I saw it was going to be included in the sale when I went by the Garden on Wednesday after work. They start setting up the sales as early as Wednesday. For a preview, Friday is even better.
Although I only came for one plant, you know I bought more...
Aster 'Treasurer'
I thought it would look good next to Madia elegans already in my garden.
Purple and yellow are good together, and experts advise combining like forms with different colors.
Penstemon centranthifolius--another Southern California native.
I like how the flowers seem to hang on little beads.
The leaves are lanceolate and glaucus-green with stems that turn purple.
And, finally, I got this Aeonium that I really should have bought years ago.
Altogether with my member discount, I think it came to $36 and change.
Anyhow, back home in the garden of plants that I already have, this Lilium 'Red Velvet' opened the other day.
Old House Gardens included it in last year's fall sampler. I was skeptical when it arrived, but I like it so much I'm going to include three pictures of it in this post.
The orange pollen is perfect.
With recent warm weather, the cup-and-saucer vine flowers (Cobaea scandens) are opening all up and down the vine.
And the vine itself is becoming an attractive garden feature. I recently removed the dead foliage on the lower parts, and now I can see these layers of quarter-inch thick jungle-y rope.
The pressure-treated wood negates any kind of jungle vibe, but the stem wood is appealing.
For the most part, the garden is warm and dry with lots of grays, light greens, and browns.
Garden scents include Madia elegans and this Salvia clevelandii.
Speaking of scents, this Critter Ridder product from Havahart seems to have worked to ward off raccoons for the last few days. It's mostly ground black pepper, pepper oils, and capsaicin. I was tempted to taste it, but did not.
I used the whole bottle and sprinkled it everywhere including along the fence. It's only supposed to work for 30 days. It's too expensive to apply every 30 days, so I hope it works longer. (I probably exceeded the application instructions by using the whole bottle, but I was desperate.)
And now for a short Bloom Day preview.
16 comments:
I love all your flowers. The little ball is very pretty too(-: How is kitty doing?
Is the Cuphea perennial for your? That Aeonium is certainly something and I would have spent just as much too.
Yeah, cupheas are pretty much all perennials here, as far as I know. There are some some annual species in the Botanical Garden, but they aren't usually available for sale.
Kitty's doing much better! (Thank you for asking.) Still would like to see some more BM's from her. A post on her coming up.
I sure like that Aeonium, but will likely have to stick with the Sempervivums.
Glad to hear Miss Penny is doing well.
I can surely understand why you went to that sale just for that plant, it is stunning! I can also understand why you came with a lot more plants than you went to get :-) . I really like the aeonium, I had never seen a variegatum one. And all the gardens flowers look wonderful (here with all the heat we don't have many flowers anymore). Glad to know Penny is doing better.
Cobaea stems like a rope ladder to a tree house, or the mad hatter's tea cup ride from the original Disneyland in Anaheim, (we lived fairly close and had season passes one year). Red Velvet lilies are going on my bulb order list for sure, what a color! Good for little Miss Penny, is there the cat equivalent of prunes? Is that the same cuphea as Pam's bat face?
Always a treat to visit your very informative blog, and I really enjoy your great photos. In fact, I have updated my blogroll and added your site to my list of favorites..hoping you don't mind.
Like you, when I go to a plant sale for just one certain plant, my OCD kicks in and I leave with a dozen must-haves. Best regards, Jon at Mississippi Garden on 7-13-08
All the flowers are pretty but the Aeonium is spectacular!
Well I recently bought a house (last year) so I am very new to the gardening thing.
I am very tempted to go to the GG Botanical Garden Sales.....but something always comes up that weekend I am interested. But I am definitely marking my calendar for the CA Native Plants. I am foaming at the mouth for those.
I took a trip to the nursery link you provided to the CA Native Nursery in Santa Rosa / Fulton. WE LOVED IT....just wish it was closer.
I also this past weekend went to the Dry Garden - If only I had enough money to buy there.....some really great stuff.
Thanks for all the info.
Bruce
So I think I forgot to ask the question - are the sales at the Botanical Society worth going on the weekend? Or is everything picked over by then and you really should become a member and get in there early etc...?
Thanks
Bruce in Glen Park
Being a member gives you a 10%discount, but not advanced access. The only time it gives you advanced access is during the big sale in May. Members get to go on Friday, while the general public has to wait until Saturday.
As far as the monthly sales go, I'd say to get the best selection you should go during the first hour or two. The tables tend to look a little bare by the third hour.
Also, the selection is better some months than others. It's a little unpredictable.
The prices are very reasonable, even cheap. That alone makes it worth going. I'm forever telling them to raise their prices.
And if you don't see something you want, just ask. They have more plants than they care to cart out every month.
I certainly see why you wanted the Cuphea, I would want one, too. Also the Aeonium (I bought a similar one at Flora Grubb, but unfortunately snails ate it as I was then away from home for a month). They ate some of the agaves and aloes I got in SF, too, but those all grew back. I have been meaning to try penstemon, that’s a virtually unknown plant here, and Penstemon centranthifolius looks particularly attractive to me. And that Lilium 'Red Velvet' is marvelous.
I know you said in your GBBD post that you prefer the cobaea when it first opens, but I really like this nice purple color you show here.
I really just wanted to post a comment to whine, though: Seriously, how unfair is it that we can't grow (overwinter) that salvia clevelandii in Cleveland?!!! Wah!
I wonder how it got that name! Must have been someone named Cleveland, or something. I've always felt weird calling it "Cleveland Sage" since it's native to So Cal and Mexico. It would be confusing.
I'm SO glad the "Critter Ridder" is working! (I'm also glad you didn't taste it! :) That cobaea vine is very attractive, with exfoliating bark to boot! I bet eventually you won't even be able to see the post. That aeonium is friggin' GORGEOUS! I hope you post many pictures of it from now on...it doesn't even need to bloom! I'm totally familiar with "coming home with more plants than intended", I went to the store for suet cakes and came home with 10 "refugees" on clearance for 50 cents each! Mostly annuals, and nearly dead, but I felt they "needed" me to save them. :)
I haven't seen that elegant cuphea before--very nice. I love that Aeonium too.
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