Joy Creek…o joy!

OK, all you townies who are ending the season less than satiated…here’s the deal. Joy Creek Nursery is open through the end of October, with all plants at least 20% off, and some as much as half off. I discovered this only because when our friends from Denver oohed and aahed over our garden, I decided to show them the real deal. We popped on over (it is only 5 miles from home) to stroll through the extensive display gardens. These friends are not real gardeners, so you can imagine my frustration when we whipped through the paths, and dashed for the car when the first raindrops hit. A puzzled employee wondered what was up, and that was when I learned of the deals to be had. I would have gone back anyway, just to enjoy the gardens at my leisure.

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A long view of one of many paths.

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A bamboo grove marks the entry

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Within the grove, this seat invites contemplation. The last time I was here, several children were playing house in this imagination-inducing enclosure.

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The puffball seedheads of the clematis are weaving their way through the grass on the left.

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And another shot with the grass as the star.

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I have one of these ‘Thunderhead’ pines…hope it will look like this one day.

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The variegated pieris virtually sparkled in the late season sun.

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Love the way the two heathers become one, for a bi-color spill over the boulders containing the raised bed.

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Design ideas abound in these gardens.

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Here is what came home with me. Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’, on the left. Ceanothus impressus ‘Vandenberg’ will go in the evergreen border developing along the driveway. Three little Cornus canadensis will be added to the woodland where the one planted last year is spreading nicely. Yucca ‘Bright Edge’ will go into the dry berm where the agave conked out. (Don’t worry, Loree…there will still be room for an agave in the spring. Fuchsia mag. v. m. ‘Tricolor’ was a knockout in the border, and guess what! The last one available was half price.

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Sequoia sempervirens is a gift to Richard to add to his sequoia “collection”. It will sprawl massively and obliterate its share of the dreaded “lawn”.

7 thoughts on “Joy Creek…o joy!

  1. Plants in view. O the Joy!

    Fun post, Ricki! I will need to make the stampede out highway 30, too. I’m hoping there’s enough for us all.

    I think that Thundercloud pine is just what Mr. Mulchmaid has been looking for as an accent in a smaller bed. D’you think they have them now?

  2. Gee…with all of you planning trips my way, I’m thinking we should plan an in-the-flesh get together around this time next year. We could lay siege to Joy Creek and Jockey Hill (Michelle is a friend, who would let us in at her wholesale nursery if we plan ahead).
    Jane: I looked for Thudercloud after seeing it at the Oregon Garden in Feb, when the candles were huge. The big ones I found were in the $100 + range. Finally found a small one at HPSO for $18. Joy Creek has many wonderful trees in their display gardens, but not so many for sale (lost their supplier this year).

  3. Can I come too? 🙂 Would love to meet all of you folks one of these years. I think you guys have better nurseries down there, or maybe I just am not finding the cool outlying ones. Do you know what that grass is, some kind of miscanthus or ?? I have some but they don’t flower. Saw one with those dramatic reddish plumes the other day and had to stop in my tracks. What a show-offy grass! Nice purchases, unusual and fun selections.

  4. Karen: I think you planted the idea of face to face get-togethers with your posts about those in your area. Sure! C’mon down! Cistus nursery is nearby, too…just to tempt you further. I answered your grass question in the Bloom Day post.

    Linda: Thanks for the visit and the comment. I couldn’t find a way to track back to you. Do you have a blog?

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