Garden News and Notes, July 23, 200
Etera, the popular online garden catalog, has started Etera University, a series of more than 50 multimedia short courses covering everything from perennials and annuals through landscaping and hardscaping, and equipment and tool maintenance. The lessons can also be printed out for easy reference.
Another great thing that Etera has going is a reference guide to help us through potentially embarrassing experiences like having to ask for a plant with a Latin name that you haven't a clue as to how to pronounce. Plant descriptions include a recording of the pronunciation. I just discovered that the plant I always called Agg-uh-stosh (Agastache) is really pronounced "uh-GAS-tuh-key" - lucky for me I've never had the opportunity to ask for it! Another of my favorite features is that which shows what the plant should look like when you unpack it - and then what it should look like in 8 months - plus a photo of it in flower. In fact, it shows it in time-lapse photography so you can see an entire growing season in seconds! So there should be no surprises with Etera plants.
A great site that I found today is called Tulip World. The site, which deals with tulips (natch!) as well as other spring bulbs, is packed full of features, from a set of "inspirations" - garden designs done according to personality type, to a plant finder which allows you to create a dramatic, romantic, graceful, etc. garden for your particular growing conditions. You can look up a plant with the "Find a Bulb" feature even if you can only remember part of the name or the color. Oh yes - and there's a catalog so you can order any of the things that inspire you.
Speaking of bulbs - they always make me think of Holland - and guess what the gardeners in Holland use as clogs? You guessed it! Wooden Shoes! They've worn them for centuries and haven't given them up yet - so they must have something great going for them that you and I haven't had the opportunity to try yet. But now we do! You can have a pair for your very own, in a variety of styles from hand-painted to carved to extra fancy hand carved ones that will only set you back about $350! (Just what every gardener needs!) But in general prices begin at about $20 - quite reasonable for a pair of gardening shoes that will make you stand out from the crowd. And if you find that you don't like them as footwear, they make intriguing planters. There's
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