Hi Debbie,

Sibs (Parklands Perennials & Chapman Iris)

I rather shop in person for Clematis and other potted perennials...
Holes Greenhouse in St. Albert have everything you can think of in superior health and size. I love that nursery and they offer a guarantee if they donÂt make it the first year.
Also Wickhams Lloydminster have a great selection too.

I probably won't be ordering from Bluestem again, I ordered very early last year and many of them were sold out when they shipped out in June. Many popular hardy ornamental grasses can be found at Holes Greenhouse.

Sharon

I've been hoping someone would bring up this topic. I am new to online shopping and was wondering if anyone has any favorite sources for seeds and live plants.

Is it my imagination that 6.95 to ship under under $20 in seeds is a bit excessive? Vessey's and T&T are under $2 for a small order, but neither carries large dahlia seeds, which I'm interested in.

Thanks Sharon.
I forgot about Parkland having sibes...will wait till they update their website to shop for them.
I am a frequent visiter to Wickhams:) Just never paid much attention to the grasses or clematis, as I've been busy buying tree's, shrubs,etc.
I've been wanting to go to Holes for quite some time now, but hearing first hand on the quality,etc one can find there, I will have to try to go this spring.
Grasses are what I want especially this year for the water feature, but need to talk with someone with "plant in hand" to make sure it is hardy,etc
Does anyone on this forum grow successfully the miscanthus grasses?
Debbie

Debbie, I bought the miscanthus giganteus from bluestem last year but can't say much about overwintering it as this is the first winter. I mulched with peat moss, leaves, even placed full bags of cedar wood mulch around it. The plant and roots almost reminded me of crab grass but much much bigger, even the roots are thick. The stuff I ordered from bluestem arrived dry, and they said it would in their instructions, but sure enough it revived once soaked in water for a day and then planted.

The "whether to buy it mail order or locally" is a timely question as I've been debating that myself. I wanted to buy tiger eyes sumac and endless summer hydrangea. If I order it from T&T's catalogue I get a bareroot plant but if I order early they will likely have it in stock. If I wait I can get a potted plant from the nursery which I have better success with, but they might sell out quick. I was checking an old price list from the nursery and the prices seem pretty comparable on these plants (unless there is a big price increase this year.)

Glen

Debbie, check your local drugstore, Holes comes out with an annual ultimate reference catalogue each spring. They will not have the prices in the catalogue but you can download them at their website. (They haven't updated their website yet either).

The two Miscanthus I have are,

Miscanthus sinensis 'Blutenwunder' purchased last year from Bluestem, will see how it survives come this spring.

and Misinensis var. purpurascens Flame Grass which I've had a few years now. It's hardy but it is slow growing. I did have to move it last spring because it was getting too much shade, hopefully it will plume some day. I think I bought this one a few years ago from Home Hardware in Lloyd.

gladzoe, your best bet would to buy Dahlia tubers instead of seed. The big dinnerplate Dahlias take awhile to get established from seed.

Botanus, McFayden and Ferncliff sell Dahlias.

Sharon

That should read....
Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens Flame Grass ;)

Where is this edit feature that we requested over a year ago GW ;)

Sharon

Would be very interested in hearing how your giganteus does this year Glen...it would be perfect as a backdrop grass for what I have inmind.
How tall is your flame grass Sharon?

I guess hoping for Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' or Miscanthus sinensis 'Oberon' to be hardy on the prairies is wishful thinking??
I did get Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' last year and I really like it.
Debbie

Right now it's only about 3 feet tall and I just noticed that Holes listed Miscanthus x giganteus and Flame grass in their 2007 catalogue, therefore it might be in the 2008 catalogue when it comes out.

The Calamagrostis are very hardy, all being cold-season, clump forming, you may want to try these cultivars too...
'Avalanche'
'Eldorado'
'Overdam'

Sharon

Thanks Sharon, I like the suggestions you have on the Calamagrostis and that they are considered so cold hardy.
...soooooo when is the best "week" or time to hit Holes?? LOLS I'm thinking now, that maybe this is the route I should take for my big list of plant material I want. (note...I say "want", doesn't necessary mean "get":)
But my son and family have just moved into a brand new house this fall, with absolutely no landscaping done and they will be doing lots this spring so I'll just have to talk them into some off the "list" and then we can share down the road. HA!
Debbie

Thanks Sharon, I'm kinda holding off on buying Dahlia's until I develop the knack for storing them over winter. I tried storing my stargazers in the pantry in a plastic bag and they got moldy in a month. So I bleached them, but for 3 hours instead of 30 minutes and stuck them in the fridge. Now when one gets mouldy I pull that one out and stick it in a pot of dirt. Amazingly, one is actually sprouting but I hear it is too early.

I saw that Stokes has what I'm looking for and the 6.95 shipping isn't bad if I get the heat mat I'd like instead of just seeds.

