Bustani, which I’m told means garden in Swahili, is the name Steve and Ruth Owens gave to their small farm just south of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Steve is the former host of the popular PBS gardening show, Oklahoma Gardening. After he spoke at the Oklahoma Horticulture Society meeting last month, I decided I needed to make the trek north.
My garden friend, Katie, who is the brains behind Sister B.J.’s Pantry garden in Oklahoma City, came with me. There is no one more fun to travel to plant sales with. Katie is at least as enthusiastic about plants as I am. She was buying for both her own garden and that of Sister’s.
Warned by a friend to get there early, Katie arrived at my house at 7:45 a.m. We grabbed a couple of hot teas and bottled water and headed out map in hand. We got lost once, but after we called the farm, they directed us right to it. The sale opened at 9:00 a.m. and continued to 5:00 p.m. We were a little early, but they welcomed us with smiles and handed us cardboard flats to begin. Three tents were set up with tables inside covered in beautifully identified signs which also showed the plant in bloom. I felt like a kid on the first day of summer, staring at a bright blue pool ready to dive in.
According to their catalog (their first one ever,) Bustani is a specialty nursery growing “unique, uncommon, hard-to-find, rare and unusual plants not available at most garden centers and nurseries.”
I’ll second that. I bought a Variegated Tapioca (Manihot esculenta ‘Variegata,) hardy blue Passion Flower (Passiflora caerulea,) Cigar plant (Cuphea ‘David Verity’), ‘Stars and Stripes’ Pentas (Pentas lanceolata,) a variegated Kerria (Kerria japonica ‘Picta’) and so many others I can’t list. Yes, I also bought the Shower of Gold identified above. It was a last minute purchase.
At the OHS meeting, Steve said he was fond of variegated plants. Boy is he ever. I’ve never seen so many variegated varieties in one place.
There were also lots of native species and tropical plants. I bought several tropicals to enhance my garden’s look during the dog days of summer. You could argue that using tropical plants is expensive, but I know of no better way to add color. I just swallowed and thought “big, bright annuals.”
Again from the catalog, Steve writes “Our plant interests here at Bustani are highly varied, but grounded on exceptional garden performance.”
How many plants did I bring home? I had four full boxes and a couple pots on the side. Don’t even ask what I spent. HH sometimes reads this blog, and he doesn’t need to know. Let’s just say the red dirt family will eat beans and rice for the next couple of weeks.
The great thing about Bustani is that it’s north of me, but we are basically in the same zone. My garden is 7a to 6b, and they are definitely in 6b. So, if they say something will grow or is hardy here, I believe it.
All across the blogosphere, we lament the demise of the independently owned nursery in favor of the box stores. I’m not going to lie to you and say I never shop at my local boxes, but I support independents too, especially if they have something different to offer. If you want to see cool plants, plants which no one in the metro area has, get yourself over to Bustani for one of their plant sales. The sales run almost every weekend now through mid-June.
I spent the rest of the day in my garden, covered in soil and birdsong, planting. I got through two flats, and the remainder are resting under the deck where they won’t get direct sun. I am sore, but deliriously happy. It doesn’t get better than this.
What a great place! I have such respect for you Oklahoma gardeners, who have to deal with the wackiest conditions.
It was so cool. I may return with another friend and pick up a couple more things in a few weeks. I want a copper plant.~~Dee
I can’t think of a more perfect day!! I’m green with envy!! 🙂
Kathleen, I wish I could take all of you with me in person.~~Dee
Oops, I left the last anonymous message because I forgot to fill in the information spaces above the comment form. Getting a bit senile.
I can’t quite make out the flowers in the last photo but are they perhaps meadow beauty, Rhexia virginica? I’ve seen photos of it and wanted to buy some but haven’t had the good fortune of owning one…yet.
Ki, I thought I’d photographed the tag, but I hadn’t. You’re probably right.~~Dee
Looks like that was a great outing. There is nothing quite as invigorating as going to a real local nursery and seeing all their bounty — and knowing that they loving raised them with their own hands or ordered them specially for us with the knowledge of our local environment. I will go to the boxes sometimes for simple things that are much cheaper, but I almost exclusively go to the Natural Gardener, which is the closest nursery to my house. Hope your muscles recuperate ~ Happy Earth Day!
