My son and I are huge fans of old movies. One of our favorites is The African Queen, in which Rose (Katherine Hepburn) and her brother are missionaries in Africa. Rose orders rose trees, perhaps to remind her of their native England. Her reaction when they are delivered, months later, by way of the African Queen from Mr. Allnut (Humphrey Bogart), “Splendid, they’ve come at last.”
It is a sweet story and one which is very uplifting. Splendid (said in my best southern English accent) is my reaction when all of the latest garden catalogs begin to arrive at my house. Yes, I could look at all of these online in today’s world but there is something about opening them and thumbing through the pages that makes their arrival extra special.
For the past few weeks, the catalogs I requested at the end of 2020 have been arriving in the mail. As the cold, gray days of winter drag on, these catalogs and the promise of spring ahead have been a ray of sunshine and have uplifted me from a winter funk. I look forward to updating my garden journal and planning my spring 2021 flower garden.
Here are my top picks for garden catalogs:
- Select Seeds– This catalog features 100s of seed packets in an array of varieties. There are also a wide variety of plants available, both perennials and annuals.
- Bluestone Perennials– They offer a wide variety of plants, mostly perennials. I have ordered several hard-to-find clematis vines from Bluestone. I love the way they pack their plants, which arrive healthy and ready to plant.
- Wayside Gardens– They offer fruit and vegetable plants, bulbs, and flowering plants that are happy and healthy.
- White Flower Farm– A nursery offering a great selection of perennials, vines, bulbs, and roses.
- B & D Lilies– One of the best resources for bulbs including a stunning variety of Asiatic, trumpet, and oriental lilies, and the bulbs are huge.
- Mischell’s Greenhouse– I love their selection of hard-to-find annuals including some unique Ivy leaf geraniums and other stunning annuals.
- Jackson & Perkins– I have ordered rose arbors from J&P when they are on sale. Their roses are available in bare-root or potted form. Great selection of roses, rose arbors, and pergolas.
- Gilbert H. Wild and Son– This is my go-to catalog when I am looking for an unusual variety of daylily. Their latest, new varieties
are always featured in the front of the catalog. They are stunning but also the most expensive. I generally look towards the middle of the catalog which features some beautiful daylily varieties on sale and usually less than half-priced. They are a bargain and beautiful, healthy 2 – 3 fan, bare-root divisions. I have ordered them many times and they always bloom in the first season of planting. The wonderful thing about daylilies is that they multiple over the years and you can divide them and spread them throughout your flower beds or containers. - David Austin– Each year David Austin issues a new edition of their Handbook of Roses. It never disappoints. It is my all-time favorite catalog! David Austin nurseries are self-
proclaimed breeders of exquisite English roses and rightfully so. If you grow roses you know that nothing else looks like these huge, cupped beauties and their fragrance is heavenly. Their catalogs are beautifully written. Each featured rose in their Literary Collection is named after an English poet, a family member who has contributed to their legacy, or someone who has impacted English history. One of the reasons I love this catalog so much is for the groupings of climbers, shrub roses, tea roses, and detailed descriptions on disease resistance and guidance on where best to plant. If you like roses, order the catalog. Better yet, plant a David Austin rose.
I have ordered from all of these in past years and they always ship healthy, good quality plants. Whether or not I order from a catalog or online depends on the availability of plants I am searching for at local nurseries or garden centers. I love supporting local businesses and shipping plants can be expensive. Here is a tip that may help, sometimes when you sign up for a catalog, the nursery will offer a discount on your first order!
If nothing else, I will derive hours of pleasure looking at the new varieties of plants that will soon be available and start the planning process for what I wish to add to my containers and flower beds.
The promise of spring’s arrival is enough to get me through winter. The garden catalogs are the first step in keeping that promise. Splendid!
