Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Hortlandia - Spring HPSO Plant Sale!

Primroses
Primrose Society display at the HPSO Spring Plant Sale
Well, boys and girls, it's that time of year once again...Plant Sale Time! The season sort of kicks off with the biggest and best sale of all, the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon's (HPSO) Plant Sale, now officially rebranded as "Hortlandia".

Vendors
104 Vendors from all over the region brought some of their best plants, crafts and artwork...and from what I could tell, area gardeners fell upon them ravenously. The Spring sale always seems to be especially mob-tastic. It probably has something to do with "spring fever"...that tendency for us gardeners to leap at any excuse to think about our gardens again at the end of winter. It helped, I think, that the weather the past few days has been fantastic!

Looking copy
Be prepared to see some intense stares from gardeners trying to read the labels on plants they've never heard of...and be prepared to play some mind games if someone is already eyeing a plant you want.

Dancing Oaks
Aside from just purchasing plants, the show is also a great way to meet the people who own and/or work for some of your favorite nurseries.

PlantHolding
One of the best things about the sale is the Holding Area...if you find you have too many plants in your box to carry around, just take them here and they'll hold them until you're done shopping. I use this service more often than not.

questions
Is there anything better than getting to socialize with your fellow plantaholics?

Fargesia Rufa
Fargesia 'Rufa'
So...what did I pick up at the sale, you may ask...well....just a few things. First off...we've been talking about what to plant in front of our fence in the backyard to give us a bit of privacy from our neighbors. I had wanted to plant a tall grass there for it's multi-season interest, but in the end, agreed with Norm that something evergreen would probably be more practical in the long run. Deep sigh. This bamboo will be planted in a stock tank...and should reach about 6-8' tall, which in addition to the 2' height of the tank itself, should provide plenty of screening. I got this from the Wind Dancer Garden booth...and I'm already planning my pilgrimage there in a few months to stock up on grasses for my parking strip!

Oxalis oregana
Oxalis oregana
Yes, I have so many Oxalis already...but this one has pink flowers! I couldn't resist it, plus, I really dig that central vein of silver on the leaves. This should add a little pop to the Oxalis patch on the North side of the house. I got this one at the Dancing Oaks booth.

Syneilesis aconitifolia
Syneilesis aconitifolia (Shredded Umbrella)
I've wanted one of these for the past few years, but just never got one for some reason...this year I finally got one...again from Dancing Oaks. I just love the handsome foliage...and it should clump up within a few years to be a nicely impressive patch.

Sedum rupestre
Sedum rupestre
While this yellow form of this sedum ('Angelina') is practically everywhere these days (including my own garden-love it!), I don't see this blue-green variety as often. I have to admit, i was mostly struck by that bright red coloring. Found at the Egan Gardens booth.

Sedum Siebildii
Sedum sieboldii 'October Daphne'
I remember seeing this on another blog last year and falling in love with it...it's strangely symmetrical growth pattern...those lovely, scalloped leaves. I didn't hesitate when I saw these (also, they were only $5)! Sadly, I can't find a name of the nursery on the tags, anc can't remember which booth I got them from :-( Checking the room map on the HPSO site, I'm thinking it was probably Garden Thyme Nursery.

Lastly, I got a bulb of Lilium 'Silver Scheherazade' from The Lily Garden. I do love lilies, especially these tall, turks-cap variety. I actually learned my lesson last year, when I waited too long to plant the lily bulbs I got at this show...this one went into the ground immediately!

48 comments:

  1. Silver Scheherazade is the bomb! I currently have four of them (planted this past fall) sprouting nicely in my garden. I had ordered one bulb from The Lily Garden and Judith included a few more bulbs as a spectacular bonus! The regular Scheherazade is wonderful, too. It is like an even more robust version of Black beauty which is another of my all-time favorites.

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    1. OMG..that's so good to hear about Silver Scherezade...I love lilies so much...just wish I had room for them all. I actually have Black Beauty as well...and it's amazing...there is just something to timeless and elegant about those recurved petals and that rich, ruby coloring, isn't there?

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    2. I think I remember reading in one of my lily books that Scheherazade actually has the same parents as Black Beauty. Yes, and I agree, lilies with down facing Turk's cap blossoms with recurred petals are amazing. I planted as many bulbs as I could afford last fall of lilies with this type of flower form, both Asiatic hybrids and Oriental-Trumpet hybrids ("Orienpets", though I dislike that inelegant name).

