What have you ordered for Spring 2009?

The blue color is what I love on that passiflora---does it have edible fruits? Sherri---love your little man drawing! Pixie---nice list of plants---I finally received my WFF catalog---disappointing---not much new---I will order 2 dahlias, though---American Dream & Sorbet--that's it---I'll go up there in May to get my tomato plants. I've had great luck with their heritage plants---large, healthy, & some very unusual varieties. Last year when I went up, they were giving away black angus burgers---the critters were wandering around across the road from the nursery! Sort of an odd combo---plants & burgers!

Is he offering large sizes, Bill? Jan - I have ordered a number of JM's from Fairweather and Wildwood. Very happy with both. The people at Wildwood are top-notch.

from what I found it's edible... but mine never changed colors... it stayed green

http://davesgarden.com/products/market/view/1460/

here is a pic... but i never tried it... left the fruit there.. hopefully they will seed themselves

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=5411614

victor - sounds like he does - he ordered plants last year - never sold them as it took longer than he anticipated getting the business up - he will putting a list of those together and sending it to me - still doesn't have pricing listed so i've been emailing him. i have a couple trees reserved already that are two gallon sizes - i've asked for the height and waiting for a reply. the less time waiting for a plant to "grow up" the better.

Yes - with JM's I don't mind paying more for larger plants.

Allison that Blue Crown is beautiful! Good luck!!

ok

if it makes it... I will do a cutting for you Pixie

OOOOOH thank you!!!!!

this year my growing list includes
pole beans kentucky blue
pole beans early stringless
chinese longbean
beets detroit dard red
beet greens
egg plant scilliano pink
endive batabran
brussel sprouts long island
celery green utah
cucumber sultan, cross county, pickeling
carrots antes and scarlet and rainbow
chicory italian
cabboge early copenhagen
corn weet by color
ground green cherries
kohl rabi purple vienna
letuce romaine, little gem mixed leaves
peas pole peas, snow peas, snap peas, little marvel
pumpkin sorcerer, atlantic giant
okra red and green
perrpers rosso, marconi,
onion yellow spanish, red baron, and green
tomatoes yellow pearshape, pomadoro, artic plenty, gardeners delight, and collected seads names unknown but good lol
turnip york storage , turnip greens and marian
water melon sugar baby
zuchini regular green and yellow and romanesco

and also about three frats of annuals and three flats of perennials and one flat of what I call unknown flowers seed collected or given with no names

Thats a nice list scicciarella!!

Well, I just placed an order with Van Bourgondien. Right now you can get $25 off an order of $50 or more, so I went ahead and ordered a giant flowered coreopsis collection that includes 3 plants, one each of Full Moon, Redshift and Sienna Sunset for $24.97. http://www.dutchbulbs.com/store/perennials/coreopsis/73866 I also ordered a double oriental lily mix, 3 bulbs for $29.99. http://www.dutchbulbs.com/store/lilies/orientallilies/65054 I have ordered from them last year, and their plants aren't bad. Some are on the small side. Got oriental lilies from them last year that did great. Got 2 DL's last year that also did well. Also got the 'Oranges And Lemons' Gaillardia from them, and even though it looked small when I got it, it really took off. So did 2 plants of the Coreopsis 'Limerock Ruby'. I just hope that one made it through the winter. I heard it's iffy on hardiness in the colder zones.

Hey, Victor, I was just checking out Garden Crossings website, and their prices are rather high for me, as I'm on a tight budget. Do they send good quality, large plants? I like that Incrediball hydrangea. Wow!

Scicciarella, that's great that your children are getting involved in the gardening with you. I started with my mother. She is deceased now, but she left behind an intense love of gardening with me. You sure have a long list of plants there yourself. Are you growing from seed or getting them already started?

Evie, I have to admit that we really need to replace the shingles on our house and other things around here. I'm reluctant to not spend on my gardens for that, though, as my gardens are my therapy. Not that there wouldn't still be tons of stuff to do around here even if I didn't spend a single dollar on plants. When it comes to improving the yard and gardens there is always a lot of maintainance work needing to be done, as well as renovating gardens. I could get by with just getting wood chips for pathways and composted manure for improving the gardens. If I stick with just getting seeds instead of potted plants, then I would save a lot of money that could be put into house repairs.

