Gotta Garden

Friday, March 16, 2007

Nurseries: Merrifield Garden Center

Last Tuesday found me taking DH to the airport and, being me, I realized this would be a perfect opportunity visit a favorite nursery, Merrifield Garden Center. You might remember from my Tony Avent post that it was a Merrifield employee whose sharp eyes gave us the Striptease Hosta. Anyway, I don't get up here nearly as often as I would like because of...let's hear it...the traffic....so, it was with a bit of excitement that I pulled into the parking lot. I could stay as long as I wanted...no one to pick up or be back for...what a luxury!

One of the things that I like about Merrifield is that they have display gardens out in front...where most places either just have concrete or a strip with some miscellaneous shrubs tossed there.



They try to label things, I see, which is appreciated.


There's not too much in bloom.






Right now, though, it looks like they are beginning their spring cleanup. I have the feeling that I'm at the rehearsal for the big play and opening night is just a few days away. It's interesting and there's lots of stuff, but not nearly like it will be.

Sill, I like the stimulation. Pots in every color you can think of:


(I like blue)

The perennials are in the almost stage as well. I see lots of things under the tables (not ready for prime time) and carts of things to be put out....it's just that I'm here probably a week or so too early.

I wander out to the shrubs because I can see them stretching for miles. I'm not in the market for anything, but it's a nice day and I have that precious commodity...time. Look what catches my eye (how could it not!):


Now, that's red! It is so intensely red that it doesn't look real. But, it is. It's a coral bark Japanese Maple, but I don't think I've seen one with such stunning color...or maybe it is because everything else around it is so drab!

Here's the name:

Say you want one? Here's the price:

Beauty has its price.

I head over to the annuals. Something new:


Here's a close up (this is a new holiday for me):


Now, the annual area is filled with a gazillion pansies. Out of all those for sale, this is the only one I'm interested in:


Naturally, they're not available for individual sale....I can only have them as part of this container. Oh well.

Not to worry. You know I won't leave empty handed. In the fall of 05, I brought back this gorgeous heuchera (I thought) from Seattle. It was one among...okay, several...that I brought back...but this particular one, each leaf seemed a different color and they were rimmed in red. It was stunning! It was...you know it...the only one that died on me. I have searched and searched for it without success. I keep buying them...even though I know what I am buying is not that one...it is pathetic, I'm afraid. Having said that, here are the three that came home with me:



....and an orchid, a new trowel....and okay, just two packets of seeds. (Did mention I get a 15% discount there as a master gardener?)

****

You can click on these pictures...just in case you really want to see that price!

7 comments:

Unknown said...

So you know it's not "the" heuchera... that's no excuse for leaving a good heuchera to languish at the nursery anyway. ;) More people should tuck heucheras here and there, IMHO!

(Creme Brulee, Amber Waves, and...?)

Gotta Garden said...

Yes (very good!), Dolce Creme Brulee, Caramel and Silver Scrolls...still searching...I will be in SC next week and I figure if I don't find it there...I shall be forced to attempt to dig through piles and piles of plant tags scattered here and there...to get the actual name and refine my search!

Then again...I do like the hunt!

Ki said...

Sango Kaku Japanese maples have become a very popular small tree in the past few years. I've seen them in HomeDepot for as cheaply as $50 though last year they were selling for $100. There is another coral bark maple that has an even more intense red, the Beni kawa. I bought a 1 year old grafted plant for about $15 plus shipping and it has grown very quickly in two years so it stands about 4 feet tall now. You don't have to spend an arm and a leg if you can wait awhile.

Gotta Garden said...

Thanks for that name, ki! I am about out of tree room...except maybe for some small Japanese Maples...hehehe. I need to have taken out pronto a Redspire Pear and I've been thinking what to put there...I think it'll have to be something small. A pleasurable problem, to be sure.

Btw, I think you got a very good price! I have ordered a couple (several years go) from a VA nursery specializing in JM...I think I paid $30 ea plus shipping...so, you did well!

You are so right!

kate said...

Those blue pots are drool-worthy. You came away with some lovely plants ... I didn't know about the Persian New Year, but it's always good to have something to celebrate especially mid-week!

A wildlife gardener said...

Thank you for visiting my blog and for your kind comments. I know exactly what it's like visiting the garden centres and spying all the goodies. My hubbie says it's like taking me to a sweet shop and watching my nose pressed up against the window, eyeing up all the candy.

Gotta Garden said...

Hi kate! Yeah, any reason to celebrate! Or, in the case of a store, any reason to push a product! Still, I thought it was interesting. I will think about the Persian New Year as mine begin to open.

Thanks for visiting!

Hello a wildlife gardener: Your blog is wonderful, full of fabulous garden pictures...to click on them and see them larger is like being there!

What a cute analogy! So true!

Thanks for stopping by!

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