For Foliage Followup today I'm going to do something a little different. I do have some foliage out in my own garden, but nothing really worth featuring in a post. So I'm going to show the foliage that I found on a recent nursery trip.
When I first woke up on Saturday morning it was gray but not raining. Unfortunately, that didn't last long, the rain soon arrived, along with gusty winds, which meant gardening was out of the question. I had mentioned to Nigel on Friday evening that I wanted to visit at least one nursery on this long weekend, so we decided to head out to
Flower World in Maltby. It's a bit of a drive, a little over an hour, but worth it.
When we pulled up in the parking lot, it looked deserted. There were only a few cars, and I thought there was a good chance they were all employees' vehicles. But once we got inside, we did see a handful of customers. I had gone mostly in search of conifers, but wanted to check out their houseplants and tropicals as well. I left Nigel with a cup of coffee, sitting in a warm spot, playing games on his phone, and went in search of plants.
 |
| This Bromeliad looked interesting. |
According to the tag this is a Tillandsia called 'Creation.' In fact, there were lots like it, with the same tag. But it doesn't look like the Tillandsia 'Creation' that I've seen pictures of now that I've Googled it. The leaf edges are very prickly, and it's planted in a pot of soil. I thought Tillandsias didn't have roots. It does look a lot like Cryptanthus bivitattus 'Pink Starlite.'
 |
| There's a flower forming. |
 |
| The tag on these says Cryptanthus Star Bromeliad, and they look similar to the so-called Tillandsia. They cost the same too -- $9.99. |
 |
| They had a couple of Sago palms/Cycas revoluta for $39.99. |
 |
| Love the new growth at the center |
 |
| In another nearby, nearly empty greenhouse was this enormous one (only $1500) |
Ever since I made up my mind to give my front garden a semi-tropical look, I've been wanting a Cycad. Cycads don't just look prehistoric, they actually are prehistoric. Often referred to as living fossils, these plants look like ferns (but aren't) and date back to the age of the dinosaurs, having evolved very little in the last 250 million years.
 |
| I saw these wide-leaved Cordylines elsewhere last year. They're so colorful! This one is called 'Miss Andrea.' |
Oops! A flower has snuck in to my foliage post! I don't know why I didn't get a picture of the foliage at the nursery, it's also quite beautiful.
 |
| This bright red flower is from a Ctenanthe oppenheimeriana 'Tricolor.' |
 |
| I'm fascinated by these ponytail palms, but the price -- $59.99 -- was a bit steep. |
 |
| A closeup of the swollen caudex |
 |
| There was an enormous one nearby |
In the middle of the tropical greenhouse is this lovely little pond and waterfall, surrounded by foliage, and with fish and a turtle basking on a rock.
Here's another pleasant water feature.
After perusing the tropicals I decided it was time to go in search of conifers. So out into the cold I went. Fortunately, there are a lot of covered but not heated areas at Flower World, so although I was cold, at least I was out of the torrential downpour and wind.
 |
| Looks warm, doesn't it? It wasn't. |
 |
| Outside the cover it's cold and rainy -- and empty. |
 |
| Pinus nigra 'Arnold Sentinel' is a possibility for the front garden |
I'd really like to find the dwarf form of Cedrus atlantica/blue Atlas cedar, a variety called 'Hortsmann,' but so far all I've found are the weeping, contorted ones and the species, which gets enormous (actually the weeping ones get enormous too). I'm going to hold a spot open for a dwarf blue Atlas cedar for as long as possible, but I think this pine, which stays narrow and only grows to 16 feet when mature, might also work. It's not blue, and it's another pine (I already have a golden one), and I want to get as much textural variety in conifer needles as I can. It's a different form than my Pinus 'Tisbet's Gold,' shown here in a recent post.
 |
| I suppose I could always plant a loquat instead of another conifer. But I'd need to rent a truck to bring one of these home. Worth thinking about, for only $49.99. |
 |
| Another interesting selection -- Washingtonia filifera/California fan palm, also only $49.99 |
 |
| The filaments are so cool, and look at those teeth on the stalk! |
But I'm not convinced it's hardy enough, especially after this past winter. Although the label said it was hardy to 20 degrees, it also said it would need winter protection while still small. So maybe not.
Well, I didn't buy a blue Atlas cedar, but I did bring some goodies home.
 |
| Cryptanthus Star Bromeliad |
 |
| Marked Tillandsia 'Creation' but I kinda sorta suspect it's Cryptanthus 'Pink Starlite.' |
 |
| Sago Palm -- the very one I photographed in the nursery |
 |
| Abutilon 'Red Tiger' |
 |
| Cordyline 'Miss Andrea' |
 |
| Ctenanthe oppenheimeriana 'Tricolor' -- Ah! There's the gorgeous foliage! |
Did you do any plant shopping over the weekend?
Foliage Followup is hosted on the 16th of every month by Pam Penick at the blog Digging. Go
here and check out the links in the comments from bloggers everywhere who are celebrating gorgeous foliage of all kinds.
