A Shout-Out to Easy To Grow Bulbs Company

I do many product reviews on this site. I do them for a couple of reasons:

• I currently own a garden product that I like and I want to share that information with my readers.
• I've been given a garden item to trial and review, which is a good way for me to try new things and offer readers my "get down and dirty" gardener's opinion - good or bad.
• I've done business with a company and I've had a great experience, or one not so great.

After several orders with Easy To Grow Bulbs, I just have to share my extreme satisfaction with this company. They have not contacted me in any way relating to my blogging about their company, nor have I told them that I was going to do it. This is just me - a pleased customer - wanting to give a great company their due.

I first did business with Easy To Grow Bulbs in January 2007, when I ordered some amaryllis (Hippeastrum) bulbs.  I was pleased with the quality of the bulbs and got some gorgeous blooms from them that year, and later years too, because I keep my bulbs from year to year, planting them outside in summer.

Hippeastrum 'Grandeur' in 2009, purchased in 2007 from Easy To Grow Bulbs

Subsequent orders to the company were made, with once again, great results. A variety of bulb types have been in those orders and this year, I ended up placing two separate fall orders. The first arrived in good time and with the highest quality of bulbs.

Their bulbs come in nice mesh bags that I keep and use for storing summer bulbs over the winter. Attached to the top of the bags are the name of the bulb, with planting instructions. Only one thing could be done that would make the packing complete, and that would be to include a plastic plant marker that could be planted with the bulbs for easy identification. (Brent and Becky's Bulbs and High Country Gardens - also great companies that I do business with - do this.) But a grease pencil on popsicle sticks works well, too. After the bulbs flower in the spring, they get a more permanent marker.

Besides the great quality bulbs, which are some of the largest I've ever seen, what has me raving about Easy To Grow Bulbs right now comes under the label of customer service. I've always had great customer service from Kathleen and her bunch, and perhaps this isn't out of the norm, but I'm pleased all the same and wanted to say so.

First of all, Easy To Grow Bulbs has their fall-planted bulbs "on sale" earlier than most companies. Their prices are good anyway, but who doesn't love a sale? I think this is smart on their part, especially with so much competition out there. Personally, this allows me to buy them early, when the weather is still good for planting, yet not too warm to plant. Once that weather turns chilly, I'm out of the mood, and I'm less likely to buy bulbs, period. (Translation: Warm weather + Bulb sale = Larger order)

Second, if your order is over a certain amount - a reasonable $50 - you get a bonus pack of bulbs. Since I placed two orders this fall, I got two different bonus packs. They call them "Adventure Packs" and many of them are from The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch. They're the only online distributor of bulbs from there, along with a handful of gardening catalogs and select garden centers there in California.

And third, they say they have speedy shipping, and it's true. I placed my last order on Tuesday and the bulbs were here by Friday. All the way from California to Ohio. We had Indian Summer all week and knew that it was to end abruptly on Saturday, so that quick service was important. This time of year, we could just as easily be shoveling snow. I was really, really happy when the mailman delivered those bulbs on Friday.

By the way, my Adventure Packs contained good stuff! In the first order, they included a 10-count package of Tulipa dasystemon 'Tarda', a species tulip. I LOVE species tulips, and have many, but not this one. I do now! In the second order, I nearly jumped up and down, because my Adventure Pack contained five of something I very nearly ordered - Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant', often called "summer snowflake," since they are a late-blooming spring bulb.

Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant'

Tulipa dasystemon 'Tarda'

Easy To Grow Bulbs markets themselves as sellers of "Bigger, better bulbs for warm weather gardens." Don't let that "warm weather" part keep you away, if you're a northern gardener like I am. The bulbs I've received from them are first quality and grow just fine in my zone 5 garden.

They are also in the Dave's Garden "Watchdog 30" list of the highest-rated companies in their entire database of 1,172 mail order garden companies. That's saying something. You know who rates them? Customers like me.

January Jitters

Gone are the days when I couldn't walk out of a Walmart or Lowe's without taking a side trip to the gardening department during winter. (I haven't managed to accomplish that feat during planting or growing seasons yet.) But with over 175 plants taking up residence inside the house during winter, it makes no sense to bring more of them home.

Wait. Since when did sense have anything to do with plant buying?

I really have tried to rein in my obsession. The state of the economy is reason enough. But there is that thing called the January Jitters. Anyone who lives in a climate where you're forced by things such as Alberta Clippers to store your garden tools for a few months has likely suffered through this midwinter malady.

At first, you welcome the break from the garden, after a busy spring, summer, and fall. Your garden needs the rest and so do you. But like anything that has been a daily habit, you start to go through withdrawal, until the holidays steal your attention. There are so many other things going on that gardening can temporarily be shoved to the back burner. Oh, there might be an amaryllis bulb here or a poinsettia there, but even normal people buy those.


And then January comes. The weather is in a snit, everyday work routines resume, and the next major holiday is far off in the distance. We dream of vacations to warmer climes and check the calendar again, with the hope that this will be The Year That February Forgot. We're itching to be back in the garden again.




