December 5, 2022

“I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December,
A magical thing,
And sweet to remember:
We are nearer to spring
Than we were in September."

– Oliver Herford, 1860-1935, Anglo-American writer and artist, “Hope,” 1914

Thanks for a Great Year!

Thanks for helping keep heirlooms from disappearing by giving so many of our varieties a place in your gardens. We hope you’ll enjoy the anticipation through these winter months and the green sprouts emerging as spring arrives in your part of the country. We’re always thrilled - and a little envious - when our southern friends begin to describe their daffodils blooming in February!

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Delightful Dahlias for Your 2023 Enjoyment

‘Blithe Spirit’	‘Emory Paul’	‘Kasasagi’	‘Otto’s Thrill’	‘Small World’	‘Tartan’

We are happy to introduce you to six heirloom dahlias that we’re offering for the first time! All are available for order now at our website, or as always you can read about them there, make your selections, and either call or write us to place your order. These varieties have flowers ranging from petite to gigantic, and all of them performed beautifully in our trial gardens this past summer.

‘Blithe Spirit’ - Like fireworks, these 8-10” red bursts ending in a flurry of snowy tips will catch your eye even at a distance - but they continue coming for much longer than a summer weekend!

‘Emory Paul’ - “Wow!” is the likely reaction to these huge 12-14” rosy purple blossoms. They have been winning awards in exhibitions - and delighting children and grandchildren - for 60 years.

‘Kasasagi’ - Like its namesake, a bold Japanese magpie, this dahlia won’t be overlooked despite its diminutive size! Its pompon flowers are 2” clusters of neatly curved red and yellow flames that glow brightly in the garden.

‘Otto’s Thrill’ - This much-loved classic boasts stunning 8-10” blossoms of rose-pink petals that lighten to soft pink. Older petals recurve, giving a depth and beauty to the form, and sturdy stems make this a great cut flower.

‘Small World’ - Some see pure white in its adorable 1” pompons, others a touch of rose or blush of lilac; all agree that it’s an excellent source of cut flowers, producing generously in response to cutting over a long season.

‘Tartan’ - With a host of bold, burgundy and white 6-8” flowers in patterns that range from purple-red edges on white petals to swirly raspberry petals with splashes of cream - or the occasional solid-color flower - one plant will give you enough variety for a stunning bouquet!

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Make Someone Happy with Our Gorgeous Gift Certificates and Bulbs

The promise of spring makes an unbeatable gift, and what gardener wouldn’t love growing our fabulous flowers?

Holiday Gift Certificates – Pictured here, the holiday version of our gift certificate is merry and bright. For postal delivery by Christmas, please order by Monday, December 19.

Instant Gift Certificates – Can’t wait for the mail? Print a gift certificate to deliver in person, or deliver it instantly by email.

Bulbs for Spring Planting – Antique iris and daylilies, dahlias for bouquets, majestic lilies, graceful little glads, fragrant tuberoses, easy samplers, and more, all for delivery in April. And – from now through Dec. 19 only – we’ll send a card announcing your gift of bulbs for FREE!

Bulbs for Summer Planting - We now also ship our antique iris and daylilies in July, so if your gift recipient lives in a part of the country where spring comes late, this could be the perfect choice for them. You won’t see a separate section of our website for summer as you do for spring and fall shipped bulbs – to order for summer shipping , find the iris and daylilies you’d like, add them to your shopping basket, and during your check-out process you’ll be able to select July as the shipping time. And – from now through Dec. 19 only – we’ll send a card announcing your gift of bulbs for FREE!

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Just Remembered Those Bulbs You Put in a Cool, Dark Place?

We understand - your OHG box arrived but it was still hot in your area, or you had to leave town for a week, and your bulbs are still stored in that safe place indoors where you put them till the time was right. While it may be too late for some, it’s worth checking to see which bulbs are still firm and healthy and if your ground is still workable. In many parts of the country, there have been some unseasonably warm weeks (though others have already had lots of snow), so if you’re able to dig holes, plant your bulbs as soon as possible. We think it’s worth giving them a chance to surprise you!

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We’ll Be Taking a Winter Break, So We’ll Wish You an Early “Happy Holidays!”

As usual, we’ll be closed for two weeks starting Wednesday, December 21, so our hard-working OHG crew can take it easy and enjoy the holidays.

We’ll be back to work on Thursday, January 5 and we’ll look forward to serving you then!

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