Colesville Nursery

For years I'd noticed it from 95, laid out on a slope right next to the highway. But not until today, at Becky's recommendation, did I make my way down to Ashland to buy plants.

I had a specific list of plants I was looking for, and they make it easy because their inventory is online. What a concept! I was in search of a second Virginia sweetspire for the back shrub border and two more Viburnum 'Shasta' by the back fence. Then, of course, I had a couple other things on the list - Hakonechloa to replace the one that died in the front; two geraniums 'Rozanne' ditto; and hostas to go in front of the trellis.

Armed with their list, my hosta book, and a firm determination to stick to the budget, I tooled down 95 and found this most wonderful place. They're primarily a wholesale outfit, but they are as nice and friendly as can be to lone shoppers like me. You tell them what you want and someone meets you in one of the "houses" where the plants are neatly laid out. (The houses at this time of year are empty hoops that span each row, but once winter comes they are covered and undoubtedly look more house-like.)

The guy who helped me with the viburnums was very friendly, and once I was done there he led me via a golf cart thing to the hosta area, where another friendly soul helped me pick out five hostas. I was leaning toward the blues, which I love, but something about this spot cries out for brighter chartreuse colors. I ended up with three Paul's Glory and two August Moons.

 

Set on three-foot centers, they should nicely fill up the twelve-foot-long expanse. I'm very pleased.

By the time I was ready to check out, the geraniums, a hakonechloe and a flat of pansies had crept into my car, and I was somewhat over budget. The nice checkout person took 10% off, "just because you're a nice person"! How soon can I return?

Fall orders

Have just ordered the "Crescendo" collection of daylilies from White Flower Farm for the pathway garden, and ordered a less pricey (and probably less elegant) collection of daffodils from Van Bourgondien to go with them. The plan is to have flowers and foliage from spring through late summer. The collections are about twice what I need, so I have the delicious problem of deciding where to put the extras - in the cutting garden along the side of the house? Or along the back fence?

I also ordered paper whites, Tommy crocuses and more English bluebells and feel very smug that for once I am not, like Henry Mitchell, having to take a drill to the ground in January to plant the bulbs!

Bulb Order 2007, part two

After picking up some daffodils and paper whites at Roxbury Mills this morning, I am declaring myself officially done for the season. Now comes my least favorite part, planting the blessed things, especially in the concrete that passes for soil in the drought-stricken garden.

From McClure & Zimmerman:

Aurelian trumpet lily blend (for one more dollar I got a dozen instead of six!)
Mixed lily-flowered tulips
'Temple of Beauty' tulips
Mixed Modern Rembrandt tulips

From White Flower Farm:

Ipheion Constellation of Blue Stars
Fringed Rhapsody tulips
Lycoris Squamigera
Hemerocallis 'Strawberry candy' (Where did I think this was going??)

From Brent and Becky's Bulbs:

Allium triquetrum
Narcissus 'Ziva' (Whoops - forgot I had ordered these, I will have an abundance of paper whites this winter)

The first two orders are here, so time to get to work.

Merrifield visit

 

It might be insane because we've had no rain for weeks and there's none on the horizon, but I took the moment I had and went to Merrifield on a sunny, breezy, cool day. I got the akebia for the trellis but won't plant it until after I get the estimate for altering the trellis next week. It was a bit pricey so I will water it faithfully, even if I have to steal out at night to dump old pasta water on it.

I got a viburnum, but neither of the ones on my list (Viburnum nudum 'Winterthur' and Viburnum prunifolium) because they weren't in stock. Instead, the very knowledgeable shrub woman, who was not pushy at all, showed me a viburnum 'Shasta' that is so healthy and lush that I couldn't resist. I just hope it will get enough sun in the shrub border. Here's what it will look like:




 
and here's what it looks like now.


For the new walkway gardens, I got a hellebore "Royal Heritage" and three hostas, 'Elegans,' 'Krossa Regal' and 'Blue Cadet.' I also got three Hakonechloa 'Aureola' to brighten up the space, and to echo the ones in the front garden. Then three flats of pansies to winter over.
 

