Yes, my age is showing. I started buying plants by catalog when the WWW was still a toddler. Also, the horticulture industry was not the most technologically advanced. It didn’t have to be, with people like me as customers. But now that gardening is all the rage with the young professional new home owner, you can buy anything garden related online. Yippee!
But dang, plants have become expensive! $17 for a 3.5″ pot of nothing special? You could get a gallon pot of the same for less at your local box store. Sheesh.
Ah, but those photos in the catalogs look so sexy, so desirable, so full of promise about how they will grow lush and fabulous in your garden. Then those tiny two inch pots arrive, or just dormant bare roots.
My sage advice? Don’t look at catalogs if you’re a new gardener with an acre of open space to fill. Unless you like to experiment with different species and want all the information available. Unlike a few inches of space on a pot tag, websites can present all you need to know to succeed with the plant photo that caught your eye.
Binomial nomenclature. If it’s not used, it tells me that they are not genuine plant business people. Maybe just a middle man trying to make a buck, probably not a grower. If they short-change you on the scientific name, they likely shortchange you on the information you need to succeed. If they don’t really care about my gardening experience, I can’t really care to shop with them. Even if the deal is amazing. I’m not confident that the thing I receive in the mail will be amazing or even the species I was expecting.