This morning, buses arrived at 7:00 a.m. to whisk 600 plus writers, photographers, television media personalities, designers and other garden communicators to Plant Delights Nursery with side trips to the local garden of John Dilley and Willie Pilkington and the Raleigh Farmer’s Market.
What can I say? Plant Delights was a feast for the horticultural senses and a tapestry of perennials, shrubs and trees. Surrounding the greenhouses were planting beds filled to the brim with all sorts of good things. I took a lot, and I mean, a lot of pictures. Perhaps, I’ll do a slideshow once I return home and can get my bearings.
I wish you were with me to smell the gingers in the greenhouse. In the meantime, feast your visual sense upon this.
For my friend, Pam, and other gardeners who don’t mind being poked and prodded by their plants, here’s a shot of the agave greenhouse, which also had mangaves and other warm weather loving plants. Two young guys from Tennessee (I’m sorry we were too busy swooning over the plants to exchange names) guided me to two varieties they knew were good and cold-hardy. I’ll let you know when I plant the new purchases in containers. Note: they also said they use chicken grit as half of the soil as the greatest danger for agaves is root rot.
I really wanted this one, but it wasn’t hardy, and I didn’t want to mess with bringing it inside.
But, enough about agaves. Not everyone is as obsessed with them as I. Behind the nursery, there were more gardens, and paths wound round and round, up and down. It was, dare I say, delightful?
I noticed a lot of structure, and although there were plenty of late summer, early fall blooming perennials, there were also numerous ferns, hostas, grasses, shrubs and trees. Oh, and there were a few annuals too. Tony Avent has a lot of breeding stock of Colocasia esculenta, elephant ears.
Here’s a stunning combination. If anyone knows the varieties, please let me know.
After handing our purchases into PD employees’ capable hands, we departed for the Dilley Willie garden (f/k/a the hobbit garden, but they had to change the name to avoid trademark infringement with the Tolkien estate). It was a plant collector’s dream filled with beautiful specimens. Featured on Erica Glasener’s t.v. show, A Gardener’s Diary, it was fun to see it in person. Interestingly, the owners closed the garden after our visit to raise the tree canopy and change many of the plants, so it will never look as it did today. I took many photos of it too, but I’ll just post a couple here. I don’t want to overwhelm your browsers.
Tonight, we ate traditional dry rub ribs and pulled pork at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum. We were encouraged to walk throughout, but exhaustion and a misty rain kept us from the entire garden. I did make it through much of it and have many photos to share another time. Tomorrow, a visit to Montrose Gardens and three other beauty spots are on the schedule. I’m off to bed.
Dee, Congratulations on your Blotanical! Wish I could have been with Sarah to join you all at the GWA.
Helen, thanks so much. I wish you could have come too. I did get to meet Sarah though. She was super sweet. Perhaps next year in Dallas?~~Dee
Sounds like you had a wonderful time. I would have loved all those garden tours! And those agaves, I would swoon too. Oh, before I forget, congratulations on your Blotanical win!
Thanks so much Jean. I'm thrilled I won.~~Dee
Dee,
I've thought about joining GWA… maybe this year… will check into it… again… thanks for the offer to sponsor. :-)Came by to say congratulations for the Blotanical 'best Oklahoma blog' award .
Meems
Thank you, Meems. Hope you will join GWA. Ask Carol from May Dreams, you'll be glad you did.~~Dee
So nice to meet you in person and loved being at GWA. Congrats on your blotanical award for Oklahoma!
Yes, Anna, I'm thrilled we finally met. Glad it was held in your state this year. Thank you.~~Dee
Congratulations on your Blotanical Win. Miss Dee ~ hugs, Cherry
Thank you Cherry, and hugs right back at you.~~Dee
Sound like so much fun. New plants to take home and gardens to tour. A gardeners delight!
