My annual June visit to Dancing Oaks Nursery

This is the third year I've made the trip to Dancing Oaks Nursery in late June. I'd love to visit more often, but since they're an hour and a half away that just doesn't happen. Nearing the parking area I was thinking I'd walk the display garden first, before exploring the sales area. Ha, who was I kidding? Shopping always comes first...

I know I've heard of people feeding banana peels to plants, but this method looks a little suspect?

Pteris vittata 'Benzilan', still with it's Plant Delights tag.

Such a cool fern.

I have a couple I picked up at Raintree Tropical a few years back, if that is indeed what mine are. They were sold to me as greenhouse weeds (having popped up in other plant pots).

Pyrrosia lingua 'Variegata'

These (and most of the plant pics I took) were in this greenhouse, Jurassic Park.

Begonia macrantha (be sure to click on that link to see the size of the leaves on the plant in the wild).

Sonchus canariensis, tree dandelion

A large part of Jurassic Park includes plants that are not available for purchase...

Oxalis lasiandra, palm tree oxalis

Centaurothamnus maximus, Arabian shrub cornflower (I liked the leaves).

Volunteer ferns are always a happy occurrence, I assume the nursery folks feel the same since they've left them in place.

Itty bitty baby Cliffords! Clifford being the name of my big-leaf magnolia, Magnolia macrophylla.

Walking the garden now and starting with one of my favorite features, the tropical plantings with planted up water-dripping pedestals.

Lobelia tupa

The dry garden.

Dierama pulcherrimum

Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa)! I haven't smelled tuberose in years, so good!

I remember these as purple, but they don't look so purple in my photos.

There's an agave in there somewhere...

Okay, time to pay for my plants and start the drive home.

Here's my haul...

I made a couple of stops on the way down to Dancing Oaks, this Yucca linearifolia came from N&M Nursery, only $15!

Aloe aristata

...and this NoID aloe came from S&K Nursery in Woodburn.

Which brings me to my two Dancing Oaks purchases, first; Androsace sarmentosa, or so it was labeled. When I look that plant up on the DO website it doesn't look quite right. Hmm?

And second, Pyrrosia lingua 'Tachiba Koryu'. I have a plant I purchased as Pyrrsoia linqua 'Dragon's Tail', which I've always thought was 'Tachiba Koryu', but now I have it for sure. And those wavy margins are extra special fabulous!

The Bit at the End

Since I saw a Plant Delights label at Dancing Oaks I'm guessing the DO folks won't be offended if I link to the PD Juniper Level Botanic Garden newsletter to share a fabulous fern; "Lepisorus palmatopedatus, which translates in to palm-foot, scaly-sori fern" so cool!

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Walking Jungle Fever Exotics...

I made a quick trip up to Tacoma, WA, towards the end of June, the purpose was a Hardy Fern Foundation tour on Vashon Island, a chance to finally see the Riehl Stumpery (tree ferns!). I'll have a future post on that, but today I'm sharing my quick walk around Jungle Fever Exotics Nursery and up the street to check out the owner's private garden.

I headed up to the garden first...

These photos were all taken from the public sidewalk, I don't know the owner well enough to ask to visit the garden proper.

That dark shape on the side of the house was a plant mount. I couldn't tell exactly what was growing on it, there were a few of them.

I'm not sure if the green-roof on the entry is intentional or accidental.

The Blue Atlas Cedar (BAC) has grown significantly since my first visit years ago.

Great cones!

A hellstrip shot...

There are large stone steps in the hellstrip, a feature I really liked. You can hardly see them anymore.

The Tetrapanax are growing right through them.

The BAC goes on and on...

Agaves! (and BAC branches)

Genista aetnensis

That's the Genista aetnensis on the left, a towing Eucalyptus in the middle and the BAC on the right.

Nolina hibernica 'La Siberica' 

A blooming Aloiampelos (aloe) striatula and Beschorneria NoID.

Aloiampelos (aloe) striatula

The puddle rock and agave (and dandelions) are at the corner where the two hellstrips meet.

Time to check out the nursery...

This photo is for my friend Emily, if she happens to be reading.

So what did I buy? Nothing. I was tempted by this (unloved) pot, and the owner quoted me a great price. I passed it up though, realizing I didn't need another container.

I was also tempted by a Cibotium schiedei, the Mexican tree fern, a very much NOT hardy tree fern. I was preparing to make the purchase when I realized it had a pretty significant mealy bug infestation, bummer. I left with nothing but photos...

The Bit at the End

Surprised I didn't pick up any plants? Think I came home empty handed? Worry not! I stopped at a nearby McLendon's Hardware. They're a small (7 location) Puget Sound Hardware chain with a garden center and their plant buyer seems to be a good one. I left with 3 plants; Begonia annulata 'DJHAP18066', Pyrrosia 'MONBRTS', and Begonia  'Cracklin' Rosie', yay!

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To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note: these are sent from a third party, their annoying ads are beyond my control. 

All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.