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Liquidation Sale-local nursery needs our help to stay afloat

georgia_transplant
15 years ago

Late last night I learned about a liquidation sale at Perennial Grace Designs, a nursery in the Alpharetta area. I went today and bought 3 Ilex 'Nana', 1 Caryopteris, and 1 Sedum (2 feet tall and blooming beautifully, don't know the variety), all in 1 gallon sizes for less than $50. I wasn't going to buy any more plants for a couple months, but I will plant these and with some help from my rainbarrel, hopefully they will be okay.

The owner was there and told me they were struggling to make it through their ninth season, and he said he wasn't above begging for business.

He said most of the good stuff was already gone, but the plants I bought were in very good shape. There were lots of shrubs including hydrangeas. There were a few very nice sedums, and ornamental (mostly mondo grass, Miscanthus and Zebra grass).

I told him I would post here - please remove this if this constitutes advertising of course!

The sale will continue through tomorrow at least.

Here is a link that might be useful: Perennial Grace Nursery

Comments (19)

  • lzygrdner
    15 years ago

    I have been shopping there for a few years, and am so sad to hear this. Their plants and service are top notch, and they know what they are talking about when they give advice. I just recommended them to my neighbor yesterday as she wants to redesign two flower beds.

    I have been trying to only shop local for garden things as i know they are all struggling. Let's hope for some regular rain soon.

    Harriet

  • davidcf
    15 years ago

    Perennial Grace is probably the last "gardeners'" nursery left on the north side of Atlanta. No patio furniture, no bric a brac, no begonias. Their situation is an example of how water mismanagement (non-management?), exacerbated by drought, impacts livelihoods.

  • woody_ga
    15 years ago

    I had decided to not buy any more plants this year, but if it is help someone....

  • Iris GW
    15 years ago

    I just went there and they have tons of stuff, nice stuff, native stuff! Perennial Grace has always supported GNPS's annual native plant sale by donating plants. They said they probably will transition this sale into a going out of business sale. This is truly a family run business that has fallen victim to the drought - a real shame.

    If you're interested and can buy something (a gift for someone else perhaps?), call them for sale details and hours (see the website link about for their phone number).

    They have lots of Joe Pye Weed, sunflowers, Black Cohosh, Coral Bells, Agastache, 'Summer Wine' Physocarpus, 'Blue Muffin' viburnum, 'Pee Wee' hydrangea, Leucothoe 'Leprechaun', pink milkweed, salvias, tiarellas, hostas, roses, crepe myrtle, hydrangeas, caryopteris, ornamental grasses, groundcovers, iris ... really anything you can think of and things you've never seen. And everything is 50%.

  • Sharon4457
    15 years ago

    I just looked at their website and scrolling banner says the liquidation sale will continue indefinitely. I hope to get by there later this week.

  • davidcf
    15 years ago

    I bought Joe Pye weed and 3 gallon Ceanothus, a shrub I have never tried. Where else in Atlanta could you find Ceanothus, or Joe Pye for that matter? All are thriving in my yard.

  • Iris GW
    15 years ago

    david, I saw that ceanothus - that's something that you just don't see! Can you tell me what the species name is (that is, the full scientific name)? I might go back and get one, but I want to see what it is first.

    They weren't open today, were they? According to their website, they are closed Mon/Tue.

  • laxfan
    15 years ago

    this is near and dear to my heart. The owners of Perennial Grace, Eileen and Dave Becker, are good friends of ours since our kids went to school together at Milton. Their nursery has always had very good quality plants, and they are very free with helpful advice. Eileen is also an expert garden designer. If you have any needs, please go by PGN and see them.
    jg

  • buford
    15 years ago

    I'll try to get there tomorrow on my lunch hour.

  • Iris GW
    15 years ago

    It sounds like Eileen might keep doing designs, just close the nursery.

    And if you don't see what you're looking for, just ask, the stuff is here, there and everywhere in between.

