WHAT I’VE BEEN BUYING THIS SPRING

Yes, lots of Guy Wolff pots were added to the greenhouse collection that I started 12 years ago. This Begonia grandifolia was also added to the begonia collection.

A reader wrote me yesterday, asking me what I had bought while at Trade Secrets, which reminded me about a post that I have been meaning to write – a post that showed some of the plants that have been finding their way into my garden.  I always feel funny about over-sharing purchases, as half the fun in our sport of gardening is discovering new things, yet I too sometimes like to see what other gardeners find interesting. Gardening is, and should be personal, but I’ll admit that sometimes it’s fun to see what lies in someones closet, or, over their garden gate.

Here are some of my recent acquisitions:

From my dear friends at Annies Annuals, came this box – so perfectly packed that one could almost find it hard to believe that this box traveled across the entire country.

It’s time for a little encouragement folks.  I too am out of control with my plant purchases, barely able to keep up with nursery pots that keep ending up near the deck and hose. How will I ever be able to plant everything in time? The truth, they will all make it into the ground in time (Except, of course for that yellow English Oak that I bought last May at Trade Secrets 2013! But it emerged unscathed last week, so it is finally being planted in). We all do it.There was a time when I used to wonder why anyone would order annual from a mail order catalog, especially from Annies Annuals, as I figured that I could simply grow them myself, but did I ever learn my lesson. A couple of years ago, I decided to order some of her more unusual annuals ( they offer far more than annuals), such as Godetia and some Clarkia – and the plants arrived in such a well packed box, and grown with such care, that I could hardly believe it. Four inch pots, well pinched, and grown in the cool conditions, outdoors in the Bay area of California. I can’t recommend Annies Annuals enough. Real plant people who know what they are growing, many unusual or old fashioned plants found no where else, and always grown without growth hormones, retardants or stimulants.

Check out the packing job on these perennials that arrived from another fav source of mine, Song Sparrow Nursery. Each  2 quart nursery pot is fitted into cardboard wrap,, and each rectangular wrap fits tightly into a tall box. Just amazing. They are nice folks too, and if you are looking for a peony this fall ( which is when you plant them) be sure to check out their selection on-line, and order early. My grove of  Betula chinensis ‘cinnamon flake’  birches also came from Song Sparrow. I am always impressed with their shrubs and trees, as each comes in its own box, which drives my UPS driver nutty, but hey – they are precious cargo.

From Annies this year, I ordered many Cuphea species and named selections, just to try them in our New England garden, as I am well aware that not everything from Annies will grow well for us here in the hot and humid Northeast, but one never knows when a cool, breezy summer may come, and besides, I usually back myself up with some dry-loving desert friendly plants for my dry spots in the front garden. Annies has something for everyone, and they can make a sweet pea or even a common snapdragon look like an expensive, well grown perennial, so don’t scoff at the prices – you’ll be surprised at what one pot will look like.

Here is my cart from last weekends’ trip to Trade Secrets. Full of treasures.

An 18″ tall variegated Ajuga? You be. This ajuga challenges our notions about any ajuga being planted in a garden. Ajuga incisa ‘Frosted Jade’ , from Broken Arrow Nursery, had many of us talking. A non-spreading, tall growing relative of a garden plant few of us ever think of actually introducing back into the garden.

‘Rising Cloud’ Redbud. a golden leaved form with rosy pink new growth. I can’t wait. Thank you Broken Arrow!

I thought that I would share some of the containers that I am planting. This pair of tall containers has a selection of Proven Winners plants that caught my eye. I always find that the Proven Winners selections over-perform ( in a good way), and although I am not a spokesperson for them, I support their breeding and marketing efforts, especially for inexperienced or new gardeners, as they do perform exceptionally well.

While driving to the plant sale last weekend, I was thinking about what plant I would hope that I would find, and this is one that had been on my wish list for three years now . Rhododendron narcissiflora, a fragrant, deciduous azalea that I first saw at the Tower Hill Botanic Garden, where they have a magnificent mature specimen planted in their garden. It blooms earlier than most native species, and makes a large, well-branched shrub.