# Gardeners and mail order **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 19, 2000, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011 "2000-02-19T19:25:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/1 "2000-02-19T19:25:00Z")
Okay, there’s a foot of new snow on the ground, but a couple days ago I saw a few bits of green poking through the frozen tundra. Tulips, I think. The other bits of green were the garden catalogs that have started to propagate in the mailbox. So have any of you folks had any experiences, good or bad, with mail order garden companies? I know Breck’s is good, but bulbs are easy. How about the others? Gurney’s? Spring Hill? Ever get cuttings or rose bushes in the mail? How’d they do? ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/2 "2000-02-19T20:04:00Z")
## Burpee seeds are about the only thing I’ve ordered through the mail that has ever ended up in my garden. I prefer to eyeball cuttings and seedlings myself prior to purchase. “Though I hate 'em, I’ll defend to my death your right to use smilies.” Forward deployed until 18AUG00 ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/3 "2000-02-19T20:50:00Z")
Me too, but the catalogs have more of a selection than the local nurseries. I didn’t even know there was a white liatris til I saw one in a catalog. Thought they only came in purple. Not that there’s anything wrong with purple. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/4 "2000-02-19T20:51:00Z")
ChiefScott’s right about fingering the goods yourself. But I’ve ordered from, and had great success with, Whiteflower Farm in Connecticut. It’s a real lace-curtain nursery, and markets itself to the nabobs in Newport, Marblehead, and Northeast Harbor. If you can prove your provenance back to the MAYFLOWER, they’ll put you on their mailing list. A friend also once sent me a heirloom rosebush from a nursery in South Carolina…it’s by far the healthiest rose in my garden, producing many more blooms than any of the roses I’ve chosen personally. * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/5 "2000-02-19T20:53:00Z")
I ordered 3 trees from the Michigan Bulb co. 2 years ago. I could only use 1, so I gave the others to a neighbor. Hers died immediately, mine is now 10 ft. tall or so. To be fair, they were only sticks with roots when I got them, and other stuff I’ve bought had been hit or miss. The strawberrys are doing great, the blueberry bush died. Flowers are about 50/50, but ask me in the spring when I see how many of the bulbs I got last year sprout AND BLOOM this year. * * * Cecil said it. I believe it. That settles it. ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/6 "2000-02-19T21:17:00Z")
Auntie P – Of course you’ll find a better selection in a mail order catalog. They are marketing to the entire country (if not the world). If your local nursery is worth its salt it’ll only be stocking items which will flourish in your neck o’ the woods. Also, they can give you all the info you need on spacing and depth for planting, fertilizing, watering, etc. You owe me a peony! * * * “Though I hate 'em, I’ll defend to my death your right to use smilies.” Forward deployed until 18AUG00 ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/7 "2000-02-19T21:38:00Z")
Oh, geez…now someone’s gonna have to offer a peony for your thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/8 "2000-02-19T21:42:00Z")
Chief Scott – I refuse to believe that marigolds, zinnias and impatiens are the only plants that will flourish in Iowa. But I get your point. Would you like pink or white? ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/9 "2000-02-19T21:54:00Z")
Purple, since there’s nothing wrong with it. (p.s. this isn’t a flame, but ChiefScott’s one name.) * * * “Though I hate 'em, I’ll defend to my death your right to use smilies.” Forward deployed until 18AUG00 ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/10 "2000-02-19T21:55:00Z")
Oh, and Ike… ::clap-clap:: Great/bad play on a word/saying. * * * “Though I hate 'em, I’ll defend to my death your right to use smilies.” Forward deployed until 18AUG00 ---
**Author:** ![UppityWoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ee7513/32.png) [@UppityWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UppityWoman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/11 "2000-02-20T02:15:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by AuntiePam: > \*\*Okay, there’s a foot of new snow on the ground, but a couple days ago I saw a few bits of green poking through the frozen tundra. Tulips, I think. The other bits of green were the garden catalogs that have started to propagate in the mailbox. > > So have any of you folks had any experiences, good or bad, with mail order garden companies? > > I know Breck’s is good, but bulbs are easy. > > How about the others? Gurney’s? Spring Hill? Ever get cuttings or rose bushes in the mail? How’d they do? \*\* I’ve had great