Garden Blogger's Bloom Day -- January 2015

My Abutilon 'Red Tiger' is really going to town with blooms inside the greenhouse right now. But there's so much other stuff in the way, it's hard to get close enough to get a good shot. I can see the flowers from outside the greenhouse, though, so this month, this is all you get.

Flower Under Glass -- well, twinwall polycarbonate technically

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is hosted by Carol of the blog May Dreams Gardens. You can find her January post here.

A Visit to Valley Nursery

The day after our trip to Molbak's and Flower World, I had to drive Nigel to Clearwater Casino in Suquamish, WA for a work-related off-site meeting, which involved an overnight stay. We decided to make a mini adventure of it. I dropped Nigel off at the casino's inn, and then went on by myself to Valley Nursery, which is actually very close by.

Here's what I found.

Valley has a few of these fun potted topiaries sprinkled around the nursery.

During the growing season, this is the annual house, but right now it's full of perennials that can take winter cold

Like these Cyclamen coum

There were a couple of stand-out specimens of Dicksonia antarctica

A lovely hardy ginger

More winter jasmine -- I finally succumbed and bought one

Pretty Bellis perennis

An Erysimum/Wallflower called 'Winter Sorbet' with flowers that start orange and fade to pinkish-blue

In reality, the pinkish flowers are a little more lilac blue than the picture captured. And they smell divine. I wonder how likely it is that next year they'll be blooming in January in my garden. I'm not holding my breath. I'm sure they'll be alive, but flowering in January? I bought two of them.

Of course this time of year the nurseries are full of Hellebores

And primroses!

After a quick tour to see what was out in the cold, I ventured into Valley's smallish heated houseplant greenhouse, to see what I could see. It's not big, but it's packed with goodies behind this colorful door!

The left-hand side

The right-hand side

In keeping with the decoration on the outside, the inside is playfully hung with stuffed monkeys as well.

This fern growing in a hollowed-out lava rock was intriguing

Furry feet, just like a hobbit!

There's always a Tillandsia display too, but I can't remember seeing Spanish moss in other nurseries. I brought some home and hung it in the greenhouse

And colorful orchids, of course!

This three-headed Echeveria was the biggest I've seen

I loved the orange tips on this Aloe's teeth so much I bought one. It's called 'Christmas Carol' and the orange coloration seems to be a feature, as opposed to a response to stress.

Maybe next Christmas I'll just bring it into the house and decorate it!

Mangave 'Bloodspot' for $19.99 -- no sale discount, but I bought it anyway, this was the first time I've seen one, and there's no telling when I'll see one again

Huge Aloe plicatilis -- which isn't its proper Latin name anymore, but seriously, I'm not going to hunt the name down

This cool plant captured my attention -- it's called Chlorophytum 'Orange Flash' -- related to the spider plant, according to Google

I bought two!

One corner in the greenhouse is dominated by this Monstera with its enormous leaves

A Wardian case is tucked underneath

Have you ever tried Kokedama? Japanese moss balls? I have to admit, I'm intrigued by them

There are three or four of these pallet-style vertical planters lining the walls of the greenhouse

Just outside the barn where you go to pay is this colorful area full of treasures!

Digs Inside and Out is the only other place where I've seen these handmade octopus planters. Don't you love that turquoise one in front? I did too, so I bought it. Now if I can just figure out what to plant in it...

And that's it for recent shopping sprees for me. My first plants of 2015.

Flower World Too

Here's an addendum to yesterday's post about our visit to Molbak's. There's no sense driving all the way to Molbak's and not continuing on to Flower World, which is just another 10 or 15 minutes down the road. Flower World wasn't having a houseplant and pottery sale like Molbak's, but they still have plenty of interesting and photogenic plants on offer.

'Jelena' Witch Hazel

Variegated Brugmansias -- it seemed rather odd to see these in January

Bromeliads and Orchids

This gorgeous Bromeliad was so tempting!

A delightful little water feature indoors

Only $2.99 for this tiny unlabeled cutting that I think might be Crown of Th]
\'

Begonias all looking quite healthy but not a wide selection

Variegated Philodendron labeled 'Ginny' but a Google search on that doesn't tell me much

There's a lovely little spot to sit and read, but I can never talk Nigel into it, he seems to prefer waiting in the car

You can even watch the goldfish swimming

Miss Andrea Cordylines -- I bought one last year but it didn't fare well, so I resisted the urge to buy another

Colorful Crotons and a large Cycad

These were labeled Euphorbia tirucalli, which is the same Latin name as the succulent called "Sticks on Fire,' which are red. But these are solid green. And the size of small trees.

Bunches of red twig and yellow twig dogwood

Winter Jasmine! Very tempting.

Can you believe I resisted this too?

They had Primulas in some of my favorite peachy colors

Absolutely pristine!

It was so heartening to see these not all chewed up by slugs

Christmas cactuses left over from the holidays

I bought this one!

And this one too!

Of course on the way home I regretted not buying that winter jasmine.