Mail order gardening catalogs are a good resource to find the latest gadgets, plant varieties and ideas for your garden. Garden catalogs have evolved from primarily selling seeds to a resource that many gardeners enjoy receiving in the mail each season.
Why Order From Catalogs?
There are many reasons to order plants from garden catalogs, from a greater variety to choose from to ease of ordering. The following are just a few of the reasons many gardeners turn to catalogs for their garden and landscaping needs each year.
Plant Variety
While almost everyone has access to a nursery or garden center locally, there may not be much variety in the plants that are offered. For this reason, gardeners who want to expand their gardens to include unusual plants may turn to ordering them from a nursery outside of their locale. For example, someone who wanted to plant blueberries might find two or three varieties locally, while a mail order catalog may have up to 20 varieties available.
Time Saving
Another reason gardeners may choose to order from a garden catalog is that it saves time. Instead of fighting traffic and mobs of people at a garden center, people can choose exactly what they want from the comfort of their couch. Orders for many nurseries may be completed online, phoned in or simply dropped in the mailbox. Plants will be mailed from the nursery at the correct time for planting, depending upon growing zone. Other items, such as seeds or spades, will usually be mailed right away.
A Gardening Resource
Gardening catalogs have evolved from small booklets selling seeds to slick catalogs that sell everything a gardener may ever want or need. Many of these catalogs also include gardening tips and articles to help gardeners with their planning and planting each year. In addition, product descriptions have become much longer and more detailed. For example, a plant description may include how to plant it, when to fertilize it and the growing zone where it will flourish best.
Easy to Use
Not everyone wants to sit in front of a computer trying to decide which seeds and plants to order for the upcoming growing season. Sometimes it is just easier to have a catalog in hand to make notes in and refer to before making decisions regarding your garden and landscape. Catalogs serve as reference guides that you can pick up whenever and wherever you need them. No electricity or WiFi necessary.
Mail Order Gardening Catalogs
While you may receive dozens of retail catalogs in your mailbox each year, gardening catalogs seem a little more elusive. If you don't currently receive any gardening catalogs, the following nurseries will be happy to add you to their mailing lists:
- Gurney's - sells everything a gardener needs, from trowels to patio plants
- Jung Seeds - one of the oldest seed catalogs in the U.S.; also sells bulbs and gardening supplies
- Park Seed - offers two catalogs: one is seasonal; the other is called the Big Seed Book
- Burpee - offers both seeds and plants for the home garden or landscaping
- Totally Tomatoes - while primarily offering tomato seeds, this company also offers other vegetable seeds and gardening supplies
- R.H. Shumway - offers many different seeds, roots, rhizomes, bulbs and more for the home gardener
- Roots & Rhizomes - sells a variety of daylilies, iris, perennials and hostas
- McClure & Zimmerman - purveyors of bulbs, corms, tubers and rootstocks
- Vermont Bean and Seed - sells a variety of beans, bulbs, seeds, roses and vegetable plants
Order your catalogs a month or two before you plan to start your garden or landscaping projects. This will ensure that you receive them in time for the upcoming growing season. Ordering early will also ensure that you'll have the best selection of seeds, plants and supplies from your favorite mail order gardening catalog.
