Catalogs, please

Being a new outdoor gardener, I have not yet received many (only 3) catalogs this year, though have requested a few to which I have seen reference here. Are you inclined to purchase only seed from a catalog or plants as well? How about everyone telling their favorite(s) with regard to quality of seed, cost, expedience of shipping, success of germination, etc. It would be immensely helpful to a neophyte such as myself and would surely help me sort through the inundation of catalogs I expect to being receiving soon!

Thanks! Sheri

Morning Sheri!

Seeds and plants for me.

Which catalogs have you ordered?

Sheri, be sure to get a catalog from Annie's Annuals - she has a fabulous website as well. Her shipping costs are higher than most, but the quality of the plants themselves (as well as the size!) and the quality of the packing, makes it more than worthwhile.

I actually love getting catalogs from everywhere - simply to give me more ideas and more chances to dream!

Hey Sue ~ How was Texas? Warm and revitalizing for you, I hope! Weather was pretty poopie in Portland so you didn't miss much! Bullseye was overwhelming and I was NOT ready for it, so didn't get as much as I'd hoped (plus there's always the part of having to PAY for what you select! Boooo!)

I can't remember exactly which catalogs I requested but do know they were referred to be several people in threads here. I think one was B&D Lilies, one that starts with a J (maybe Hudson or something like that?) and there was at least one more that I can't remember. I've received Dutch Gardens, Kelley's, and one other of which I can't remember the name, which I did not request but have lots of stuff in there to given me many ideas. I would get them but they're in DH's car and he's taken his mom out to breakfast ~ I'll fetch them when he gets back.

Hey Murmur ~ I was typing while you were and we posted at the same time. Annie's Annuals IS the other one I couldn't remember. Thanks! Funny, the ones you request take far longer than those unsolicited. I'm still a HUGH fan of Tomato Grower's Supply. I've already received my seeds from them and was planning on sowing this weekend, but a minor hip surgery yesterday has me hobbling between the couch and my computer this weekend. Hopefully next weekend will be "fruit"ful."

Sheri - Mostly I shop online, but catalogues I receive or order from in no particular order:
Territorial Seeds
Annies
Thompson & Morgan
White Flower Farm - for appreciating lower prices in our regional nurseries!
High Country Garden
Santa Rosa (Gardens?) - EXCELLENT material
B&D Lilies - for about 20+years
Schreiners Iris
Digging Dog Nursery (another ranking in excellence)
Select Seed
Ed Hume Seed
Bluestone Perennials
Van Engelen - a Godsend for buying in bulk - for about 15 years
Brent & Beckys bulbs - web
more, but I have brain-freeze right now.

Hey, Sheri,
OOh, ouch! Hope you're recovering well? (Good weather here for another afternoon of cartoons or a drooly day with plant catalogs?)

Texas was cold. 37' on Saturday, 48' on Sunday. Rainy and 45 on Monday....sigh....I did go to the Dallas Arboretum, though. I took some photos that I just got on my computer last night.

Paying for Bullseye-yes, painful....Let's not talk about that, lol!!! Maybe we can get together and both go to the next sale?

I like west coast stuff better than east coast-less time for plants in boxes (plus, less time to wait if I order in-season-I'm impatient!). Looove Annie's catalog. She's a fan of stuff that reseeds, though. Makes for less to re-buy next year but reseeding plants can sometimes be hard to get rid of later. Still, I'd love to take a road trip to visit her garden.

West coast preferences aside, for plants Bluestone Perennials has a good website and good sales, CS. The stuff I've bought from them has grown well. They sell some preplanned gardens and include planting plans.
Forestfarm-plants can be small, but they're in Oregon and have a huge selection. Their catalog is the size of a trade paperback.

Territorial seeds-great quality, picked for our climate, HIGH shipping costs. They should be easy to find locally, too. Their website has lists of retailers.

High Country Gardens, located in Santa Fe, NM is into xeriscape, hummingbird, harsh conditions. Excellent website, gorgeous catalog, good plants. They also sell really cool preplanned gardens for tough locations and low-water need lawn seeds, lawn alternatives.

B&D, excellent-look for them at the FGS, too-they have two booths. Their website is listing all the varieties they will have there, as well.

JHudson, terrific rep, never bought from them. I can't handle their website.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds & Fedco are companies I've just discovered but am impressed with so far.

Maybe we could put together a group seed order from one or two of these and distribute them at the plant swap?

Edit to add: I cross-posted with Katye, but gotta admit, I agree with her taste, lol!

This message was edited Jan 26, 2008 10:59 AM

Oh yeah, Botanical Interests- can get these online at a little bit of a discount through www.tinyseeds.com

Darn - there are some you're listing here that I'm not familiar with . . . I'm in a heap o'hurt!

As a neophyte, I knew there were literally thousands upon thousands of flowers/plants out there, but thought it would be easy to decide what and where. HAH! I am SO overwhelmed right now I can't believe it. I think I need a nap... } Zzzzzzzz

I LOVE Highcountry Gardens plant selections for drought tolerant and tough perennials!!

Did anyone mention Gurneys or Wayside Gardens?

I have ordered from asiatica before. gossler in oregon has great plants, Logees for my begonia fix. for seeds I order fron new zealand trees seeds wildseed of tasmanis, shilterns in england and plant world in england. I have ordered from tradewinds fruit and was disappointed like 5 seeds in a packet for 4.00 too much ron radcko northwest natives. My friend Ian desertnorthwest silverhill seeds south africa pinetree seeds select seeds, thyme garden seeds good, alplains good, peckerwood good, prairemoon seeds huge packets. plants of the southwest huge packets, doug and vivian, cactus in england oh there and probable more. I do like annies. glasshouse also has some pretty wierd things. There are probably more Heidi

Wayside - I've had good & bad experiences. Generally, I can get anything Wayside sells at a local nursery: Wells Medina in Bellevue. It is my home away from home, and where I prefer to eat my lunch, M-F (5 min from my work)!
So - if there is something you all want to get, dmail me & I will look for it locally/buy it & then we'll have to get together for lunch, or a nursery excursions or, plant acquisition, or...whatever.
Glasshouse - whoa! this is THE place for serious coleus addictions...and other assorted goodies.

I get
Gurney's ( I have ordered from had good rezults)(and they have a $25.00 coupon)
Burgess and Farmers Seed ( nevered order from just came in the mail)
Michigan Bulb ( I have ordered from for years and they do back there plants if they don't grow also has a $25.00 coupon)
Jackson & Perkins ( Just came in the mail, never ordered from)
And Spring Hill and Brecks.

I've ordered from J& P many times over the years - good plants, but a bit of a hassle if something doesn't make it (a "freebie" rose didn't make it so they gave me a "one time good customer relations" replacement).

The new B&D catalog - whoops, it's called the "Spring 2008 Reference Guide" (!) graced my mailbox yesterday. I'll be checking this out over coffee.

If your looking for wildflowers, possibly for the 1/4 acre woods I highly recommend Wildseed Farms http://www.wildseedfarms.com/ They have several mixes specifically for the Western States.

For roses Heirloom Roses in St Paul Oregon. They are all grown on thier own rootstock. This means that if they die back they will come back the same. Most roses are grafted and when they die back you get something totally different. Since you go to Portland pretty often you should head down a little farther south in June or July and go see their display gardens and buy your roses there, you can pick them out yourself http://www.heirloomroses.com/ just down the road from them is Ferguson's Fragant Nursery http://www.fragrantnursery.com/wst_page2.html