The crazy up and down temperatures we have been having lately are headed for the sub basement now. The rosemary, lady bugs and I are all sitting by the south facing windows hoping for some sunshine and warmth.
Now is the time to sift through the big stack of garden catalogs. Once in awhile a new one for a company I have never heard of comes, and naturally I at least have to take a look at those. The idea of some new and wonderful plants in the garden helps me through the winter months. There are certain catalogs that I look for every year. Logee's used to be one of those. Exotic is the word for the plants that they sell. After all these years, however, I am not so easily charmed by exotic tropical plants that are interesting, but suffer here since often they come from a zone where the minimum temperature is warmer than I heat my house. This year I dropped it into the recycling. Others get dropped in there without even a second thought. Sometimes it's because of past disappointments. Sometimes it's because the plant colors are so vibrant I know they can't be real and I need a certain amount of trust to part with my money. Sometimes the prices are so high I just can't justify the extravagance even in January.
There are catalogs that I watch for and yesterday I spotted the Richter's catalog just peeking out of the stack of mail. I have always loved this catalog. If you are interested in herbs it is a must have. For me it is as fascinating as any book on herbs I might have in my library. I will look through it many times before I place my order. It is full of temptation. Over the years I have purchased seeds for weeds like lambs quarters and teasels. One year we purchased wild rice to put in the pond. It didn't grow. Sometimes when you do something stupid like that you luck out and the plant doesn't take. On the other hand the Good King Henry planted next to the stone square comes right back no matter how much you cut it back and self seeds too if you are not paying attention. What will I buy this year? I'm still reading. I'll let you know.
2 comments:
I love looking through catalogues and dreaming! I've actually been signing up for catalogues, as companies haven't discovered my new address yet. I actually visited Logee's last year. It was wonderful to walk through the nice warm greenhouses, and I did get a few plants. I don't keep a lot of houseplants, though, thanks to a plant-eating cat, and, you're right, a lot of them don't thrive in my cool house. So I don't really look through the Logee catalogue anymore either. All the seed and perennial catalogues, on the other hand, I enjoy immensely!
Stay warm Becky...and have fun shopping!
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