33 Putting the “B” in Euphoria
April 23, 2021
35 More Succulents Please
May 21, 2021
A reader suggested we visit Orchard Nursery in Lafayette saying, "You will not be disappointed." Well Aunt Patti and I were NOT disappointed. They have restrooms OPEN to the public!
Luckily we arrived near opening time, because 2 hours later when we left, there was a long line of cars waiting to get in...COVID and all!
I absolutely hate to miss anything at nurseries, so after parking, we sat in the car and looked the place over—so much to see even out front—and decided to start at the farthest end: the pots.
We came upon these beautiful elephant sculptures and immediately thought of my daughter who loves all things elephants. Shhhh...she might get one for a house warming gift. Or better yet for giving me a second grandson, Hunter Scott. He will be arriving any day now. (Each kid has given me a grandchild. Finally a reward !!!)
After the pots, came the conifers. You all know how much I love love love conifers.
I do appreciate it when nurseries creatively display their plants instead of placing them in row after row after boring row.
Next we came upon another set of beautiful pots made by a local artist. The colors just pop! Flashy pots is how I add color without needing to deadhead!
Aunt Patti and I each bought 3. See the results...
Aeonium ‘Emerald Ice’
Crassula ovata ‘Hummel’s Sunset’, Aeonium ‘Kiwi’
Aeonium hybrid ‘Sun Dancer’
Aunt Pattie's small pot with unknown plant and
large pot with Campanula medium (Canterbury Bells Pink)
Aunt Patti paired the tall clay pot so well with the short round one.
Nice shape and color combo!
There was so much stuff to look at as we made our way around to the entrance.
If you can’t find a gift for someone—or for yourself—at this place, you have issues and need to find someone equipped to help you—but not me.
Now on to the plants in the back.
The houseplant selection "The Atruim" is beautifully laid out. Though, of course, they didn’t have a plant to fit what I was on the hunt for.
And of course Succulents-Gotta-Have-'em Aunt Patti could not pass up this Llama.
Kalanchoe luciae (Flapjack)
Speaking of succulents, we finally made it through the backdoor to where THE PLANTS are, but we faced such a sea of loveliness we couldn’t decide where to start. So we headed straight for the succulents.
Holy moly!
This photo shows just a fraction of the succulents offered! If you can’t find one you like here, add that to your list of issues. (Please find help...)
Being the plant snob that I am, when I see a sign in a nursery that says "Collector’s Corner," I get excited and think "This is going to be better than sex." It was!
Take a close look at the nursery tables and how they present the plants here. Fabulous!!!! Up close and personal. Everything labeled. Nice and neat and tidy. But with all this comes higher prices (not to mention the demographics of the town where this nursery is located).
Since I was feeling the glow, I had to grab more of my #1 favorite plant: Miss Viola.
Viola ‘Columbine’, Viola ‘Etain’
I love a nursery with very large signage pointing you to areas of plants you need to buy.
And take a gander at this...
These are raised beds with the potted plants placed on top of coco mulch. Very clever. Again: nice and neat and tidy—which seems to be the theme of Lafayette's absolutely wonderful Orchard Nursery.
Reader, do you have a favorite nursery you would like me to visit? If you do, I am willing to drag myself out of my garden and "take one for the team!" Email me.
Photos courtesy Sheri Lynn Burke. All rights reserved.
