Plant Delights? Hmmm, maybe not this year

Heresy, I know. The thing is, I love the catalog; the descriptions are brilliant. But after reading about 36 entries on zone 7 and higher plants, with "maybe zone 6b" speculations, I don’t think this is the catalog for me this spring. My goal now is to install some tall, tough, meadow-ish perennials to mingle with the lilies in the back sun bed, and some shade-loving foliage plants in the front side bed. Containers will have old-fashioned annuals and summer bulbs, while textured ground covers will fill in here and there. And I need more vines.

Plant Delights has plenty of hostas, but I’ve never been too excited about those. They also have a lot of other plants I can’t grow year-round and I already grow tons of annuals. I will order some of their elephant ear (above), which this year I hope to winter over in the plant room (humidifier installed today!).

And here’s the other thing. Must I see the faces of Bush and Cheney on the cover of my plant catalog? I mean, I get it, but this year’s illustration just isn’t humorous enough to compensate. Bluestone, Select Seeds, Brent and Becky’s, and local vendors will supply most of my needs this year.

Having said all this, we will be stopping by the PD nursery and botanic gardens on our way back from the beach in July, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple hellebores made the journey back with us.