High Country Gardens Visit - Part 3

Here is the entry to the Country Garden. Very impressive!

I'm not a fan of vinca. Our front and back yards were full of it when we bought our house ten years ago. I've taken out a lot but it keeps on going. I really dislike trying to rake through it and cut it back in the spring. There is, however, some varigated vinca along the back fence that does look nice and grows where nothing else will. Now, this display I really liked! Probably because the whole area was dedicated to it and it's beautiful under this tree. Very striking.

I didn't write this down but believe it is Hummingbird Mint Orange. I have Orange Carpet and it is not as upright. Think I like this upright version more than the ground cover I have.

There were still many stunning plants in bloom. Lots of salvias and penstemons. Sorry that I didn't write them all down but I was getting pretty tired out by now. I noticed that they did stake them here. The other thing I noticed is how many of the varieties were repeated in the Xeriscape Garden. It shows how the plants can work in many different themes.

Here is my first purchase. I thought it would be fun to place it on the ground and put sand and water in it for the butterflies. It would be great out front where all the butterflies are, but after I got home I realized that it would probably get stolen there. I don't have many butterflies in the backyard, so will think of what to do with it there. Anyway... I thought it was so pretty! Too bad it wasn't on sale like a lot of their pottery was.

Okay... here it is. My cart! It doesn't look like much here, but this is what I got:

1 - Verbena Homestead Purple
1 - unmarked Heuchera
2 - Agastache Cana 'Purple Pygmy' - gorgeous color
2 - Agastache 'Ava'
3 - Hyssopos officinallis (deep blue/pink)
1 - Agastache rugosum Korean hyssop (foiliage is looking purple - beautiful)
3 - Stachys coccinea, Scarlet Hedgnettle
2 - Knautia macedonica 'Mars Midget' (have tried to grow these before)
4 - Sedum spectabile 'Neon'
6 - Mahonia repens Colorado creeping holly (very small plants on on sale!)
1 - Gallardia aristata 'Amber Wheels' blanket flower (my husband's choice)
1 - Pulsatilla vulgaris 'Rote Crocke' (Red Bells Pasque Flower)
1 - Achillea soroica 'Serbian yarrow' (ground cover with white flowers)

While I was there I also picked up another bag of Yum Yum Mix and Yum Yum Winterizer, as well as some horticultural corn meal.

These containers had just been planted for fall. Lots of good ideas. The deep blue one is $300!!

Here is my collection back home and ready to be planted, along with a few other plants I already had. Thank goodness for the warm weather we have had so far this fall. Many days still in the 80's and no frost (yet). That may change this weekend, so I worked hard to get everything planted. Whew! The planting was so hard. It was difficult trying to dig into ground that has been through a hot summer and needed a jackhammer. A few times I asked myself, "What were you thinking?? It's so much easier to dig in the spring!" What was nice, though, was being able to see where I actually had room to plant, since everything is as big as it will get. In the spring it looks like I have all sorts of room and I end up getting things too close. Now.... if they will just make it through the winter. So far everything is doing well and the plants love the cool nights. I also added Yum Yum Winterizer to each of the plantings. I'll take some photos next year when they are (hopefully) more mature.

I enjoyed my trip very much, especially seeing plants that I've only seen in catalogs.