Diana, Happy Belated Earth Day to you too. If I would quit working so hard, my muscles would. I’m taking today off.~~Dee
Wow, sounds like an awesome day. Your purchases sound like something I used to do, I went crazy with buying plants. Cheesehead was usually with me, so if we were limited to beans and rice it was a decision we made together. I can’t wait until we have a little more variety to buy around here. Hope you have (had?) a great day of planting!
Cinj, it was an awesome day. I’m planting more today, and I’m so sore I can barely move.~~Dee
I wonder how many of the average weekend gardeners know about the importance of shopping at the independent nurseries? Thanks for reminding me…Must add that to the list.
Robin at Bumblebee
Robin, I try when I can, but if Home Depot has Proven Winners for the best price, I’m going to shop there too.~~Dee
I knew you were going to have fun. And what great finds. It was a successful day. Now go get your hot dogs for supper.
Anna, it was so very fun. Now, I have all that to plant.~~Dee
That sounds like a fun day and a great plant sale. Happy digging.
It was a great day. Happy digging to you too.~~Dee
Dee, How exciting. I absolutely love to browse through plants and plant sales … and then to go with a fun friend/family makes it even more special. Wish I lived near … would love to visit Bustani.
Have fun getting all your great finds in the ground. It is such a beautiful time of year.
Meems @ Hoe&Shovel
Meems, it was really fun. I’m so lucky to go.~~Dee
Oh, your post makes me want to garden!! This is usually the time of year that I start shopping my local nurseries as well- but we woke up to a blanket of snow this morning!! Too cold to even start working the dirt in my vegetable garden.
I will have to live vicariously through my Oklahoma friends!
Jamie
Hi Jamie, I can’t believe it snowed there again. Wow. Soon you’ll be having the great weather though, and I’ll just be trying to keep everything alive through the heat.~~Dee
It sounds like a perfect day. Shopping for plants with a good friend. Whoo hooo….
Lisa, it was.~~Dee
Hi, Dee–Good for you for expanding your boundaries to the unfamiliar (something you seem to do a lot, btw). Bravo!
Nurturing your heart and soul are always good investments, as you well know. 🙂 Kathryn xox
Kathryn, sometimes my life feels full of the unfamiliar.~~Dee
Yeah, I found your passion flower.
Deb
I hope you enjoy it too.~~Dee
Hi Dee had a ramble in your garden. I love your last post. I can identify with your happiness to go to an interesting nursery. I have my best times doing this usually with my daughter Marie-Louise, as she is green fingered too. Beans and Rice is nice too!
Beans and rice isn’t bad. I hope to have a green-thumbed daughter someday also. Bear is showing signs.~~Dee
Hi, Honey-bunny–
I can just picture you enjoying the plants and planting. Your place is so beautiful. I shop at the boxes because that is all that is around us. We made a special trip to the city last week for me to get herbs, but that independent nursery did not have a good variety. I do lament the passing of the wonderful independents. Enjoyed the peek at this one.
Hugs,
CurtissAnn
Rosebud, thank you for the comment about my garden. As I wrote, I used boxes too, but I try to give the independents a chance also. TLC has a good selection of herbs, but the Herb Festival in Ponca City has the best.~~Dee
What a fabulous place to buy plants! This looks like so much fun. We only have one or two big box stores here, so the majority of plant nurseries are run by local people. They’re only set up here from middle May until the end of June or mid-July so there’s a very small window of opportunity to buy new plants. It’s a shame, because early fall is such a great time to put in perennials here, but you just can’t find plants anywhere at that time of year (except if I “shop” in my mother’s garden).
Hi Amy, you do have a very small window. Ours stay open year round, although after fall, there isn’t much to buy.~~Dee
Plant shopping and garden tours are my favorite activites! I also love the places that have unusual plants, but have to drive to Tucson for the really exotic cacti. Most of the really big cactus nurseries are down there–mostly because the climate is a bit milder. If I don’t stop buying plants, in a few years my garden will be jungle-like as it matures.
Happy Green Thumb Sunday,
Aiyana
Aiyana, parts of mine are like a jungle. 🙂 ~~Dee
I wish their were more of these types of nurseries rather than all the chain ones. They are great for that unusual plant.
Hi Mark, yes they are, and I have four flats of the unusual plant. It may look like a hodge podge before I’m finished.~~Dee
I would have loved to visit there too! Looks like a great place. I understand about ‘I am sore, but deliriously happy’ comment….this too I agree, you just don’t have it better than gardening.
My Green Thumb Photo is shared, I hope you can drop by. Have a great Sunday.
HA, I went by, but I couldn’t find your GTS post.~~Dee