Last weekend I had to head down to the Bay Area for a work meeting, so I flew in early and my parents and I went to Annie's Annuals.
We were cruising around and enjoying the sunshine when I spotted the biggest, most beautiful red tussock grass in a pot. It was so beautiful that I didn't even take a picture of it. I was too busy plotting to steal it.
I immediately went into super-annoying mode, asking every worker there, "Can I ask you a weird question? Can I take a plug of that grass?" One employee asked me if I'd brought a hand trowel and if I knew that was an option, I would have. I asked another employee, telling him, "I'll pay any amount of money for a tiny plug of that grass!" He was like, "Oh, I'll get it for you," and I went skipping over to my father, smug that being a pain in the ass was totally going to work!
That guy was a liar. Apparently his manager shut the idea down, explaining that the beautiful grass I was eyeing was their mother plant and they'd be using it to make more plants . . . in 2014. She said I could put it on my wishlist and I actually whined out loud to her that I wanted it noooooooowwwww.
The whole point of this is to say, if you see this grass in a nursery will you buy it? I will pay you twice over for the trouble and make you cookies. I was complaining to Greg that I want this grass so badly that I feel like I will perish if I don't get it. Then he was like, "Okay this is actually concerning me. Do you really feel that way?" and I flounced off shouting, "My gardener friends will understand!"
Do you understand? Am I teetering on the brink of insanity? Have you ever wanted a plant so badly you felt like you'd self-combust if you didn't get it?
I mean, come on, that's a beautiful grass.
Not quite a plant, but almost... http://www.paseseeds.com/servlet/the-3449/grass,-ornamental-grass,-ornamental/Detail I did a Google search--most of the plants from my last garden were kind of rare and I sources EVERYTHING by mail-order. Joy Creek listed the plant, but shows it is out of stock at this time.
ReplyDeleteYou rock--thanks for your research! I called Joy Creek on Tuesday and they just divided a Chionochloa, so assuming they don't die they'll have 20 plugs available. I'm so freaked out that someone else will get to them before I do. Okay, I definitely have a problem!
ReplyDeleteYou're not alone...I move from one obsession to the next. OMG...Joy Creek divided theirs!!! I remember him saying they had tried propagating in the past, but never had enough to offer for sale...did you ask them to hold one for you (they totally will).
ReplyDeleteThe woman who answered the phone said to try back in two weeks and that she was planning on buying some too. I'm probably going to have to arm wrestle her for them!
ReplyDeleteWe'll tag-team her...those babies are ours!
ReplyDeleteYah, sure, you're teetering on the brink. Embrace and enjoy it, I say. What fun is life without compusive and obsessive behavior? And as obsessions go, this one is pretty harmless.
ReplyDeleteI knew my garden friends would enable me on this one!
ReplyDeleteI got an email from www.nzseeds.co.nz yesterday , they were offering seeds for this grass ! I nearly ordered them , then thought I'd be able to get a plant or seeds a bit nearer to home ...maybe not
ReplyDeleteTotally understand and would have done the same thing. Maybe not for this plant in particular but so many others...
ReplyDeletehaha - Yes! We totally understand! I can't imagine having to wait until 2014 for something you want NOW! I hope you find several!
ReplyDeleteWhere are you going to put them? I only see them in huge swaths where they look great. There are some on a huge hill I really enjoy beside a highway. I want to touch them. Never seen any up close.
ReplyDeleteOn another note - you asked for recommendations recently.
I love oakleaf hydrangea in all seasons. For shade. Also hellebore and camellia (evergreen! winter flowers!)
For more sun. Red twig dogwood. Or yellow. Viburnums! Smoketree. Black Elderberry. A Fig tree. Rue (a swallowtail habitat! evergreen/bluegreen!)
Flowers: Campanula punctata 'Pink Chimes' (there is a blue version with same tall habit and long petals. I think) Hairy Ball Milkweed (Monarchs!) Feverfew (spreads a lot!) Four oclocks. Spiderwort. Garlic Chives (useful! and great flowers and seed heads, spreads).
Also your post on putty and the door was hilarious! Thanks!
correction. I think the campanula I like is cherry bells. more magenta and the nice foliage is more yellow green.
ReplyDeletealso love sheffield mum and it looks great with joe pye weed
also for fall don't forget dahlias I like huge plants of the single flowered ones. Although big fancy ones are fun. They look good with mallows.
Pineapple lillies are hilarious. Haven't found a good pairing but I love them. Very Dr Seuss.
Hi Heather ! I'm so glad that Joy Creek had your Chionochloa . ( we love Joy Creek) I love this grass but we haven't grown it in years as no one ever bought it and we actually had to 86 them from the nursery . Folks would ask why we were selling a "dead grass" ! Really. Isn't that sad? Well, maybe this is my inspiration to bring it back again.
ReplyDeleteWish I had been there , I certainly would have given you a piece!
I wish you had been there too! I can't believe anyone would think that grass was dead--it was stunning! I found plenty of other plants to make me happy, so I'm still in love with your nursery. :)
ReplyDeleteI have a meadowscape under construction in the front yard, so I'm definitely planning on a mass of them.
ReplyDeleteI like your taste--I have a fig tree, three black elderberries, a doublefile viburnum, and an oakleaf hydrangea (little honey). I think I definitely want more oakleaf hydrangeas on the back of the house--thank you!
Thank you, that makes me feel so much better!
ReplyDeletecan't wait to see them in place - I checked our local nursery but no dice
ReplyDeleteYou (and others li you...meaning all of us) are the lifeblood of places like Joy Creek, so surely they will hold one for you. If not, just let me know and I will pop over to pick it up.
ReplyDelete