Well, Spring is on its way.  Only a couple of weeks until official Spring, but we have crocus in bloom and lots of shoots everywhere, so I guess it’s really coming.   We actually worked in the yard yesterday, for the first time in I don’t know how long.  And the forcast here is for temps to be in the 60’s for the next seven days.  Hurray!!!  

If you think it’s been an unusually cold winter, you’re right.  We’ve been in NC for more than two decades and this is about the coldest it has been (continuously) that we can recall.  We’ve had colder temps, but then it would warm up.  Not this year.  

And it seems that the unusual weather wasn’t just for here.  We just returned from a 10 day vacation.  7 nights on a cruise ship and 3 in Florida.  We packed lots of shorts (that we never wore) and sunscreen (that we barely used).   The cruise had rain (in the dry season) for 2+ days, rough seas and cool weather.  We didn’t even get to go ashore at Grand Cayman because the water was too rough for the tenders to ferry people ashore.  Naturally, that was our most anticipated port – we were going to snorkle with the sting rays in Sting Ray Alley.   Only on Roatan, off the coast of Honduras, did the temps get into the low 80’s (usually mid 90’s this time of year).  We still got to visit the Mayans ruins of Tulum in Mexico (awesome) and go biking through a jungle in Belize (complete with iguanas, leaf cutter ants, giant termite mounds and howler monkeys), but (although certainly warmer than home ) it was pretty much cool and wet for the whole trip.  And Florida never got above the low 50’s while we were there.   Oh well. 

Back to the catalogs.  Since we can now start gardening instead of dreaming and planning about gardening, this will be the last “favorite catalogs” post. 

The image above is for “Old House Gardens“, which is devoted entirely to heirloom bulbs and is a leader in preserving them.  Started in 1993 by a landscape historian, their first catalog was 3 sheets of photocopied paper to 500 people.  Almost all of their bulbs come from small family growers in the US (99+% of bulbs bought in the US come from the Netherlands).  Their catalog is basically divided into Spring planted and Fall planted bulbs.  One thing I really like about their site and catalog is a list of comparison charts.   Open, say, the daffodil chart and you’ll see a long list of daffodils comparing their heights, bloom times, fragrance, etc.  Really useful if you’re trying to find something that will fit into that border garden area.  Not just daffodils of course.  There are comparison charts for lots of different bulbs.  Nice site.

Another catalog we like is the White Flower Farm Catalog.   They have it all:  Perennials, Annuals, Shrubs, Roses, Houseplants, Herbs, Vegetables, Vines, and so on.  Lots of great photos and great plants.  We’ve had good luck buying from them and their catalog has warmed our imaginations on many a cold dark winter night.  Check them out.  

And finally, we like the Forest Farm catalog.  They’ve been around since the mid 70’s, they grow what they sell and boast of having one of the largest plant selections in the country.   In addition to flowers and shrubs, they sell ferns, grasses, bamboo, palms, trees and fruit plants.  And you can look up plants by either the common name, botanical name or category.  

Well, next week we’ll be discussing a couple of new things we’re trying.  One is Square Foot Gardening.  The other is an attempt to solve a problem.  We planted trees in the front yard a couple of years ago and we’re afraid of damaging the rooms as we dig in the flower beds, so we’ve added a couple of raised bed gardens.  We’ll include photos. 

We’re also switching to posting only once a week.  I have an actual job (doesn’t everyone?) and I need to keep time for gardening, my other websites (check out Rooms With Great Views) and having some play time with my wonderful bride.   I’m also trying to learn more about building websites AND I’m thinking about restarting my guitar/mandolin lessons.  WHEW!   I’m tired just listing all that stuff.  Wish us well.  And Happy Gardening.  YEA SPRING!!!!!!!!

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To our regular readers (and new ones too, I guess), Sorry, but we’re taking about two weeks off.  A much needed break.  But we will be back on March 8 refreshed and ready to go.   And spring is just around the corner, so we’ll be writing more about our own garden, as well as preparing a garden for the coming revival.  Much to do.   Stay tuned.

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“At Bramble and Rose our main business is that of growing and selling the older varieties of own root roses”.   Root roses, sure.  But necklaces and rosaries made from ground up rose petals?  You’ve gotta love this country.  And this is an interesting catalog, really.  The photos of their roses are gorgeous.  And read the “A Family Thing” section.  Pretty neat.  As you’ve no doubt gathered, they don’t sell just roses, but all things rose.  Seven different kinds of rose soap, a body spritz, an astringent…. Check it out.  A nice little family business.  Bramble and Rose.

Heirloom Seeds has heirloom vegetables, flowers and herbs.  Click on the image on the left to go to their site, and once there, click on the image of what you’re looking for, be it cucumber or spinach.  There’s also lots of very helpful advice.  Here’s one you don’t see everyday:  a chart on germination temperatures for different plant seeds.  They also have pest control products (ever seen lady bug lure before? – it attracts ladybugs and other beneficial insects to your garden).  Heirloom Seeds.

