New plants and Hortlandia

Hortlandia was fun, the most flamboyant plant there was at the Cistus Nursery booth, Fremontodendron californium.   The hardiness info on the internet is confusing.

The Carnivores were talking amongst themselves.;-)

I came home with a coveted pygmy running bamboo, Pleiobastus pygmaeus, which should make a nice border ground cover, I plan to chop it up a lot before planting-

I also found a beautifully colored Antennaria dioca 'Rubra', Red Pussytoes, it is literally bursting out of its pot, I have great hopes for it as a drought-tolerant ground cover-

And other plants I purchased recently include a number of ferns I'm trying in my 2 new shade gardens, I hope the deer don't like them.  Dryopteris seiboldii, Seibold's Wood Fern, described as being a black leather and studs kind of fern, and Osmunda regalis purpurascens, Purple Royal Fern, which starts out with purple new leaves, then turns green, then has yellow fall color.

Cyrtomium fortunei, Arching Japanese Holly Fern,  and Dryopteris atrata, Shaggy Shield Fern, below,

Wintergreen since I finally killed all mine off, and a great ground cover, Ceanothus gloriosa 'Point Reyes', which I have had many years, but in a protected place whereas this will be at the top of a bank, but it should like the drainage and dryness fine.  Mine has flower buds forming.  These plants are all from Little Prince of Oregon, which has a frog on their tags, and says, "Our plants won't croak!"  Cute.

It's so much fun doing Spring plant shopping, especially since new plants will survive better before the dry season and hot weather starts.   Otherwise I wait until fall when the rains start again.  I'm also hardening off my seedlings now to plant out.  It's nice to have a couple of new beds to plant.

The next shopping event coming up locally is the Master Gardener Sale, Mother's Day weekend.

Don't come, I want all the bargains for myself.;-)

-Hannah