Tamberlin, Tinker's daylily database lists a lot of DL's with the name Elizabeth. Here is the link: http://db.tinkersgardens.com/?script=3.1 And here is the link to the list they have of DL's with the name Caroline: http://db.tinkersgardens.com/?script=3.1 I like that photo of your garden with the roses. Very pretty. I, too, have no luck with maps, and move things around a lot as well. My mother made extensive maps at one time, but I don't have the time for it. Actually, I would love to get one of those landscape design programs and make maps on there. That would be the best way to go, as it would be much easier to make changes on the computer.

WFF is definitely overpriced. We can get their stuff at local nurseries here, and much bigger plants, as they're in bigger pots. My friend Karen got some plants from them last year or the year before and was very disappointed with what she got, especially with the puny clematis she received. Then she saw the same clematis for around the same price, a much bigger potted plant, at a local nursery, and she was really upset she had paid so much for such a little thing.

Victor, you asked how you can add to an order if you've already payed. You just order more, and they add it to your previous order. They just keep adding to the order and ship altogether when ship time comes. That tall wheat grass from High Country looks like a nice one. I like that fact that it doesn't get flattened by heavy snow. I love High Country, though haven't ordered from them yet. I drool everytime I look through their catalog.

Cool, Jo Anne! That's a great way to design a garden. You're quite talented.

Katye, that's a very pretty geranium. Do you know the name of it?

Karen

GC is not cheap for sure. They do send very high quality plants though and their customer service is top-notch. So is their packing. Sign up for their newsletter and you'll know when they have sales and specials.

Did that, Victor! Thanks!

Karen

nfd - check your local nursery's for incrediball - i have two reserved for me locally - had to cancel the two i ordered from sooner plant farm - slightly better pricing than GC.
i almost ordered from van brog.. then i checked garden watchdog and they did not have good reviews - glad to hear you have has success with them.

i ordered for first time at HCG last year and would grade them a neutral - some of their premium sizes had very small root systems and two died - they replaced them quickly - did place another order again this year.

I did order with WFF, but I thought the dahlias were worth it, & I also ordered a David Austen rose, "Strawberry Hill" the color is like crushed berries. My art teacher has a David Austen that does very well for her, so I thought I'd try one. OneWish---maybe your passion fruit needed more heat to ripen---we did have a cool, rainy summer.

Hi Nutsfor: I have never had a good association with Van Bourgundians, not only are the plants small they usually fail to thrive.Victor turned me on to GC and he is right. Better to have large plants for a few bucks more but you will have them years from now.
Just a note --- If you need to order thru them than go for it.

I was not crazy about Van B.

Yep I would rather spend a few bucks mor for bigger plants that have a chance.
I was so outraged at the Poppy collection they sent me.
I really wanted the Picote and the collection was so reasonable I figured I would be ahead with a collection that cost the same as two plants.When they arrived the Picote looked as though it had been swept off the floor, it was definatly dead and a couple of others were moldy.
I didnt realize only two plants would make it ,three years later they still hadnt bloomed.
No response to my complaint either.
Somewhere I heard the original owners retired and "the kids" took over.Quality dropped for sure.

I have already been charged and paid for all my orders except GC. Most of them do charge when you order. You can't really blame them since they need to hold a plant for you then you could cancel and they are left with more plants than they thought they needed and may lose money if they sell for less at the end of the season. I have to pay more some times because I can't get out as much as I would like so I do want a good healthy and decent sized plant or at least a good root system to transplant when the time comes. Good packaging and service if you need it are also a consideration. I usually will get a plant or two from a company that is new to me and base my future dealings with them on that experience. Don't like perennials that are shipped bare-root except roses. Too many die in my experience. A cheap plant is not cheap if it dies and you have to spend a lot of time and money to get it replaced. If I have a good experience with a company they will get my business until they disappoint me too much for one reason or another.

