Take a stroll with me

I thought I'd share some of the sights of Flower World, one of my favorite plant nurseries outside of Seattle. It started on just four acres in 1968, doing business mostly with wholesalers. Retail began in the 1980s as more people stopped by its greenhouses for plant information. Today, nearly 90 percent of its inventory is grown in-house and many of the plants are featured in wonderfully displayed gardens spread throughout the space.

Bloodtwig Dogwood line a gravel path luring visitors to a large pond featuring a water fountain. It's been about a year since I've been here and I don't remember this being quite so brilliant. I'm pretty sure at one point in the past five or six years these weren't here at all. Wish I'd been into taking pictures when I first came upon this place.

Farther up the path, resident chickens enjoy some range free pecking. I believe I spotted a few Buff Orpingtons, a Polish or two and perhaps an Araucana. They were all happily clucking, some crowing, as they waddled along.  I imagine some of these lovelies will be producing the fresh eggs Flower World is set to begin selling later this year. Makes me want one or two even more.

Plants aren't the only draw to this little piece of gardening glory. The grounds are open to anyone wanting a pleasant stroll or even a visit with little ones to spy the geese and ducks that also are free to roam the grounds during the day.

I've been frequenting Flower World for several years. The water wheel has been in place since I first visited, but many plants were just babies and are starting to fill out nicely. I especially love the conifer garden with its golden and blue-green shrubs and trees. They really popped under the cloudy sky that hung overhead during my recent stop.