Little Prince succulent sign                                   shot taken by My Pirate — Little Prince succulent sign shot taken by My Pirate

Last Sunday, My Pirate and I spent a thrilling afternoon touring and shopping at the Little Prince of Oregon Nursery in Aurora, Oregon. We met up with 11 local garden bloggers for a tour organized by Tamara of Chickadee Gardens and Mark Leichty, the Business Development Manager of LPO. We're still giddy from the day of traipsing through the 160,000 square feet of greenhouses!

Mark Leichty, Business Development Manager at Little Prince of Oregon Nursery

Our charming host, Mark Leichty, greeted us with a royal spread of snacks and punch. He handed out complimentary LPO caps (I love mine!) and gave us a brief introduction to the nursery.

Then he set us loose in the 50 greenhouses. Yes, you heard me correctly, 50 greenhouses!

Patricia rocking her new Little Prince Nursery cap and Tillandsia xerographica!

We started in the tillandsia greenhouse. Patricia of Plant Lust fame picked out this huge Tillandsia xerographica. Great choice!

The tillandsias were stored on large metal racks like this one. It must make them easier to water.

When we arrived at the Little Prince of Oregon Nursery, I slid a list of Barnaby proof ground covers into My Pirate's hand and asked him to find them while I took pictures. My list included Lamium aureum, Oxallis oregana, Sedum rupestre 'Angelina', Cardamine trifolia, and Rubus pentalobus. But, he got distracted. We both did.

My (sweet) Pirate went looking for a box of plants that I left behind. The day was the warmest so far this season and all the greenhouse doors were open with the fans running.

Little Prince of Oregon Nursery is known for their ground covers, succulents, perennials, grasses, ferns and rare and unusual plants. And they offer a great variety of plants, there are currently 838 different kinds of plants listed on their website.

Trying to pick out plants for my garden was simply overwhelming. I wanted to try everything.

Several of the greenhouses were filled with huge swaths of succulents. Never before have I felt so frustrated with the lack of full sun in my garden. Even My Pirate was muttering about it.

Garden writer, Amy Campion, stopped to review her plant selections. Amy just bought a new home and is starting with a blank slate. Keep shopping!

The fern room was my favorite greenhouse. I wanted to buy 3 of everything or set up a cot in there.

Woodwardia unigemmata, Jeweled Chain Fern

My friend, Jenni of Rainy Day Gardener, purchased her first agaves for her new 'hot' patio. I can't wait to see how it turns out! I confess to having a case of agave envy.

Agave 'Splendida' almost made it home with me. It's the agave that got away!

My purchases (left-right) Fuchsia 'Arcadia Lady', Fuchsia Endstone, Tricyrtis formosan a 'Samurai' — My purchases (left-right) Fuchsia 'Arcadia Lady', Fuchsia Endstone, Tricyrtis formosan a 'Samurai'

Here's what we brought home with us. I bought two hardy fuchsias--Arcadia Lady and Endstone to brighten up my back yard. Hardy fuchsias are Barnaby proof! And I was seduced by the variegated toad lily, Tricyritis formosan a 'Samurai', so I bought 3.

my purchases (left-right) Rubus pentalobus, Pachysandra terminalis, Woodwardia unigemmata, Oxallis oregano — my purchases (left-right) Rubus pentalobus, Pachysandra terminalis, Woodwardia unigemmata, Oxallis oregano

We also picked up some tough ground covers to edge our new pergola area. We bought Rubus pentalobus, Pachysandra terminalis, Woodwardia unigemmata, and Oxalis oregana. I'm happy with our purchases. But, oh, I can't wait to buy more plants from Little Prince of Oregon Nursery. You can find their plants at New Seasons Markets and Fred Meyers.

We had a wonderful time shopping with our fellow garden blogger friends. Thanks to Mark and Tamara for organizing our lovely day.

Tricyrtis formosan a 'Samurai', a toad lily with gold variegated foliage

A dead ladybug at rest in a young hardy geranium leaf. — A dead ladybug at rest in a young hardy geranium leaf.

Death is a resident in every garden. And as a life long gardener, I've learned to accept the stink and slime of it. But, that doesn't make it any easier when I lose a prized plant.

I usually mutter a few choice curses, grab a shovel and move the dearly departed plant to my compost heap. Then, I go inside and put a big X through the tag in my garden book and make a few notes. But, this time I took a few shots to share with you, so we can curse together before I go get my shovel.

My Schefflera taiwaniana 'Yuan Shan' has given up and died. Sigh.

Schefflera taiwaniana 'Yuan Shan' in October 2013

It was meant to be a focal point in my front bed by the house. The plant tipped to the side and I didn't notice. So, it developed a canker from the stem touching the compost. I propped it back up, but it was too late for the plant to recover. It pains me to see all those lovely wavy pinnate leaves on the ground. I'll miss it.

Fortunately, Tsugawa's Nursery carries a nice line of Hardy Scheffleras, so I won't be without one for long. I'm going to pick up a couple more this spring and make sure to stake them and keep the compost level low around the stems. I don't want to lose another one.

Plant death in my garden teaches me valuable lessons and makes room for new plants. It's also a powerful reminder to keep a closer eye on my plants. My garden is waking up early this year and its already time to start my morning strolls through the garden to check for problems like slugs. Ugh…I hate slugs.

So, have you lost any plants lately?

Our Tour of LIttle Prince of Oregon Nursery

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Death in My Garden

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