The Wells-Medina Nursery has a large, beautifully curated selection of perennials and trees (not to mention one of the best-looking nursery websites I've ever seen). I think they stock more conifers and Japanese maples than any nursery I've visited yet.
Before we head over the bridge, we pick up my Chestnut District friends, whose Ceanothus is about to explode. Right now you can see just one tiny blue blossom near the window. These are the friends who bought me the Ceanothus book that I'm going to tell Chuck about. I'm supposed to use the book to try to identify the variety of Ceanothus, but I haven't done that yet, either.
However, when we pulled up and saw these Ceanothus plants, they asked me to guess the variety. And somehow I managed to guess that they were Ray Hartman. Hurray!
Drimys lanceolata. This evergreen is too tender for our sunny, windswept lot, unfortunately. But, hey, a girl can look, can't she?
Skylands Oriental spruce. Ever-chartreuse. Love it.
Mounds of mondo.
After this grueling winter, I'm a little wary of cute grass-looking plants from New Zealand. I'll probably change my mind come fall.
Heaths and heathers.
I think this Ceanothus is Dark Star. It looks just like my Julia Phelps at the moment, tight purple buds just about to burst.
I'm excited about this Ceanothus, Vandenberg, because it's only supposed to be 2-3 feet tall and wide. I could put that out front.
I know it's weird to take photos of Japanese maples in March. But these are a couple that I thought had pretty bark. This one's Matsukaze.
Goshiki Kotohime.
Here are a couple black elderberries.
I'm loving Cryptomeria japonica, called "Sugi" in Japan (where it is the national tree). Wells Medina has lots of varieties. Like this Aruacarioides.
And these Sekkan Sugi.
This fluffy one is the Elegans variety.
As I mentioned earlier, Wells-Medina has a lot of conifers.
And behind them, a lot of Japanese maples.
I have a red-barked (Siberian?) dogwood at home, but these lime-barked ones are pretty too.
OK, one more pine, and then that's it. This is a Japanese umbrella pine.
6 comments:
Hi, I just discovered your blog... Haven't been to Wells-Medina in years, thanks for the reminder. I have a forest of Julia Phelps, it's a great plant.
Are those Julia Phelps plants in front of your B&B on your website homepage? I hope that's what I have to look forward to!
Yes, those are Julia Phelps. They've grown 6 to 8 feet tall and wide in only 5 or 6 years. What I particularly love most about Julia Phelps is the maroon buds for about a month before she flowers. Unfortunately, the Sunset Western Garden Book says ceanothus isn't long-lived, and I've already lost one of the seven I planted.
Man those conifers make me drool!
My boyfriend (from Seattle) haaates conifers. He can't stand the sight of plants that remind him of Seattle. Never a rhododendron will be allowed entry to our garden. Well, that's fine. But I insisted on a little conifer so we have a pinyon pine in a pot on the roof. It's more of a high desert plant. It'll look really different than the northwest pinus scene.
I think Ray Hartman is pretty much the only tree-form ceanothus in the nursery trade, but I could be wrong. I have an old Dark Star on my roof... I'm not that wild about it. Maybe because it's really old, but the flowers are a dull blue-gray.
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