Thursday, March 27, 2008

Plant Purchases Gone Wild!



This week I visited my favorite wholesale nursery with the intent of buying some annuals. I did pick up a few flats of pansies and primroses but.....


I also just had to have these beauties......
I bought 3 campanulas including....

Campanula 'Sarastros' which has lovely yellow-green leaves.....

also zizia which is a new plant for me. It grows in damp woodlands and has sweet umbel flower heads
I also bought ....
a stunning hellebore called 'Swirling Skirt' series, and....

several geraniums including this one G. pratense 'Victor Reiter'. I can't wait to get them settled in.

My garden is really a horticultural zoo. Over the years, I have tried different plants to see how they grow. I want to know how hardy they are and if they are invasive. After they have passed what I call 'studied neglect' I may purchase more or incorporate the plant into a garden design. I'll keep you posted on this crop of newbies especially the zizia which might have the potential for getting out of control.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kathryn--

Thanks so much for stopping by saying hi! I don't get much traffic so I'm overly friendly to those who introduce themselves!

I don't know what that shrub is! It does not flower, but is variegated green and white. I have seen it once at the nursery and tried to commit its name to memory but promptly forgot. I think its big to be a euonymous...

I'll be back tomorrow when I can browse around!

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

That sounds like one of my trips to the nursery. Are you sure that Campanula isn't mismarked? I have 3 Campanula 'Sarastro,' & non have chartreuse leaves (mores the pity). It's also possible that you've got a new sport of 'Sarastro,' which would be way cool.

kjohnson said...

rr, how about posting a close up picture so we can try to identify your shrub. It just might be a euonymous.

MM's Daughter, it certainly could be mislabled or it might be chloratic (hope not). I'll repost it's picture in a month or so. Time will tell.

Thanks all for stopping by.

Kathryn

Anonymous said...

Ooh, I too will be eager to see if your 'Sarastro' keeps the gold in its foliage. Mine are distinctly green, as MMD's are. You made some excellent purchases and showed incredible restraint, considering all those plants you had to choose from.

Meems said...

I just love to have a purchasing day like you had. All your plant finds will provide you with some good gardening time. I'm not familiar with several of your choices but I sure do like them anyway.
Meems @Hoe&Shovel

garden girl said...

The hellebore and the geranium really caught my eye. So much so that I just took break from commenting to order a geranium online. I ended up with G. pratense ‘Midnight. Reiter,' supposedly holds that burgundy leaf color well. We'll see!

I've never seen a burgundy-leafed geranium, and suddenly I just had to have one. Thanks for the inspiration!

(oh, and while I was there, I ordered a couple more Rozannes, as I don't think one can have enough of them.)

kate smudges said...

Isn't that always the way - off to the nursery for one specific thing and suddenly there are these perennials beckoning us? I especially love coming across plants that are unusual and I don't know well. Living in zone 3, our choices are more limited, but still there are more than enough temptations...

The Hellebore is gorgeous and I wish dearly that I could keep them alive. I have one - the cold hardiest - but it has yet to flower. It's a zone 4 so I'm pushing it, but still ... I can't give up the idea that Hellebores won't be in my garden.

Melanie Chopay said...

Wow, I'd like to get my hands on that Hellebore! It's hard to tell from that photo but I'm going to guess that it's Atlantic Nursery? If so, I need to get there soon.

kjohnson said...

Nan, time will tell with "Sarastro". Even now it looks a bit greener.

Hi Meems, I haven't had a chance to plant these beauties yet - been a bit under the weather. But I am excited.

Garden Girl, let's post pictures of our 'Reiters' in bloom and compare!

Kate, zone 3 seems like a great challenge to me. I look forward to following your progress on your blog.

Melanie, yes of course it was Atlantic Nursery, my favorite local place. The day I was there I ran into several other pro gardeners and we all spent WAY to much time discussing various plants. That's how I ended up with unplanned purchases. I only dared go through a few of the hoop houses that day.

Garden Lily said...

G. Victor Reiter is one of my favourites. If you allow it to self-seed (which it does very well), you will notice some of the offspring are the beautiful burgundy type, and others are green-leaved. I'd recommend composting all the green ones, they are not as pretty, and I've found they grow bigger and stronger, and overshadow any nearby burgundy ones.