Easter sale!

Hope you are all enjoying this lovely Sunday morning! The weather is suppose to warm up and reveal a lovely, sunny day!

Once your morning Easter festivities are done (if you do them!) stop by and pay us a visit in the garden - as part of Country Roads Antiques & Gardens special Easter sale, we have ALL of our AWESOME and weird plants priced at 20% off today!

That includes some really cool new ones we just got in from Native Sons Wholesale Nursery, like Gaura "Passionate Rainbow"....enjoy your day and thanks for all the ongoing garden love!

Source: nativeson.com via Brande on Pinterest

Silene "Druetts Varigated"

New plants in today, garden nerds! Meet Silene "Druetts Varigated", one of many many of the cool, drought tolerant and easy to grow plants arriving from Native Sons this morning. Drop in and check them out!

Source: perennials.com via Brande on Pinterest

Oxalis aurea

Oxalis aurea is just one of our many new plants arriving to our nursery this Friday...

Awesome color and easy to grow, red stems and non-invasive, it makes a great addition to your shady gardens!

Source: flickr.com via Brande on Pinterest

Polygonum orientale “Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate”

Want to be a little heartbroken today, you know, just to remind yourself you are alive and full of passion and want?

Then check out one of our lovely new plants: Polygonum orientale “Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate”

Yes, your heart will melt a little, but it's okay, we have lots of these in 4" containers for you to take home! This cottage garden classic is a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e and we think quite striking.

Growing five to six feet tall, it produces these ginormous clumps of bright pink, bead like flowers. Easy to grow, rumor is that Thomas Jefferson was the first one to grow it in the US, so you can also impress your history buff friends!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Selinum wallichianum "Emerald Lace"

Meet Selinum wallichianum "Emerald Lace", just one of the many many awesome, weird and unusual plants available in our garden right now!

This lovely plant reminds us of a cross between good old fashioned Queen Anne's Lace and a ginormous geranium! So cool! Meant for sunny spot, its fern like foliage gives birth to some amazing white blooms on red stems. YOU NEED IT!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

We have them in 4" containers right now for just $5! 

New plants in today!

Happy Friday and SPRING, gardeners!

We've got a truck load of new Annie's Annuals and Perennials arriving today! They'll be priced and ready to take home by late afternoon, once we finish up a garden design project (photos to come!) for a client.

Of the many new plants arriving today, we have Tellima Grandiflora "Fringe Cup", and all time favorite. It's just so cute and dainty yet remarkably easy to grow and TOUGH - does well in shade and looks GREAT with ferns and other 'woodland' style plants. Stop by and take one home!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Happy spring!

Happy spring, gardeners! The weather in SoCal has been lovely for weeks, granted, but still, it's always fun to celebrate a new season, especially one that was made for the garden!

Enjoy your day, and come see us soon!

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Sedums!

We've got a HUGE selection of sedums available right now!

With very low water needs, adaptability, and amazing colors, sedums make GREAT plants for the edges of your beds, pots, and hanging baskets!

Source: flickr.com via Brande on Pinterest

Monday morning plant!

Happy Monday, gardeners!

Let us brighten up your week by introducing you to Oscularia deltoides.

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

This lovely, lovely succulent is pretty intense, in the best of the word. There are some plants which can only be described as 'architectural', and this is most definitely one of them. The blue green foliage has a very unique angular quality to it, which in and of itself is awesome. But then, it blooms, and when it blooms, be prepared for a shower of pink the likes of which you have probably never seen!

We have them in 4" containers right now for just $5 - get them while we have them in stock, they won't last!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

 

Plant of the day...

We'd like to give a shout out to the lovely, lovely selection of grasses we have available in our gardens right now. Grasses make SUCH a great addition to ANY garden, providing a unique architectural element, a little drama, and color.

Right now, we have a few of our favorites in, including Muhlenbergia capillaris “Pink Muhly Grass”.

"Pink Muhly Grass" is grown primarily for the awesome, fuzzy pink 'blooms' it produces, which, quite frankly, are nothing short of A M A Z I N G!!! Native to Texas and Florida, it grows quite well in Southern California, and is 'tough as nails', as they saying goes - drought and heat tolerant, even doing well in your poorly drained, clay soil. (Not that you have poorly drained, clay soil, right?)

We've got them in 4" containers right now in our nursery, but they never last long, so get one soon!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

New! New! New!

So, yesterday, we got close to 40 different plants from Annie's Annuals and Perennials delivered to our gardens, just for you to take home! Check out a few of our new friends below, and be sure to stop by this weekend before they are all gone. There are waaaaay more plants in stock than what we just listed here, including a great selection of poppies, a few sweet peas (blue and black ones!) and lots of super cool sedums and succulents.

