Yesterday I went with the Lake Summerset Garden Club to The Flower Factory in Stoughton, Wisconsin. It is located on County Highway A.  It was about a forty minute drive and I rode with my co-worker, Kathy.  We had a nice chat and got to know each other a little better.  We are co-workers on the crew that tends the front gate garden at Lake Summerset, where we live.

The Flower Factory has nineteen greenhouses and 258 perennial plants to choose from.  It was almost overwhelming.  I took my camera but was so busy looking, I forgot to take photos.  I did get a photo of the full size topiary horses that were covered in sedum.  They were lovely.

Kathy and I went to the shade garden greenhouses first as we both have shade gardens and wanted some new ideas.  We saw many interesting plants including one that looked like a dandelion but had the most magnificent blue bloom.  I forgot to write down what it was.

The greenhouses just went on and on and I did write down several things:

Red yarrow – close to #16

Solomon’s Seal – what does the bloom look like

Sempervivum – close to #19

Eriperon – close to #19  (I think I wrote this down wrong since I wasn’t using my glasses.  It must have been Erigeron which is a daisy like plant.)  But why is it close to 19 when 19 was sedum and cacti???

The Solomon’s Seal flower looks like little bells hanging down under the plants stem.

I ended up purchasing the red yarrow and the Sempervivum Purdy.  (It is purdy!)  I am going to spread my little wire turtle with the sempervivum and hopefully in a couple of years it will be completely covered.  Will post photos.

One of my main reasons for searching the plants is that I wanted to try to grow bluets.  They grow in the shade and the flower is similar to a passion flower, sort of.  I did track down the owner of the FF and asked him but he said they quit trying to grow them as they are very difficult.  That changed my mind.  If I find some seed on the internet I may still try but I am disheartened with bluets.

The Flower Factory is truly worth the ride to go see it.  Next time I will take my notebook, glasses and checkbook, and close my mouth.

Our garden club drove to Oregon, Wisconsin where we lunched at Senor Peppers.  I wanted the Chilies Rellenos but they weren’t serving it that day and I got a burrito which was okay.  My beans and rice were not warm at all.  There were about 25 of us at the tables and that could be the reason why the beans and rice were not warm.  They probably plated them first and then added the main dish as they came off the grill.  I most likely will not go back to the restaurant as I never make it to Oregon.