Rain. I'd almost forgotten what it feels like on my face, on my hair. This may sound weird to some of you. However, water falling from the sky is a precious resource here in the West, and the first rain of the season is always a feverishly anticipated event.
Lest you become jealous, it didn't rain in Davis. Rather, it rained when I was at Peacock Horticultural Nursery, located in Sebastopol about 80 miles west of here. I hadn't looked at the weather forecast, assuming it would be sunny, so I was utterly surprised.
What started out as a soft drizzle gradually increased in intensity, eventually turning into a gentle rain. Marty, one of the two owners of Peacock Horticultural Nursery, asked me if I wanted a rain coat, but I happily declined. I didn't mind getting wet, not at all.
I'll have a longer post about my visit to Peacock in a day or two, but I'm very eager to share an initial set of photos celebrating the glory of rain. May this unexpected event be the first of many this fall and winter. California and the other Western states need water so badly.
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| ×Mangave 'Tooth Fairy' |
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| ×Mangave 'Night Owl' and 'Tooth Fairy' |
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| ×Mangave 'Night Owl' |
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| ×Mangave 'Night Owl' |
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| ×Mangave 'Silver Fox' |
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| ×Mangave 'Purple People Eater' |
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| ×Mangave 'Mission to Mars' |
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| Aeonium cultivar |
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| Unidentified Opuntia |
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| Mammillaria pringlei |
Check back in a couple of days for more about my visit to Peacock Horticultural Nursery.
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Peacock Horticultural Nursery is celebrating its 16th anniversary with a big sale (20% off on all plants; 30% off on all conifers; 15% off on all other merchandise, including pottery). This sale runs until September 30, 2021. For more information,
visit their web site.
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Your pics capture how totally delightful that nursery is. It's a real oasis for succulent lovers.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sanctuary!
DeleteAs I think I said on Instagram, rain makes everything look prettier. I'd wondered if you got some in Davis. I'm sorry to hear it skipped by you. Our marine layer has been particularly heavy for the past 2 days, registering 0.01/inch as rain on each day. It's not enough to make any kind of meaningful impact on the garden much less fill my rain tanks but it did add a little freshness to the air.
ReplyDeleteWow, even though your marine layer hasn't resulted in any meaningful precipitation, I bet your plants are loving the humidity.
DeleteLooking forward to your Peacock Nursery report -- it's on my list to visit. I haven't grown 'Night Owl' yet but it looks promising. All the others are winners for me except 'Mission to Mars,' whose leaves are less stiff and prone to puckering. My MTM was pulled from the ground and pruned back severely, now recuperating in a pot. Your 'Red Wing' gift is coloring u, planted in the front garden. And rain? Trying to remember what that's like...
ReplyDelete'Night Owl' has turned out to be a great plant. Nice size--not a monster like 'Mission to Mars'--and interesting leaves, both in terms of color and waviness.
DeleteMy 'Mission to Mars' and 'Spotty Dotty' are a tangle of leaves still. I guess it's a desperate attempt to protect the core of the plant.
Mangave 'Purple People Eater' is more appropriately named than 'Tooth Fairy'... both seem equally dangerous to me.
ReplyDelete'Purple People Eater' is a fantastic name, isn't it?
DeletePretty plants are even better wet with rain!
ReplyDeleteIn some cases, the colors were so saturated, they almost looked fake. My eyes were used to that level of Technicolor!
DeleteLovely photos. The cacti look particularly beautiful with the rain drops trapped amongst their spines. Having grown up in a very rainy climate I get a little ancy when it rains for more than a couple of hours. However, still in extreme drought conditions I wish it would pour for several days.
ReplyDelete