Output Stream of Consciousness

Link: http://www.boomtowntrail.com/treasurehunting/display_merch.php?cat_id=4

We were going back out to D'n'A Gardens for to get Dena some more Martagon Lilies. However, despite our best efforts on the road, we made it in time, technically speaking, before closing time, but at a mere eight minutes before closing - I surmise they'd packed up early on a slow day.

So, we went into town in Elnora and ate at the small café, and asked where the Raku Pottery and perennials place was (we had looked for it last time we were up in the area, but couldn't see it). After a good chat with Louise (and her husband?), and finding out that they knew Dena's great aunt and uncle (you can always count on that everyone-knows-everyone phenomenon in a small town), we made our way over to the pottery and perennial place, a mere block and a half away.

It was hard to miss - this time around, anyway ;)

We parked in front of lilac shrubs and a big sign, and got out of the car, the skies drizzling on us ever harder. We went towards the back, as the rain picked up, when a friendly voice told us to come in out of the rain.

It was John Jones, the proprietor, a really nice old guy who runs the business out of his home. We chatted in his small greenhouse on the side of his home. Ice plant (Lampranthus, I think) has taken over many plant pots like so many aloes. They are prototypical 'unkillable' plants - you can leave their pots bone dry, and they will still grow, and flower! There are a couple of unusual plants in the small space. One, which looks strangely familiar but strange, is a six foot tall dill plant.

When the rain at last slowed its drumbeat, we went outside and took a look around back. He grows the plants in the garden, in the ground. If you want something, he grabs spade or pitchfork and levers it out of the ground into a pot for you (or a plastic bag if it's too big!).

The prices are extremely reasonable; I can't really imagine he makes a profit from it. For a paltry amount, we ended up with some large Dianthus (the genus to which carnations and Sweet Williams belong) clusters, numerous pop-up Violas, a big ice plant, California poppies ("invasive, but easy to kill") and, as he didn't have change that day, we filled up our order with Siberian Wallflower (Cheiranthus allionii), which doesn't overwinter here, but is bright orange and smells wonderful (like some old Victorian-era perfume).

He has a number of very robust tomato plants as well. Everything is right out there in the garden so hardening-off, as you'd need to do with greenhouse plants, is utterly unnecessary.

Go give him a visit. He's just south and east (I may have my cardinal directions wrong) of the Main Street Cafe in Elnora. If you're feeling generous, bring him an MP3 disk of classical music and nature sounds - he'd be utterly tickled, I think.

By the way, it's almost official: our garden is full

Wow, never thought we'd say that :)