One day, you walk to the mailbox and there's one, maybe two, seed catalogs. The next day, there are a couple more. You resist looking at them, because you can't plant seeds anyway. Or can you?




Of course! There's winter sowing. You know you won't see the fruits of your labor until spring "springs," but hey, at least you get to play in the dirt. And there's your downfall. You let yourself start thinking about the garden, you get your hands dirty, and you're off and running.

Try to resist? Some are better at it than others, but like any other addiction, it will resurface once you've had a little hair of the dog that bit you. And that, my friends, is what happened to me this past weekend. And yesterday after work.

I'd done so well! I'd only bought one amaryllis bulb at Meijer and one at Walmart. Then I thought I'd attempt a poinsettia again. (Don't ask.) That was way back in December. Christmas came and went and after three winters of winter sowing, I decided not to do it this year. Sunday, we took the afternoon to finish making Christmas and other returns, one of which needed to go back to Lowe's.

The return desk is situated directly across from their seed display. Oh...the colors! I thought I'd just take a look. Gosh darn it. One thing led to another. I saw these apricot pollenless sunflowers that looked interesting. And carmine Gomphrena.

I'd planted Gomphrena last summer, thinking I was going to get red ones, and they were pink and purple. Oh, and they had 'Summer Berries' annual Scabiosa again. I planted those a little late last spring and while they eventually started growing large enough to flower, a hard freeze ruined them before they had a chance.

Daughter Kara was along with us and while I was looking at the seeds, she went back to the houseplant area and found amaryllis bulbs marked down to $3.49. I just wanted to see what they had left and if they were decent bulbs that hadn't started flowering inside the box. Uh huh. They also had crocus kits with three bulbs and the glass forcing vases for $2.24, but I didn't buy one of those. Good for me!

I left Lowe's with three packets of seeds and one amaryllis bulb. I had to use some store credit they'd given me anyway, so I really got those almost for free, right? Just the thought of planting the seeds in the spring as well as having another pretty amaryllis flower for the winter put a smile on my face and a spring in my step. I don't think I did too badly now, did I?

The next day, I worked in Fort Wayne. My route home takes me past another Lowe's. As I was sitting at the light, waiting for it to turn green, I looked over at Lowe's and wondered if they still had any of those crocus kits. I'd never forced crocus before and thought it might be a fun thing to do. The kits were so cheap - why not?

Sure enough, they had several kits and I picked one up. I decided to just walk through the house plants and see what they had, since this was a different Lowe's than I'd been in the day before.

You know what's the best cure for the January Jitters?

Phalaenopsis Long Pride 'Amy'

I feel so much better now. The shakes have nearly disappeared.

All I Want Is a 'Party Doll'

A couple of years ago, I purchased some plants from Logee's Greenhouse online. Their greenhouse is in Connecticut and is featured on Martha Stewart's daily show now and then. They carry many exotic and unusual houseplants and tropicals that you're not likely to find in most garden centers.



My first purchase from them was a passion flower - Passiflora 'Lady Margaret' - and despite my being able to grow 'Clear Sky' and grow it well, with no effort, I managed to kill 'Lady Margaret.' Twice. The first one I got didn't do well right off the bat and I talked with customer service at Logee's and they sent another one right out. It lived for a few weeks, then went the way of its predecessor.

I spoke once again with Logee's and I can't remember exactly how the conversation went, but they gave me store credit after the second one died. I felt like that was more than fair, since they had no way of knowing what the conditions were, once it left their greenhouse, except for what I told them. I honestly can't think of a thing that I did that would have caused it to die either time, but I don't blame Logee's either.

It was some time before I got around to ordering again, because I generally don't think about buying house plants in the summer, and to have tender plants shipped in the winter can be difficult. But I finally called about a month ago, ordered a couple of things and they told me they wouldn't ship until the weather was suitable.

My order arrived on Friday, just before we left for a weekend in the Chicago area. They had e-mailed me to let me know they'd shipped it, so I called our post office to let them know it was coming and to hold the box there. That way, I could pick it up and avoid the plants getting frozen. They arrived in excellent condition, and I refreshed them with a bit of water and sat them on a small plate to deal with after we got home.


Each time I'd see Streptocarpus 'Party Doll' in their catalog, I'd want it. Now I have it and I hope it lives up to Logee's description:

Shades of pink, lavender and purple create a festive yet soft expression within this multiflora hybrid. The flowers shift in color as they age, making a stunning addition to any collection. Best of all, this Dibley hybrid flowers easily, even in moderate light.

The other plant I got is an Epiphyllum anguliger, also known as Ric-Rac Cactus:

An orchid cactus with many virtues, its unique foliage, freeness to bloom, and evening fragrance are outstanding. The leaves comprised of a series of deeply cut lobes create a saw tooth effect giving it the common name "Ric Rac" Cactus. Flowers arrive effortlessly from late summer through fall and best of all it's one species that doesn't need a winter chill to flower. The pure white 3½" blooms, backed by orange-bronze sepals and petals, open over many weeks. It makes an excellent subject for hanging containers. Easy grower! Fragrant!

