What you lot abide by inward a garden heart too someone inward Germany

My trip to Germany concluding calendar week went yesteryear inwards a heartbeat, in addition to at that spot wasn't much fourth dimension for exploring. However, my woman bring upwards in addition to I made it to an OBI garden centre i morning. OBI is a major chain of abode improvement stores, much similar The Home Depot or Lowe's inwards the States (In fact, Wikipedia says OBI is #3 inwards the world behind these two.)

I wasn't expecting whatsoever huge surprises, considering that the average OBI client is to a greater extent than interested inwards depression prices than odd plants, merely I was nevertheless hoping to honour something a combat out of the ordinary. Let's meet if I did!

Outside the shop at that spot was racks upon racks of the commons bedding plants (geraniums, petunias, marigolds, etc.) equally good equally vegetables. In the garden centre proper, to a greater extent than bedding plants merely also to a greater extent than or less real squeamish lupines in addition to hostas. (I shouldn't live surprised; hostas grow good inwards Germany, equally opposed to California.)

The solely succulents I saw inwards the exterior expanse of the garden centre were sempervivums. That's par for the course of written report since many of them are native to the mountains of Europe. They tolerate a corking bargain of mutual frigidness in addition to don't involve much water. I saw to a greater extent than or less inwards the cemetery up the street from my mother's house, in addition to I mean value they should live used fifty-fifty to a greater extent than inwards landscaping.

Here's i establish I had never seen. I could convey sworn I photographed the label, merely I didn't. For all I know, it's a mutual bedding plant, merely it was novel to me. Does anybody know what it is?

I was surprised yesteryear OBI's large option of conifers. I've had a simmering honey matter amongst conifers for a long fourth dimension now. If I lived inwards the right climate, I mean value I'd larn into collecting dwarf conifers.

The biggest surprise was a monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), a conifer from Chile. This is i of my favorite trees of all, in addition to seeing it inwards a big-box garden centre made me real excited. Maybe they're becoming to a greater extent than mutual inwards the full general plant nursery merchandise now? It was non inexpensive (€45, nearly $50), merely it's a real slowly growing species in addition to thus the cost is fair. My woman bring upwards said my blood brother bought i at a discount supermarket a few years agone (even to a greater extent than surprising to honour i there!) merely that it had died (no stance why).

Monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana)

OBI also had several varieties of clumping bamboo, including this Fargesia scabrida. Fargesias create actually good at that spot (my blood brother was 2 inwards front end of his house) in addition to would human face in addition to thus much improve than the dull shrubs in addition to thus many High German homeowners prefer.

Fargesia scabrida

OBI's indoor establish expanse (heated) held a few surprises too. The get-go i was a dwarf bamboo. It looked similar plastic, merely it was real. The label said Bambusa pogonatherum, merely a quick Google search revealed that that is incorrect. The establish is Pogonatherum paniceum, a grass from the Seychelles. It's equally closely related to bamboo equally lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) or heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica)--i.e. non at all.

My woman bring upwards loves orchids in addition to I wanted to purchase hither the i below merely she proclaimed it to live likewise demanding (my mom is no-nonsense in addition to doesn't convey fourth dimension for fussy plants):

The existent depict for my woman bring upwards was the cactus table. She tin strength out solely grow them inside, on her window sill.

Cactus babies inwards terra cotta pots (much nicer than plastic, I think)

See the chocolate-brown stump behind the plants? That's an erstwhile agave bloom stalk! I definitely did non await to meet that at a garden centre inwards Germany!