Went on another roadtrip today with Janet of The Queen of Seaford. We went over to Smithfield Gardens to meet Les of A Tidewater Gardener and Helen of Gardening with Confidence. Of course we got there a bit early so we could browse the display gardens as well as pickup a few things from the nursery. It was nice to meet some other fellow garden bloggers. Sorry I didn’t get any pictures of the four of us. But if you are curious…Helen got some shots of us that I’m sure she will be posting soon. 🙂 See that gorgeous blue tree in the upper left hand photo? That is a Vitex and I want one or two of them for my front yard! Now I know where I can get them it’s just a matter of time before I convince hubby they are a must add, lol.
Everywhere you looked there was something eye-popping to see. From water lillies to ornamental purple peppers. It was inspiring to see the color combinations they put together in the display gardens.
Here’s the new goodies I picked up for the garden. There is a Barberry ‘Sunjoy Gold Beret’, Oregano ‘Kent Beauty’ (ornamental), Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’ and Sedum ‘Variegata’. Yes I know I said no more plants, but did you really think I could go to a fabulous nursery and not get anything? lol Anyhow it was a fun roadtrip and I look forward to meeting Helen again in July when she gets a peek at mine & Janet’s gardens. It was nice meeting you Les and maybe someday I’ll be able to stop by and see your garden. Oh & thanks to Hubby for holding down the fort so I could get out & have a bit of an adventure today. 🙂
Perennial Garden Lover 
Posted by Gail on June 22, 2009 at 9:12 pm
We would never hold you to a promise like that when you are at a nursery! Looks like you brought home great plants…and what a great tour group! gail
Thanks Gail, I knew you wouldn’t hold me to that promise. 😉 It was a fun trip with great company.
Posted by Linda at Meadowview Thymes on June 22, 2009 at 9:23 pm
My neighbor has a vitex–it smells wonderful!! Thanks for taking us along on your wonderful adventure! I would love to meet fellow bloggers some time. And, way to go hubby! Thanks for taking care of everything so Racquel could take us someplace really special.
Hope your grandfather is getting better. He is in my prayers! 🙂
Really, I didn’t realize it was fragrant as well! You are quite welcome, glad you enjoyed the tour too. It’s fun meeting other garden bloggers especially. I will pass on your kudos to hubbie & your good thoughts to Grandpa. He’s healing slowly. Thank you Linda. 🙂
Posted by Stella on June 22, 2009 at 9:43 pm
It looks like you had a wonderful time and brought home some lasting memories with you. It’s always more fun to to tour a garden with company so you can ooh and ahh?
I really did have a nice time & meeting other garden bloggers to enjoy the trip with was icing on the cake! 🙂
Posted by Susie on June 22, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Love those vitex myself. We have them blooming at work and all the customers want one. I have thought of getting one or two also but just haven’t yet. Maybe in the fall since it’s way too hot now.
They are such pretty trees & Les actually pruned this one up giving it a beautiful form. I’ve wanted one for years since I saw it growing in my neighbor’s yard. 🙂 Yep the fall would be a good time to plant a tree, way too hot now.
Posted by Pam/Digging on June 22, 2009 at 10:10 pm
It’s so fun to meet fellow bloggers. I’m glad you had a chance to do so, and I look forward to seeing Helen’s pics of the four of you.
It really was a fun experience Pam. And garden bloggers are the nicest people. 🙂
Posted by Grace on June 22, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Racquel~~ No more plants….. ha, ha. Resolve goes out the window when visiting nurseries like Smithfield, doesn’t it? The photos are fabulous. And you got some great selections to take home. Here in Oregon nurseries are touting Vitex as the replacement for Buddleia which has been banned for invasive reasons. Your photo of Smithfield’s Vitex is the nicest I’ve ever seen. What a great day it must have been for all of you! I look forward to hearing about your next rendezvous.
Thanks Grace for understanding, lol. 😉 It really would be impossible to shop at a beautiful nursery & not find some treasure(s) to bring home. What an interesting replacement for the Buddleia. This is the loveliest specimen I’ve seen too, Les did the trimming of it.
Posted by Janet on June 22, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Oh Racquel, you got your post up fast!!! I haven’t even been able to get my camera out of my purse yet!! Fun day, great plants and lovely meeting Les and Helen. I really like your garden, thanks for the tour…and I like your dog! 😉 She’s a sweetie.
It was fun putting a post together after not blogging for a few days. 🙂 It was a great day, I enjoyed the company and plant shopping. You are quite welcome, I’m glad you enjoyed my garden and Spaz. She’s a little lover huh? lol
Posted by Beckie on June 22, 2009 at 11:18 pm
This looks like a wonderful place to visit and of course to find ‘must have ‘ plants. I woll be watching to see how the new barberry and baptisia do. They look great. but of course the most enjoyable was the chance to meet fellow bloggers. They are the nicest people you will ever meet! 🙂
It really is a wonderful nursery and my first time to visit. What a treat it was to meet other garden bloggers & shop too. 🙂 Isn’t that little Barberry sweet? And I’ve been wanting that Baptisia ever since Les posted a photo of his.
Posted by Sunita on June 23, 2009 at 5:25 am
That Vitex looks gorgeous. I think I would’ve bought one anyway and then told hubby about it 😀
Are those actually peppers? I’ve never seen purple ones before. How very interesting! Ohand those waterlillies are so tempting …
How come I never get to go on trips to nurseries with my garden blog buddies?
Thanks Sunita, lol actually I thought about it. 😉 But fall is the best time to plant trees here. Gives them a chance to get their roots established before the next heat of summer arrives. Yep those are peppers, ornamental ones. Cool huh? You should get together with some of the bloggers in your area, that would be fun. 😉
Posted by Monica on June 23, 2009 at 7:58 am
yay, so fun meeting other gardeners at a garden no less. I find it hard to arrange people’s schedules to meet on any given day, so I salute you! 🙂
It really is fun to meet other like minded individuals. 🙂 We were quite lucky that we could all get together on the same day, you’re right.
