I've ordered from a couple catalogs: Spring Hill, Wayside, and White Flower Farm. The last two- the quality of what I received was wonderful. I would NOT recomment S.H. I would say, unless you're going to get a bareroot plant/tuber/bulb, you're probably better off buying locally. I haven't purchased any annual plants from a catalog. I have purchased seeds and have been happy with them. But I enjoy trading seeds and doing swaps, so I don't really need to purchase many. I enjoy the whole experience of going to the nursery. I like walking through the greenhouse and seeing all the plants laid out. They often have wonderful combinations that I never would have thought of. Plus, like others mentioned, the people are so helpful. Home Depot's selection is decent and their prices can be pretty low compared with nurseries. But sometimes the quality isn't there. I find Lowes quality to be much higher than H.D., plus their selection is better. Prices are lower on some things but higher on others. If I'm going to buy plants, I usually end up purchasing from a local nursery. I just enjoy the experience there better; but I do make a few purchases from Lowes. I think you should purchase from wherever you have the most success and are the most satisfied with. I know some gardeners who only get their plants at Walmart or HD and have great success. And others only use mail order catalogs. Your best bet might be to place a small order with one or two of your favorite catalogs just to test the quality. Then go from there. Have fun! Tracy

I'm very sorry that these nurseries are closing though I did not buy from any of them. Not to sound like a vulture but are they having sales? I was robbed by Chalk Hill's going out of business sale but might be persuaded to send some last minute business their way.....

so .. doing the math.. you are paying 50% each for two sticks.. and you still want free postage.. lol let me tell you something .... bargains.. IN HAND... can be evaluated.. and odds assessed ... bargains from unknown vendors.. you may as well expect to lose on the deal ... if you have a prior experience.. and know the vendor.. go for it.. but i would hesitate on trying new vendors at bargain time ken

Coralred, there just is no way we'd ever make the minimums in this small group. And there's no way we could get the entire thing organized and paid for by July. Maybe next year. Or if you want the list of US distributors, please email me directly. Honestly, to make those minimums, the co-op would probably have to be run through a larger forum like Dave's Garden. Thanks! Phx Ryan