|
Ordering Plants on the Internet or by Catalog
If you want to include some of the newest
varieties of plants in your garden, consider
ordering plants from internet sites or through
catalogs. New plant varieties are usually
limited in supply during the first few years
they are offered for sale, so many plant
breeders distribute them only through nurseries
that sell mail order plants. Mail order
nurseries also offer larger selections of
vegetables, flowers, shrubs, and trees than
local stores, and since some mail order companies
specialize in certain types of plants, they
often offering dozens of different varieties.
If you are thinking of ordering
plants for
your garden, consider the following:
- Place your order early in the season. Some
companies offer discounts to those who order
early, but even if they do not, new varieties
frequently sell out quickly, so you risk
disappointment if you wait too long. The
nursery will not ship your plants until you
are ready for them in the spring.
- Be aware that when your plants arrive, they
will not look like the fully
grown specimens
pictured in the catalogs. Because
paying
to ship large containers filled
with dirt
is so expensive, the mail order
containers
will be smaller than the quart
size pots
found in most local nursery
yards. These
smaller plants will take longer
to grow to
full size and may not even
bloom the first
year. They may also need extra
attention
and watering to survive.
- Many mail order nurseries ship plants, especially
roses, trees, and shrubs, in a dormant “bare
root” form that arrives looking like dead
sticks. You will need to follow the directions
for handling these plants very carefully
if they are to successfully thrive. With
proper care these plants will grow just as
satisfactorily as those purchased in containers
filled with soil.
Be sure to check the hardiness of any new
plant variety you are thinking of buying.
Some recently developed cultivars are not
as tough as the old fashioned varieties.
Those with variegated leaves may need more
sun than the plain leafed types. |
|
|
