Catching Up On Our Reading

The new batch of catalogs began arriving during the last week of December. Each evening I’d leisurely peruse a catalog or two to see what was allegedly new.

Just after New Year’s, though, I was bombarded with eight catalogs in one day. I was overwhelmed.

I guess that’s why the week between Christmas and New Year’s is so slow. So we can look at plant and seed catalogs, of course. But as any gardener knows, the work is long from done.

I’ve got a few tips when it comes to your newest reading. Be careful when going through vegetable seed catalogs that contain both organic and traditional seed varieties. It’s really easy to misread an offering. If you are dedicated to buying organic seed, do a double check on your selections before you order.

There’s also the ongoing issue of items that are being touted as “new,” “exclusive,” “catalog exclusive” and “internet exclusive.” The bottom line is that it’s just marketing and it’s very, very rare for one company to have a pure exclusive on one plant or seed variety.

I really like my print catalogs but there are some nurseries that offer plant lists, seed lists and catalogs only online.

It was a shock to get an email from Klehm’s Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery, saying it is no longer printing a catalog and will have it only online. I understand the economics that drives such a decision and I will miss the print edition dearly as it was an invaluable resource.

On the other hand, we have White Flower Farm, which not only continues its print catalog but has expanded it this year.

The one catalog that absolutely blows me away every single year is the one from Tony Avent’s Plant Delight Nursery, which is also home to his Juniper Level Botanic Gardens down in North Carolina. Well, down in a sense, but the nursery is actually just a hair warmer than us as hardiness zones go.

Now don’t think I’ve ever met Tony, but I have to presume from his catalog covers that he is indeed the quintessential wild and crazy guy of horticulture. And more. The catalog covers are always comical, whimsical and eye-catching.

Are these covers a distraction from what’s inside and what the nursery has to offer? Absolutely not.

My knowledge of Tony is as a plant explorer and plant breeder. He has traveled the world and brought back plants and seeds that are now widely known and scattered throughout the catalog. He has written prolifically and he sure seems to be the type of plantsman that could easily awe any gardener.

But, since his nursery is farther south than us he grows and sells plant material, some of which might be just on the edge of hardy out here in the Hamptons. Ah, but that’s the challenge. While the majority of his offerings are hardy here, some may be marginal and thus the type of plants that those willing to push the envelope might be pleasantly surprised by.

Think global warming. Think mild winters. Think our warm and humid summers. Opportunity may indeed be knocking here but you need to read the catalog carefully while you calculate horticultural odds. To make your choices a bit easier, Tony’s 2013 catalog has a full-page reprint of the new U.S. Department of Agriculture’s hardiness zone map.

But wait, there’s more.

For years I’ve been clamoring for nurseries and seed catalogs to use a common color description to describe foliage and flower colors. The vagaries of red, dark red, blood red, lipstick red and all the other reds just doesn’t help me when I want to convey a specific color in my notes or to you.

What I’ve always wished and asked for is the universal adoption of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Colour Chart. It’s actually a small box, about half the size of a bag of coffee, that contains hundreds and hundreds of associated color swatches.

Each swatch has a small hole through the center so you can place your sample behind it and do a near perfect color match. If we all had this, you could send me an email saying that such and such a flower color matches RHS red-purple group #73 and I’d know exactly what you were seeing and saying.

Well, there I was eating dinner and ignoring my family when on page 79 of the Plant Delights catalog I was caught by the description and picture of Lobelia “Monet Moment,” which is hardy to zone 4 so it’s a perfect candidate for my mountain garden. And there, smack in the middle of the description, was “rich pink-violet flowers RHS 59C.”

In a word: Eureka! I had found a kindred soul. And in a flash, I’d spent $39 for three plants, knowing exactly what the flower color would be.

Now all is not hunky dory. Last year I placed my first big order with Plant Delights Nursery and when the plants arrived I was a bit disappointed with the packing job.

It appears that the company is very, very environmentally sensitive in its packing but those types of packing materials don’t always translate to best practices for the plants. Would that stop me from reordering? Not in the least, but I hope they can do better.

This is also the nursery that offers one of the largest collections of hardy orchids, the ones I wrote about last year. With more than a dozen varieties you can try your skills at finicky but wonderful lady’s slippers and spend from $38 to $90 each.

Yes, they are expensive and yes they are a challenge for even the best of us but they are unique and quite exciting when they flower and establish themselves. These need to be ordered early though as many sell out quickly.

The catalog is just an incredible read. As you go through, pay special attention to those perennials noted as hardy in zones 7A and 7B, as these are the ones I’d start experimenting with if they are marginal. I’ve got nine pages tagged and this may be the year I take the plunge with hardy orchids in a serious way.

Also pay attention to the heuchera selections. They’re chosen for their tolerance of heat and high humidity.

Have I whet your appetite? You can request a Plant Delights Nursery catalog by calling (919) 772-4794 or by emailing office@plantdelights.com. Beware though, the cover clearly states “Catalog price: 10 stamps or a box of chocolates.”

Keep growing.