A couple of weeks ago I headed up to the Kitsap Peninsula for a nursery jaunt the day before the Heronswood Spring Plant Sale. One of the nurseries I wanted to make a point to visit was one I'd never heard of before --
The Roadhouse. During the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, I picked up a little booklet put out by the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association (WSNLA), which contained lots of lovely coupons from various area nurseries offering everything from 20% off entire purchases to 30% off one nursery item. The Roadhouse in Poulsbo was one of the nurseries that I had a coupon for, and I'd never been there before, so -- no brainer.
Plus, as a die-hard fan of Patrick Swayze, who can resist a nursery with that name?
The primary focus of The Roadhouse started as water gardens and plants for those, so when you arrive, that is the first thing you see. Most of these appeared to be empty, but I think they had newly emerging water lilies in them, which will bloom later in the year.
They also have quite a few tables with perennials and some annuals, as well as a large selection of shrubs and trees.
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| Tidy and organized, with good signage -- just my style! |
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| Pretty camellia |
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| I was tempted by this variegated climbing hydrangea, but I've already killed this plant twice |
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| Plenty of cool-season edible starts |
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| They were in the process of moving some Hellebores out, which made for a pretty, short-term display |
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| This curly Carex trifida 'Rekohu Sunrise' came home with me |
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| Clematis armandii -- another plant I've killed twice |
The nursery has a display garden that features a couple of ponds connected by a stream.
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| A large Corylus avellana, heavily laden with catkins |
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| A big, beautiful President Roosevelt Rhododendron |
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| Even the weeds in their grass -- English daisies -- were pretty |
As I mentioned, tidy surroundings with good signage and well-cared-for plants are just my style in a nursery. The plants were also well marked with prices. I've been to a few disorganized nurseries where it was obvious the plants are not as well taken care of, with non-existent signs and no prices. As an introvert with no people skills and an aversion to confrontation, I don't want to have to ask "How much is this?" because saying no when they tell me the price is a kind of judgment.
What kind of nursery do you prefer? One that's disorganized but crammed full of plants, or one that's tidy almost to the point of OCD? Or somewhere in between?