  • davidcf
    15 years ago

    The ceanothus is cultivar "Henri" something. You can google it. It's a hybrid developed in France from early 18th century. A cross between New Jersey Tea and a central American species. They have a specimen in the ground behind the plants for sale. Striking blue flowers when it was blooming. Supposed to be tough and drought tolerant unlike the temperamental (in our climate) "California Lilacs" of the same genus. I threw some acid fertilizer on them and they're greening up nicely. This plant is VERY hard to find.

  • Iris GW
    15 years ago

    Thanks for the details. I found the information on the web and will go over and look at it tomorrow. I love Ceanothus americanus (one of the parents) and I always admired the blue ones at my mom's house in California.

    I have never seen this for sale around here, you're right it is something unique.

  • buford
    15 years ago

    I went there today (thank God for my GPS, I never would have found it otherwise). They had very interesting stuff. I bought 2 Astibles, 2 Delphs, 2 flowering shrubs called 'Sunshine Blue' and 2 gorgeous Sedum. I may go back.

  • Iris GW
    15 years ago

    Hey, I was there today ... honestly we should wear garden-web buttons or something. I actually DID meet another GW'er there - we were both buying Ceanothus shrubs!

    I also got a red twig dogwood, some asters, some salvia and a couple of Physocarpus 'Summer Wine' as gifts for friends.

    buford, those must be Caryopteris shrubs - they have an incredible selection of that plant which is a lovely late summer flowering shrub. I have a couple that I bought from them years ago and they are blooming like crazy right now. Bees love them. Very drought tolerant once established.

    If anyone is admiring the late season blooms of Scarlet Hibiscus, they have quite a few of those there. Plenty of selection there still, I think they are open Tuesday-Sunday these days. 50% plants, 30% other things (gloves, garden stakes, etc.).

  • buford
    15 years ago

    esh, I may go back on Sunday. I read up on 'Sunshine Blue' and it sounds wonderful. I think they had a few more left. And I saw a rose, hansa, that I didn't know about, but have heard encouraging words from those on the rose forum, so I may pick some of them up too.

    I really wanted some Joe Pye Weed, and I saw a bunch, but not in pots. Maybe I can convince them to dig some up for me and sell it!

  • Iris GW
    15 years ago

    buford, did you know that you can walk back to the area where they grow the stuff and get things from there? There was more Joe Pye weed in pots in that area - although I think it is the dwarf one in pots (perhaps 'Phantom'). Back there are all sorts of good things - like asters just about to burst into bloom. And a nice section of dwarf Amsonia (I think the name is 'Blue Ice') - some of them have blooms.

    I'd offer to meet you there on Sunday but I have workshops both days this weekend.

  • buford
    15 years ago

    I did but I was on my work lunch hour and had nice shoes on (the place was covered in goose poop and mud!)so I skipped that part.

  • mayland
    15 years ago

    I was tempted to go in my lunch hour last week but thought that would be pushing it from Decatur! So we managed to get there today. It was our first visit and its a wonderful place, so sad that they are closing. My kids played in their sandbox with my husband while I looked around, what a treat!

    I bought a Ceanothus, thanks to David and Esh mentioning it (there is still one left!), Physocarpus Summer Wine, Caryopteris Bluebeard, Amelanchier Autumn Brilliance, Edgeworthia (paper bush), Kolkwitzia Dream Catcher, Rhamnus (buckthorn) Fine Line, and two Amsonia Hubrechtii, which I had been looking for all over town and was delighted to find.

    I agree, a wonderful selection, and very knowledgeable and friendly owners, such a shame they have to close.

    They still have a lot left -- tons of perennials, which I didn't have time to look at all of, but there were rows and rows of them, and lots of shrubs, including one more ceanothus!

    Thanks to Fay, my plants are all sitting outside having a good shower.

  • stevega
    15 years ago

    I went there Saturday. A lot of the unique plants are gone but lots of good periennials remain-astilbe, sedum, gallardia,abelia and a great selection of caryopteris. I picked up about 30 with sneezeweed, rudbeckia goldquelle and daisy chrysanthemum "Clara Curtis" as favorites.

    It wasn't a happy day. You could tell she was hurting to see her hard work and commitment come to an unsuccesssful end.

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