First spring plant catalogue and burnt fingers

LeBug, I guess you haven't been haunting the NE forum much. As Johnny Cash would sing, "I've been everywhere, man!"

I also have stone walls . . . my dh did them himself, with no instruction! Here's a pic, with my 3 cats on it.

Here's another. Someone will have to show me how to make a group of photos, so I don't have to put them up one at a time!

Victor, the ball didn't impress me much either. Especially since they ran commercials right up until about 30 seconds.

The Rocky tree, I missed that part I guess must have been in between the XX beer and the catlogs lol Happy Birthday! What a nice way to start the year :) I was flipping back and forth from CSI, nice looking guys on there!

PrimroseSue, I'm just never sure where I belong so I just lurk everywhere just missed this one I'm sure lol I like your stone wall hubby did a great job! I don't have any cats but I have two? and lots of litter boxes in my flower beds! Sometimes they use them and sometimes not, all the neighborhood cats like my garage so I keep a couple of beds in there for them in the winter, aw, you have pretty kitties :)

Happy new year, LeBug! IF there were any reasonably priced catalogs I think we'd have posted links. Prices are way up there.

Nice stone walls, Sue.

Thanks Pirl! I know I just keep hoping someone will find a reasonable one out there, I'm doing pretty good on the seeds from the catalogs only about $50 worth so far lol I think I broke my rule of not getting many seeds this year but really there aren't that many I'm ordering for $50!

Love your stones, Sue! And the natural rocks too. (Everyone know the difference between rocks and stones?) And I can't forget the cats. We'll be getting two kittens soon.

Stones sound more expensive than rocks but I could easily be wrong.

A stone is something that is 'used for some purpose'. A rock is what Nature provided. Another way to look at it - once you pick up a rock, it's a stone!

Stones seem to have rounder shapes than rocks, right?

If they're 'prepared' by some process.

As in beach stones, right?

Yes.

Hey LeBug, nice to see you speaking out here. Happy New Year!

Now why is everyone getting their catalogues, and I'm not, and I even purchased from WFF to keep on getting the catalogue. Just to see the pictures, but the item I purchased was very nice, actually, a nepeta of their own.

Wow, Polly. I'd say I've gotten 10-15 so far.

Same here! Can they be used for lasagna beds?

The only one I've received so far is Jungs. Have you gotten Parks or Wayside yet Dave, or venu209?

I haven't gotten Wayside of Parks yet, although I get e-mails from Wayside at least once a week if not more often.

No - I have not gotten those two either. But many others, including Jungs, Crownsville, Scheepers....

Burpee, Park's, WFF, Field's, Jung, and I think one for dahlias. Others Jack just discards at the post office where we pick up our mail - no home delivery.

Was that your choice, or are you too rural for a rural route?!

Three homes out of 45 get delivery and we could apply for it but, sadly, the post office is the big social scene of the day.

Do they serve coffee?

No. Stamps.

Pirl, we have a PO box and DH won't give it up for the mailbox out on the road, social scene is way too important here too. Plus getting plants at the USPO is much better to have them arrive and sit in an air conditioned post office then fry out by the side of the road when they are delivered. The PO workers always call as soon as a box comes in that is marked plants, which is a great service and so kind.

I have been marking my seed catalogs and I noticed Burpee is way more expensive on some than others this year. Must be trying to pay for Heronswood. I will be checking my list as that these are huge price differences. Kind of like looking for gas these days. Patti

zinnia zowie 4.65 15 seeds burpee
zinnia zowie 3.45 10 seeds TM
zinnia zowie 2.95 20 seeds Jung

cosmos double click 4.65 50 seeds burpee
cosmos double click 2.95 75 seeds TM
cosmos double click 2.25 100 seeds Jung

Bbrook--you compare prices like I do--I do this for every item that is common to all catalogs. I'm still waiting for a couple though, but most are in. Liked the comments on the PO. After teaching for 30+ yrs, I retired, then worked for the PO for 5 yrs--it was supposed to be one day a week, but I quit after working 30 straight days in a very hot summmer. It was a rural route, but the truck supplied was not air cond., & I was almost dead from the heat. Sue--loved the walls--I hope I can post some of mine.

