They had great plants I had not seen elsewhere. And an order over 100 got free shipping. It priced out to about 5.75 a plant, which is what used to be charged for the small pots. Alas, smaller pots are much less available. Someone told me the growers and retailers are going for bigger pots because the plants are easier to keep alive for the retailer and gardener. I got some interesting plants I've been reading about. Fragrant currant, which supposedly has a heavenly clove scent; a lower sumac but different than low-grow; e. ARt's Pride, some unusual shade loving woodland lilies; and two honeysuckles I've never seen for sale in a nursery.But then I don't get to half as many nurseries as some people I know. I do not hold this against hcg, but getting an order through the website was impossible.Literally, I tried 4 times and it rejected a part of the payment information. My first attempt to order on the telephone was very annoying. The prices were not coming up as sale prices and there was nothing the poor 'order taker' could do. Then she told me there was a problem because it was being shipped to zone 6. Finally customer service put the order through in the daytime. Then, someone reported me at work for doing personal business and I got talked to by my supervisor. I was being bad, I know, but how I hate tattletales in the workplace!I would never report someone about that unless it became chronic and was abusing trust. But I'm not letting that spoil my anticipation of the order. Or thinking about what the plants will look like in a year. Marie

My guess is that the website has not been updated yet. The article was in the Albuquerque paper. He noted that it was a combination of the troubled real estate market, several years of drought, and when we had fires again this year, that also slowed business tremendously. He also noted the competition from places like Home Depot and Lowes. They closed much earlier than normal this fall, even shutting down orders whereas last year, one was able to order Christmas gifts from them. It is definitely sad to lose such a resource.

Those look great! I hope you end up with lots of happy, healthy growth by the end of this season. :)

Sure! I've posted my "magic mix" several times before, and it was in the thread on Chinas and Teas I referenced above. I also went into detail about it in this thread, and Lisa Adams shared a few pics in this thread, but here it is again: Get a large wheelbarrow, a 1-gal bucket, and a 1-cup measuring device which you won't mind getting dirty. Mix 3 buckets of peat moss (or coco moss if you prefer), 1 bucket of Bovung dehydrated manure, 1 bucket of perlite, and 1 bucket of vermiculite. Pick your favorite organic dry fertilizer -- I use Espoma Organic Garden Tone now because I can get it in big bags, but I've also used Jobe's Organic Knock-Out Rose Food in the past -- and add 3 cups. All these ingredients I find at my local Home Depot, and clicking the green text for each will bring you to their item descriptions on that website. I didn't link "peat moss" or "coco moss" because I'm sure you know what they are. I use nursery liners in 1- and 2-gal sizes, depending on how big they are when they arrive. I get mine from Greenhouse Megastore. They're not fancy, but they're both cheap and durable. I've gotten several uses out of each, and I haven't had to throw any away so far. Since I also collect used coffee grounds from Starbucks daily -- except during the worst part of Winter -- I also add about a 1 inch layer on top after they're potted. I also line the bottom of each pot with a coffee filter or two, so as to keep the potting mix from spilling out of the drain holes. This still allows water to drain through. Newspaper will do the same trick. Once potted, I put the rose into a large bucket and let it soak in water while I move on to the next one, then continue down the line. The earliest I get roses here is April, running through until June. Within this window, it's usually mild enough that I can put the potted roses out in full-sun, and we also get enough rain that I usually don't have to water them again until about July. I'll keep them potted until late August or early September, by which time we're still warm enough to plant in the ground, but the hottest temperatures have subsided. Keep in mind that these are my conditions in central NJ near the coast. If I was living where Winters didn't put an end to "rose season" but Summers were severe, I'd likely get them started in Autumn. :-) ~Christopher