was put on sale. So what! You can’t discount the sentiment.
Now on to other items to get sentimental over—fountains. Would you love a sweet elephant fountain?
Imagine water flowing from each of the notches and splashing into the basin of this fountain…
Thompson’s also has beautiful water features made from natural stones and boulders.
A client of mine—hi, Susan—bought a 1100-pound boulder fountain. Unfortunately Thompson’s had it delivered upright instead of on its side like instructed because we knew it would not fit through Susan’s backyard gate any other way.
Crap!
I called Thompson’s buyer, Cindy, and thank gawd I have a business relationship with her because she agreed it was their mistake and allowed us to return it. Susan would have to pay for the return though.
Well Thompson’s ain’t cheap for deliveries or returns so we decided to return it ourselves. Problem was, how in the world were we going to get a 1100-pound boulder onto our trailer?!
But wait, I’m an inventive woman, taught well by her very inventive husband. I hunted down an operator/backhoe who was digging trenches for a new home just down the street from Susan. I offered him a case of beer if he would come pick up the boulder and place it on our trailer. He did…and he got his beer.
Men are soooo easy.
Well by now you must be wondering what Mike ended up getting me for my birthday. Every year he asks me what I want and says, “In your blog, everything you say you want is too far away. It’d take a day getting there.” (Sounds about right.)
I tell him not to bother, that there’s nothing I want…I already have it all. Well he knows I don’t mean it and he always comes through. So this year he gave me the “Elite Supreme” detailing—inside and out—for my 2004 red SUV. Now it no longer grows weeds, does not smell like compost, and all spiders have been exterminated.
Since I have my new panel van for all my landscaping, I can haul my grandkids around in a car that is now fit for humans and doesn’t have trees up through the middle.
Mike knows what Grandma wants.
P.S. This post just scratches the surface of all my purchases made at Thompson’s over the last 20+ years.
Shhhh…
