I'm convinced that the success of WWF is based on very wealthy people purchasing incredibly overpriced plants because it makes them feel as though they're ordering from what they perceive as a reputable and exclusive company. The success of this model is also based on wealthy wannabees and those who care way too much about image and money (think Hyacinth from "Keeping up Appearances"). The quality of their plants is mediocre at best and don't do what I did last year and waste a road trip up that way. I was so excited to see the gardens and what a mess! Geez. I can't tell you how disappointed I was. They really don't take very good care of those beautiful garden beds that Traci Sabato designed and created. Very sad. Who ever mentioned this is absolutely right. There are so many wonderful nurseries around. Why order from these turkeys? It's like many of the other beautiful catalogs we get ... the pics are great and they're very useful for planning and winter plant dreaming. Other than that, they're good for recycling.

eloise has the best advice... Here in California, we have a wealth of innovative retail nurseries that specialize in special plants. Use those as your first source of things exotic and different. Then check out some mailorder companies. Californians don't have the same "mailorder plant culture" as do people "back east". Tell us exactly where you are and you'll get plenty of responses for souorces within an hour's driving range of you. MAIL ORDER SEED COMPANIES Bountiful Gardens 18001 Shafer Ranch Road Willets, CA Direct Seed Co. 3303 Harbor Blvd., Suite E-7 Costa Mesa, CA J.L. Hudson, Seedsman Star Route 2, Box 337 La Honda, CA Redwood City Seed Company P.O. Box 361 Redwood City, CA Seedhunt P.O. Box 96 Freedom, CA MAIL ORDER ROSE COMPANIES Amity Heritage Roses P.O. Box 357 Hydesville, CA Arena Rose Company 525 Pine Street Paso Robles, CA Greenmantle Nursery 3010 Etteersburg Road Garberville, CA Heirloom Garden Roses 24062 NE Riverside Drive NE St. Paul, OR Mendocino Heirloom Roses P.O. Box 670 Mendocino, CA Michael's Premier Roses 9759 Elder Creek Road Sacramento, CA Petaluma Rose Company P.O. Box 750953 Petaluma, CA Sequoia Nursery, Moore Mini Roses 2519 E. Noble Ave. Visalia, CA Vintage Gardens Antique Roses 2833 Old Gravenstein Hwy. S. Sebastopol, CA MAIL ORDER BULB COMPANIES Anthony J. Skittone Bulb Co. 1415 Eucalyptus Drive San Francisco, CA Far West Bulb Farm 14499 Lower Colfax Road Grass Valley, CA Flowers and Greens 35717 Lasiandra Lane Davis, CA Fogbelt Growers 5096 Dows Prairie Road McKinleyville, CA Jim Duggan Flower Nursery 1452 Santa Fe Drive Encinitas, CA M & C Willetts P.O. Box 446 Moss Landing, CA MAIL ORDER PLANT SPECIALISTS AnnieÂs Annuals Market, n. of Rumrill Richmond, CA Canyon Creek Nursery 3527 Dry Creek Road Oroville, CA Chalk Hill Nursery P.O. Box 1847 Healdsburg, CA Collector's Nursery 16804 Northeast 102nd Ave. Battle Ground, WA Cordon Bleu Farms 418 Buena Creek Road San Marcos, CA Forestfarms 990 Tetherow Road Williams, OR Goodwin Creek Gardens P.O. Box 83 Williams, OR Heronswood Nursery 7530 NE 288th Street Kingston, WA Kartuz Greenhouses 1408 Sunset Drive Vista, CA Rare Exotics.com 11610 Addison Street North Hollywood, CA River Rock Nursery 19251 SE Hwy 224 Clackamas, OR Siskyou Rare Plant Nursery 2825 Cummings Road Medford, OR World Plants (Trans-Pacific Nursery) 20110 Canyon Road Sheridan, OR Joe

Hi!! new to posting here, but I am sharing your frustration over GSTs. I just ordered 3 more from Shady Oaks, and two bit it by the time I got up this morning. I thought maybe a tiny spider was getting the one itty bitty, but I couldnt see too well, but it may have been another cat I saw balled up over him. Thinking it was a spider, I swatted it away. So I have one lone cat left, just like last time. The last one got really big, and I guess he finally wandered off to pupate. But he sure didnt move much. So I will watch the one ittbitty. I did get some really huge PVSTs. I have never seen one! I really hope they pupate alright. And after being so sad over not getting any BSTs on my very lush fennel, I ordered some along with this order, and presto! new hatched cats! Oh and GF when just hatched look like short little yellow strings. Then they get red. I watch them munching out my kitchen window.The funny thing also is my mom thought I was insane when I started getting into this, so that my then 5 yo son could see the lifecycle, after awhile, and taking her to Shady oaks for the tour, she absolutley loves it too now. This is addictive. They're like my little babies!!--Traci

I have received numerous hellebores in all of the above colors and more from PKF, and some have actually been shipped while in bloom. As you probably are aware, other than tissue cultured plants, which at this point usually will not be available in blooming sizes, it's pretty much a necessity to choose plants while they're in bloom if you want very specific colors, patterns, etc. The Tylers at Pine Knot have selected plants for me in the past based on pics I've sent them, etc., but that, of course, has to be done during the bloom season.