Spring Shipping Starts April 1

        We're eager to start, but Mother Nature insists we wait. Overnight lows here in Michigan rarely climb above freezing till April, and we don't want your tender bulbs to get frost-damaged on their way to you.

Cheap Thrills: 2 More Prices Reduced Thanks to Bumper Crops

        Still haven't ordered? You're in luck! We recently learned that two of our rarest dahlias kept so well in storage this winter that we have twice as many tubers as we expected. We're sharing the bounty with you by reducing their prices if you place a NEW order or ADD them to an existing order now. You'll save 22% on Wisconsin family-heirloom 'Catherine Becker' dahlia and 26% on jaunty little 'Mrs. H. Brown' dahlia. And don't forget we've already reduced our price on wildflowery Canna indica, too. Why not order all three today?

1820s Philadelphia: Dahlias in the Cellar, Cannas in the Hall

        Wyck is a grand, colonial-era home in Philadelphia, a National Historic Landmark, and a remarkable museum. Recently Wyck's horticulturist, Nicole Juday, ordered a few of our Canna indica and shared excerpts from two fascinating letters. Read them and see if you don't agree they could have been written last fall rather than almost 200 years ago.
        On Nov. 6, 1822, Jane Bowne Haines, mistress of Wyck, wrote to her husband: "Our plants in the hall are in a beautiful state. Robert could not rest till he patched up a tub for that huge Canna Indica, which he calls the king of them all." And then on Nov. 29, 1835, Jane's cousin wrote to her reassuringly while she was away from home: "At present the thermometer is 19. We think it will be 10 by morning. The dahlia roots are in the cellar, and I believe all housed that ought to be."

Century-Old 'Little Beeswings' Stars at National Dahlia Show . . .

        Congratulations to the Snohomish County Dahlia Society of Washington on its 100th anniversary! To celebrate, they're hosting the ADS National Show August 22-23 and -- since our jazzy little pompon dahlia 'Little Beeswings' also turns 100 this year -- they've devoted a special category in the show to it. Another category is devoted to 'Kidd's Climax' which they're calling the "Most Successful Foreign Dahlia of the Last 100 Years." Plant both and join the celebration!

. . . And Earns Rave Reviews in South Carolina

        'Little Beeswings' has been added to our list of dahlias that thrive in Southern heat, too, thanks to our good customer Miranda Hein of zone-8a North Augusta, SC. She writes: "I'm originally from Washington state and I LOVE my dahlias. I was advised not to grow them here, but couldn't resist. The first year I planted 'Little Beeswings' and 'Clair de Lune' in my backyard, but they were not happy. So last year I put them on my back deck in whiskey barrel tubs, and they were beautiful! 'Little Beeswings' absolutely astounded me. It bloomed for ages, tons of flowers, and, let me tell you, my back deck faces south and is absolutely incinerated from sun-up till sundown. What an impressive little flower in every way!"

Book of the Month: A Rose by Any Name

        If you've ever heard Stephen Scanniello speak, you know how interesting and entertaining he can be. It's not enough for him to simply grow great old roses, he wants to know their personal histories, too. And many of them are fascinating! Now with the help of Douglas Brenner, former editor of Martha Stewart Living, Stephen has collected hundreds of these stories into A Rose by Any Name. It's a charming little book, beautifully illustrated with antique images, and written for a broad audience rather than history geeks. Whether your taste runs to wild roses such as our native Cherokee, medieval roses such as 'York and Lancaster', Victorian roses such as 'Gloire de Dijon' ("the caviar of roses"), or 20th-century classics such as 'Chrysler Imperial', any heirloom gardener will find a lot to like here. And when you sit down this spring with sore muscles from a day of gardening, it would be a great book to relax with.

Is That Jasmine I Smell, or Abyssinian Glads?

        The delightful but hard-to-define fragrance of Abyssinian glads continues to inspire email from our customers. "A delicate jasmine" is how Grace Barella of Fort Lauderdale describes it, and what could be better than that?
        Doug Whitman of Marcellus, NY, is equally appreciative but he says "They smell only like Abyssinian glads! I know of no other fragrance quite like theirs. I have about 50 of them this year, all planted together, and they have been prolific bloomers (5-10 blooms/stalk), to say nothing of their exquisite beauty and magnificent fragrance. All I need do is step out of my front door and their scent reaches me from 50 feet away."
        On the other hand, Doug notes that some visitors to his garden "can't detect their fragrance at all, even with their noses buried in the blooms." Alas!

Summer Camp with Thomas Jefferson

        For two weeks this summer, you could explore historic gardens and plants with Thomas Jefferson at your elbow. From June 14-26, Monticello's Historic Landscape Institute will offer students an introduction to landscape history, garden restoration, and historic horticulture by using Jefferson's landscapes at Monticello and the University of Virginia as case studies and outdoor classrooms. Friends of ours who've participated in previous Institutes have given it rave reviews, and students quoted online call it "a thorough look at all of the issues with insights from real experts" and "a lifetime experience." For more information, visit monticello.org/education/gardeninstitute.html.

The Frugal Gardener: Multiply Your (Plant) Wealth

        Plants multiply, and when times are tough that's an especially good thing. Our good customer Henrietta Gulish of Columbia City, Indiana, writes: "I save all the little corms that my glads produce and plant them. I also split my daffodils and daylilies, and now I have a lot more of them."
        Iris, dahlias, cannas -- lots of heirloom bulbs multiply vigorously. Not sure how to keep the tender ones through cold winters? You'll find easy advice in the Planting and Care section of our website.

"In the Dirt": A Gardener's Song for Tough Times

        Our good customer Karen Savoca is a gifted singer-songwriter whose funky, melodic, highly personal songs have gained her a loyal following across the country. If she and her guitar-wizard husband Pete are ever performing anywhere near you, go! They're mesmerizing, and a whole lot of fun. One of Karen's songs has been echoing through my head recently, and she was happy to let us share the lyrics with you. We hope you'll find it a helpful tonic for these challenging times. (You can even listen to it here!)

Did You Miss Our Last Newsletter? Read It Online!

        February's articles included recycling plastic pots, mysterious 'York and Lancaster' dahlia, 42 daffodil shows start in March, daffs and leeks in Wales, prices reduced for Canna indica, and more. You can read all of our back-issues -- by date or by topic -- at oldhousegardens.com/NewsletterArchives.asp

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