It is a long story, but to be brief, while waiting for a neighbor to finish at another errand, I visited a nursery and took these few pictures.

1. Bare root stock is too tempting. I must resist. I already have all of the fruit trees that I want. Almost all remained canned from last winter because I did not clear their orchard.

2. Magnolia soulangeana, saucer magnolia looks like it will be blooming soon. I suspect that these trees were field grown in heavy soil in Oregon. I refrained from investigating.

3. Primula vulgaris, English primrose no longer seems to be as common as its botanical name suggests. Perhaps I can learn to appreciate it again. Their colors are so cartoonish.

4. Cyclamen persicum, florist’s cyclamen is also easier to appreciate again when it is less cliche than it is as garish red and white Christmas decor. White is still my favorite color.

5. Daphne odora, daphne caught my attention initially by fragrance, and then by its lack of variegation. I wonder if it grows any more vigorously without variegation than with it.

6. Lamprocapnos spectabilis, bleeding heart is not cliche in white like florist’s cyclamen is. I know nothing of this species, but I get the impression that it tolerates a bit of shade.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

15 thoughts on “Six on Saturday: Retail Nursery Visit”

  1. Bleeding heart does tolerate shade, I think. My mother has had one for years in the shadier part of the garden. In German, we call it ‘Woman’s Heart’ – it was one of the first flower names I learned as a child.

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  2. I planted my Lamprocapnos spectabilis in the shadow some years ago. It only gets morning sun. I also marked it with a pot (without bottom) to find it again when the leaves are partly disappearing.

    Up till now it has survived, but not expanded.

    Nice plants!

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  3. in my climate, bleeding heart often goes dormant in the summer (right around mid-July) leaving a gaping hole wherever it was. It’s not a problem if it’s in a shady border where some big leafed hosta or ligularia can compensate and fill in. But I have seen people plant them as specimens in their front border–and then there’s an issue! It can get huge here! At least 3′ wide or more.

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      1. I wish! Right now, everything is dormant under about 2 feet of snow! It IS one of the early bloomers here , generally beginning in April (earlier some years and later in others, depending on how cool our spring is). The larger the plant, the longer the bloom, but I am going to say that good sized plant will bloom for about 6 weeks–which is why some people showcase them in prize places.

        In this climate they can take full sun as well as shade. And depending on how much moisture we get, that’s what triggers the dormancy, I have noticed. My white one is in a sunny dry spot so it always goes dormant.

        I have 2 different pink ones in full shade. One has green leaves and the other has chartreuse. The chartreuse one holds its foliage best but it too will eventually go dormant if we don’t have regular showers at least.

        But the bright leaves really light up the shade. I just wish it had white flowers. The gold and pink–I am not such a fan.

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      2. Oh, I did not consider that winter is very different in other climates. I am getting the impression that this is a spring bloomer, which is dormant for both winter and summer.

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    1. ‘Valentine’ is the traditional sort that I, on rare occasion, see in nurseries. This white sort is even rarer. Do they bloom only for spring, or do they start about now?

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