Western Hills Rare Plants tour

That weeping shrub looks just like my Deutzia 'Magician,' and the variegated foliage looks like Lunaria annua, or money plant -- you can even see the characteristic seed pods in the photo. Can't wait to get back to Western Hills. Thanks for sharing your photos. There's also a good succulent nursery in Petaluma and I think a Cottage Gardens nursery also in Petaluma. Vintage Roses is simply a dangerous place to go near for rose lovers.

Thanks for the ID's Denise! I now see the 'money' part of the plant, I tried to find the variety but I only found one with pink blooms and another named Alba with white blooms, both with a different leaf pattern.
BTW, Vintage is closed now to the public except in May.

Hay calif sue! Nice photographs.

That weeping bush above, is Deutiza: magician. I bought it in a 4 inch pot over there about 10 years ago.

I began shopping there in the very early 1990s, right after original co-ownder Marshall Olbrich died. From there Maggie took over. She was a true gardener, in every sense of the word. I loved it so much that in 1991-1992 I was about to move over there and work for a pittance just to gleen the knowledge, but I met my oldest sons dad and my life changed a bit.
Many plants we now see in the trade commonly came out of Western Hills. I remember finding Fuchsia Bolivia albans, Salvia discolor and Abutilon Nabob there, and Gunnera as well. Often the pots were reused, and the way they marked them was with grease pencil on the side, so you had to know your plants to know which of the 3-4 names written was the one. It was like a treasure hunt. I understand the new owners only work in the nursery part time, and most plants for sale will now be ordered in.

Thanks for the tour.

Oops I just noticed the Deutzia was already identified..lol!

Thanks for that additional input. Yes, I had heard about it's wondrous past and with the part time owners, it may never return to it;s former glory but it's nice that the gardens weren't totally lost.

Thanks, Calif Sue, for posting those photos and the trip down memory lane. Many years ago I used to go up for the open garden tour at the private rose garden of the owers of Vintage Gardens, followed by an excursion or should I say "pilgrimage" to the lush Western Hills garden. For me they were both filled with undreamed of treasures. Ahhh...

Chris

I plan to do the Vintage Garden tour again in May and the Western Hills possibly again too. So many nurseries in that area!

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing

Hi,
I can't tell from the pic which species of maple is shown, but a must see at WH is their Acer pentaphyllum. It is a very endangered species in the wild, and rather few trees are in cultivation. I noticed it right away as I was paying for some plants I brought at WH during a visit to CA last August, I thought it was some kind of South African rhus before noticing the typical maple tree seeds. I inquired and it turned out that they had some small seedlings available so I brought one, which I overwintered indoors and which just got set outdoors yesterday (still in pot, it may not be winter hardy from what I can find about it). Pretty neat place to visit.