kev@voder.UUCP (Kevin Hoskins) (04/11/85)
If any one on the net has the address or phone number
of any seed "manufacturers" it will help me in gathering
catalogs for future purchases for my garden. (But your input
does not have to be limited to just seed; bulbs, bare root, and
any other ways that plants can be bought are also of interest.)
Respond by the net or mail.
Thank You.
Kevin
P.S. (Any service/quality record that you would care to share
is also helpful)rjs@bonnie.UUCP (spider) (04/16/85)
This is a response to a request for mail order plant catalogs. For a long list of seed and plant mail order companies, see the 1985 Family Circle Gardening & Houseplants magazine (Vol. 11, No. 2). It should still be on sale. Here is a list of companies I have made purchases from along with brief comments. The Dutch Bulb companies are actually headquartered in Holland, but all have U.S. distribution centers which provide the catalogs and take the orders (although they sometimes recommend air-mailing direct to Holland if you're late filling your order out). Breck's 6523 N. Galena Rd. Peoria, Illinois 61632 Dutch Bulbs. A well rounded company, they have special offers of 100 bulbs for $20, and also offer varieties unavailable elsewhere (at a considerably higher price of course). Expect to throw a few rotted or moldy bulbs out in the large quantity specials. All the companies say they will send bulbs at the proper time for planting. Breck's got them to me the earliest, and I think it was too early since things started sprouting in the fall (which was unusually warm last year). Dutch Gardens, Inc. P.O. Box 400 Montvale, New Jersey 07645 Phone (201) 391-4366 Dutch Bulbs. This company tries to encourage you to order with a bunch of friends to get your order above $70 at which point a 10% discount goes into effect. They send about 10 order forms with the catalog. This catalog is well worth it even if you never order anything. Very nice photos on stiff pages. These prices are low even without the discount. They have a fall catalog with hardy bulbs and a summer catalog with bulbs which must be stored indoors over the winter. These bulbs did seem to arrive at a good time for planting, and there were very few bad ones. Rex Bulb Farms, Co. Port Townsend, Washington 98368 Specialize in lilies. You can pay low prices for bulbs with about half of the scales removed, or you can pay premium prices for full bulbs. The bulbs I received appeared to be in good condition, but since I only planted them 2 weeks ago, I don't know how well they'll grow. They have a very nice variety. Royal Gardens P.O. Box 588 Farmingdale, New Jersey 07727 Phone: (201) 780-2713 Dutch Bulbs. Probably the best overall quality of dutch bulbs I received, but also higher prices. Another catalog worth ordering just to look at the pictures. These bulbs didn't arrive until mid November, which was just fine for the tulips & daffodils, but the iris didn't really establish their roots before the deep freeze set in, so I lost some to mold. I must confess that I failed to provide a winter mulch, but that didn't bother iris already established in my yard. Spring Hill Nurseries 6523 N. Galena Rd. Peoria, Illinois 61632 Notice the similarity between this address and the one for Breck's above. This company deals in perennials other than the Holland bulbs from Breck's. The plants that survived the slugs seem to be doing ok, but I haven't had them for the summer blooming time yet. W. Atlee Burpee, Co. Warminster, Pennsylvania 18974 Vegetables, annuals and perrennials. Sort of a grab bag company. We generally buy seeds from them. No complaints. They are supposedly famous for their marigolds, and certainly have a wide selection. The following are companies from which I have received catalogs, but never ordered anything. This may indicate the benefits or pitfalls of asking for a catalog from one company (or buying a home for that matter). These mailing lists spread rather rapidly. When I list their wares, I'm basing it on a quick flip through one particular catalog. They may have other catalogs, or I may have missed something. This list is just my impression of their specialty. Interstate Nurseries 504 E Street Hamburg, Iowa 51640 Perennials. Park Seed Hwy 254 N. Greenwood, South Carolina 29647 Annuals & vegies. Rayner Bros., Inc. P.O. Box 1617 Salisbury, Md. 21801 Berries. My supervisor says they're very good. Henry Field Seed & Nursery, Co. Shenandoah, Iowa 51602 Trees, vegies, flowers. J.E. Miller Nurseries Canandaigua, N.Y. 14424 Trees, vegies. Lakeland Nurseries Sales Unique Merchandise Mart Building 4 Hanover Pa. 17333 A little of everything. Stark Bro's Nurseries Louisiana, Missouri 63353 Trees & berries. Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co. Yankton, South Dakota 57079 Everything. American Beauty Roses Spring Hill Reservation Center P.O. Box 1758 Peoria, Illinois 61656 Roses. Please be aware that I just bought my house a year ago, and so I don't have a whole lot of experience with gardening. Thus any comments I made should be taken as those of a novice. Also, I probably missed everyone elses favorite company and they will certainly be quick to respond with this information. I have no ties to any of these companies, and I hope no one is offended by this list on the net as I am responding to a request for information and tried to avoid sounding like a commercial. Enjoy this list, and if you're just starting, try not to make the mistake of ordering more than you have time to plant or will fit in your garden. Robert Snyder bonnie!rjs Northwest New Jersey (for those of you who want to know what type of growing conditions I have).