ark@alice.UUCP (Andrew Koenig) (04/29/85)
If you are at all interested in perennials, order a catalog from White Flower Farm Litchfield CT 06759-0050 They do not sell seeds. They do sell plants and bulbs in great profusion. Their catalog costs $5, which gets you a credit slip worth $5 on any order of $25 or more, and two years of catalogs (spring and fall, and a little one near Christmas). An order of $25 or more resets the timer to two years. Their catalog is gorgeous. 8.5x11, stapled along the short edge, on 104 glossy pages, their catalog has color photographs of plants on virtually every page, interspersed with drawings and tables. The language in the catalog is also a delight, probably because the nursery was founded by two writers. As an example, here is one entry from their catalog: TRADESCANTIA (trad-es-kan'tee-a) Commelinaceae. Spiderwort. Before the hybredizers took T. bracteata and T. virginiana, the two hardy species of this native North American genus, about all one could say in their favor was that they were interesting. They are lovely today, but because they were namby-pamby for so long, very few gardeners grow them and many don't even recognize them now that they have been so remarkably transformed. The plants are strong, the long narrow leaves very beautiful, the flowers most unusual in form and color. The blossoms close on a hot day by mid-afternoon, but a fresh crop opens shortly after dawn each morning. Most varieties grow to about 24 inches in sun, about 30 inches in half shade. It is a perennial that deserves far more attention, for it blooms all summer and is vigorous right up to the point of invasiveness. Fact is, it's an ideal plant for shady areas, given a soil rich in organic matter. Divide in spring or fall. Zones 4 to 9. Not only is the language graceful, the entry tells just about everything you might want to know about the plant. The catalog is well worth the price, as are the plants they offer.