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| Wiese Acres Angel Garden |
I frequently am asked about mail order nurseries and seed centers I use. I do a lot of mail order business because it offers me greater variety than I can find in local garden centers, generally. I like to experiment with new plants and "push the envelope" on the hardiness of plants, just to see what happens. Mail order sometimes allows me to do that more easily. It also allows me to do a lot of my shopping and planning during the winter months when I can't be outside working and and the perennials that will eventually be available locally are still tucked into their winter homes.
There are some risks in shopping by mail order. You can't see the plant before you purchase it, so you don't know the size or the quality. You aren't able to inspect the root ball to see if it has good, sturdy roots that aren't girdling, or choking the plant. You can't inspect the foliage for signs of disease or insect infestation. You don't have a knowledgable nursery staff available to give you face to face consultation about the characteristics of the plant and advice on whether it will be a good fit in your garden. But, if you are comfortable without access to all those things, then mail order is an option for you.
One thing you should always do before ordering, though, is investigate the source and make sure it's reputable. Look for information on the selection, quality, shipping practices, and general customer service before placing a large order. When I first began ordering from each of these companies, I initially placed a rather small order, just to be on the safe side.
I mentioned in an earlier blog about Garden Watchdog. I use that site a lot. But, I also rely on past experience - mine and that of other gardeners. So, I will pass on the names of mail order companies with whom I have done business and been satisfied. This is not an endorsement of those companies nor any type of guarantee that your experience will be the same as mine. Generally, though, when a company has built a fine reputation, you can feel safe in ordering from them.
For perennials, I've had great luck with Bluestone Perennials. They have a print catalogue which is beautifully done and a great website at www.bluestoneperennials.com. They offer great selection, are reasonably priced, their plants are small but healthy with strong root systems and they come packed well for shipping. Perhaps the greatest factor for me in going back to them year after year, though, is their stellar customer service. They respond quickly when contacted about anything. The few times that I had problems with plants I received from them, when I have called or emailed, they have immediately made arrangements to either replace the plants or refund my money. They are also very responsive to special requests about shipping times and anything else I've ever asked of them.
High Country Gardens, which has been an especially good source for xeriscape plants for me for years is similar to Bluestone. They were taken over by new owners (American Meadows) late last year and at this point, I don't know anything about the new ownership. They do still have the same selection of hard to find drought tolerant and hardy plants, but I don't know about quality and service with the new owners. Their website is www.highcountrygardens.com. I plan to give the new owners the opportunity to make me as happy with their company as I have been in the past.
Edmund's Roses has good quality roses, including a fair selection hardy to zones 3 and 4. The quality of their plants has to satisfy some very strict standards and in the past, they have contacted me to tell me they would not be shipping something I'd ordered because it did not meet those quality standards. I appreciate that! You can see their selection at www.edmundsroses.com
Paradise Gardens at www.paradisegarden.com has good healthy plants and good customer service as well. For daylilies, my favorite source is Oakes Daylilies, which is a sister company of Paradise Gardens. Oakes also publishes a beautiful "Daylily Guide" each year. When I've ordered daylilies from Oakes, I will order one plant and have never failed to receive a large enough clump of fans to plant in two separate sites. In addition, they always include at least one free daylily for me to try in my garden. They can be found at www.oakesdaylilies.com .
Another good source for daylilies is North Country Daylilies. Melanie Mason does a lot of her own hybridizing and has many beautiful daylilies for sale. Her fans are also large and healthy and she often includes a "freebie" as well. I've had the opportunity to meet Melanie and she is a delightful and very knowledgable source of information on daylilies. She's always treated me, the customer, as if she were a personal friend who is really trying to help me. And, she grows her daylilies at Longlesson Farm, along with the Angus cattle - hard not to like someone who has cattle AND daylilies. See her selection at www.northcountrydaylilies.com
For seeds, I like R.H. Shumway. Shumway publishes an extensive catalogue with an old-fashioned flavor so I can engage in a little bit of nostalgia as I peruse the vegetable and flower offerings. Their website is www.rhshumway.com.
Seed Savers at www.seedsavers.org is a good source of heirloom seeds. Seed Savers is a non-profit organization that was established nearly 40 years ago to facilitate the saving and sharing of heirloom seeds.
Johnny's Select Seeds is another source I use frequently - www.johnnyseeds.com - and I've had good luck with Territorial Seed Company - www.territorialseed.com . I also use Jung seeds a lot and generally have good experiences with them . You can find them at www.jungseed.com.
For fruits, I use Nourse Berry Farms. They have a nice selection, especially of soft fruits and the plant material quality is very high. www.noursefarms.com.
St. Lawrence Nursery has many varieties of fruit trees bred to be hardy in zone 3 and 4. They don't publish a glitzy catalogue - just a black and white pamphlet type - and you generally have to order very early (January or February) to reserve the trees you want for the coming spring. You can't order products online from them but you can request a catalogue from www.sln.potsdam.ny.us.
If you watch you will find "free shipping" specials and other discounts that make mail order purchases a little less expensive.
Mail order doesn't give me that feeling of immediate gratification I get from stopping at my local garden center on the way home and picking up the "perfect" little addition to my plant family. But, it fun to peruse those catalogues and dream in the dead of winter. And then there is the second wave of excitment when spring finally arrives and the packages start appearing at my doorstep.
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