Mailorder Nurseries Online and Off, Part 1 - Plant Delights

It's that time of year again. The time when the bleakness outside our windows is transformed, in our mind's eye, by the luscious photographs of plants and mouth watering descriptions in the mailorder nursery catalogs arriving at our doors. This is a perilous time for the confirmed plantaholic, when greed and lust war with whatever common sense we can muster as we mark plants we just simply must have for our gardens.

Last week, one of my favorites showed up in the mail. This is a catalog that serves up a scrumptious menu of plants with a huge dollop of zany humor that makes reading the fine print a joy. Even better, the nursery is online offering all of us web gardeners everything that's in the catalog, plus plants that aren't listed in the print edition. The web site is excellently produced; navigation is easy; all needed information is there; you can order online; they provide links to other sites of interest, and extra content in the form of admirable essays by the nursery owner, respected plantsman and breeder, Tony Avent. For those of you still struggling with botanical names, they even have a Common Name Index.

As I chuckled and chortled while checking off boxes on my way to insolvency, I wanted to share the laughs and some of the plants on my lust-list with you; maybe some of them will inspire you to greater gardening heights.

I sent email to Tony, whom I've never met, begging permission to use some his images in this article and he very kindly granted it. If you click on them, you will be taken to a larger photo on his website of great delight.

Plant Delights Nursery

As usual, the front cover sets the theme. This year, as last, cartoonist Jackie Pittman's anthroplantmorphic artwork is topical in more ways than one. And yes, the price of the print version is ten first class stamps or a box of chocolates...home-made fudge is welcome.

Although all the plants listed in this catalog are available online, I wouldn't be without my print version for the wickedly funny offerings, essays or poems on the back cover. These catalogs are truly "keepers". This year, the back cover offers 'Official "Just Grow It" AIR-ISAEMA ACCESSORIES' like the indispensable'

"Genuine "Air-Isaema" Sports and Gardening Shoe - This new model features our new breathable leather tongue and of course, our fatigue reducing Compost Insole. Shoes are available in narrow, normal, and plant crusher sizes. $199.95. Doctor Corms arch supports are available for $18.95 each.

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