Mail-order nurseries
I haven't had a garden to potter in for eight years! What are your favorite mail-order nurseries and seed companies these days?
Janet
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(post #11783, reply #1 of 15)
There are great companies listed in the Top 30 on the DavesGarden Garden Watchdog page: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/
Personally my favorites are Bluestone (for small "starter" perennials), Johnny's Seeds (for vegetable seeds, blueberry plants and asparagus crowns), Van Engelen (great wholesale prices on bulbs), Gilbert Wild (great daylily prices) and Schreiner's Iris Gardens (terrific prices and great quality). If money was no object, I'd order more from some of the sites that carry unusual things, like Seneca Hill and Plant Delights. Sigh.
(post #11783, reply #2 of 15)
I love to collect rare and "designer" plants! And I prefer specialist nurseries, like Klehm for peonies, Kurt Bluemel for grasses, etc.
Janet
(post #11783, reply #3 of 15)
I'm fortunate in that I live near lots of great nurseries so I don't do much mail order, but I did just have a great experience with Annie's Annuals. http://www.anniesannuals.com/default1.asp
North Carolina - zone 7
North Carolina - zone 7
(post #11783, reply #6 of 15)
You've mentioned all my favorite mail order sources! I've had very good luck with Gilbert Wild's peonies, too.Their choices aren't exotic, but they are good, healthy specimens that grow well for me. I like Seeds of Change (all organic) and Select Seeds (heirloom plants), too.
(post #11783, reply #4 of 15)
Hard to beat Santa Rosa Gardens, but I think today is the last day of their 2.99 sale.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
(post #11783, reply #5 of 15)
If you want to simply amuse yourself, google "Shady Deals Nursery". I like all of Deb's choices except I order most of my garden seeds from Pinetree, a nice little family owned seed company in Maine, kind of similar to Johnny's I think.
(post #11783, reply #7 of 15)
I like Forest Farm. Get a free catalog here: http://www.forestfarm.com/catalog.php
(post #11783, reply #8 of 15)
I use Jung's and the SeedSavers Exchange for seeds and Bluestone Perennials. If I feel indulgent I get something cool from Klehm's SongSparrow. I wish The Flower Factory near Madison, WI had mail order, cuz that place rocks. What a rock garden greenhouse they have, plus at least 15 other buildings. Makes me long for spring planting
(post #11783, reply #9 of 15)
Wow! I'm impressed! You make the trek all the way to Madison to The Flower Factory! You got it bad, girl friend!
(post #11783, reply #10 of 15)
Ooooo have you been there? I would trek a long LONG way to get there. My mom used to live only about 45 min from there, so I used to make a side trip when I visited. Now my son lives only about 45 min from there as well, just up the road from where I grew up in Janesville. Anyway, now I go there when I visit him and his wife! It is so gorgeous and what an amazing selection of plant material. And their landscaping is outstanding.
I have been working on going on a road trip with a few of my gardening friends from Park Falls to go with me for the day. We could stop at East towne by Madison and shop, too!
(post #11783, reply #11 of 15)
I have been there! I try and get there twice a season. Once in the spring and once in the fall. I make a list of plants I haven't been able to find elsewhere and would like to grow and keep there catalog on my bed stand! That's a hortiholic for you!
I went to Olbrich on October 2 and was simply amazing at how wonderful everything look in October-- the grasses and some of the fall color shrubs. It gives you an entirely different perspective on what fall could look like in even a northen garden, and mind-- I am not into mums as the method to get fall color.
maybe if you plan any field trips you could keep me in mind in the future and we can meet up.
(post #11783, reply #12 of 15)
So cool! I try to get there at least once summer. I love love love that shed that has the succulent roof! And they used to have such a cool japanese maple in one of the hypertufa troughs. But I noticed it wasn't there this spring. That plant was responsible for my intense plant envy.
I was there this year the last week of May. My son got married at the end of may so I took an extra day off so I could come home Monday instead of rushing home Sunday. It was awesome and I left a chunk of change at that place this spring. Mostly rock garden plants.
I haven't been to Olbrich in a couple years but try to get to Janesville rotary gardens frequently. It is very close to where I grew up and to where my son lives now. He and his wife had some of their wedding pix taken there. Breath taking background. If we met on a saturday we could go up to the square in Madison for the farmers market.
That catalog sits next to the klehm's and bluestone catalog so I can see if if can get certain gorgeous plants in person. And you can bet I already looked up "dropmore" to see if it is at f f. Will have to order it from bluestone.
The ff is where I first saw and then purchased amsonia. It is not frequently seen up here, now a friend also has one and they are doing well. I have 2 now. Amsonia hubrechtii and amsonia tabernaemontana. It is the first winter for the latter. So I hope it makes it.
It is raining here yet the snow hangs on. How does that work?
(post #11783, reply #13 of 15)
Your ground is probably a bit colder than here in "balmy" central WI!
Anchusa "Dropmore" can, I believe, be grown from seed. I am certainly going to work on that this winter.
As for the Bloodgood in a hypertufa. A landscaper friend and I have been working through that one. Bonsai-ed and in pots, if allowed to face up to winter somewhere in the beginning of November can be moved to a cold location 28 to 38 degrees and kept a bit drier (like a root cellar or possibly a crawlspace, or the coldest corner of a basement), will winter over in our zone.
I've wintered tabernaemontana in pots under cover.
Yes, we're going to have to make some plans.
(post #11783, reply #14 of 15)
Well that is so exciting! I have an ex sister in law who I used to always go to the ff with. I miss her.
I will look for some dropmore seeds! I generally don't start many perennials from seed. Mostly tomatoes, peppers and various annuals. Don't have a ton of space to do that.
And the correct space is the problem with the acer japonica. I don't have a place that is cold enough in the basement or warm enough outside. I bet that garden shed in the making may fill the bill. I even had made a hypertufa that is round (formed around a huge steel mixing bowl) and just the right size for one of the tiny maples that only get 2 ft tall. I was jonesing over them in the klehm's catalog and ultimately decided I better not risk that much money on a plant if I don't have the right spot to keep it over the winter. Sigh
It is so cool to find out you live in the state!
I'm going to Milwaukee at the end of the week for the art teacher convention. That is always a nice get away.
(post #11783, reply #15 of 15)
I was thinking about my rock garden while washing dishes a bit ago and I recalled a really nice plant I picked up at the flower factory in may. It is an Eryngium and it has light veined leaves. I think it is Eryngium bourgatii. Very pretty blue leaves with a silvery vein. It didn't bloom yet but looks spectacular. It is doing well in the sandy part of my garden.