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YARD AND GARDEN

Garden catalogs


Dave Robson

January's gardening can best be summed up in two words — garden catalogs. These harbingers of the coming year actually arrive throughout the year, but the majority come after the holidays with the bills. It's perfect. When you're suffering the blues due to the grays and whites of winter, you can thumb through the pages and dream of next year's garden.

There are hundreds and hundreds of catalogs. Some have been around for years, such as Burpee's and Park's. Others come and go, and if you don't order something this year, you may never get another catalog.

Some are quite specific. Sitting in a file drawer next to my desk are catalogs devoted specifically to wildflowers, rhododendrons, waterlilies and hostas. There are two that are specific to tomatoes and peppers, listing more than 250 types of tomatoes and 100 peppers.

A few are no more than mimeographed pages stapled in the upper left corner. Others are as rich and detailed as the finest gardening book.

Catalogs can be a gardener's best friend and worst enemy. They can open up your horizons and make you dream of the nicest landscape in the state. They can cause you to pull out all your hair and bang your head against the ground next summer.

Catalogs allow you the opportunity to get seeds of the plants you want. You may be able to try newer cultivars that aren't generally found in many garden centers or nurseries. Older favorites can still be found. Specific colors, sizes and shapes may only be available through the mail.

Most companies offer seeds, allowing the truly adventurous gardener to experience all the joys and sorrows of producing their own transplants. If successful, there's probably no cheaper way of obtaining plants. For direct seeding of lettuce, radish, zinnias or marigolds, you can't beat the price catalogs offer.

The flowery descriptions and succulent photographs hook green thumbs, brown thumbs and even black thumbs. Companies make raising that yellow geranium look as easy as pie. Tomatoes are never redder, plumper or oozing with a feeling that one bite will put you in ecstasy. Beware.

Catalogs are created to sell a product. That's all. Some, such as White Flower Farm and Wayside Gardens, might be more encyclopedic, but they still list a price after the item. Prices are similar among many companies, but not always. However, make sure you never go by price alone. You have to throw in guarantees, reputability and shipping costs.

Start with a list. That's first and foremost. What do you really need, and how much? If you only have room for a couple tomato plants, and you prefer Better Boy, it's probably better to stick with transplants bought locally.

Next, look through other catalogs, comparing prices and quantity of seeds. Some catalogs sell cheaper packets of seeds, but there are fewer seeds in the packet.

Look at the guarantee. Most good companies stand behind their seeds and plants. Guarantees are probably more important for actual plants instead of seeds.

Add in the shipping and handling costs. This is the spot where a cheaper seed in one catalog might not be worth it once you've added the expense of shipping and handling. Generally, it's more cost effective to order seeds from a single source, or two at most.

Order early. You never know if there's a shortage on the seed you requested. Last year was a relatively good one, so most seeds will be around. New company introductions and the All America Selection winners may be in short supply.

Request that plants be shipped after April 1. The ground is usually thawed by this time and you should have little or no problem with planting.

David Robson is an Extension Educator, Horticulture, at the Springfield Extension Center, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Illinois. You can write to Robson in care of Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708. Telephone: (217) 782-6515. E-Mail: robsond@idea.ag.uiuc.edu

16 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING JANUARY 1999


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