By Jim McCausland, Sunset senior garden writer

Hidden in the tall trees of Washington's northern Kitsap Peninsula, Dragonfly Farms Nursery is a perfect delight: its display gardens show off everything from bathtubs full of hardy pitcher plants to eucalyptus, ornamental rhubarb, Spanish fir, and bamboo. “At heart I’m a tree and shrub person,” says owner Heidi Kaster, “but I grow lots of unusual things from seed.” Go into the greenhouse and you’ll see for yourself: there are restios (sedge-like plants from South Africa), flats of 2-inch seedlings that will grow into trees, agaves, grevillias, and a host of things whose names you probably won’t even recognize.

Much of it is definitely not everyday nursery stock, though Dragonfly Farms has plenty of that too. Kaster’s background explains her love for the unusual (nursery motto: “Where Abnormality is the Normality!"). After a short teaching career, she did garden maintenance, including an important stint working for Linda Cochran, both in the garden and in Cochran’s Froggy Bottom Nursery. When Cochran got out of the nursery business, Kaster moved the nursery to her own place and renamed it Dragonfly Farms. She also spent a lot of time shopping at Hersonswood Nursery, which is just down the road, and currently does garden design.

The nursery is also full of garden art. I loved the chain gate made by Kaster’s husband Dave, a sedum frame Heidi made, and the sculptures, pots, and globes that show up all over the garden, most from local artists.

Dragonfly Farms, not to be confused with a Kitsap landscaping company that uses the name Dragonfly, is at 34881 Hansville Road between Kingston and Hansville. They’re open Fridays and Saturdays 9 to 5, and Sundays 9 to 4. Go on a Friday this summer and you can catch the Hansville Farmer's Market, which will be relocating here.