Good points, Pat. That's what turned me off some places. They would send anemic little plants. Though they had a money back guarantee, who wants to waste more time and effort? It's worse when you planted a group and one or two die - it ruins the design.

i had that problem with blue sea holly and poppies - the sea holly never lived even the replacement shipment - and only 2 out 3 poppies made it - this will be the third year waiting for a flower. if it is a must have pay for quality plants.

blue sea holly and poppies are hard to grow under the best conditions it is easier to grow them from seed in the location you want them, I finally got all may perennial poppies growing by waiting till the soil was very warm mid june and I used a plastic bell to keep them safe from birds since they are sown on top of the soil keep spritzing them every day and in about 10 days had many little plants and they are just wonderfull large patches now I did the same with sea holly last year and got one bloom but many plants so I hope to have many this year.

mona
ps the only poppy I have not been able to grow is the blue because my zone is to cold
poppies have tapered root like a dandylion so they do not transplant well

This message was edited Jan 12, 2009 11:04 AM

i moved my poppies this fall - and knew they didn't transplant well - they needed to moved to receive more sun - hopefully they will survive - if not will try again.

A fall relocation should work Bill if the plant hadnt put up the crown for the next season.
I have had luck moving them in Aug-Sept here when the leaves are completely dies back

a year and a half ago I moved from toronto ontario to ottawa my husband was transfered with work we now have 2.5 acres from a city lot what a difference we do so much planning and it is taking for ever to get it all done my hubby says it will take ten years to get it up to my standards and I keep telling him it has to be done now lol with only six month of the year to actually do work it is very frustrating, about one third is done and now the hard work starts which is clearing the under brush out of the woods in the front of the house I do not know why anyone would plant service berries they spread and kill the trees man they are a pain the rump

Hope you keep a photo journal of the challange and post it.

Wish I had your 'problem', scicc!

I tried perennial poppies from good-sized plants a few times and lost every one.

I have all six of the peren collection I ordered from Bluestone last year.
I plan to start some from seeds( first for me) in poop pots.
Wddya think?

if you use pots that will rot in the grown so the root does not get disturbed it should work

you can check out some of my pics on chase away the winter blues northest gardening

Someone told me they cut off the rim of the pot at ground level and also cut off the bottom or at least make a big hole in it.The pot disolves and the roots are undisturbed.
I'm a long way ahead of myself,I have to get the seeds to germinate first.

Peat pots I always rip the bottom off to give the root a good start. Sometimes I will rip it right down the side and take it all out, not ripping the roots.

I do the same here Sherrie. ^_^

Well, I have already place my order with VB, and since I have not had trouble with them last year, I am going for it again this year. The brunt of my planting will be seeds this year. I have picked so many things that I want to start from seed this year. Poppies are one of those things. I'm also trying winter sowing for the first time this year, and I have been reading and posting in the WS forums to learn all I can about this seemingly wonderful practice, as I have no room in my house for sowing seeds.

Karen

I have no room but hahahah I always make room its like putting up a xmas tree you always find a spot well seed are the same a south facing window and a small table use a cheap plastic table cover and off you go just do not start them to early and use a small fan on low for a few hours per day when the seedling get to be a few inches and have at least four good leaves it will make them sturdier and healthy

mona

Good idea on the fan for seeds started indoors, but I'm wintersowing outdoors, as I have no room indoors. I have an order for seeds I still have to call in.

Karen

zone 6a do you not have snow ??????

We sure do, and it's 14 degrees Fahrenheit here now. Too cold!!!!

Karen

I start perennials in flats without the little pots just fill the whole thing with soil and put in many columbine seeds and then another with delphiniums then hostas and heuchera so at the present I have four flats in the garage full of seeds because I collected them and they need to freeze or they will not grow my husband thinks its crazy that I do this but it always works for me I do that in the late fall I fill the flat make it wet plant the seeds and let them cool there heels for five months and when they are ready they will grow