Re: CAT van B., B&B, Dutch, & others
- To: i*@egroups.com
- Subject: Re: CAT van B., B&B, Dutch, & others
- From: P*@aol.com
- Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 01:54:45 EDT
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Evenin' all...
Enjoying reading the back and forth on the rash of current catalogs presently
flooding the mails... Believe I've received 9 bulb catalogs so far... I've
used van B's once. Was not overwhelmed. I mainly get thousands of daffodils
compared to a few hundred tulips (we really don't get cold enough ground
temps here anymore for tulips), and various and assorted muscari and crocus,
etc. I grow about 60 different daffodil varieties, with 5,000 to 8,000
blooming every year from February 1st to mid-May.
Dennis K. mentioned "Brent & Becky's Bulbs"... Brent and Becky Heath are the
foremost daffodil growers I know. They've put out the daffodil book to end
all in the last couple of three years and recently sold out their original
business "Daffodil Mart" to White Flower Farm which has kept it going with
few changes (Thank God) and still under basically the same name with huge
butter yellow catalog. The "encyclopedia" for daffodil names and
descriptions at every daffodil show. You do have to order in really big
quantities from that, but it's worth every penny. They do have varieties you
can't get anywhere else. Prices really reasonable, albeit you buy in 50's
and 100's.
Dutch Gardens sends about the best bang for the buck. Smaller quantities.
5's or 10's and 20's... The BEST photographic colored catalog pictures. I
never EVER throw one away. This is a great place to order from if you have
several friends that like to go together. They make it simple. I like to
get all mine delivered around Thanksgiviing and plant them from the day after
Christmas to New Years. That makes them bloom perfectly for me the first
year, and always late enough for the first and second iris shows that have
daffodil, tulip, etc. categories. Always helps the old silver medal count
:-)
Strangely, I never seem to have peak bloom at daffodil show time here... The
show is always the 3rd week of March and the early and midseason peak has
just passed for me. The lates are in bud and lucky to get one or two of them
opened for the show. Our most successful competitor starts cutting hers 3
weeks early and keeps them in her old timey "frost it yourself" garage
refrigerator. She manages to get 75 or more entries and most of the time
take the silver medal...
Think I ordered from Scheepers once, Brecks many times, Parks once or twice,
and probably most of the others at least once. The one I've held up on is
one I must not miss out on this year. The Mitsche Novelty Daffodil catalog
is one to not miss... Again, pictures from heaven in a catalog that simply
cannot be discarded. Most people ordering from them will order one to three
bulbs of a certain variety. With varieties that run as high as $3 to $60 or
more per bulb, you can understand why. But, if you want something brand new
and different, perfectly pictured, Mitsche is the way to go... Of those I've
seen daffodils who do order from them, and they multiply just as well as
anybody elses cheap or run of the mill daffodils.
Do beware of buying both iris and daylilies from the "run of the mill catalog
sources"... Even if they offer you 3 for a dollar... It's best to use good
iris sources and good daylily sources. If you wonder if something is too
good to be true, it usually is. Need I dare say my first Japanese iris came
dry and dead as a bone from "Michigan Bulb"... Before they bought out
Gilbert Wilds Daylily Farm in Missouri and before I got clued in, which only
took ONCE!
Kath in OKC... Still baking in the high 90's after 35 days of hundred temps
and over 45 days now without a drop of rain... =^.^= Where we still can't
keep water in the buckets, let alone on the plants!
