Last Call! Order (More) Bulbs Now! Fall Shipping is Ending!

        It's not too late, but it will be soon! Order now before you're stuck with a boring winter and nothing to look forward to.
        A week from Sunday is the last day to order for delivery this fall. That means even if you want to plant in December, you have to order now. Yes, NOW! We don't want to panic you, but this is spring we're talking about!
        Choosing is EASIER now because many varieties are sold out. For a list of everything that's still available, click here. Or let us choose for you by ordering one of our awesome Intro to Heirloom samplers.
        Order online or call 734-995-1486. Rita and Donna are standing by!

Now Get 25% MORE in Our Luscious Lilies Sampler!

        While supplies last -- till Nov. 9 at the latest -- we'll give you at least $26 worth of fabulous lilies when you order our Luscious Lilies sampler for delivery this fall.
        Thanks to a terrific article about our lilies in the New York Times, we're running short on many varieties. That means we're being forced to include some of our more expensive lilies in this sampler -- martagon to colder zones and Formosa to warmer zones, for example -- and that's good news for you! Time is running out, though. This offer is good only while supplies last or till Nov. 9, whichever comes first.

Blog of the Month: Southern Living's Grumpy Gardener

        "An outstanding mail-order nursery," that's what Southern Living garden editor Steve Bender calls us in a recent posting at his blog. Steve calls himself the Grumpy Gardener, but that's because he can't call himself the Really Funny and Also Expert Gardener. Though he tends to tone down his humor in his magazine writing, in his blog you'll see more of the Steve who cracked us up in the modern classic, Passalong Plants.
        His praise-filled review of "the Old House Gardens difference" spotlights several of our best bulbs for warmer gardens including our true Byzantine glad which he describes as both "gaudier than Liberace at the Moulin Rouge" and "a single-malt Scotch for your garden." Don't miss his blogs titled "Squirrel Problem? Fire Away!" and, right in time for Halloween, the "Toilet Paper Miracle." Like gardening, laughing is good for you.

And You Thought You Had Animal Problems!

        On her fall order, our good customer Frances Webb of Tuolumne, California, added:
        "Your bulbs all bloomed well and were spectacularly beautiful. I lost one dahlia to a gang of thug quail, though. Charlie may want to visit."
        Charlie is a very tough cat, but even he's afraid of California's quail gangs. Does anyone have any suggestions for controlling these terrifying thugs?

Book of the Month: Flowers and Herbs of Early America

        Curator of plants at Colonial Williamsburg, Larry Griffith is also an enthusiastic home gardener, and you'll see both sides of him in this terrific new book. Covering 56 seed-grown flowers and herbs, Larry presents both scholarly history and tips for using these long-loved plants in modern gardens. The book's many illustrations show us past and present, too, with antique images set alongside lush photographs by Barbara Temple Lombardi. Though many of the plants are well-known, others such as devil's claw and scarlet pentapetes will be new discoveries for most gardeners.
        You can leaf through the book right now at Amazon.com. Click "search inside this book," noodle around a bit, maybe read the chapter on cannas, and I bet you'll agree: this is a book that every heirloom gardener will want to add to their holiday wish list.

Black Beauty Lilies Thrive in Zone-8 Florida

        Our good customer Judy Little of Cantonment, Florida, writes:
        "When I ordered your 'Black Beauty' lilies a few years ago, you warned me that they might not do well in my zone-8 garden. They have done fantastic! Now I can't wait to try the new lilies I'm ordering. Thanks!"

What Do Abyssinians Smell Like, Part 3

        Here's another contribution to our ongoing discussion, from our good customers Elizabeth and Sarah Heeren: "We think the Abyssinian glads smell like Easter lilies."

Did You Miss Our Last Newsletter? Read It Online!

Early October's articles included our new "Bulbs of the Years Past" page, animal- and hurricane-proof bulbs, slow-paced martagons, our daffodil archives, and more. You can read all of our back-issues -- by date or by topic -- at oldhousegardens.com/NewsletterArchives.asp

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