All I can say is DONÂT go to Holes on Mother's Day!!! LOL, one year I did and I had to wait very long for a parking spot and a cart, it was so crazy in there that day, but at least I was honoured to meet Lois Hole that day which I will never forget.

The week around May long weekend is a good time to make a road trip there. My car automatically knows where to go. LOL

Be warned, you will noticed that Holes plants can be expensive compared to other nurseries. BUT, they are so nice and healthy and they do stand by their guarantee policy.

Sharon

Here is a link that might be useful: Hole's Guarantee

gladzoe, Stokes is a great seed company to deal with. They always send fresh, good quality and quantity of seed.

Plant those Stargazers in your garden early this spring, mulch them good come freeze up time in the fall and they be ok growing outdoors, unless we get an early early frost in the late summer in which its a good idea to cover them up with blankets or such.

Good luck!
Sharon

Oh, I didn't know there was a grass discussion going on here, LOL...I can contribute a thought or two here.

Miscanthus giganteus wintered for me (planted in '06) - it has not yet plumed, though and I don't expect it will.

My Flame Grass is about 5 years old and are nice sized clumps but gets at the most to 3' tall (if that). It does plume some although quite late. The 'flaming' part has me somewhat stumped - it sort of starts to get a tinge and then turns a brown/tan colour. Can't say as I'm really thrilled with it, overall.

M. Morning Light, planted in a nice protected spot and with ample snow cover did not winter.

M. Blutenwonder is going on year 4 or 5 in my yard, and has plumed the past 2 years. It is still not a big clump but it doesn't seem to struggle, just not very fast growing at all. Because they start to grow so much later, and I have them mixed in with cool season grasses, I find I'm overlooking it until one day, boom, there it is.

Panicum virgatum bloomed nice last year, finally. Prairie Sky is a beautiful blue. But again, later to start.

Overall none of the Panicums or Miscanthus varieties grow quickly in my yard, nor do they reach the heights that are normally stated. The Calamagrostis varieties Sharon mentions above, in my opinion, are better suited to the northern garden, being that they start growing early, plume early and have plenty of time to go thru their cycle before the cold weather once again hits. The warm season grasses, although many have proven hardy, are just too slow to start (the soil has to have warmed sufficiently before growth starts) and many want to plume when frost is threatening or has already taken place.

A big, native grass I'm really liking is Spartina pectinata, but it's going to have an issue with spreading so unless you have a nice big area where it can roam, I guess I wouldn't recommend it (unless you use a root barrier). M. giganteus also has this reputation but in a cold zone, who knows. I did do some root pruning late last year and it wasn't so terrible to dig up and cut the spreaders. The Spartina stems are really strong, too - it's holding up very well thru everything this winter has so far thrown at it and being that it's about 5' tall, sticks up out of the snow for winter interest. Me likey.

For the shorter grasses, Helictotrichon sempervirens (Blue Oat) and Deschampsia's are nice as well as fully hardy. Blue Fescue, unless a sterile cultivar, reseed with much abandon for me so it's banished from the yard.

LOL wondered when Pudge would smell the grass...

I just wanted to chip in that my local Home Depot gets a truckload of clematis every spring and I have bought a few and been very happy with them. Good selection too.

Stokes Seeds is great. My baby daughter likes perusing their catalogue with me... she favours the pansy and sunflower pages. ;) LOL

Thank you everyone for all the great information on grasses.
I'm going to go look up the rest of these suggestions and by spring, hopefully will know what I really want.
That is great to hear about Home Depot....one just opened up in Lloydminster this winter, so will forsure be checking it out! I have two sisters who live in Regina and they are forever telling me about the "deals" they get there.
Do any of you have pictures of your grasses posted somewheres?
Debbie

Check out the Gallery too, I'll be posting some in the M's ;)

Sharon

Thanks Sharon for posting pics...I can see it is gonna be an expensive spring!:)
I'm not sure which one I like better, so will likely put both down on my list.
Do you pudge or Glen have a picture of your Miscanthus giganteus? blue stem has pics, but I just find it hard to believe that it would grow that huge out here.
Debbie

Sorry Debbie, I really didn't take pics. Mine's in an okay spot beside my gazebo and against a fence, but I would like to move it to a more noticeable spot (hopefully, if it survives winter). If, however, it gets at least six feet tall it might suit it's current spot, more as a backdrop.

It grew approx 4 feet tall this year, not bad for a first year perennial. Not overly wide (yet)and the blades reminded me of crab grass, only bigger, and the edges of the grass blades are a bit "sharp". Almost like yucca leaves but not not quite as sharp.

I imagine it will be shorter in our zones, due to a shorter growing season. Apparently it won't bloom unless you have a very long growing season and mild climate, but the unique ness of the plant is the height.

Glen

thanks Glen for the info. I was hoping to use something like this grass for a backdrop and wanted the height and for a 1st year grass to grow 4ft is very promising.
Debbie