The Coastal Gardener - October, 2004
Catalog Shopping
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The woodcutter in the canyon had smirked and laughed, knowing that it was going to rain. He would snicker and shake his head as I passed by each day; when was I going to buy some firewood? And it did rain, the day turned cloudy and the wind rose, but not from the south. By evening, the sky was clearing. But next morning a rainbow was caught in the sunrise and it rained!
The first rain of the season heralds the start of the most important gardening activity of the year: catalog shopping. I just received my Forestfarm catalog from Williams, Oregon, over 500 pages of perennials, grasses, shrubs, trees and vines. The catalog is so large that it takes about a week to read through it and even start to make selections. Plants that are under consideration include the purple-pea flowered desert native, Amorpha; Atriplex, a very xeric shrub from the Great Basin with leaves like silver felt; a pine that is across between the native Knobcone and Monterey Pines, know for it drought and disease resistance called the KMX Pine; Clianthus from New Zealand, a Maori plant with red parrot beak flowers used for leis; and Phillyrea, a Mediterranean shrub with tiny, intensely fragrant flowers. I choose plants that can withstand drought for my garden, but well watered gardens will be amply supplied with shrubs and trees from the Chilean Eucryphia "Nymansay" with glossy leaves and white gardenia like flowers, to the fragrant winter blooming witch hazels, Hamamelis, which would thrive in any garden that received a few hours of frost each year. Witch hazels have a shy beauty that is best appreciated on cool morning when their fragrance sends you in search of their tiny golden green flowers on twisting stems. Later, large crinkled leaves are a lustrous green turning gold and orange in fall.
Now that you are eager to turn to catalog and get ordering here are a few points to remember.
What to expect. The dirty little catalog secret in the plants sent through the mail is small. Often so small that they will need a year in pots to beef up to a size that can survive in the garden. I pot up all my catalog purchases in 1 gallon containers to get them growing and some will be big enough to plant out by mid-spring, others will spend their whole first year in pots, getting coddled in the nursery.
Buy only plants that arte not readily available locally. Since catalog plants are small, you are paying a premium for enhanced selection. Why buy some dead common plant by mail when it can be had at the garden center for a few dollars? If you do not see the plant of your dreams locally, ask first they may be able to special order healthy one-gallon plants, at twice the size of the catalog plant for the same price.
This should be obvious, but if it is too good to be true it isn't. Poor quality catalogs companies are easy to spot, they print thin, overly colorful photos with catchy plant names and no scientific name to be seen. Prices are 6 for $1 etc. Avoid them unless you like sending your money to people who could care less about what you get. If in doubt about a catalog, look it up on the Garden Watchdog website www.davesgarden.com/ . This site rates catalog companies by customer input.
Know your "zone". Most catalogs cater to a continental garden crowd that lives well east up us in climates more cold and most than ours. Their idea of drought tolerant is 2 weeks without rain; so pick up your Sunset Western garden book before buying a heap of Trollius or Toad Lilies that really are not well suited to our mild climate. Choose plants that will work in your area, don't let those glossy photos get the best of you
Referring back to Forestfarm for a moment, I will say that I have been impressed that they are unusual in offering a choice of plants sizes and prices to choose from. Many platens are sold in tubes which are two inch square pots about 6 inches long, and I gallons. Lat year some Cytisus I ordered in I gallons were an impressive 2 feet tall when they arrived. Tube specimens can range from a mere inch or so tall to about a foot. Their catalog offers no pictures but their website does post a fair amount. Their massive selection changes constant, so I would recommend ordering by phone or wed to be sure the choice you want it in stock.
Lastly, the lack of fog this summer has lead to an explosion of pests called spider mites. These tiny sucking insects suck form hug colonies on the backs of leaves, especially citrus and soft leaved perennials, transforming leaves from healthy green to yellow and distinctly mottled. Turn over an infected leaf and it will be red tinged and dusty to the touch. In most years, fog mist will discourage big infestations, spider mites prefer, dry hot and still; atmospheres. Try washing them off with a hose spray and treat infected plants with a solution of Neem oil or Volck oil with water, never spray on a hot day. Badly infected houseplants or annuals should be tossed in the trash.
Enjoy! Dave Egbert.