Yes, my plants from the GWA came today (I mailed them to myself so as not to carry them on the plane). I got them all in the ground. Some new varieties to try. Thanks.~~Dee
Hi Dee: I am the breeder of the Royal Hawaiian Colocasia lines and saw your photo of the Colocasia plant at PDN. That Colocasia is one that I introduced called 'Maui Magic'. I am glad that you liked it. I hope that you were able to see my new hybrids in the test gardens at PDN. Look for new Colocasia hybrids soon! Aloha, John
Hi John, thanks for stopping by. I loved that Colocasia. Nice to know it's name. I did see those new hybrids. Can't wait for the new ones.~~Dee
I'm glad to hear Plant Delights didn't disappoint. Someday, I say to myself, someday…
Thanks for sharing the fun with us, Dee! In that combo shot, I'm guessing it might be Fallopia japonica 'Crimson Beauty' and Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blues'.
I can't even imagine visiting a nursery with 600 garden writers–but I wish I were there! I have always wanted to visit Plant Delights. I have ordered from them many times and always been, er, delighted.
Have fun, Dee!
Robin
I am glad you could stay up late enough to post a few photos. Gosh, it looks like you had a lot of fun and saw many delights.
Me too, Lisa. Yes, it's been a blast. This afternoon we're having a talk on Elizabeth Lawrence, and you know how I feel about her.~~Dee
What a wonderful field trip, Dee. Love the photo of the Muhly Grass and Yucca–very striking. I am having a severe case of Ginger-envy…well, I'll just take two of everything!
Thanks Jenny. I can't express how the muhly hung suspended above the yucca. I hope the photo captured it.~~Dee
Dear Dee
Even though I am Canadian .. and will probably never see this nursery in person .. I have been a fan for a few years ever since I stumbled on their web site … I love the humour they incorporate in their writing .. it must be so amazing to see all of these plants and people in person !
Joy
PS .. Great pictures girl !!
Hi Joy, yes, Tony Avent is very, very funny. Do you get his emails? You can sign up on his site. It was amazing. Thanks so much.~~Dee
Dee, you're making me swoon with that 'Quadricolor' agave image. I first saw this one on Sunset's Fresh Dirt blog, and if I'd been in that greenhouse with you I'd have had to buy one for sure, even though it would have to be protected from cold here too. It's just so beautiful.
Your tours sound wonderful. You know, I lived in Raleigh for five years in the early 90s and never knew about Plant Delights or any of these places. I wasn't a gardener then. How I wish I had gotten started earlier so I could have seen the sights.
Pam, I don't think I knew you lived in NC. You probably told me, and I forgot. I also can't believe there was ever a time that you weren't a gardener, my friend, but if you say so . . . I knew you'd love the agave. There were many others.~~Dee
I am glad you're having an exhaustingly good time! gail
Me too Gail.~~Dee
Hi Dee,
Oh, it must be fun to be at the writer's conference. Garden hopping included. I adore Tony's Colocasia varieties and that photo is stunning. I wish I could remember the variety of that scrumptious smelling Ginger… Maybe Dr. Moy, Hedychium sp. ~~smells like magnolia. Have fun… sounds like there's more to come.
Meems @ Hoe and Shovel
Meems, it is great fun. You should join GWA. I'll be glad to sponsor you. 🙂 I should have sent you the photo of the ginger. Of course, you would probably know it being in FL.~~Dee
I can imagine how overwhelmed and exhausted you must be–so much to see! I'd love to see the hobbit garden. Can't wait to see what goodies you bring home from Plant Delights; it must have been very hard to choose.
Hi Rose, yes, a lot to see on this trip. Very busy today too. Can't wait to share about it.~~Dee
Oh Dee, this was the thing I most wanted to see at the GWA, the real reason I joined that club! Please do give us a slide show and leave out no detail, however small! And tell about the hardy agaves too, Tennessee did you say?
Frances, I'm glad I shared it since you wanted to see it. I'll be glad to upload a slideshow once I get home. Yes, they were from TN and delightful. I don't remember which part. He has his in the ground and they do just fine.~~Dee
Great pictures! It was such fun to see those gardens and visit that nursery!
Thanks Carol. I try.~~dee