Shipping plants?

16 years ago

Hi gardening enthusiasts!

After a long drawn-out summer, in which only my Celosias, Sunflowers, and Vincas thrived, albeit beautifully, I'm soooo eager to start shopping for some Fall/Winter/Spring annuals.

I've been tempted by so much eye-candy on the Michigan Bulb Company website, in which they will ship almost anything to AZ after the 2nd week of October (which makes sense considering the heat we continue to endure!). Anyhow, being a beginning gardener, I'm not yet ready to do the seedling thing, but I know they can ship plants to you, too. Anyhow, has anyone had any success with this company and having plants delivered directly?

My only concern is like I learned the hard way last year with foxgloves...sure, they are gorgeous while blooming but some have such a tiny window in which they bloom(like the last couple of weeks of spring, which in Phoenix is already too hot for them to survive), that it's not worth it. So, here's the list that's tempting me...any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated(especially in regards to whether they will continue to bloom througout our long fall/winter/spring):

1) Peppermint Twist Phlox: (picture: http://michiganbulb.com/product.asp?pn=76239) Up north they're usually grown during the Summer. They say they like full sun but can have mildew probs. But I figure our dry climate might work well for this problem?

2) Blue fringe daisies:(pic:http://michiganbulb.com/product.asp?pn=76680: I had great success with daisies last year. In fact, a few of them survived the Summer...so these should be a safe bet.

3)Blue and White Dutch Iris: (http://michiganbulb.com/product.asp?pn=79359) Never tried to grow Iris before...I'll have to do some research.

4)Black Satin Viola (http://michiganbulb.com/product.asp?pn=65575) : Wow! I believe they might like the east side of my house?

5)Silver Shamrocks:(http://michiganbulb.com/product.asp?pn=79375) It says they're easy to grow...but does that apply to Phoenix?!

6) Green Envy Coneflower: (http://michiganbulb.com/product.asp?pn=80474) It says they like heat and are drought-resistant! Great! Sounds like a fit for AZ. But then why don't I see many around?!

7) Butterfly blue scabiosa: http://michiganbulb.com/product.asp?pn=67867

The description says it does well even in hot dry climates. Again, do these really end up looking as lovely as the pictures?!!!

I'm very skeptical! But the photos are sooo tempting, aren't they?!

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Comments (4)

sundrop07
16 years ago
They are tempting indeed! My only experience with the above list is limited to dutch iris: they do grow well here and look great when planted en masse but the blooms only last a short time, I still think they are a worthwhile addition to the garden. They multiply fairly quickly, die back shortly after blooming and reappear next year. Just don't forget where you plant them so you don't forget and dig them up putting in new plants!
I've grown scabiosa in the past and they did beautifully. I planted mixed colors from seed and they were beautiful, don't remember what time of year though. Violas do well here and can take fall, late winter and spring sunshine. The others I have no experience with but like you don't recall seeing them grow here. Heat and drought resistant in other parts of the country don't apply here in Az. Good luck with whatever you choose.
xica_da_silva
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks, sundrop, this is very helpful! I'm very glad to hear that the scabiosa can do well because I'm keen on getting some blue colors in my garden somehow! The others might be a bit trial and error but I'll just purchase fewer of those to do a test run.

Best regards,

Xica
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grant_in_arizona
16 years ago
It's fun to order from catalogs, isn't it? So many plants that do well in northern climates really have a very short window of bloom (or life, LOL) in the warm winter parts of AZ like you said. Even where they are utterly happy, those phlox plants have a very short bloom period, so I wouldn't expect much more than that here. I think all of the echincaceas (cone flowers) really struggle in our heat (though good old black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) loves it here and is an easy short-life perennial from seed or plants). I grow a dozen different types of oxalis and they love it here--most are dormant in summer and wake up in autumn to grow and bloom until it gets hot again--I always have to mark where they are so I don't accidentally dig them up in in summer.

Like Sundrop mentioned, Dutch iris do GREAT here, but like in their ideal climate, their bloom season is very very brief. Regular bearded iris does very well here too and I always have some, but again their season of bloom is very short (but their foliage does hang around for most of the year, unlike Dutch iris which disappears during summer).

It's still fun to experiment, so let us know what you try and how it works out. There are lots of desert penstemons that will be perennial for short or longer term and will give many weeks of bloom in spring, plus the good old workhorses like lantanas etc too to help you fill in with extra blooms, and don't forget our autumn through spring friends the annuals: geraniums, snapdragons, calendula, alyssum and lobelia all bloom their heads off for much longer than they do in cold winter areas.

Good luck, have fun, and send lots of updates!
Take care,
Grant
xica_da_silva
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi Grant!

Thanks as usual for your helpful info! The more I think about it, it seems like I should keep the stalwarts in my front yard (pansies, geraniums, dusty millers, etc.), and then try the more short-blooming, 'experimental' flowers in my backyard, so if I fail miserably, no one else can see them but me! haha. Of course, if they are successful, then I'll be the first to walk guests to my backyard and beam with pride! lol.

Too bad the phlox don't bloom very long...that's good to know. maybe I'll just buy one or two then. I still want to try one, though, because I have a friend in Canada who makes me very envious with her pics of 'peppermint twist' phlox (as well as all of her other garden delights)! I think it would be hilarious to send her a pic of phlox actually growing in Phoenix, even if for a very limited time! lol...