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Delights Nursery catalog. Their catalog, with its goofy covers, is just about as offbeat as their price for viewing it.
Make no mistake, though, these people are serious plantsmen and offer the latest, most unusual cultivars and selections of perennials. Furthermore, all their plants are nursery-propagated, which is a definitive mark of a quality nursery plant.
I love the red stemmed Northern Lady Fern, purplefoliaged, bi-color dahlia Moonfire and heuchera (coral bell) Frosted Violet, which sports pink-purple leaves with dark veining. Yummy. Their address is 9241 Sauls Road, Raleigh, N.C., 27603. Call 919772-4794 or visit their Web site at www.plantdelights.com.
Tool Shed
More goofiness abounds in the catalog of Gardener’s Supply, though not on the cover. If you can overlook the kitsch-y garden ornaments and do-hickeys, there are some very useful items, like green shade nets, row covers, propagation flats and barley-straw mats for nontoxic clearing of algae from ponds. Call 800-427-3363 or visit their Web site at www.gardeners.com.
Hard to find products for serious gardeners and growers, plus the most comprehensive cover-crop seed fist is sold through Peaceful Valley Farm Supply catalog.
Here, one can purchase the transparent and durable Tuffbell row cover I use for low tunnels, non-chemical rooting compound, drip irrigation systems and a large variety of shade nets, ranging from 30-80 percent.
There are unusual organic soil amendments, Brix measurement extractors, professional soil meters and wonderful tools. Calculate weight carefully: shipping from California is expensive — maybe pool together with friends to save on shipping and fuel use. Call 888-7841722 or visit their Web site at www.groworganic.com.
Dessert
What better way to top off this list than with a good fruit supplier?
Trees of Antiquity boasts many heirloom varieties of apples, pears, plums, cherries and other fruits: figs, paw-paws, berries, edible crabs and grapes. Organic apple, plum, peach and grape stock is offered and scion wood is available for grafting.
My mouth watered as I read the apple list, which includes the old English cider apples Foxwhelp and Sops in. Wine. Ashmead’s Kernel, Black Gilliflower, Blanc de Caville, Kelly Irish Pippin and Belle de Boskoop are favorite old apples.
It is interesting that many old types of fruit are more suited to the quirks of regional micro-climates than the standard and commonly grown varieties.
I planted the Spiztenburg and Pink Pearl organic apple stock last year, and they are thriving. I can hardly wait to taste them. Call 805-467-9901 or visit their Web site at www.treesofantiquity.com.
Donna LaPre welcomes questions and comments and may be reached at dopray® earthlink.net or in care of the Rappahannock News, P.O. Box 59, Washington, Va. 22747.
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