Beware of MISLEADING Mail Order Catalogs!

ARRGH!  I can’t take it anymore!  The photo on the right is how I feel right now, or when I don’t have my coffee in the morning (photo taken at the Philadelphia Flower Show).  I’ve got to let off steam about awful and misleading mail order catalogs.  Color enhanced plant photos have always been an irritation.  Sometimes I find it amusing to see how much leeway is taken with a flower’s true color, although the customer who bought the plant, trusting the photo was a true representation, must feel pretty irate and deceived.

But I gasped when I read one mail order catalog listing dahlias, cannas, and orchids hardy in Zones 3-10!  Then this description is followed by (lift in fall if you live in zones 3 – 8).  WHAT?!  This ridiculous hardiness rating was also applied to ANNUALS.  Flaming Cosmos was listed for Zones 3-10, followed by the standard ‘lift’ baloney in parantheses.  I’m sure some readers stop reading at hardy to Zones 3 – 10 and place the order, not bothering to read the ‘fine print’.  Others may not understand what it means to ‘lift in fall’.  This is confusing and misleading, especially for new gardeners.

Then, in the same catalog I read:

‘Summer Cheer Daffodil.  This variety of daffodil has an intriguing twist – it blooms in summer!  Beautiful double flowers of ivory-white with just a trace of yellow will delight you with their exquisite fragrance when they burst into bloom.’  Next to this description is a huge photo of a buttery-yellow daffodil, which is clearly yellow, not a hint of white.  Hmmmm.  The surprises continue (if you read to the bottom of the plant description) with the wording ‘After its first year, this daffodil will flower in spring.’  WHAT?!

And here are two more atrocities in the catalog (there are probably more but I couldn’t stomach reading any farther):

‘Queen of the Prairie.  Fantastic perennial for large borders!…..thrives in moist areas….easy to grow.’  This perennial (Filipendula rubra ‘Venusta Magnifica’) is indeed pretty, but it can be very invasive, especially in moist soils.  I guess the reader is supposed to understand that the phrase ‘perfect for large borders’ is another way of saying this ‘royal lady’ will take over the kingdom (your garden).

‘Rosea Astrantia.  These beautiful plants are great for back borders, bouquets or dried flowers…..Plant your astrantia near Hostas for an organic way to control slugs’.  WHAT?!  Who ever heard of astrantia being a slug repellant?  And astrantia does best in full sun to part sun, not in shade where one usually finds hosta.

I’m not suggesting that all mail order companies are unethical, most are not.  But if you’re placing an order with a company that you’re unfamiliar with, check their rating on The Garden Watchdog, a free directory of 7,798 mail order gardening companies.  Gardeners share their opinions on which companies really deliver on quality, price and service. This valuable resource sheds the light on questionable companies hiding behind pretty pictures and flowery words. Buyer beware no more!

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