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Off-Season Dreaming, or, To Cuddle With Catalogs - Part II

© Georgene A. Bramlage

Here is the first part of a baker's dozen of my favorite catalogs and their associated Internet sites. Certainly, there are other reliable companies and catalogs. However, these are the ones I rely heavily upon and they are as much a part of my reference library as any book.

• 1. Avant Gardens is a connoisseur's source of uncommon hardy and tender perennials, annuals, alpines, trees and shrubs. The catalog, 5.5 x 11-inches, is a bare bones but knowledgeable listing of plants and their attributes. However, pictures on the web site more than make up for this lack of words. The emphasis for Avant Gardens is on great plant ensembles that work well in garden nooks, on those that need something special to draw attention to them, or on unique containers that invite out-of-the-ordinary plant combinations. Avant Gardens offers plenty of plant materials and ideas for mid-winter dreaming, and some of their collections are offered at special prices. Plants in these collections have been selected not only for their color and size relationships, but for sun and soil compatibility as well. This is a fantastic way to learn how to combine plants for maximum effect.

  Rodgersia aesculifolia (Fiveleaf Rodgersia), Lamium maculatum 'White Nancy'(Spotted Nettle), Convallaria majalis (Lily-of-the-Valley)and woodland ferns brighten up a shady nook.

• 2. David Austin Roses® is a British company that specializes in breeding English roses and growing English roses, old roses, and shrub, climbing and modern roses. The American facility is based in West Tyler, TX. This is the 4th American catalog, 8.5 x 8-inch glossy pages, with full color photographs and a rose collection for American gardeners.

  This year, five new English varieties are being introduced to American gardeners:

  • Alnwick Castle;
  • Benjamin Britten;
  • Comtes de Champagne;
  • Corvedale; and
  • The Mayflower.

  Abundant information in the catalog and at the web site provides homeowners with plenty of ideas and food-for-thought. In particular, there is valuable and important information about what roses to use for specific places and functions that is intended for off-season landscape planning. Currently the company is extending several special offers for both sampler collections and quantity orders.

• 3. Forest Farm specializes in ornamental and useful plants from around the world. Their 5 x 8.5-inch catalog is black on white newsprint quality with brief descriptive plant listings and some line drawings. Scrutinizing the catalog becomes a brief lesson in botanical nomenclature - what does Campanula mean? Or horticultural trivia - what is the Chinese vernacular name for Ginkgo? The plant listings are a collector's dream. Where else can you find 29 listings for Cornus, dogwood, or nine species and 32 cultivars of crabapple? Forest Farms also offers shipping in three sizes for most plants, so there is plenty of choice here.