Re: General garden catalogs

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I take all the "mass market" photos with a grain of salt. I think they get photos that they think are close to the ones they are offering and just use them.

The photos are purchasable from a "photo supplier" called Horticopia and they are used by retailers for Point-Of-Purchase (POP) displays or mail order nurseries use them for their catalogs.

I just wish that I could work for that company that sells the photos in order to give them proper names. But who is to say that it is only the wholesalers fault?

How many times have I called a wholesaler asking for a particular plant and they have no idea what I am talking about. One example (non-iris sorry) is King palms. I ask for King palms and they still call them Seaforthia. That name change happened 80 years ago! Hello, let's get into the same century.

And it has a lot to do with regions too. I had a neighbor in NC that swore that her Hydrangeas were called Hygeraniums. Granted, she had a cocktail in her hand at 10AM walking around the garden in her nightgown watering plants with feathered high heal slippers. She was a hoot as a neighbor and friend. I got some really great plants from her. She was also in her 60's and pretty well off. Come to think about it, I think I gave her the only iris that she had in her garden. HUM. I just realized that I was pushing plants on other gardeners at a real early age (early teenager). <G>

At least we don't have Michigan Bulb Co. still around really messing things up. That was a damper to all of us internet/mail-order retailers. It made people really leary about ordering and I can't say that I blame the buyer. MBC sent some real crappy plants. I think they bought all the 4th grade plants at a steal and tried to clear them out. And at there prices, I have to say, I was tempted more than once.