A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Buying new perenials...

Hello. I am wondering if anyone knows of a site that sells great perenials for a good deal. I already know about Brecks, but I am looking for more variety. Any info would be great! Thanks!!

Hi Mandy,

I think the best deals are at your local garden centers. But I've heard good things about spring Hill Nursery although personally I haven't had much luck with online purchases for the garden. Good luck with yours.

I have tried MANY mail order centers and have been disappointed with almost all of them. For the price, Bluestone Perennials isn't bad. The plants are small and usually come in packs of 3 and are usually in good shape when they arrive. You might look at Graceful Gardens ,too, but they have a minimum order. Michigan Bulb has a guarantee on their plants, but I never had good luck with them and ended up getting my money back on almost everything I ordered. My favorite mail order center is ForestFarm, but they are not cheap, and shipping is outrageuos.

I have ordered from QVC, and they do have an unconditional guarentee.. you don't like it, it didn't perform well, it didn't come up **the following spring** they return or refund your $$..
I simply have no complaints with them..
Not many nurseries have a guarentee like that,
if you buy something and it didn't come up that year or even next year, and you tried to come back and say, "It didn't grow" they'd look at you like :rolleyes: :p about returning your money.....
EVEN IF IT'S YOUR FAULT FOR PLANTING IT WRONG, OR PUTTING IT IN TOO DEEP, WRONG SPOT, ETC..
(and they have several companies that sell there,
like Cottage Gardens, Roberta's Exotic's, Instanta Gardens too..)

For Catalogs,
~~~~>I have not personally ordered from any of these,
(Only cause I don't have much "extra" money, but when I win the lottery to be able spend some $$ on something else than groceries... these are the FIRST PLACES I'D GO)<~~~

Plants Delight Nursery, Inc.
If they put into their service as they do their catalog, I don't think you can go wrong.. I personally have not ordered from there, but they do have alot of unusual plants, and their catalog is sooooooo good, funny, veryyyyyy informative..
and just a nice catalog...
**and I love reading FREEEEEE CATALOGS, in the dead of winter, after Christmas, when I am dreaming of spring to come**

For seeds,
Seeds of Change also has a great catalog,
Again, very informative, and lot's of recipes and such for the things you grow.. as well as growing info...

Cooks Garden also has a great little catalog they put some time into, recipes and growing info...

Depending on what you are looking for Mountain Crest sent me the biggest plants I have gotten from any online Nursery and I have ordered from almost all of the above mentioned.

MC sells succulents also so they do not have a large selection of garden perrenials but what they send looks like 1-2 yr plants not seedlings.

Hey thanks everyone for all of the information! This will definately give me something to look forward too!!

Mandy,
What are you interested in growing?

Nice links Weezie!
I find some great deals even at my grocery store!
The best deal I have found is to get starts from friends,neighbors and family

Im interested in anything that is beautiful. I've borrowed a friends Perenial magazine, and it had wonderful plants in there. Hellebores, Euphorbia, and lots of other plants that tolerate shade. I have a huge tree that shades my yard most of the day. I will take a picture of my yard sometime in the near future.... it is snowing today!!!! UUGGGHHH!!! Just when I wanted to get out and push some dirt around! I also have a rock garden on the south side of my house that is in full sun. I am wondering what to do there. So, anyway, thanks for all the great ideas! I went to plants Delight Nursery, Inc. web site, and they have tons of plants there that are beautiful!!! Thanks again!

Mandy,
if you were close I'd give you about a truck load of starter stock. It is true that the best perennials are the ones that were growing successfully in someone elses garden. A couple of years back, we started a neighborhood plant exchange in the spring and fall (fall for bulbs, spring for perennial thinning). It was wildly successful. Maybe you could start one in your neighborhood. It's a great way to meet neighbors that you don't know and to break the ice easily.

Morninglori,
That is a great idea! I will have to bring it up to a bunch of friends in the neighborhood. (Now just thinking about which plants I would like to target!)

I have ordered from directgardening.com, and most of what they sent me has survived and even thrived. They mostly send bare root plants though, so you have to be patient (it takes a few weks for plants to establish and start growing), but they are really really cheap and have a 1 year replacement agreement, you just tell them what didn't make it and they send you new stuff.
Good luck!
ps- i agree that the best comes from others gardens!

Columbines,ferns,hosta,poker primrose,hosta,bleeding hearts,lily's,hydrangea,lilly of the valley, I grow just about every in shade!

WOW!!! This has been such a great forum!! I am loving all of these ideas!! Keep em coming!!

I have alot of shade in the back of my house it is totally north and I have a lot of trees,but can grow shasta daisies,purple,cone flowers,creeping phlox,irish moss,fox glove the list goes on but I can't remember all the names right off...
Good luck with your planning Mandy if you have any questions ask someone I know you will get lots of help.