The Reaper in this context being the shipping cut-off date for ordering plants online.
One of the biggest frustrations I experience as a Native Gardener is not finding the plants I want. Though sometimes I am lucky and say, on a roadside, I find a goldenroad. But more often than not, I order online.
Today is D-Day or last order day of the season for most nurseries.
Here ia a list of purveyors I have used and/or am using , that have performed well:
http://www.americanmeadows.com/?siteID=n91I5TXInYs-nWQeeYgO4ehxFTRlTa6Kyg Their live stock is nearly exhausted, but if you go on the site, click perennials and click woodland, your chances of finding a bargain is
good. They guarantee their plants for a year, and I make a number of decisions based on their customer reviews. I myself have never seen a Trillium on Long Island, but perhaps they do bloom here ? Order fast !
Amanda's Garden is a NY Native Perennial Nursery. Their ionline catalog is downloadable as a pdf:http://www.amandagarden.com//. Prairie Nursery is a tried and true Native supplier in the Midwest. They cannot take orders online, however they will accept phone calls. Today is their last day for ordering so get to it ! http://www.prairienursery.com/store/#.UlL15xw15DQ I just placed an order with these fine folks http://www.dawnswildthings.com/ and look forward to a future relationship with them. Ironically, I found them through ebay !
The http://www.wildones.org/ site has a Business Yellow Pages that you can look through, downloadable as a pdf. http://www.wildones.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Yellow-pages.pdf .
When ordering online, you are less likely to get local ecotype * an idea I will address in future. But then again, at local nurseries you might not either. I stick with Independent Garden Centers and know that Decker's Nursery, on Pulaski Road in Greenlawn still did have a decent selection of Native Plants, and knowledgeable personnel. Also, make sure you understand what you will be getting. For instance, I am not good at seeds, no corm will perform for me. Mostly my best luck is with whole plants. I have reviewed my water dousing treatment program in a previous entry. Those plants I am sure will do well, I try to plant right away. I also learned the hard way that it is better to Trench a plant that you cannot put into the ground in the Fall. It will most likely not do well when you transplant it in the Spring. I lost Witch Hazels and a Spicebush this way. Though had I followed the instructions here for heeling in (another word for trenching, or pot dormancy, I might have those shrubs today). http://www.starkbros.com/blog/how-to-delay-planting/
A good way to stay on top of what is going on with Native Nurseries is to subscribe to emails. I do, and I also get them from local independent nurseries as well. Chances are, you have a favorite local nursery. I stick to the Huntington area, sometimes Oyster Bay. Hicks is beyond my range, but likely has good information too. I would love to hear which nurseries are your favorites, especially for Native Plants. And also about how your transactions with online merchants go ! Now, get thee to those websites, Pronto !
*Ecotype, as described by Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecotype
