Off-Season Dreaming, or, To Cuddle With Catalogs – Part III

Here is the second and last part of a baker's dozen of 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.

• 7. Plant Delights Nursery @ Juniper Level Botanic Gardens is the home of Plants with an Attitude!. The owner, Tony Avent, invites gardeners to" Fasten your seatbelt for a raucous ride through our wild and crazy catalog...!" Tucked between garden satire on the front cover and flights of imagination on the back are abundant and enlightening photographs along with informative commentary. Plant Delights' 8.5 x 11-inch nursery catalogs are collectors' items in my household and are kept in the guestroom for visitors with insomnia who might like a little training in garden sophistication.

  This nursery is an international mail order firm based near Raleigh, NC that specializes in unusual perennials. If you live close enough to Raleigh, or are traveling in that area, you owe it to yourself to visit on one of the nursery's open days. The on-line catalog features well over 1000 different perennials, including a wide variety of US natives, as well as their Asian botanical counterparts.

  Many of the plants listed in both the print and on-line catalogs are Plant Delight introductions, and introductions of other breeders. Often these plants appear for the first time in commerce courtesy of Plant Delights.

  If you are a Hosta fan, this is definitely a nursery that should be on your list. Since 1984, Plant Delights has conducted one of the most extensive hosta breeding programs in the U.S. This program has generated exciting introductions like Hosta 'White Wall Tire'(98), Hosta 'Tattoo' (98) , Hosta 'Elvis Lives' (95), and the ugliest hosta ever, Hosta 'Out House Delight' (94)! The nursery also offers Hosta introductions of other breeders which may be difficult to find.

  Gardeners are invited to visit the web site not only for purchasing, but also to enjoy:

  • Daily logs from Tony Avent's plant expeditions;
  • Fascinating plant articles;
  • USDA plant hardiness maps and explanations;
  • Lecture list and open nursery dates; and
  • Up-to-the-minute links.

• 8. BlueStone Perennials is a retail seller of perennials and ornamental shrubs. In addition to retail sales , they also provide plants to be grown to maturity by other nurseries and garden centers. Many times these are the plants displayed at arboretums, botanical gardens, or public gardens and amusement parks.
  The copyright of the article Off-Season Dreaming, or, To Cuddle With Catalogs – Part III in Landscape Design is owned by Georgene A. Bramlage. Permission to republish Off-Season Dreaming, or, To Cuddle With Catalogs – Part III in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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