By now, many of you know what an amazing nursery Annie’s Annuals is. The sheer amount of unusual and super-cool plants for sale is staggering, and the stuffed-to-the-brim planting beds provide enough eye candy to let you feast there for hours.
I was fortunate enough to attend a little soiree there last spring, in celebration of wrapping up a long, rainy day of filming an episode for the critically acclaimed PBS series, Growing a Greener World. As I looked around, I began to notice a few things about this place that many of you may not know…
Sure, the nursery is known for their to-die-for planting beds. Inspirational, to say the least! BUT….
...did you know if you look hard enough, you’ll find little hidden treasures throughout the beds – sort of like a treasure hunt? This is such a brilliant idea, as I can’t imagine a kid on earth not wanting to spend a good solid hour hunting around to find these little gems while mom & dad shop for plants!
Even Pee Wee sleeps among the flowers…
And finally- the piece de resistance. The Jabarosa sativa (aka: the plant that smells like dog doo)
Seriously – it smells just like someone stepped in it. And you know what? You should’ve seen everyone run over when she said ‘Who wants to smell the plant that smells like dog poo?’ It was a stampede!
And here’s proof that Annie is no WIMP! She’s going in for a deep nose-full…
Annie even convinces Chef Nathan to inhale deeply – but Joe’s no fool. I can’t emphasize enough what a spectacular field trip this was. And I highly encourage you to make the trip – no matter what the weather, no matter if it’s crowded or not, I guarantee you’ll thoroughly enjoy your day!
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What a HOOT!
I am so thankful that we still have some trail blazers like Annie’s.
Love,
Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island
I mail order from them – yea a visit would maybe be the best time ever
No doubt, Lola. You should really try and visit – you wouldn’t BELIEVE how great they are in person!!
I love roaming around Annie’s. Thanks for the inside scoop. Those little hidden treasures are so great!
Annie’s is truly a fabulous place. That is why we filmed there. I am so glad that we are going to expose a whole PBS viewership to them.
Can’t wait!
And it was really wonderful to see you again.
Hugs!
LOL I love how we took pictures of the same place that came out so TOTALLY different (nary a gnome in mine!) I was so inspired by this visit, and can’t wait to find spots for the wagon-load of 4″ pots I bought. That’s one of my fav things about Annie’s, btw, I love buying plants small (OK, yeah, I also hate digging big holes!) Thanks for this view! (And thanks again for driving!)
And to think we drove by it on our California trip last fall. If I had only known about Annie’s then!
Dang it! You know how much it pains me to miss a good time like this. Thanks for filling us in on the important details. A dog poo plant though? Whatever floats your boat i guess. Glad you all escaped the rain for this great trip.
I am going through major withdrawal that I’m not in CA anymore and can’t just hop on over to these kinds of things when they come up! I’m so jealous that you all have the grooviest nursery ever. Thanks, Rebecca!
Well, I guess it’s good that I bought my Dianthus at Annie’s then! Thanks for giving us the inside scoop and sharing their beautiful display gardens – not sure when I’ll be back for a visit. Maybe next year…
I hope to visit there for the first time next month. I love all of the colors and lushness. I just hope I have enough room in my trunk for all the plants I’m going to buy.
Thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy you get to finally go there Kristi! Have fun and let me know what you find!
My daughter LOVES going to Annie’s- they are so kid friendly! Between the chickens, children’s toys and the wagons to cart your plants around in- I often find it hard for me to act like an adult when I’m there!
Thank you for the scoop, Rebecca! I’m just not sure of the dog-do-do plant… Perhaps it would make a good companion next to my Stink Lily! (Dracunulus vulgaris) ;o)
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