I just got the Heronswood catalog and am tempted by a few plants like "Green Hurricane" Anemonella thalictroides but it's $17.95 for a 4"" pot. Isn't that a bit steep for that size? plus $9.00 minimum for shipping.

I received this from a DG friend:

My daughter and I are still trying to get me a rose for my Christmas present. Would you believe Chamblee is charging $18 to ship a $11.95 rose? So, she is getting it from David Austin. They will come out the same, or a dollar difference, since Austin charges $19.95 for the rose but $8.95 shipping, so I guess it depends on who sends the best plant, which you will never know unless you get one from each place.
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The post office scene is fun for those who haven't had the experience. People watching can be great fun, too.

As for the seed prices - some places take the seed from last year, test them for germination and then sell them, marked with the 2008 date. That's my only fear when ordering by price alone.

I would think long and hard about any order from the new Heronwood site as the whole nursery was moved after it was sold by its old owners from its famous west coast nursery to Penn and is now owned by Burpee. They don't mention anything about the change and act as if it is the same outfit. Not quite the same (WA to PA) and a new venture that will merit a close look before spending big bucks in my opinion. I thought the catalog was very pretty and some of the prices are cheaper than WFF which I assume they are trying to compete with along with Wayside.

I know I will do way better going to any good local nursery for some things as many things like Dicentra Gold Heart and Acanthus Tasmanian Angel and Corydalis Golden Panda are Terra Nova plants so they will be at a lot of good local nurseries. My 2 cents but I like to save everyone I can, always. I will be interested to see the reviews to be posted this season in the Watchdog. I love that DG feature. Patti

This message was edited Jan 2, 2008 10:03 AM

Burpee really upset many people, including the employees, when they closed down Heronswood without any warning and, as you said, want us all to believe it's run the same way as the original: wrong! I'd search far and wide before I'd order plants from them.

I'm all for a better bargain for everyone but I still feel it's worth the explanation of why some prices may be cheaper than others for seeds. It's very discouraging to pay full price and still not get any germination from a packet of seeds. We've had it happen more than once.

My nursery man's high opinion of Garden Watchdog is what led me to DG so I, too, really enjoy reading the reviews.

Garden Watchdog is a great tool.
I got Johny's, Select Seeds, one of the big rose places, the ones mentioned above, Bluestone,Musser, Shumway, Morgan and several others I tossed & can't recall the names of. I think I got Wayside & Park's too.

I toss so many. It's really a waste. I should call to get off their mailing list.

I LOVE getting the catelogues. I cut them up and paste pictures of all the plants/seeds I have collected :-)

You can get that off the web and save a few trees!

This is true, except that I am cutting and pasting while My Dave is reading novels to me. I think he would be offended if I were staring at a computer screen.

He can read more than one at a time? Wow - he's good.

You bet! I only marry the best! lol

My cousin had a talent for reading from a book on humor, one on religion and a mystery at the same time, taking parts of sentences to form a story. I guess you had to be there and, happily, I was.

More catalogs arrived yesterday. I agree with Victor in removing my name from these lists.

Michaela, I cut and paste, too! I think it's part of my gardening ocd (obsessive-compulsive disorder)! I took a 3" x 5" card file box, and keep a card on each plant I have - so I cut out pictures and info from the catalogs.

I think the P.O. is stealing all my gardening catalogs, or maybe the companies haven't got to the end of the alphabet yet (My last name begins with W). I am SO anxiously waiting for them!

Before marriage I was a "Z" so I can sympathize with you, Sue.

I also keep 3 x 5 index cards for my daylilies and have to make them for the Japanese irises.

Well, this afternoon, I got Charley's Greenhouse, Gardener's Supply, and my favorite, Select Seeds!