Hello everyone! It has been a while, but spring is here! I have been nervously watching my babies to see if they would push out new growth, confirming that they survived the winter. Some have, some haven’t. I have created a new sidebar category for fallen friends, where I will move past projects once that plant has died. It is sad and I lost some neat plants, but it is all a part of the process! And, now I have much more knowledge about how to care for these little guys and which species are optimal. And, more balcony room.

Which brings me to today! With all of the reading and research I have done, I know exactly what qualities to look for in nursery stock. Today, I adventured across San Antonio to local nurseries to find some new children.

I first visited Shades of Green, a favorite of mine. Their layout feels like a beautiful backyard; I could just sit and sip tea there. I found some good stock, but I knew that I would be hitting up several other places, so I took note of the species, prices, and took photos for reference.

Next, I went to Fanick’s Garden Center. This took me to a side of town I have not visited, and I am so glad I did. Wildflowers were absolutely everywhere, and I couldn’t get enough of it. It was gorgeous! Fanick’s was a great place, definitely worth the drive. Here, I got a Scarlet Bottlebrush and Grayleaf Cotoneaster here- I will show you pictures in a bit. For now, enjoy some selfies with their quirky decorations.

Next was Accent Plant Interior. This was an interesting one- a little place on the side of an access road. I was greeted by a sweet old woman who said that she would follow me around, and I soon understood why- there were no labels. No species or prices. This was a bit of a challenge for me, as I am still not perfect at identifying certain species. But, she was kind and was sweet to chat with. I ended up getting a kiddo there- a mystery tree. I got it on a whim because she gave me a great price for it, I really liked the trunk, and the leaves were small (good for bonsai).

Then I went to a few places that turned out to be wholesale only. I was already pretty tired at this point, but I wanted to see what else was around while I was in this new area. I went to Deez Treez, and despite its silly name, this is my new favorite nursery. I am so glad I mustered up the energy to go there. They had excellent quality plants, wonderful variety, and stellar prices. I am glad I didn’t get anything at Shades of Green- their prices are 2 to 3 times higher than Deez Treez. While Shades of Green has a wonderful atmosphere, Deez Treez is where is it at! I got a yaupon holly, jujubee, watermelon crape myrtle, and a green cloud sage. I was going to get an Indian Hawthorne, but it was my least favorite of them all, and I was worried about having enough space in my car. And now, the reveals!

The Scarlet Bottlebrush. Easily the biggest of the haul, but the vast majority of that will be chopped off. It has a lovely curved trunk and a secondary branch with lots of promise. I also like the thin leaves. This was $25 from Fanick’s.

 

The Grayleaf Cotoneaster. I could have gotten a bigger one for $15 more, but I liked this one’s structure. $10 from Fanick’s.

 

The mystery child, the risk. The top half is dead, but I am encouraged by the new growth pushing through at the bottom. Once more leaves come, I will likely be able to identify it. $15 from Accent Plant Interior.

 

The Green Cloud Sage. Sage reminds me of Texas, so I was a bit biased to this fellow. I am hoping there is more trunk under the soil so that I can keep that secondary branch. $15 from Deez Treez.

 

The Watermelon Crape Myrtle. I am a new fan of crape myrtles- one that I have right now is growing like a weed. I couldn’t argue with that beautiful thick trunk either. And, this variety produces hot pink flowers. Cool! $12.50 from Deez Treez.

 

The Yaupon holly. Yes, if you are a faithful reader, you will know of my disdain for these guys, because they are brittle and hard to shape. But, I wanted to give these a chance because they already had some neat natural curvature. And, I got three in one pot. $10 from Deez Treez.

 

Lastly, the Jujubee. I hadn’t heard of this species before, but a quick google search confirmed that they can be used for bonsai. I asked the garden keeper about it- she said, “It’s a baby from that mama!” She pointed to a forty foot tall tree. She explained that the area around it is constantly growing little seedlings, so the garden center can scoop them up and develop them into stock. Jujubees also produce an apple-like fruit. I am excited to see how this goes! $12.50 from Deez Treez.

I am exhausted, but so so happy with my finds. I was sure to take pictures of the original stock before I chopped them up- I chopped off what I knew I didn’t need to make it easier to bring up to my room. I will do individual makeover posts, so keep a lookout for those!