Here's the lot:

 

Bulb Order 2007, part one

Armed with a list based on bulbs I had read about and those I knew I wanted, I started at Roxbury Mills (buying locally, you see). There I found

Queen of the Night tulips - side front garden
Allium Purple Sensation - sunny garden
Black parrot tulips - pot on steps
Fritillaria meleagris - walkway garden
Scilla siberica - oak tree garden or walkway
Maureen tulip - white, under the oak tree

Then just a few other things crept into the bag:

Allium azureum - sunny garden
Amaryllis 'Golden Goddess' - have never tried a yellow amaryllis before

Still on the list, to buy online:

tulip 'Fringed Rhapsody' - WFF
Lycoris squamigera - WFF - to plant near the Rudbeckia
Ipheion (Constellation of Blue Stars from WFF)- walkway
Allium Mongolian Gem - Klehm's - blooms late summer
Allium triqueteum - McClure & Zimmerman - oak tree garden
Mixed lily-flowered tulips - M&Z - front garden
Modern Rembrandt tulip mix - M&Z - front garden
'Temple of Beauty' tulip - M&Z - apricot, to interplant with Queen of the Night

Not bulbs, but also on the list

Helleborus 'Royal Heritage' - for walkway or for under the trellis
Hakonechloa 'All Gold' - walkway
Moody Blues hosta collection - WFF - other side of walkway, includes 'Hadspen Blue,' 'Krossa Regal' and 'Elegans,' might just find these individually

and then the lilies...I may have waited too long, but in case I can still get them, the list is:

Perfumed garden oriental lilies - WFF - never mind, sold out, but look how beautiful they would have been if I had planned ahead:


Lilium Martagon - Klehm's - white garden
Lilium 'Black Dragon' - M&Z - sungarden
Asiatic Lily 'Unique' - can't find this anywhere, rec. by Dianne Benson
Aurelian Lily 'Amethyst Temple' - ditto
oriental lilies 'Imperial Gold,' 'Early Beauty,' 'Geisha' and 'Journey's End'

- there are undoubtedly lilies that are just as beautiful and easier to find, but when Dianne says

"You must try...the most marvelous white, pink and red flowers of them all...acquiesce to these wonders"

I can't resist.

Buying from the list

Ah, discipline! I went to Roxbury Mills with my list in hand, intending mostly just to look at the shrubs I wanted. But I ended up buying the Virgina sweetspire because they had the exact variety I wanted (Henry's Garnet) and the price seemed comparable to Wayside's. [Note: these photos are from the Missouri Botanical Garden and reflect an ideal future.]



Plus, I picked up a Baptisia australis 'Purple Smoke' for only $8.95 versus the $14.95 Wayside wanted.
I drove smugly home, armed also with three bags of mulch and three bags of Norfleet's super-fine compost. Today is a Sunapee day, as Mom would say, and all things seem possible.

Field trip

Yesterday I went to two garden centers in northern Virginia and came back almost empty-handed, I'm proud to say. Betty's Azalea Ranch runs wonderfully cheesy full-page color ads in the Post each week and has been around forever, but I had never been there before. It's a huge place with what looks like a pretty good selection of plants. I was concentrating on pots and hooks and they had a nice selection of each. Their pots are 30% off right now, and I was very tempted, but since I don't really have a plan yet, I held off. I'd go back.

The other place was the Fair Oaks outlet of Merrifield Garden Center, which I loved. I'd been to their original location years ago, but this one seems even better. Their selection is enormous, and it's arranged logically (think of that!) in alphabetical order by sun or shade. The staff seems very knowledgeable, too. One person suggested that climbing hydrangea (with which I seem to be obsessed) would grow too much (up to 40 feet) and develop a woody stem too big for my proposed site. She recommended abelia instead. The variety she showed me (though I did not jot down its Japanese name and have not been able to reconstruct it) has attractive, oval leaves and a pale yellow, scented spring bloom. More delicate than the hydrangea but still sturdy enough for the site. Plus, it thrives on drought. I need to do more research, since there seem to be several varieties, many of them more shrub-like than vine-like.

This person also suggested hellebores planted in front of the trellis, which appeals mightily.

Two other recommendations for shade plants I might not follow up on, but I was mildly interested: Rubus calycinoides 'Emerald Carpet' is a ground cover with a interestingly rough leaf, related to raspberries and can take sun or shade. Rohdea japonica is another shade-lover that might work under the oak tree, but somehow I'm not terribly enamored of it.

I came back with a big hanging fern and hook for the back side of the trellis, garden plans dancing in my head.

The two places make a good day trip (they're both along route 29, less than a mile apart), and I plan to go back this fall with a plant list.