Anchusa "Alkanet' - it's soooooo blue. It's soooooo amazing! It's tough, it's drought tolerant, it's just plain lovely. Get one!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Aquilegia "Black Barrow" - Columbine's get totally overlooked, and it's not fair! This plant has got amazing color, grows well in bright shade conditions and has low water needs. Get it!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Clarkia 'White Form' - this white Clarkia,  which is unusual and rare and native to Sonoma County, California, is a great addition to any garden, especially your cute cottage style landscapes!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Claytonia "Candyflower" - Dainty and shade loving, this one is a must have for that troublesome shade spot!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Hemizonia corymbosa - another CA native, easy to grow and fun yellow blooms. Put it in a difficult spot and watch it spread and look lovely and naturalized!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Kale "Crane Red" - So, these are, like, giant Kale's. For reals. Grow them more for the looks than the eating, 'cause THEY LOOK SO COOL!!!!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Lampranthus "Hot Flash" - We just can't get enough of Lampranthus these days! The "Hot Flash" variety has some amazing color; hot pink with a touch of yellow! Give it well drained soil and minimal water, and this South African native will put on quite the show!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Lettuce "Yugoslavian Red" - Look, we get that lettuce may not seem all that exciting. But have you had Yugoslavian Red lettuce growing in your garden? No, no you haven't. Now you can. Do it. For reals.

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Marrubium supinum - We are a little obsessed with this new plant. It's drought tolerant, it has an awesome bloom, it smells amazing! Get it!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

So, again, that is just the 'tip of the iceberg' as the saying goes - we have waaaaay more plants in addition to the awesome ones listed below, but we want to get outside already, so more updates later!

All of these plants are in 4" containers and priced between $3 and $5, ready to go home with you!

Happy gardening!

Photos!

Check out some photos from our flickr page of what is blooming and happening in our gardens right now!

Source: flickr.com via Brande on Pinterest

Quick update...

Headed out the door on our way to the garden, but a quick update: we've got almost 40 different varieties of Annie's Annuals & Perennials arriving in our nursery today, including Symphyandra zanzegur, pictured below! Plants should be ready to go home with you by early afternoon - stop by and see us!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Lagurus ovatus “Hare’s Tail Grass”

OMG, folks, OMG. There is just something SOOO cool about this cute little ornamental grass! It flowers into this awesome little cream colored....well, bunny tails!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Growing to just about a foot or so in height, and not an aggressive spreader, this is a wonder grass for any garden!

They'll be in this Friday, with lots more plants from Annie's Annuals and Perennials - this one is a BIG order, so make time to see us this weekend and check it out!

Asperula orientalis "Blue Woodruff"

A Tuesday sneak peak at one of our new arrivals slated to come in on Friday: Asperula orientalis "Blue Woodruff". Super cool with pincushion style lavender-blue flowers, this specimen is easy to grow, and is perfect for your shady spots!

Source: google.co.nz via Brande on Pinterest

New stuff!

It's Friday, and despite the earlier rain showers, we got some awesome new plants in today! Check out some of what we got below...

Lithodora ‘Grace Ward’ is  cute little low grower, a 6 inch high powerhouse of long lasting blue blooms! It’s foliage almost reminds you of Rosemary - super cool! Does well in full sun to light shade and has low water needs - likes well drained soil. Spring and fall bloomer!

Source: plantlust.com via Brande on Pinterest

Achillea ‘Pink Grapefruit’: EVERY garden needs some yarrow! It’s cute, it’s hardy, it’s drought tolerant, and just look at that shade of pink!?!?

Source: nativeson.com via Brande on Pinterest

Calylophus drummondii: bright yellow and cheerful, this plant will do well in your tough, hot, dry spots. Drought like conditions? “Bring it on!” this lovely little plant says! Super cute too!

Source: arhomeandgarden.org via Brande on Pinterest

Convolvulus sabatius: this African native is better known as ‘ground Morning Glory’. It grows to about 2 feet high with trailing branches that give lavender-blue blooms from June to November! Great as both a groundcover AND in pots or hanging baskets!

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Euphorbia Tiny Tim: we’ll admit it, we are a little biased in that we ABSOLUTELY TOTALLY LOOOOVE euphorbias! We think they are among some of the most awesome plants that are are in like, the whole wide world.

Source: digthedirt.com via Brande on Pinterest

Rhodanthemum hosmariense might be a mouthful to say, but the cute, hardy, daisy like flowers are so so so cool! The silverly foliage  only adds to it all! We’ve long been in love with this plant...

Source: deeproot.co.uk via Brande on Pinterest

Eryngium ‘Jade Frost’ - such amaaaaazing color! Better known as Sea Holly, Erynginum are just all around cool plants for your garden: unusual, hard to find, and really amazing blooms. Get one. Best decision you'll make all day, we promise.