I've never grown this one before, or any other kind of Epiphyllum. Though its bloom is gorgeous, I find the foliage on it to be sufficiently interesting that I'll love the plant even if it never blooms.

________________
*Photo of 'Lady Margaret' is from a larger vine of it that I purchased at a local garden center.

Plant Delights and Dreams

Here we go again. Every winter, as the new plant and seed catalogs make their way to my mailbox, I sit and make a mental list of those things I think I'd like to have for the gardens this year. As I turn each page, I secretly hope that what meets my eyes is mundane or even ugly. I sometimes rejoice when I find that it's not suitable for my zone. Why do I do that?

It's kind of like shopping for clothes. Sometimes I'll try on an outfit I've fallen for just so I can rule it out. If it doesn't fit or doesn't look good on me, then I don't have to feel bad if I can't afford to buy it. This applies to plant shopping as well. If it's nothing special and I can't grow it here, then that puts it out of the running for my list of wants.

That list just gets way too long every year. I couldn't possibly afford it all, nor do I presently have garden space for even a fraction of it. That doesn't stop me from acquiring a few new things, however. There's always room for Jell-O and a new plant for the garden, so I make lists and then winnow them down to something remotely realistic.

Right now, the object of my attention is the new Plant Delights Nursery catalog that arrived here yesterday. It's a joy just to look through and read this publication because those folks are very creative in the way they describe the offerings contained within its covers. Oh, and the cover itself is always pretty entertaining, too.

CATALOG PRICE:
10 STAMPS OR A BOX OF CHOCOLATES

I had the pleasure of seeing some of what Plant Delights has to offer when Mom and I went to Garden Fair at Winterthur, Delaware in the fall of 2006. They had an extensive offering at a vendor's booth there and we both made some purchases. I feel they're a bit pricey, but they do have some unusual things and that usually means it costs more.


Here's what has caught my eye this year, with names and accompanying links so you can check them out further:

Parsley-leaf Japanese Windflower

Anemone hupehensis 'Crispa'

Hardy Ground Orchid
Bletilla striata 'Murasaki Shikibu'















Hardy Calanthe Orchid
Calanthe discolor (Zone 6b-9)

This one is rated a full zone warmer than ours, but I've got a microclimate on the south side of the house that I'm pretty sure would be okay for this. It's at the upper range of my spending limit though.

Corydalis 'Berry Exciting'


Speckled Lacebark Elm
Ulmus parvifolia 'Variegata'


Japanese Wood Poppy
Glaucidium palmatum

Hibiscus 'Peppermint Flare'

Mallow 'Peppermint Flare'

Sandhills Fire Lily

Lilium pyrophilum

Just when I thought I was satisfied with the several hostas I've got...

Hosta 'Marilyn Monroe'

Hosta longissima 'Manzo'

Hosta 'Electrocution'

Introduced by Plant Delights' own Tony Avent

Hosta 'Chickadee'

Yet another Tony Avent hybrid

Hosta 'Risky Business'

Tony had his hand in this one, too.


Hosta 'White Wall Tire'
More Tony!

Aching Tongue Iris
Iris 'Aichi no Kagayaki'


Paeonia 'Pastel Splendor'
This is an intersectional peony, which is a cross between an herbaceous peony and a tree peony. It costs a lot, but in the peony world there are many that cost more than twice as much as this one.


Catesbey's Pitcher Plant
Sarracenia x catesbaei

Hot Lips Sage
Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips'








Striped Sedum
Sedum alboroseum 'Mediovariegatum'

Hab Gray Stonecrop

Sedum telephium ssp. reprechtii 'Hab Gray'














Prairie Fire Catchfly
Silene regia 'Prairie Fire'

Last year, while we were out in a local woods geocaching, we came upon a native catchfly that looked just like 'Prairie Fire.' I knew right then that I wanted it for my garden. I've found a source for seeds, which I'll be planting this spring.

I like this one, too:

Silene 'Rockin Robin'


Toad Lily 'Lunar Landing'
Trycyrtis affinis 'Lunar Landing'


Beaked Blue Yucca
Yucca rostrata
Now this is one that although it's hardy to our zone (5), I have a hard time picturing it in our gardens. It looks too tropical, I think, for use as a perennial in our northern location. On the other hand, if you planted the right companion plants, it could look pretty fabulous.

So now you see what goes on in my head when I look through just one catalog of tempting plants. And there is a pile of about fifteen more sitting on the dining room table. I'm willing to bet the same thing happens to my fellow plantaholics - "Ooh, I must have that! And that one, too! Oh boy, look at this one!" and so on and so forth. If non-gardeners just realized the amount of restraint we exercise with this banquet of choices staring us in the face, they'd think we're even more obsessed than they thought.

Oh well.

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All photos are from Plant Delights Nursery website, except the front cover of the catalog. That's a scan of my copy.
Photo at top of post: Krakatau Rain Lily (Zephiranthes 'Krakatau) (zone 7b-10)