In my last post I mentioned that I was going to write down some helpful hints when ordering plants from nursery catalogues.
The first thing to remember is that nurseries are businesses. They are trying to sell you something. They use all the typical marketing skills to get you to purchase . . . so, be a smart consumer. Before I order I always refer to the Garden Watchdog page on www.Davesgarden.com. These pages list hundreds of mailorder nurseries with customer reviews as positive, neutral and negative. Dave also has a list of the top 30 companies. This is a great resource!
On with my list:
1. Double check the growing conditions the plant requires with an outside source (like the USDA Plant site http://plants.usda.gov) including USDA zone, and water/light requirements. Also consider the mature height/spread of a plant and the time it will take to achieve mature size. What other characteristics does the plant have? What's its shape? How do the leaves sit on the branches? Does the seed self-sow?
2. Be aware of great photos! Those great blooms featured in the catalogue photo -- it might take years (depending on the size of the plant you've purchased) to get. Often the photos are only of the plant bloom; what does the rest of the plant look like?
3. Be aware of short descriptions. What does the plant look like year round? Here's an example. I was at a favorite nursery (in person) in the off season just looking around. A Harry Lauder's walking stick corylus avellana contorta was on sale for half-price. I loved it until an older gentleman walked by and offered his advice. "The shrub has no leaves. If you buy it now, you'll put it in a prominent place in your landscape to rightly show it off. The problem is that Harry Lauder's is a very non-descript plant 7-8 months of the year. It's boring with leaves." I took it off my cart and gladly saved myself $50.
4. Do your research. My favorite resource for researching plants is The American Horticultural Society's A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Its thick and expensive . . . use the local library's copy or www.google.com the latin name of your plant for a reputable website.
5. Find a photo of the plant (especially shrubs and trees) with some kind of height reference like a ruler. That full page photo of the most beautiful flower may only be 2" in diameter!
6. Check on bloom length . . . What does the plant look like out of flower? If a plant looks great for the two weeks it blooms, and horrible the rest of the year, is it the right plant for you?
7. Beware of the name! I've seen companies use latin names in place of a common name to disguise plants with bad reputations. Invasive vines, prolific self-seeders, finicky plants have all be "renamed" to make them more appealing. Beware.
8. Other important considerations: What is the nursery's return policy? Shipping dates? How are the plants packaged?
Now, let me say that most companies have great reputations, and are willing to rectify any legitimate customer complaints. The onus is on the buyer to make sure that we are aware of what we are ordering.
caveat emptor -- adepto vestri manuum immunda (buyer beware -- get your hands dirty)