luck with anything from Jackson & Perkins (mostly roses). I’ve had a lot of things from there and they have all done well immediately. (They are a bit more expensive than some other catalogue companies.) My rule of thumb after about ten years of experimentation with different plant and seed catalogue companies is this: if the catalogue is very elegant and obviously expensive to produce, the things I’ve ordered have done very well, even with casual care, in some cases. The catalogues that have cheaper products and are on cheap paper with flimsy covers have usually sent me plants that either died or took years to get going, even with meticulous care. This is not true without exception, but close enough. Big exception: The cheapest catalogue I’ve ever seen is the Abundant Life Seed Foundation’s catalogue and yet, their stuff does wonderfully well. They have a lot of heirloom and rare seeds and their care advice is excellent. ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/12 "2000-02-20T02:32:00Z")
Hey Uppity – If you’re referring to the original post just say: "Per the OP, " and then go on about your comments. This saves you the cuttin’, pastin’, boldin’ and typin’. And it saves us clods from a lot of scrollin’. Just another helpful gardening tip from ChiefScott! ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/13 "2000-02-20T02:40:00Z")
FWIW, I’ve had miserable luck with Michigan Bulb company. I usually buy from local nurseries, but succumbed to ugly Catalog Lust and lived to regret it. Actually some of the best buys have been from the fall plant sale from the local Parks Dept.; the proceeds support the botanical center. The plants are _cheap_ and adapted to the soil and climate. It’s been a great way to fill in lillies, hostas, etc. at minimal cost. Nonetheless, I’m grateful for a few of the tips here. There are some heirloom things and specific herb varieties that I just can’t buy locally. Guess there isn’t enough market for them. Thanks for the OP. Glad to know I’m not the only one with a raging case of spring fever. Of course we have a foot of snow on the ground, so that just compounds the fracture. But I’m toying with the seed starting thing, and lusting for vine ripened tomatoes. sigh. Veb ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/14 "2000-02-20T02:56:00Z")
My green thumb has been itching lately as well. Though, in the past year I’ve acquired three goats, so have to be more careful what/where I plant. I love em, but their main MO is “Can I eat it???” For herb plants and seeds, Richter’s is wonderful! Great catalog, and careful packing that gets the plants to you in good shape. [http://www.richters.com](http://www.richters.com) Order the print catalog, it’s a wellspring of information. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/15 "2000-02-20T03:05:00Z")
\ picking and eating my own tomatos. Summer can’t come to soon \ * * * Cecil said it. I believe it. That settles it. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/16 "2000-02-20T03:07:00Z")
Damn it! I had \*\* sighs \*\* around my last post, but stupid me put them in brackets. * * * Cecil said it. I believe it. That settles it. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/17 "2000-02-20T03:18:00Z")
ChiefScott likes peonies, but not Smilies. What a weird world… ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/18 "2000-02-20T17:12:00Z")
I did once. But the package was opened by some agriculture guys on the way here & they took out whatever they thought should NOT be in california…sigh ---
**Author:** ![tbea925](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@tbea925](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tbea925)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2000, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/19 "2000-02-21T06:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by AuntiePam: > \*\*How about the others? Gurney’s? Spring Hill? Ever get cuttings or rose bushes in the mail? How’d they do? \*\* ## Spring Hill is good; if you have cable you can order Spring Hill stuff from QVC (or at [www.qvc.com).](http://www.qvc.com).) Jackson & Perkins is an excellent source for plants, especially roses. Parks Seed Company and their alterego, Wayside Gardens (for live plants) are quite good. Gurneys I haven’t ordered too much stuff from, but don’t have anything bad to report. Burpee seeds are supposed to be good as well. This sig not Y2K compliant. Happy 1900. ---
**Author:** ![jazzmine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jazzmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jazzmine)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011/20 "2000-02-20T22:16:00Z")
AuntiePam - one of my favorite topics! I’ve sent you a long, drawn-out email on the nurseries I’ve ordered from. Something to look forward to, eh? 😉 trisha [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gardeners-and-mail-order/14011.md?page=2)