 Heritage Harvest Seed specializes in rare and endangered vegetables, flowers and herbs. 

 Click on their loooooooonnnnnnng catalog index.  Lots and lots of plants here.  And the looooonnnng herb index.   And the loooooooonnng flower index.   We’re talking a lot of plants here.  And a well done website. 

And if you’re wondering “Exactly what is an heirloom vegetable?”, then Click Here for an in depth examination of the issue from The Heirloom Vegetable Gardener’s Assistant.

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The Amaryllis Bulb Company is pretty much one stop shopping for amaryllis.  From rare amaryllis to dwarf, double and cybister, they run the gamut.  Here’s their planting and care guide.  Lots of companies sell Amaryllis, but not may sell only Amaryllis.

Tulips.   We all know that a great many tulips come fom Holland.  With a name like the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, you would think that this is also a Holland company, but it isn’t.  Wooden Shoe Tulip farm is in Oregon.  The Pacific Northwest is becoming a major player in the bulb business.

On 40 acres, they grow tulips, daffodils and a variety of other bulbs.  Once on their site, click on the Tulip Fest link.  It’s in late March.  Good selection.

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Horn Canna Farm has been selling Cannas since 1928 and is one of the largest Canna growing farms in the world, with over 30 varieties.   Be sure to read the “About” page to learn how they got started and how the 15 year old son traded a Jersey cow for the rights to the family business.   It even has a couple of great photos of the founding family. 

Cannas, or Canna Lilies, lost favor for a while in the American garden, but we’re rediscovering the beauty of these tall flowers with large colorful heads with interesting leaf patterns.  By the way, Cannas aren’t true lilies, but are members of the Cannaceae family.

 Cannas (or Canna lilies) are not to be confused with Calla Lillies, which are from the Zantedeschia family, although they do have some similarities.  While both are from more tropical climates, the Canna has its roots here (from South Carolina through South America) while the Calla has its roots in Africa.

 Here’s a  GUIDE TO GROWING ZANTEDESCHIA (CALLA LILIES)  from a Calla lily grower (and seller) – Lakeside Canna.  A company called Pacific Callas also has a large selection.  And Oregon Coastal Flowers has a large selection of both Calla Lilies and Hydrangeas.

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One thing I like about this company is that you can see a genus list and order from that.  Another neat aspect is that they have cultural instructions for spring flowering, summer flowering and perennial bulbs – very useful info.  There’s also a pdf for caring for indoor potted bulbs as well as one for forcing bulbs.

I also like this – you can buy combination gardens, which are groupings of bulbs with appropriate colors, heights, etc.  AND (this is useful) they have a “BulbFinder” , where you put in your zone, the color you want, sun vs shade and several other things to find just the right bulb for that spot in your garden.  Nice catalog.   Click on the photo to go there.

Next is Easy to Grow Bulbs, for the warmer zones (7 -11).   A loooong list of bulbs, though I must admit that my favorite section is “Weird and wonderful”, where you can buy things like Black Elephants Ears and the Voodoo Lily.

Happiness Farms.  Nice name, hunh?   “HAPPINESS FARMS, INC is the world’s largest commercial caladium farm.”  Enough said.  If you’re looking for caladiums, this is the place.

Cates Family Glads (as in Gladiolas).   This is a family business, and this year’s catalogs have all been shipped (you could apply for next year’s), but you can still order on line – they have a pdf of the catalog.  There’s a fairly good variety.  I like the heirloom section especially.   Lots of photos, but then any flower catalog that doesn’t have lots of photos is ….. (fill in the blank).  You do have to go to the photo gallery to see them, though. I think they should also be linked to the bulb names in the general list, which they aren’t. Maybe as a rollover or pop-up.  AND not all of the varieties have a photo.  I’d bet the don’t sell as many of those.   But all in all, a good selection.

The next couple of postings will also be about bulbs.  I’ll mostly be listing catalogs that specialize in certain types of bulbs.  Stay tuned.

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Here’s a nice site:  The Tasteful Garden.  Lots of useful stuff.   In addition to tomato, pepper and vegetable plants, there are onion and garlic, fruit and citrus trees, seeds, herbs and garden supplies.  What sets them apart are the added features.  Check out the Tasteful Kitchen in the menu bar.  There’s an herb usage chart and tips for how to harvest and store fresh herbs.  There’s a page on herbs and antioxidants and a page on canning tomatoes (with recipes).  They even sell both garden tools and kitchen gadgets.  Nice site.  Click on their logo to go there.

Here’s a place for sweet potato.  Lots of varieties, including Georgia Jets, Beauregard, “Bunch” Porto Ricos, Vardaman, Centennials, Nancy Halls, White Yams, O’Henry, Carolina Ruby and Japanese.  They include sweet potato facts,  tips on planting and harvesting sweet potatoes as well as a couple of recipes.  There’s a yam vs sweet potato discussion and a page on color ( did you know that for many years sweet potato meat was either white or yellow instead of the red we know today?)  Click on the logo.

