I 'm Sheri Burke, plant lover, and let me say that if there is a plant nursery on my daily path of errands, I stop. If there is a nursery on my path to my BFF’s house, I stop. If there is a nursery on my path to visit family, I stop.

This stop-for-every-nursery path of mine led me to the idea of making yearly trips with my Aunt Patti (just as crazy about all things plants as I am) with no objective except to visit nurseries and public gardens. We pick a general destination, let’s say Oregon. We make a list of all the nurseries on our path, depending upon which freeway we decide to travel. And we head out!

I drive, Aunt Patti navigates. And we have a rule: she has her side of the vehicle, I have mine, and the two cannot encroach on the other without paying rent or a free plant. We take food and drink with us because stopping somewhere to eat means less time at a nursery!

Only after we have been thrown out of the last nursery for the day do we start looking for a hotel. Luckily, we have not had to sleep in the car. We love living on the edge. So come along and enjoy with us our journey of plant nursery joy!

First Visit?

JUST A SUGGESTION! Begin with post 01 Dragonfly Farm. Find my archives here.

February 26, 2021

28 Green Acres

During my travels, I have made many notes about nurseries and their personnel. These notes include: "Idiots." "Need people skills." "Can’t find good help." And my favorite: "Where in the hell IS everybody?" So annoying. But I'm here to tell you that Green Acres Nurseries have ample personnel, and they tend to know their stuff!
February 12, 2021

27 How Not to Remove a Wort

It begins at 10 o'clock one morning when I see my husband, Mike, standing outside looking up at the trees and the sky. This means he's trying to avoid starting his chores which—with his eyes looking upwards—are down below where he can't see them. Maybe they will go away, he thinks.
February 5, 2021

26 The Garden Corner

During a nursery tour in Oregon, Aunt Patti and I were in the town of Tualatin driving toward a nursery called The Garden Corner. In my Internet research it had looked amazingly beautiful. But as we drove along an ugly 4-lane road with nothing but ugly strip malls and gas stations on both sides, I thought the lady giving directions on Maps had given us a bum steer—or was on drugs or something.
January 29, 2021

25 Conifer Crazy

Why do spruce, pine, fir, juniper, cedar, redwood and cypress fall under the category of conifers? Because they produce cones and have needle-like leaves. And because they are evergreen—with a few exceptions like the one in my garden which I have no desire to take a picture of in dead of winter because it looks like a twig.
January 22, 2021

24 Westbrae Nursery

Forced to leave Flowercraft Garden Center with our need-to-pee issue still intact, Aunt Patti and I decided to pop into Westbrae Nursery—since it was on our way home (we have a lot of "on our way home" nurseries), and we hoped that perhaps we would get lucky there and find pee relief so we could happily waltz among their plants.
January 15, 2021

23 Flowercraft Garden Center

Before I get into some Flowercraft Garden Center purchases, may I register a complaint? During this pandemic, visiting nurseries has been very difficult on Aunt Patti and me. Here's why: Most—if not ALL—their restrooms are "CLOSED TO PUBLIC." Soooo annoying!!! I mean, I get why, and some might consider this a petty problem, but...doesn’t everybody have to pee?!
January 8, 2021

22 Miss Viola

What’s in a blog name....except my NUMBER ONE FAVORITE PLANT!?! You may be shocked to read this because Violas are so common, and you know I have a thing for all plants new and unusual. But I have to ask you this: What flower, besides Miss Viola, actually smiles back at you?
December 18, 2020

21 Bushnell Gardens Nursery

What do you do while cruising down the road and you see a sign that reads, "GIANT PLANT SALE"? Duh! In the Name of Plants you STOP! There is nothing that should keep you from screeching those tires, making a hard turn, and jumping from your vehicle to start waltzing.

Sheri Lynn Burke

My journey began as a small child watching and helping my mom in the garden. Years later, I bought a home, had those kids, had an ugly landscape and thought, "I can do better." So for the next 10 years, thousands (and thousands) of dollars went to plants. But I became a serial killer as 80% of them died. "Screw this!" I said. I had an eye for design but didn't know how to keep the damn plants alive! I procrastinated for 5 years ('cuz I wanted more death) and then became a certified Master Gardener. Four years and three pieces of paper later, I got a Horticulture degree. No longer a serial killer, I'm now a landscape designer and contractor with my own business. I had to train this green thumb that I got from my mother. But, Mom, I owe it all to you!