90 Solana Succulents
September 22, 2023
92 Fall Flowers 2023
October 27, 2023
Seaside Growers Nursery
33773 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 926755 • (949) 493-7854
S ome nurseries have a grand entrance, others just a mediocre one, and some—like Seaside Growers—where you can’t even find an entrance!
AP and I could have saved precious time and a lot of frustrated driving if, beforehand, we had just viewed the map, directions and entrance photos on Seaside’s website.
Instead, we made 3 U-turns, ignoring The Map Woman saying: “turn left, turn left, turn left, rerouting, rerouting, rerouting.”
There was a dirt road we avoided taking because it appeared to belong to a private residence (which it does) but finally we did take it—because no nursery was turning up anywhere we’d already driven too many times.
Down that road, through some bends and up a slope we came to some train tracks and stopped. On the other side, the road dipped out of sight and we couldn’t tell where it would take us.
We looked at each other, shrugged and went for it. I drove forward and stopped right on the tracks to see what we could see. Lo and Behold, and to our relief, Seaside Growers was right there—paradise at the end of a dirt road.
Lucky thing no speeding train was about to run us down because I forgot to look!
Oh the misadventures of two navigationally impaired nursery hunters!
We entered Seaside Growers and met Matt, the owner. We told him about our Driving Miss Viola road trips, and he became beyond excited. He dubbed us “The Nursery Hoppers” and started mentioning nurseries to see if we had visited them. We said “Yes” to all except one—Dana Point Nursery—which was not yet on our radar. (Can you guess where we headed after visiting Seaside? More on that later.)
To check my facts before posting this, I went to Seaside’s website and came upon this list…
OMG, that is funny! I’ve never known a nursery to list things they don’t sell. Reading it, you’d think they don’t carry much at all there.
But Au Contraire!
The feeling inside this nursery is tropical to the max—lush with shiny greens and bold colors. Makes you believe there might be a clear blue sea with white beaches just across the street—like the name of the nursery suggests.
Just look at this tropical beauty…
Curcuma hybrid ‘Ban Rai Red’ (Red Thorch)
Stunning flower color! This plant belongs to the Ginger family and can be grown in Zones 8 and above. Since it’s a bulb, below Zone 8 it would probably turn to mush underground. If you were bored, you could dig it up every year and bring it in. Yeah. NO.
Absolutely gorgeous combo! All the pink and burgundy foliage—and then you mix in a pink flowering plant which I believe is a begonia. So much to like and learn right there!
OMG, the maturity of these succulents…
Amazing, right? Excellent pricing too!
Need I say more?
I remember when this Euphorbia first came on the market…
Euphorbia hybrid ‘Inneuphdia’ Diamond Frost
It’s an annual and so light and airy. Perfect for containers. Its grower is Proven Winners, so you know it’s expensive.
I fell in love with this vine the moment I saw it…
Clerodendrum thomsoniae (Bleeding Heart Vine)
Don’t be fooled by its Bleeding Heart name. In no way is it related to the bleeding heart species we all know and love for shade gardens.
Larger vines require constant maintenance and pruning to keep them tidy on a trellis, and you end up pruning off the flowers before they begin.
But this is an evergreen tropical vine you can grow in containers. It grows only to 15-feet which means it does not need a lot of pruning and so you get to enjoy its gorgeous flowers.
Unfortunately, the vine’s growing zone is 10 and above. I’ve read it can take Zone 9, but good luck!
Which is why I did not bring it home. Too many “good luck” attempts for me have ended up “zero luck”—aka dead. Which, with Bleeding Heart Vine, would make me more sad than leaving it behind.
Did you know my Little Gardening Friend is the Queen of Ornamental Grasses? I bought this for her…
Sesleria autumnalis ‘Campo Verde’ (Moor Grass)
Someday she’ll propagate it—when she feels like digging, dividing and sharing— and perhaps she’ll share a baby with me.
I bought this plant for its chartreuse foliage…
Acalypha spp. (Tahitian Gold Sunset Shrub)
May not look like much, but its name fits the whole Seaside Growers vibe which I encourage you to experience now that you know it’s down a dirt road and across some tracks.
I thought I had blogged about this shrub already, featuring it in a container plant combo, but I can’t find where. Might not matter because my Tahitian Gold Sunset Shrub is dead now. I’m just too cold.
You know I’m talking about the climate where I live, right? Because I think I have a basically warm personality in spite of saying things outright as I see them. But as far as being too physically cold? Never. Won’t ever happen.
Speaking of cold…it’s coming—fall and winter temps. Yay!!! Bye-bye heat!!!
Don’t be surprised if you see me in shorts and sandals come January.
