Far Reaches Farm

The last nursery that Peter The Outlaw Gardener and I visited a couple of weekends ago was Far Reaches Farm. You might remember I posted about a visit to Far Reaches last summer, when I visited for the first time ever, and absolutely raved about it. If not, you can read the post here.

Peter has posted already about our visit, as well as two other posts about our visits to WeHoP and Celestial Dream Gardens, which you can read here and here.

This wonderful pavilion with its cool green roof, sitting next to a bog garden full of water-loving plants, is one of the first things you see when you get out of the car at Far Reaches. On my first visit last year, I concentrated on their shade pavilion, so this time I wanted to spend some time on their other beds, such as this one and the long sunny border that runs along their drive, and which has a good-size Chilean flame tree in it.

I wandered over toward the bog and immediately spotted a couple of killdeer running around. If you are on the Far Reaches email list, and get their newsletters, you know they have a nesting pair of killdeer on their property that they very kindly work around. The killdeer have a tendency to build their nest in the most awkward spots, making chores like watering and caring for the plants difficult.

"Oh No! Run away from the crazy lady with the camera!" Don't worry, I shot this with the zoom from quite a distance away.

Isn't this a great combo? I think that dark leaf is a Cimicifuga like 'Brunette' or 'Hillside Black Beauty.'

The sunny border

Enough of this sunny stuff. Far Reaches is famous for their great shade plants, and their fabulous lath shade pavilion. I couldn't resist the pull of great foliage, so I headed over there.

The shade pavilion is full of the biggest clumps of Podophyllums of every description.

And they have them paired interestingly with plants like this 'Night Heron' Chinese Fairy Bells. Good thing I bought one this spring. I might have to get more.

Here's another Podophyllum with Fairy Bells, perfectly matched color-wise. And I love the Laurel and Hardy look of it -- tall and graceful with short and fat.

Mmmmmm...chocolate.

Last year when I was here, this lovely patch of Diphylleia cymosa, a North American native, had cool blue berries. I marveled at it, and wanted one, but couldn't find it in the nursery. This time I did.

This large patch of double Trillium was amazing!

There were blue Himalayan poppies scattered throughout the pavilion in every stage of opening. And yes, the color really was that rich, deep blue.

I'm pretty sure this is Meconopsis 'Hensol Violet' which I had just bought from them at the Heronswood sale.

Maianthemum oleracea -- Couldn't find this one for sale, I think they are still trying to propagate it.

Fuzzy peony pods

A longer look at one side of the pavilion

Looks like a newly planted Schefflera macrophylla, can't help wondering if they are taking a chance putting it in the ground.

If you're wondering what I bought, I posted about my Far Reaches purchases already in my post about the Heronswood sale.