Annie's Annuals mental-health outing

California continues to be under a shelter-in-place order because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since I work at home, my life during the week hasn't changed all that much. It's on the weekends that I notice the restrictions the most. It's not like public life has stopped altogether, but everything requires a lot more planning: Do I have disposable gloves, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and, most recently, my mask? Since I don't go out every day, the new routine hasn't become routine for me, and I hope it won't have to.

Strictly speaking, nursery visits aren't exactly necessary outings. However, I figure anything that improves my mental health is at least somewhat essential. Using that reasoning as an excuse, I made the one-hour drive to Annie's Annuals in Richmond on an eerily un-busy Interstate 80. I knew that Annie's had a solid social distancing protocol in place. Customers are requested to stay 3-6 ft. away from other customers (and staff) as they pass them, and the size of the nursery does allow for that. In the checkout area, belt dividers separate the customers from the employees; cash is not accepted, and you insert your credit card in a reader the employee holds out to you, so your card isn't touched by anybody else.

Another new thing: a couple of handwashing stations at the entrance where customers are requested to wash their hands as they arrive and leave

Another difference: Usually, inventory printouts listing the nursery location of every plant available at any given time are laid out on lecterns at different spots throughout the nursery. On every visit, the first thing I do is head to one of the lecterns and find the location of each plant I'm interested in. It goes without saying that these paper printouts are handled quite a bit during their lifetime so the risk of contamination is high. As part of the new routine, the printouts have been replaced with an online PDF accessible from Annie's homepage.

I got to Annie's Annuals at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday morning—a gray, drizzly morning, I might add. I fully expected to see no more than a handful of cars in the parking lot. To my surprise, the parking lot was more than half full! I wasn't worried about bumping into people inside the nursery because it's a large space. In fact, I was very happy to see so much support for Annie's Annuals!

The photos in this post are of the demonstration beds near the entrance. I was going to take more photos as I was making my way through the nursery. However, I had to stop because the drizzle was turning into light rain, and operating my phone while wearing nitrile gloves was awkward enough. But you get the idea: The demonstration plantings are at or near their peak right now, looking like an Annie's Annuals catalog come to life. In one word: beautiful.

This, to me, is classic Annie's Annuals. The blue flowers are baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii), a California native. The pink flowers are red catchfly (Silene dioica), a European native.

The vine in the back is Thunbergia alata 'Rose Sensation'

The blue-flowering grass-like plant at the top is Aristea inaequalis, a South African iris relative

Aloe conifera backed by Echeveria elegans

Aloe cameronii in a bed of Echeveria elegans

  

Crassula sp. and Phacelia campanularia

Echeveria 'Lola', proving that sometimes all you need is one beautiful plant and a few rocks

Madre Tierra wrapped with shrink wrap

Geranium maderense and Nicotiana alata 'Lime Green'

Graptopetalum paraguayense

Agave ovatifolia

One of my favorite beds in the demonstration area right now. It's easy to see why!

This incredible flower stalk belongs to Beschorneria yuccoides 'Flamingo Glow'

The tall yellow plant is Todaroa montana, the Canary Island giant mountain carrot.  Unfortunately, Annie's isn't selling it right now, but here's more info.

More Beschorneria yuccoides 'Flamingo Glow', with Pelargonium 'Veronica Contreras' in the front

Crassula capitella

Echeveria and sempervivum

This is one my holy grail plants, Clianthus puniceus. A New Zealand shrub that looks great all year but becomes a standout in the spring when it's loaded with parrot-beak flowers.

I've tried growing it in my own garden on several occasions, but it just can't handle our summer heat.

It goes without saying that I did some shopping myself. After all, in times of crisis, it's important to support your favorite nurseries as much as possible. Check back in a few days to see what I bought—19 plants in total.

How are you coping mentally with the situation?


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