Here’s a catalog with a LOT of variety – all sorts of vegetables with detailed descriptions and instructions.  They also have books, dvds and supplies.  I especially like the “gardening with kids” and the “gifts for gardeners” sections.

“Southern Exposure Seed Exchange specializes in heirloom seeds and other open-pollinated (non-hybrid) seeds – especially varieties suited to the Mid-Atlantic region.”  They have a print catalog and return cusotmers get an extra 5% off.

Click on the photo to go there.

This final one doesn’t have a print catalog (or a logo), so you’ll have to click on the name to go there.  It’s a mom and pop operation, but a nice one, with varieties that tolerate dry hot summers.  I assume that’s where the name comes from:  Skyfire Garden Seeds. Specializing in heirloom, organic and open pollination seeds.

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Beans, beans and more beans.  All sorts of beans.  Broad Beans, Dry/Shell, Flat Podded, French Filet, Green Bush, Lima, Pole Beans, Purple Podded, Runner Beans, Soybeans, Yellow Bush.  I don’t even know what all of those are.  Plus they have things like asparagus and Jerusalem artichoke as well as other vegetable seeds.  Click on their logo to go there.

This is one I couldn’t resist:  Vegi-Forms.  They say “A Form for every veggie”, but really it’s about 5 different forms.  Want to make a yellow squash look like an ear of corn?  Or how about this nice face for your pumpkin?  In addition to making your veg cute, they claim that they  ”Are denser, which means they’re sweeter and more flavorful too.
Require less pesticide use, because they are protected from many garden pests by the plastic mold.  Grow better and healthier overall.” Again, click on the photo. 

How about chiles?  Try the Tough Love Chile Company?  No hard catalog, but you can order online.  You can even order whole collections of chile seeds, such as the mild collection or the hot hot hot collection or even the ornamental collection.  They even have the Tough Love Chili Bookstore with books about chili and cook books as well.  Cool.

And finally, tomato tomato tomato.  You say tomato, I say… yum.  Here are several tomato sites.  Enjoy.

Tomato Growers Supply Company.

Tomato Heirlooms.

Totally Tomatoes.

Tomato Fest. 

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There are all sorts of catalogs for the Garden Dreamer, both online and off line.  Let’s start with seed catalogs.  And let’s start our look at seed catalogs with Johnny’s Seed Catalog.   What I like about Johnny’s is that they don’t sell any varietal or tool that they haven’t tested themselves.  And their list of seeds is extensive, including vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs, as well as cover crops for farms.  And tools, of course. They also have heirloom seeds, organic seeds and something called pelleted seeds.  Pelleted seeds are seeds that have a coating on them to make them easier to handle.  It especially makes it easier for machines to handle them.

Organic seeds?   Aren’t all seeds organic?  Not officially, no.  An organic seed is a seed grown from a certified organically grown plant.  The theory is that seeds that are organically grown, especially for generation after generation, are superior to those grown otherwise, especially to genetically modified plant seeds.  Here’s a discussion of organic seeds by someone who disagrees with a requirement to use organically grown seeds under certain “commercial” conditions.

Johnny’s has a large heirloom seed collection.  The wikipedia definition of heirloom seed is “a cultivar that was commonly grown during earlier periods in human history, but which is not used in modern large-scale agriculture.

We like Johnny’s.  You can order a hard catalog if you’d like.  Just click on the photo of the catalog to go to their website.

Next is Seeds of Change. Seeds of Change sells organic seeds.  Now, most of these “seed” companies sell more than seeds.  Seeds of Change is no exception, since they also see seedlings, tubers and the like.  They have large selections of things like potatoes, which are better suited for larger plots, but they also have a section for urban and container gardening, with things like: Beurre De Roquencourt Wax Snap Bush Bean, Black-Seeded Blue Lake Pole Bean, Cocozelle Bush Zuchini, Fino Verde Basil, Forest Green Parsley,  Italian Pole Bean, Little Ceasar Lettuce,  Mesclun Salad Mix, Peacevine Cherry Tomato,  Peruvian Purple Chile Pepper,  Royal Burgundy Bush Bean, Stupice Tomatoe : Sugar Snap Pea.  Pretty cool.  They also have a section on four season gardening.

Next is Bakers Creek Heirloom Seeds. In their own words:  “Your source for 1400 heirloom seeds. We only offer open-pollinated seeds: pure, natural & non-GMO!”  White Pumkins, Zebra Tomatoes, cool stuff.  A blog, forums, a magazine, links to other heirloom seed sites.  This is a neat catalog.

And of course, there’s the long established catalogs like Burpee’s and Parkseed.  We use Parks a lot.  Next posting: Vegetable Catalogs.

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What are your favorite catalogs?   Any kind…. seed, plant, heirloom, vegetable…. you name it.  We’d like to hear from you.  The next posting will be about OUR favorite catalogs, but first tell us about yours.

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