Speaking of seeds...
Michael Tortorello, who has been chronicling his novice vegetable gardening adventures for the New York Times, is saving the rest of us a lot of time.
Gardeners understand how overwhelming the catalog season can be, how big our eyes are and how small our gardens are. And how we don't want to spend a gardening season nurturing a tomato that tastes, as Tortorello says, "like Play-Doh."
So he has asked major-league gardeners in different areas of the country for their favorites - and their failures - and he gives us their shopping lists and their favorite sources.
Of interest to Garden Variety readers here in the Mid-Atlantic, Tortorello asked Holly Shimizu, executive director of the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, for her recommendations. She gardens on a quarter-acre yard in Glen Echo, MD.
Among her favorites is a favorite of mine, Moon vine (Ipmoea alba), which blooms bright white in the evening.
In addition, she, like me, has given up on tomatoes in the ground because of blight.
For the rest of the gardeners and their suggestions, check out Tortorello's article.
Comments
When I read about Wayside Gardens - here at Garden Variety, I believe - I requested a catalog. I have never received their catalog, but Wayside does email their promotions and online specials at least twice a week (it seems) I've been picking out the plants I love and adding them to my cart, which I look at from time to time. Sort of cyber-post-its, I guess.
Because my life was a bit unsettled - for about 10 years, I guess - I haven't been getting catalogs for several years. After reading about Plant Delights Nursery - also here, at Garden Variety - I requested a catalog and they have really, really fast turnaround! MY PDN catalog arrived yesterday, and I spent the evening just lusting after pretty much everything in it!
For me - and maybe this is a generational thing - there is something wonderful and compelling about holding the catalog in my hands. It's much harder not to buy when the pictures and words are right there with me.
I think it is a generational thing, Eve. A recent study (I posted about it, I think) finds that most people used their catalogs as a "reminder" to go on line and buy! --Susan
Posted by: Eve | January 22, 2010 11:22 AM