Ferocious February is laying down cold, snow, ice, and wind throughout the country. It’s time to hunker down, warming up with catalogs and dreams of new gardens.
If you have been gardening for awhile, you are familiar with the old standby catalogs, Park Seed and Burpee. These were my Dad’s favorite go-to mail order sources for vegetable seeds when I was growing up in the garden. I continued the tradition after I was married, ordering vegetable seeds and flower seeds. But I am here to tell you there is a whole new world of plants and gardening to discover. There is a huge world of new offerings out there. Mail order nurseries have the unusual as well as the mundane. They can easily add to your dream list.
Here is my list, which is by no means an entire inclusive directory. These catalogs and websites can help raise your garden to the Ooh! and Ahh! stage.
Plant Delights Nursery - The catalog entries are just plain fun to read. Here you will find the newest and to some extent, most beautiful, if not the unusual and distinctive. A trip to their Juniper Level botanical garden is a treat for unique plant lovers everywhere. Their display gardens and nursery are open 4 times a year. Check the website for the dates.
Tomato Growers Supply Company isn’t just about tomatoes, although you will find just about any kind you could possibly want to grow from heirloom to new. They are also all about peppers, hot peppers and sweet peppers. There are a few tomatillos and eggplants thrown in for good measure.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds might just have the most beautiful paper catalogs out there. They do not have an online listing but you can go to their website to order their paper catalogs, which are large and beautiful books. http://www.rareseeds.com/request-catalog/ Rare Seeds Catalog and The Whole Seed Catalog. If you love veggies, you will love these catalogs.
Territorial Seed Company has been around for some time. It has a large offering of vegetables and a smaller section of flowers and fruits.
Renee’s Garden is Renee Shepherd’s personal selection of seeds for the home gardener. Her packets alone are worth ordering for their beautiful watercolor portraits. They include personally written descriptions, complete growing instructions, a quick-view planting chart, growing tips, harvesting information and cooking ideas.
Many catalogs offer growing and harvesting advice. Many also offer newsletters sent to your inbox. (Don’t forget GardenSMART’s information packed E-newsletter. Sign up here at the website.) If you are new to gardening, take advantage of all of the information out there.
Bluestone Perennials is a family owned nursery. They offer a goodly number of perennial flowers, ornamental grasses, and a selection of ornamental shrubs.
There is more! Next week check back for the rest of the list!
Posted February 27, 2015
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Few bulbs are easier to grow than amaryllis-and few bloom with greater exuberance and beauty. But many just toss them at the end of their initial show.
Importantly there are tricks to get them to bloom again. Click here for an informative article about extending the life of amaryllis.
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If you have been gardening for awhile, you are familiar with the old standby catalogs, 