Source: gardencrossings.com via Brande on Pinterest

Source: dancingoaks.com via Brande on Pinterest

Helleborus niger ‘Potter’s Wheel’: so, we’ve been on a bit of a helleborus kick lately. Justifiably, we think, as they are just such great plants all around. Give it a bit of shade and compost rich soil for best growth; this one is not a drought tolerant one...but so worth it!

Source: turning-earth.co.uk via Brande on Pinterest

Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ is one of our all time favorite salvias - you’ll find a large specimen of it that has been growing in our garden forever. Like all salvias, it’s super easy to grow, drought tolerant once established and a prolific bloomer!

Source: arboretum.wsu.edu via Brande on Pinterest

And there are lots and lots and lots of other plants in our garden right now just waiting to go home with you! Visit us this weekend and see what inspires...

Drosanthemum micans

Oh, how do we loooooove this plant at Johnnye Merles! One of our very very favorites!
 

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

We’d have a similar variety to this one growing in our garden for years now, and every time it blooms, it’s a show stopper!

Source: flickr.com via Brande on Pinterest

Drosanthemum speciosum ‘Pele’ that is growing in our garden. Not for sale, unfortunately! :(

Native to South Africa, this plant has it all: drought tolerant/low water, whatever soil you want to throw at it, and a prolific bloomer! Style wise, it’s quite versatile, too: goes in a succulent focused, ‘dry scape’ garden, but also fits right in with your brightly colored annuals and perennials as well.  The grower, Annie’s Annuals and Perennials, refers to it as the ‘carefree wonderplant’, and we must agree; our own specimen, as a matter of fact, is growing quite happily at about a 3 foot spread, all from the six inch space inside a cinder block!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

We’ve got Drosanthemum micans in 4” containers right now - stop by, take one home, and try it out!

PS: If you haven't done so yet, check out our Pinterest page for more ideas!

An introduction...

Gardener, meet Clarkia!

Absolutely stunning! Tolerates poor dry soil & thrives in average, well-drained soil! Easy to grow! Great cut flowers! Self sows!  Full Sun! Average to low water!

This is one of those plants you TOTALLY overlook when you are our shopping at the nursery. On the surface level, in it’s sad little 4” pot, Clarkias don’t look all that exciting. But get them growing in your garden and you will be thoroughly impressed! Primarily native to western North America, they seemed to be particularly well suited to southern California.  Let ‘em go to seed, and you’ll be dazzled each spring with they return back to life!

If you haven’t given them a shot, we highly recommend trying some out! We have four varieties - pictured below - in stock right now, all in 4” containers and priced around $3.50 each. Check them out before they are gone!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Our garden still has lots and lots of goodies - come see us soon!

Poppy time!

Our garden is PACKED right now! We like to pretend spring starts a little earlier than it actually does here at Johnnye Merles!

Among the many many amazing plants we have in stock right now (click here, and here and here for more!) are the great selection of poppies grown by Annie's Annuals and Perennials that we just brought in!

We have two types of poppies in right now: the Papaver selection, known for their 'totally out of control' (in a good way!) blooms and long associated with cottage gardens, as well as Eschscholzia californica, a member of the Papaveraceae family and native to the southwest United States and Mexico (and California's state flower!). The blooms on eschscholzias aren't as dramatic as the papavers, per say, but they are PROLIFIC bloomers and perennials, sticking around year after year.

 Papavers are easy to grow: they like rich soil, and moderate water. A plant with a long history - examples have been found in Egyptian tombs! - it is technically an annual, but if you let them go to seed, which means leaving them looking a little 'dead' in your garden after their blooms are done, they will reseed and eventually naturalize to become a regular feature of your garden. They take full sun, and the tallest of varieties might need a bit of staking if planted alone  - we find though, that if planted in the mix of other 'supporting' plants, they do just fine. When we say their blooms are traffic stopping, we really aren't making it up - you grow these plants for the unusual, amazing colors and patterns they produce. Their bloom time isn't super long, so there is also a life lesson in enjoying those fleeting moments buried in there.... :)

Eschscholzia are also very to grow, if not even easier. Native to the southwest regions of North America, they were first discovered back in the 1810's by a German biologist who was on a Russian (weird, right?) expedition to California. They are very much so condition to live on minimal water once established, and do just fine in your not so great soil. They make an excellent plant along the edges and borders of your beds, and when in full bloom, are, we have to admit, pretty amazing! They bloom for quite awhile, and self sow - meaning they too will look a little dead, but let 'em be, as they will be coming back around!

Check out the photos below to see what poppies we have in stock right now. They have been selling FAST lately, so get 'em while you can! They are all in 4" containers and priced at just $4 a pop! Get a few and have fun!

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

Source: anniesannuals.com via Brande on Pinterest

We hope to see you soon!