      That said, don't overlook the true trumpet lilies like Lilium regale and its many hybrids. It is a fantastic garden plant, easy as a weed to raise from seed, rock hardy, and the fragrance will overpower you. A clump of L. regale in bloom will waft through the neighborhood, especially at night. And the huge trumpet blooms attract lots of nocturnal moths as pollinators, which is also fascinating.

      Oh yeah, and the best part about lilies.... You don't really need that much space to grow them. Many will be very happy tucked underneath perennials where they will be able to grow out out of the plant but have their roots shaded all summer long.

      Some people think lily foliage is an eyesore, but when used properly it can provide quite an interesting textural element to a garden space.

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    3. Whoops! That was supposed to be "recurved" not "recurred," LOL!

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    4. That would totally make sense...I'm so excited to see Scheherezade bloom...I had to put a bunch of stakes around it the other day to keep my neighbor's chickens from pecking and scratching it to death! You're right, I do remember having a few trumpet Lilies a few years ago in my old garden and the scent was AMAZING! I forget sometimes that they take up so little space, I think you're right, I need to plant them as I do Alliums, coming up in between other perennials. I would love to have a never-ending display of lilies...and oh, the fragrance would be heavenly, wouldn't it? I honestly don't mind Lily foliage at all, and it usually holds up well all summer and fall.

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  2. What a great plant sale. I am curious to watch your umbrella plant, it looks very interesting to me.

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  3. Oh man, I've eyed that lily before--I can't wait to see photos of it in your garden. I headed over to the sale on Sunday afternoon and it was pretty empty. It was kind of great, even if I missed out on some plants.

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    1. OMG...I think I'd trade a few less plants for the ability to walk around unmolested!

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  4. Hi Scott,

    Oh how I wish we had sales like this round here! It looks like there's so much of interest there rather than your boring old pelagoniums, busy lizzies and begonias that we'd have here.... Grrrrrrr.

    I look forward to seeing photos of your new buys later in the season :)

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    1. It's a GREAT sale, that's for sure...I know how you feel, I come from a place where such a sale was unheard of!

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  5. That is one impressive plant sale. Love how big the holding area is!! Nice plants.

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    1. I know...I am always amazed at the scale of this particular sale!

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  6. Nice photos, Scott. I was there with my daughter, she talked me into a Mouse Plant, which she hopes I can share eventually. I also got a lovely tiny-leaved Saxifrage kolenatiana "Foster's Red, Primula sieboldii "Ice Princess" with a purple reverse, Geum coccineum "Cookie", and Columbine canadensis. I will put photos of them on my blog. I didn't see any Persicaria anywhere.;-( It was fun to see all the plants. I was tempted by the edible things, cranberries, wild berries, etc. but I guess I will stick with my faithful Aronia for now. I wish you success with your Fargesia, I had one a couple of years and then it had the nerve to bloom!

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    1. Yay...can't wait to see your photos of your plants! I should have grabbed a few more Columbine too...drats! I think it's still a little early to sell Persicarias, unfortunately, they probably don't look like much in pots right now ;-) Oh no! I hope mine doesn't bloom for a good, long time!

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  7. What a great sale. I really like your Sedum rupestre and October Daphne. Haven't seen either one here yet. I really like them both.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. Me too! I dont' think I've ever seen 'October Daphne' for sale around here, so I was pretty excited to see it...and well, the color on S. rupestre just made it a "must-have"!

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  8. You have to love these spring fares. As you so rightly say, there is something about the first couple of the new season.

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    1. You really do...the excitement is absolutely palpable at this time of year :-)

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  9. What a great sale! We have a daylily and iris sale but nothing like this where many types of plants are together.

    Eileen

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    1. It's a pretty unique sale, from what I've heard...but I'd LOVE to go to an Iris sale! There are a few Iris farms/nurseries near Portland, which I've never made it to, for some reason, but this year I'm determined to go!

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  10. Mind games. Oh, yes. A crucial skill for plant sales ;-)

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  11. So glad you finally got the Syneilesis aconitifolia. Speaking of it clumping...the first group I planted 2 years ago is falling behind last years planting, which is already clumping up nicely. It gets a little more sun than the first group. For whatever that's worth...

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    1. Good to know...I had thought of planting it in pretty much full shade, but now I think I'll find somewhere with a bit more sun...thanks!

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  12. It's so funny to see what the Portland garden bloggers have been highlighting in their posts about Hortlandia! Great variety of tastes and flavors. I wish I had better luck with sedums - you picked out some cuties!

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    1. Hahahahaha...isn't it funny, all these gardeners in one city, but we are all really so different in our likes and dislikes...thats what keep things interesting, isn't it!

