This past week the producer and I visited The Natural Gardener, which is a retail nursery featuring organic plants and shrubs. We were surprised at the size of the grounds and the number of species offered. There was so much to take in, I’m going to use two posts to cover it all. This week is the first, and since next week is the Fourth of July parade, the final will be in two weeks.
Here is a map of the grounds. There is so much to see. Over forty areas of interest.
You know you are in a retail place when you see a big selection of pots
There is a revival tent which Teagan Geneviene would like.
Of course, this tent is for learning to save plants, not souls.
Next is the butterfly garden
With guess what? A butterfly.
And another.
Beautiful flowers to attract butterflies.
More.
A little spot to sit with a butterfly theme.
Another view of the garden.
Sunflowers that reach the sky.
Purple coneflowers.
Lovely assortment. Brazilian Rockrose on the left.
Leaving the Butterfly garden on the left. A delightful path to follow.
A funky shed with a painted scene leads us into other areas. We’ll be back.
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That’s quite a place, John. You took some lovely pictures. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Thank you, Suzanne. 😊
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How lovely. There’s even a special place for Our Lady of Guadalupe. This is a spot I’d go to often. 🙂 Hope you and yours have a great week, John.
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Wishing you a super week as well, Gwen. Thank you.
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That looks like quite a neat place to not only see beautiful plants, but learn how to keep them alive!
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Yes, there is plenty of instruction available, GP.
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It looks so peaceful, John. Were you the only person there? I bet our friend Bette Stevens would enjoy the butterfly garden. Happy Sunday!
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Yes, she would. No there were others but I avoid other people photobombs.
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As Ernie Banks would say . . let’s play two!
Loved part one, Boss. 🙂
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Thank you, Marc.
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Beautiful gallery, Boss.
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Looks like a relaxing place to visit, but I’m confused on one thing. Aren’t all plants and shrubs organic?
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Yes but adding chemical fertilizers and pest sprays are what’s different here.
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Got it. So, naturally protected and not chemically aided.
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Yup.
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Well, how about that? Your photo of the Brazilian rock rose made me curious, wondering what a non-native flower would be doing in such a place. A little research revealed that the flower (Pavonia hastata) is a cousin to our native hot-pink rock rose (Pavonia lasiopetala). I found a good article about it on Pam Penick’s site. She’s a central Texas gardener, extremely knowledgeable, and would be a great resource for you.
Not only that, I might try some of those Brazilian rock roses, just for fun. I can’t stand the pink natives — they’re just too, too pink for me.
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Hahaha. Too pink. I love that.
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Hi John. You continue to surprise me with the wide variety of places you take us to visit in the neighborhood (here and back in Port A).
I got to visit near my own neighborhood (only half an hour away but over 1000 feet higher), High Rolls. It was a charming town, high in the Sacramento Mountains, near an abandoned railroad, with restored trestle across Mexican Canyon. A fun day with a friend.
Heartfelt thanks for the shout-out! Now *that’s* the kind of revival I need, LOL! Because I’m terrible with plants!
Have a sublime Sunday. Hugs on the wing.
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I coud see someone raising his hand and declaring “No more dead plants.”
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For our gardening needs, we have the “Friendly Natives” nursery just around the corner. We get good advice there.
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Interesting name.
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I like the name – and their plants native of Texas.
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What a wonderful place to visit! I probably would spend hours there (and a few bucks…)
Can’t wait for part two!
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Great place to visit.
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Lovely! ♥
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Thanks, Billy Ray.
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What lovely colours! What scents these plants must have! A good place for a summer Sunday, dear John. Thanks. 🙂
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They did have a nice scents. Very peaceful.
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Great! 🙂
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😊
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I love a good butterfly!
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Me too.
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I’d have loved wandering aimlessly in that butterfly garden, John — thanks for letting me enjoy it through your photos. Mighty eager to see what else you managed to capture here!
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So much. I think you’ll like episode two.
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Loved it, John and the butterflies:) I would enjoy taking a stroll through there!
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The flowers were beautiful. There was a sunless glare that sort of washed them out. Couldn’t get the best photos.
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This would be my happy place! Thanks for the share, John 🙂
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Thank you for the visit, Jacquie
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I love these photos, John. I wish our sunflowers would get that high. I hope you found what you were looking for (and not too much more).
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We left empty handed. Which means we can live to spend another day.
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Now this is my kind of garden center. Very inspiring and very natural. I would guess that you got some ideas for your own yard space. Great photos! I will look forward to part 2.
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We are trying to find a non-fruit bearing olive. They had none. Thaks, Jo. We did get some ideas.
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I love places like this. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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Thanks for letting me know.
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What a joyful place to visit. Every spring we spend a few days meandering the nurseries reachable with an hour’s car ride. I always am amazed that every nursery seems to have at least one plant that nobody else has. This year we found a small Abutilon Tree, which is a Flowering Maple. Lovely.
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Yeah I love new finds.
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We do too, unless travel time is too great to manage in one day. But I hear the gardens in Hawaii are pretty nice…
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Been there. Yes, they are.
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Now, this is my kind of place!
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Ha haha. Thanks, Michelle.
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Oh wow, John! These photos are amazing!!! Thank you for sharing. I was in Austin over the weekend for the Agents and Editor’s Conference with the Writer’s League of Texas. I like Austin, but HATE the traffic!
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The traffic is awful. All us laid back Austinites just take it in stride. 😀
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This place is enormous! Good thing there was a map to follow. Lovely flowers, John.
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I know right? We found the map very useful. Thanks, Jennie.
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Indeed! You’re welcome, John.
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Reblogged this on Loleta Abi Author & Book Blogger.
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Thank you, Traci
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Looks like a nice place to hang out.
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Yes, it is.
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[…] adult humour – So Absurd It Must Be True. I’m sharing 2 last great reviews: 1 – John W. Howell and 2 – from Joseph in NY. It makes me happy, to see that people really enjoyed reading my […]
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The wife and I have been dabbling with adding some floral upgrades to our yard as well, John.
I wish us all luck.
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Yes, Good luck to us all.
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I wouldn’t mind spending a chunk of time there, John. Especially around the butterflies.
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They were very relaxing.
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[…] 4. https://johnwhowell.com/2019/06/30/views-of-the-neighborhood-a-visit-to-the-natural-gardener/ […]
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Thank you, Traci.
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[…] we are at the Natural Gardener again. If you recall I did part one and then took a Fourth of July parade break. There are a lot of photos but few words. (Thank you, […]
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[…] “Here we are at the Natural Gardener again. If you recall I did part one and then took a Fourth of July parade break. There are a lot of photos but few words. […]
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Thank you, Traci 😊
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