Question:
Val:
Read your article this AM and was interested in the NEPETA 'Blue Dragon' and PAEONIA "Kopper Kettle"...
A. Would they survive with an hour or two sun lite?
B. I live in Bellevue,WA...Where can I buy these plants?
ron allyne
Answer: Sorry, Ron, you're getting used as an example here of the many dozens of questions I've received in the last couple of weeks about where to buy plants....first, both peonies and nepeta need a sunny location. The classic book "The Complete Shade Gardener" by George Schenk is a wonderful guide to what you can grow in shade. Now to the "where to buy?" part of your question....
Every Sunday this month and into May, my "Plant Life" column in the Sunday Times' Pacific Northwest magazine is on new plants for '09. Early April columns introduced a few choice trees & shrubs; the Easter column was on perennials, next Sunday is edibles, and the last column of the series is annuals. You can imagine how fun these are to write - I get to spend the month of February drooling over photos and descriptions of exciting new plants.
I hesitated to write the series again this year, however, because of the dozens and dozens of email I get from readers asking where to buy the plants mentioned.....which is like asking if Costco will carry a certain brand of olive oil, or Trader Joe's will have purple iris next time you're at their stores. Nursery stock changes all the time, different nurseries make various decisions on what to carry....all I know as I write the columns is that these are the plants being produced by big wholesalers this year. Which means nurseries can, and often do (nudged by these columns and your requests) order these plants. But many won't be in nurseries for awhile yet - it's been a cold spring... check back with nurseries mid-to-late May and even into June.
And when you ask me where you can buy these plants close to where you live, or where you can find them more cheaply, I don't know the answer any better than you do - I'd suggest calling around or using your search as an excuse to visit a variety of nurseries.There are worst task than cruising around nurseries in the springtime.
All the plants I write about are out there - you can Google any of the plant names to learn more and/or find mail order sources. Ask your favorite nursery to order them. And remember that the quest is half the fun.
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