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  13. How wide was that fair?! Beautiful! I am looking forward for a quick tour with my mum in my almost local nursery on Sunday morning and then there are a kind of open doors in another important nursery the following Sunday. I need a mortgage to pay for all the plants I have in mind!

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    1. OMG...it's so huge! I'm not sure how big the venue actually is, but it seemed bigger than in the past! I hope you post on your nursery visit, I'm always interested to see what they are like in other countries...and I know what you mean, my plant mail-order purchases are starting to arrive...reminding me just how much I spent this winter...eek!

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  14. What a great way to kick off spring! A great haul too. :)

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  15. Dear Scott, How I envy you! Nothing like that sale around here. Love the bamboo -- is it invasive/aggressive? P. x

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    1. Thanks, Pam! That bamboo is supposed to be a clumper, not spreading more than 4' or so...but I'm going to plant it in an elevated stock tank (metal tank) to keep it in bounds...just in case ;-)

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  16. I put in one of those Fargesia last summer... it made it through our winter completely unscathed and it's already pushing new growth! I'm completely in love with it and wish I had space for more. I think you'll really like having it around, it seems to be really well behaved.

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    1. Good to know, Tom! I'm probably a little overly-cautious about them...it really IS a beautiful plant...and I really do look forward to the privacy ;-)

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  17. Scott I wish I could remember the name of a low growing, evergreen bamboo that I bought at the UW's center for Urban Horticulture sale. It's a slow grower but has a beautiful fountain effect and doesn't run, relatively rare they told me, but worth the search. How's that for me giving you worthless info. I'll keep checking as it would be a wonderful addition to your parking strip. Another bamboo you may like is the walking stick bamboo, http://www.bamboogarden.com/Qiongzhuea%20tumidissinoda.htm, it has a stunning habit, with leaves that bob in the wind like feathers and bend like flowing water from a pitcher. Did I use enough similes there? ;-) The stems speak for themselves. Again, lovely romp to Portland from my easy chair, and without having to traverse the I-5 corridor. ;-)

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    1. Hahahahaha...that sounds like advice I tend to give...I always forget about half of what I meant to tell people ;-) I'll have to look up the walking stick bamboo, it sounds stunning! Glad to have you visit, even if only virtually :-)

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  18. Thanks for showing off the great sale Scott! I was truly blue about not being able to attend. (more like super pissy, don't anyone talk to me while I'm working on renovating this damn old house!) But, I digress. I'll be checking out the links to some of the vendors. I'm so excited to get back into the PDX area and become familiarized to some of the awesome nurseries. Cheers, Jenni

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    1. Oh no...I totally feel for you...and I've been in that boat before, when we first moved to this house...and for years while we lived in an apartment :-( Just think, next time you can go to the sale and you'll have a list of places to visit and plants to get ;-)

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  19. Great overview of the sale - all the non-local gardeners are probably drooling over the cool stuff they can't buy as easily as we can. You were awfully nice about the grabby customers, too - I'm not sure I would have gone so easily on them! You got some wonderful sedums. I have a sedum NOID that I now think might be Sedum rupestre and it's a real spreader - even better than 'Angelina'. And the Syneilesis - well, you know how much I like them, so I heartily approve (like you need MY permission, eh?) Excellent shopping, and quite restrained!

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    1. Hahahahaha...oh, you're so right, if I didn't live here I'd be super-jealous of all the things we can buy (and grow). Good to know about the Sedum...this one is SO beautiful...I would love it to spread all over. I'm so happy to finally have found a Syneilesis...I don't know WHY I waited so long!

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  20. I have 'October Daphne' and LOVE it. In a container, it cascades nicely and looks great whether in bloom or not. "Hortlandia" is the perfect name for such an event. Kudos to the person who thought of it.

    It's supposed to be nice again this weekend. Yippee! Have fun and please take photos of your stock tank and bamboo! I wanna see.

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  21. That focused look on the buyer's faces is universal - it speaks of plant lust and utter determination :) Your purchases sound most delightful Scott and no doubt we will see more of them as the year progresses. Looking forward to my first plant sale of the year in a fortnight.

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  22. What a fabulous sale. I've noticed quite the PNW blog lovefest going with the shredded umbrellas. I haven't seen photos of a mature clump yet -- maybe this summer.

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  23. Can't believe we missed each other! Thanks for posting about the sale so I don't have to. LOL!!

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  24. Hi Scott just discovered your blog today, such a refreshing inspiration.

    I love foilage and am in my element looking at your blog so far.

    I'm going to stick around and follow to keep up with your horticultural adventures.

    Paul

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