Posted by Cameron (Defining Your Home Garden) on June 23, 2009 at 8:06 am
What a wonderful outing!
I love the shape on the vitex in your photo. I have been shaping/training the trunk of mine like that. I have to keep the one in my butterfly garden fairly short (or move a lot of sun-loving plants), but put one of the kids out in the meadow where it can grow to full height.
That ornamental oregano is often difficult to find! Great catch! I didn’t know that there is a purple Baptisia. I’ll be that will be beautiful in the spring.
Cameron
It really was a fun outing. Isn’t that the best shape you’ve ever seen on a Vitex! Les shaped & pruned this tree into a wonderfully sculptural form. That’s what’s nice about these trees is their fairly smallish like Crepe Myrtles. Thanks Cameron, when I saw the wonderful cabbage like bracts on that Oregano, I had to have it. 🙂 Yep I saw that Baptisia in Les’s post and knew it had to be mine. lol
Posted by tina on June 23, 2009 at 8:56 am
Oh boy! I bet you guys had the best time! So fun meeting other bloggers. The gardens are spectacular and what a bunch of goodies. On the chaste tree, they self seed here so you might pick one up at a local sale. It is where I got mine. Have a good day today!
We really did Tina. I felt very at ease at once. 🙂 Thanks for the tip on the Chase Tree. I’ll have to keep my ears & eyes open for a sale locally.
Posted by Darla on June 23, 2009 at 9:01 am
That blue tree jumped off the screen at me!! Beautiful. Looks like a great nursery to visit. Of course you ‘had’ to buy some plants..LOL
Isn’t that tree fabulous in full bloom! That color of blue is so striking, I love it! It really is a fabulous nursery, can’t believe I’ve never been there before. I need to get out more, lol. 😉 Of course I had to bring home some new beauties, I knew you would understand Darla. HA!
Posted by Marnie on June 23, 2009 at 11:11 am
A lovely garden. I hope someday I have a chance to visit. Of course I looked up that lovely Vitex but found it isn’t hardy in my area. Bummer, I’d love to have one.
Marnie
That would be great if you’re ever in the area Marnie. What a shame, it’s a beautiful tree. 🙂
Posted by Kathleen on June 23, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Glad you got to get away Racquel and had such a fun time. It looks like a wonderful garden. Meeting up with some garden bloggers would be great. I’ll have to pop over to Janets blog and check you all out! I can never keep a promise to not buy more plants either. Even when I have absolutely no idea where to plant them. Maybe there’s a 12 step program for us?!!!
Thanks Kathleen, it was nice to get out of the house and think about something else for a change. It was fun getting to meet Les & Helen too. 🙂 Nope no 12 step program is available and I’m okay with it, lol.
Posted by Muum on June 23, 2009 at 4:04 pm
I’ve heard of that Vitex. Will have to look into it and learn more about it. fun to see the new ‘goodies’!
It’s a gorgeous tree. I’ve been wanting one for years. Thanks Muum. 🙂
Posted by OhioMom on June 23, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Your hubby is sitting here and he said buy two or three of those gorgeous Vitex trees 🙂
Thanks for enabling me Mom, lol. 😉
Posted by Les on June 23, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Racquel, thanks for all of the free publicity and the links. It was a pleasure meeting you, Helen and Janet yesterday. I enjoy what I do for a living and like showing people around the place. If you and Janet find yourself heading to Norfolk for another field trip, I would love to show you my own garden (I won’t have to have my work “hat” on).
Les
You are quite welcome Les. I enjoyed meeting you & Helen too. It was quite obvious how much you love what you do for a living, that’s everyone’s dream. 🙂 The Gardens are gorgeous & the nursery was a real treat. That sounds like a great road trip, I’ll have to see what Janet thinks.
Posted by Jan on June 23, 2009 at 8:36 pm
I love my vitex trees. I have two blue ones and one pink one. These are great trees, and every garden should have one. Looks like you had a great time.
Jan
Always Growing
I’ve never seen the pink variety of the Vitex. That sounds pretty too. Thanks Jan, I had a great time. 🙂
Posted by gardening with confidence on June 23, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Hey Racquel,
What fun it was to meet you. Like the vignette of the plants you bought. Can’t wait to see where they end up. I’m just getting back, so I’m a bit behind. I’ll probably post the meeting on Sunday and Smithfield gardens next week. I was so tired by the time I hooked up with you (was up at 4:00 AM to get done all I needed to do) that I didn’t even get anything. I meant to go back for a few things, but they got caught up of the cuteness inside.
If you get a chance, do take Les up on seeing his garden. Worth the visit.
H.
Gardening With Confidence
Thanks Helen, it was a pleasure getting to meet you. Believe it or not I already have homes for three of the plants I purchased. The last one I’m still thinking about. 🙂 I’ll keep an eye out for your posts next week. Get some rest! Thanks, I think it would be fun to his garden, maybe me & Janet can plan another roadtrip.
Posted by Rose on June 24, 2009 at 12:44 pm
That vitex is indeed a beauty–I’ll have to check these out to see if they grow here. Of course, I’m like you–it would take a while to convince Hubby to plant another tree. Sounds like a wonderful day, made even better by meeting up with some blogging friends. We’ll have to compare notes to see how our baptisias do:)
Thanks Rose. They are hardy in zones 6-9 I believe. He will see my vision once I do the actual planting, lol. It was a lovely day all & all. Yep I hope the best for both of our Baptisias. I also planted a white native one this spring. 🙂
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