Shipping Is in Full Swing -- And You Can Still Order!

        Today is Day 4 of spring shipping. Woo-hoo! Orders to warmer areas have been flying out the door, and by the month's end we'll have every order shipped. Don't worry, though, we still have plenty of great bulbs for you to plant this spring for summer beauty and fun.
        Can't decide? Try our fabulous "Intro to Heirlooms" or other samplers. Or check out our dahlias for bouquets, fragrant Aztec tuberoses, small-flowered glads, hummingbird-magnet cannas, and our very first antique iris and daylilies!

Buying Local: Our Bulbs Help Feed Your Neighbors

        When you buy your bulbs from us, you're giving a whole lot of your neighbors right here in America something better than a bailout – a job that allows them to continue paying their bills and feeding their families.
        Unlike virtually everywhere else you can buy bulbs, we've always sought out American growers. In fact, this spring a whopping 85% of our sales are for bulbs grown for us here in the USA.
        When you buy our dahlias, for example, you're supporting 13 full-time and 12 seasonal workers at a family farm in Oregon.
        Our glads support 12 full-time and 80 seasonal workers at a family farm in Michigan, 5 full-time and 20 seasonal workers at a family nursery in West Virginia, and a husband and wife team in Maine.
        Our cannas and daylilies support 4 full-time and 6 seasonal workers at a family farm in Missouri as well as 7 full-time and 30 seasonal workers at a family farm in Oklahoma where the owner emailed us recently: "We are thankful to do what we do and that this business generates income for many families in our rural area."
        When you buy our 'Mexican Single' tuberoses, you're supporting 2 full-time and 15 seasonal workers at a family farm in Illinois. Our iris are grown and shipped by 25 full-time and 150 seasonal workers at a family farm in Oregon. And our montbretia and St. Joseph's lilies are nurtured by a very active retired couple in Alabama.
        And then there's us. Not counting Charlie (since he's a cat), there are 7 of us working here year-round and another 9 during our two busy shipping seasons.
        Final tally = 79 full-time and 322 seasonal workers who are VERY glad when you buy your spring-planted bulbs from OHG. On behalf of all of us, thank you!

View 'Ehemanii' in Greg Grant's Texas Garden, and Order Yours ASAP!

        Expert and hilarious, Greg Grant is one of our favorite horticulturists. Recently he emailed us photos of our Canna 'Ehemanii' growing at his place in Texas. One shows a nice big clump in his front garden (artistically balanced by an especially fine bottle tree), and the other is a close-up of its rosy, bell-like flowers.
        If you decide you need one yourself, you'll need to move fast. We still have 10-15 available, but since they don't hold up well in storage we're shipping them through Monday only. They may not be cheap, but they are extraordinary.

New Hope for Zone-Stretching Gardeners

        A brief note in the current April issue of Garden Gate magazine tells of a new development that could have North Dakota gardeners growing cannas year-round:
        "Scientists at Miami University and the University of Alabama have developed a spray called Freeze-Pruf which improves a plant's cold tolerance by 2.2 to 9.4 degrees F, depending on the species. This solution works kind of like antifreeze by lowering the level at which a plant's tissue is damaged by cold. . . . [It also] prevents ice crystals from forming in a way that damages plant cells. It's been used successfully on palms, house plants, bananas, citrus plants, and a variety of flowers, . . . [and] it's safe for vegetables, too. Spray Freeze-Pruf once in the fall, right before a freeze, to extend your tomato [or dahlia!] season. Or improve your temperature zone by about 200 miles for your favorite banana. . . . Developers expect to have Freeze-Pruf available for purchase within the year."

Andy Says "Get Back to Basics" with Fiery Little 'Atom'

        Andy Cabe, botanical garden director at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC, wrote recently in The State:
        "While driving in to work . . . , the old Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson song, 'Luckenbach, Texas' popped into my head. There is a line that goes, 'Maybe it's time we got back to the basics of love.' Well, it dawned on me that this line may apply to gardening as well; sometimes we need to get back to those basic plants that we've loved for years. Gladiolus is one of those plants.
        ". . . One of my favorite varieties of late has to be gladiolus 'Atom' . . . with amazing, fiery red blooms outlined with a hint of pure white. 'Atom' is shorter than many other varieties . . . [so it's] easy to integrate into the landscape. . . . I find that they are most effective in masses of 10 bulbs or more (this will allow you to cut several stems to take into the house and still leave plenty of blooms to liven up the garden). . . .
        "New plants are always fun and interesting, but we should never forget the forefathers. Sometimes, it's good to get back to the basics."

The Frugal Gardener: Investing in Your Garden Pays Off

        There's always something interesting to read at GardenRant.com. Jeff Gilman, an associate professor of horticulture at the U of Minnesota, cited some recent research about "What Landscaping is Worth":
        "Readers probably realize that nice landscaping can help sell your home, but exactly how much extra is this nice landscaping worth to buyers? Well, 75 homes in Lubbock, Texas, were examined to determine how much and it turns out that a high quality landscape increases the sales price by 5.7% compared to average landscapes. Then comparing average landscapes with excellent ones, the difference in sale price is a whopping 10.8%. Furthermore, the authors calculate that every $1.00 spent on the landscape returns $1.35. I'm obviously investing in the wrong place."

Garden Design and Heirloom Bulbs at Bartram's Garden

        The current April issue of Garden Design magazine gives a shout-out to the colonial-era Bartram's Garden in Philadelphia – and our bulbs:
        "Drive some 15 minutes south of Center City to stroll the riverfront grounds of Bartram's Garden, home of early botanists John Bartram and his son William, and often called America's first botanical garden. Heirloom daffs and rare "broken" tulips, scattered among silverbell trees, horse chestnuts, and bottle-brush buckeyes, bloom in profusion this month . . . ."
        Horticulturist Nancy Wygant has been planting our bulbs at Bartram's Garden for years, and some of our rarest tulips have multiplied so well for her that they've sold them in their gift shop!

Did You Miss Our Last Newsletter? Read It Online!

        March's articles included summer camp with Thomas Jefferson, singing "In the Dirt," cannas in 1820 Philadelphia, celebrating 'Little Beeswings' centennial, increasing your plant wealth, and more. You can read all of our back-issues -- by date or by topic -- at oldhousegardens.com/NewsletterArchives.asp .

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