Since the nursery is closed Monday's it's a chance for Monica and I to decompress. We decided to head to the wine country in the Shenandoah Valley, Amador county. It's a great drive through El Dorado's south county, where there are wineries galore. Stopped at Fizpatricks winery in Fairplay, did a little wine tasting, bought some bottles, and continued to Amador Flower Farm. It's a neat nursery that sits surrounded by vineyards. www.amadorflowerfarm.com
They have a huge display garden in full sun. Ornamental grasses, perennials, and shrubs, are kept looking immaculate. They specialize in daylilies, which they grow in a field of thousands. They have a nice gift shop and the whole place is kept very clean.
If you want to enjoy visiting wineries that are smaller and more personal than Napa or Sonoma the south county of El Dorado to Amador County is the place to go. You can also tie in a visit to the flower farm, where they have picnic areas.
We really enjoyed the displays of ornamental grasses. It was nice and breezy the day we went, and the grasses were moving in the wind. They have labels on the plants, so we were able to gather the names of the ones we want.
I enjoy visiting other garden centers when we have a chance. It's a pleasure to find garden centers that have found a niche and are doing well. I also enjoy nurseries that have a certain funk to them, that sets them apart. There are fewer of these places around anymore, but they do exist. You've got to hunt them down sometimes, but it's usually worth it.