Perennial Pleasures

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I have discovered a beautiful place. A nursery that specializes in only perennial plants.

Phoenix Perennials in Richmond, BC has an awesome variety of perennials for shade and sunny gardens. As my friend ML and I walked through the beautiful gardens, with plants arranged by family and variety, our eyes feasted on plant after plant … leaves that ranged from palest greens, rusty orange and darkest plum and flowers that were large, small, circular, angular, spiked … and the list goes on.

We ended up buying a couple of plants each (it’s not exactly planting time when the daytime temperature hit 32 degrees!) We bought the beautiful little pink-tinged, puffy flowered origanum as well as Tibetan Cinquefoil, a medium height plant with dark, veined angular leaves and masses of gorgeous, tiny dark red flowers. My friend also bought a Sea Lavendar, a thistle like plant with bright blue stems and thistles (I had bought one last week after seeing it in a friend’s garden.) We could have gone crazy and bought many (the sedums and hens and chicks were awesome!) but neither of us has much space left for new plants and, in any case, it’s not planting time as I mentioned earlier.

While in Richmond, we visited the wonderful Romanian Artisan baker and bought some of his wholesome, organic wholewheat bread and then sat on the Pajos barge for fish and chips!

On the way home we had a little problem with my car so drove it straight from the highway down to the dealership where they dealt with it immediately. And, for once, they only charged for a part – no labour! Thanks, Albert!

I have been trying to switch to a perennial garden for years but always resort to buying a few annuals. However, as my success at wintering-over my various geraniums and succulents improves, so I get closer to that goal. I love watching the garden come alive around the end of January … but let’s not go there yet. There’s still a lot of summer to enjoy!