Back when I was in Mexico, I had the chance to go with my family to buy flowers for the house. My mom wanted some plants to decorate the entrance and to hang out in the back. So we went to a little urban nursery we like close to our neighborhood. They don't have a big range of plants, but they have a lot of very nice ones.
As I have said before where I live is plain desert, so the range of flowers we can grow is a bit limited by the weather. Having tulips for example is completely out of the question, but there are still many other great plants we can have. One common flower to have around there is the petunia. They need a bit of extra care to resist the dryness, but they are able to take the extreme sun, and that is important. We are used to see them around the streets in the city blooming in spring.
So, we went to the nursery with petunias in mind to see what else was there. Most of their stock was petunias, and they had a great variety of colors, but they also had daises, cactus, dahlias, alyssum, cyclamen (in there is as a indoor plant, would not make it outside) and many others.
Of course at the end we went a little crazy and got a bunch. My mom loves geraniums, and they had some with great colors so we got a trio too. I hope all the plants are doing well at home.
I really enjoy going for some plant shopping. It was interesting seeing the difference in how things work here in Japan and back in Mexico. Hopefully I will get a chance to visit other countries in the future and see the difference there as well.
My best hope for those in Japan. You can help donate here.
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As I have said before where I live is plain desert, so the range of flowers we can grow is a bit limited by the weather. Having tulips for example is completely out of the question, but there are still many other great plants we can have. One common flower to have around there is the petunia. They need a bit of extra care to resist the dryness, but they are able to take the extreme sun, and that is important. We are used to see them around the streets in the city blooming in spring.
So, we went to the nursery with petunias in mind to see what else was there. Most of their stock was petunias, and they had a great variety of colors, but they also had daises, cactus, dahlias, alyssum, cyclamen (in there is as a indoor plant, would not make it outside) and many others.
Of course at the end we went a little crazy and got a bunch. My mom loves geraniums, and they had some with great colors so we got a trio too. I hope all the plants are doing well at home.
I really enjoy going for some plant shopping. It was interesting seeing the difference in how things work here in Japan and back in Mexico. Hopefully I will get a chance to visit other countries in the future and see the difference there as well.
Please help japan with a donation or good thoughts.
My best hope for those in Japan. You can help donate here.
Amazon
Google Checkout
Donation For Japan Earthquake 11th March 2011
American Red Cross
International Medical Corps
AmeriCares
Donate with Paypal
causes.com
It's so easy to go overboard when you visit a place like that. What looks like "a few" plants in the commercial premises can look like "a lot" of plants when you get them home.
ReplyDeleteyou should write a post about how to choose a good plant specimen. When buying plants for a small garden you need to be able to pick a good one and not just go for the first one you see. The ones in full flower look good at the time, but may not last so well.
The cactus are too cute!
ReplyDeleteWe don't have big nursery to go in my home town but i still can spend hours in small nursery because it's always so hard to choose which plant to buy.
Wow !!! It's easy to get crazy with so many flowers.
ReplyDeleteOh TOTORO-chan Kawaiii. Got distracted with tonari no totoro. Wow like the cactus and dahlias collection there.
ReplyDeleteWe do well with petunias and geraniums in the summer, they are a staple. Last year was a very hot summer and dahlias did not do well for me. Surprisingly, impatiens were wonderful. We are very cold and rainy this year so I do not know what to expect.
ReplyDeleteEileen
Petunias are just an all around great plant. Keep them dead headed and they bloom forever.
ReplyDeleteOh, that looks like so much fun! How great that you could share that shopping trip with your mom!
ReplyDeleteWhat a kaleidescope of colors!! Petunias are the first plants I ever grew successfully. When my daughter was little she called them "Suck Your Nose" plants because when she stuck her nose in the bloom to sniff for fragrance, the suction would wrap the petals around her nose. It was pretty funny!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much! It was really fun going to get some plants. They always have a lot of great ones.
ReplyDeleteMark ~ that is an excellent idea! I usually take very long time picking the plant I want to buy. I will work on a post like that, thanks
Casa Mariposa ~ What a great name! I like it. I used to do that with roses at my granfather garden when I was a kid
Problem in our nurseries is that often plants are grown too early and are 'soft'. People buy them too early - they die and them they buy some more! Nurseries are clever at making money aren't they?
ReplyDeleteThose cacti are amazing grouped together like that.Mark is right; it is so easy to go overboard at such places! x
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and healthy plants!
ReplyDeleteFer, I envy your plant shopping! (Here it is still too cold to plant until after Mother's Day - 5/8/11). Those cactus are just stunning - I never knew they could be so colorful!
ReplyDeleteFer, even in the cooler Scottish climate, Petunias and Pelergoniums are firm Summer bedders.
ReplyDeleteHow can you even worry that your choice of flowers is "limited"? Look at all those vibrant colors! Wonderful loot, Fer. Your mom must have been so pleased.
ReplyDeleteThe colours of those cacti are amazing!
ReplyDeleteyou should try Dorotheanthus in such a warm country, its a very beautiful little plant with twinkling leafs who look like they are frozen, and flowers so bright they almost hurt your eyes. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you very much!
ReplyDeleteBom ~ is funny that I think it like that, but I guess in my mind I compare with south mexico, there are so many more there.
hare majesteit ~ Yeah we do have some of them too. Usually they are more common close to the beach were they get some breeze, in the city can be a bit too hot for them.
Sue ~ Yeah, I have to deal with that here. In mexico plants usually are already used to the weather by the time they get out of the nursery.
Beautiful collection of flowers! Your Mum's house should look so radiant now!
ReplyDeleteHello I am Muhammad Ahmed, from Pakistan.
ReplyDeleteI own a Plants Nursery business here in Pakistan.
Please send me some pictures of your plants products that can be Imported from your country to here. Send me Pictures with quotations, the means of transport/freight, freight charges, loading charges, quality certificate criteria, etc.
Please reply soon, I would be waiting for your reply.
Thank You.