Here’s what I saw walking around the nursery yesterday:

I’m always happy to see toads in the nursery. They catch bugs, hop around, and signal a healthy environment.

There is a sea of blue flowers on the Veronica pectinata blooming on the slope garden. This is a drought tolerant ground cover that I wouldn’t be without. I love many of the veronicas: liwanensis; pectinata; tauricola; and, armena. We usually have three or four species in the nursery.

The picture above is the “true” Teucrium aroanium.  It’s a little rock garden plant.

The picture above shows both Teucrium ackermanii and Teucrium cossonii.  We’ve grown cossonii for many years, first called T. majoricum, then changed to T. aroanium, and now, finally, hopefully, correctly labeled T. cossonii. Whatever you call it, it’s a great xeriscape plant. Hardy to at least 7000′.  I’m hoping ackermanii is equally hardy. It has a more silvery leaf, and is listed by some nurseries as Zone 7. Lots of Mediterranean plants that we’ve grown for decades first came to us as hardy to Zone 7 or 8, including Origanum ‘Kent Beauty.’  When we started growing it back in the early 90s, no one thought it would survive our winters.  We have a plant that has been here in the rock garden since 93, enduring winters of 20 Below and not feeling any pain.

We have Bay plants ready for sale. I love the taste of fresh bay.  This is not one I expect to be hardy here,. so plan on keeping it in a pot to bring inside for the winter. It tastes so much better than the dried stuff from the grocery. Really!