Hmm, Avant Gardens. Haven't been there in a few years, has anyone else? I might just zip up there one of these days ... not this weekend, but maybe the next. It used to be the only place to find interesting and unusual plants around here, other than Haskells. Although that's changed, it'd be fun to see what they're up to, now that the unusual is not so unusual any more.

It always bugged me that Haskells had so many unmarked plants, sounds like that isn't improving. Still, it's an awfully nice nursery to visit, a really lovely, inspiring garden.

A few years ago I went on a trip with some fellow gardenwebbers to both Haskell's and Avant. Avant has some great plants, definitely worth the visit. Prices were reasonable too.

dtd,
Avant Gardens is one of my favorites I was there last spring and was thrilled with their offerings. I brought home a car full including a woodland peony (one per customer) that has been very happy in my soil! I did just get an email from them last week saying they were still shipping orders (Fedex) into the summer as long as the weather permitted. Which leads me to believe they still have plenty of goodies left. Have a fun trip. kt

That trip was wonderful to Haskell's and Avent. And the Jones-Rotchford whaling museum/house/garden for which Haskell was the garden advisor. Fond memories include getting pricing from Allen Haskell himself on an unmarked Sasa palmata bamboo which is happily growing in my garden.

Mindy,
Though I heard that Gene was no longer at the nursery, I didn't know why. Thank you for clarifying. I'll take your advice about getting there to buy some of the plants that Allen propagated, before they are gone. If David is focusing on garden design, as one might expect, and Gene is gone, then it is likely that the nursery will eventually purchase all of its merchandise from commercial growers, albeit probably the best of the lot.

Mindy,
I neglected to thank you for the update news and the heads up about visiting sooner than later. I too always felt frustrated by the lack of plant tags/prices but thought that might have been a specific management tool to keep plants on hand for the landscape customers tour to choose plants prior to installation. What were some of your favorite goodies from Haskells? kt

katy- he has one of my all-time fav shrubs- Kerria Pale Moon.(that's what they call it at Broken Arrow though they don't have any this year.) i looked in my recently acquired Dirr's- LATEST EDITION!!! -and maybe it's what he refers to as kerria japonica albescens. anyway, it's DRY SHADE tolerant and blooms for 3-4 Spring weeks with beautiful pale yellow single blooms on those airy graceful arching bright green stems. We have a particularly difficult spot in the gardens where we have wasted effort trying to grow anything we've tried- and this plant not only survived there but was just exquisite. SO, i bought 4 of them because i knew i could always find another spot for them (we have plenty of dry shade) and, after having found them NOWHERE in my new eng nurseries search, i feared that i'd not find them again.

and a new tall agastache with very blue and long flower heads called Black something ,from sunny border i think.
and a jap maple i'd never seen befor- Pixie- small growing one and a killer RED (not dk pple, though i don't know if this is a newly arrived plant sporting spring foliage or a longer inventoried plant with amazing red leaves (though the web description is for red leaves as the fall color, so go figure). and a jap maple Peaches and Cream which is rarely found; whitish leaf w/ dk grn veining and some red tinges. and a daphne caucasica Jim's Pride that supposedly has spring AND fall flower flushes. and very hard to find-variegated Va. Creeper (NOT vigorous like the regular one; takes a long time to get going and even then seems to creep along(literally; didn't mean to make a pun), but great bright white variega and nice leaf shape(much smaller than normal) and shade tolerant.
he also has some nice berberis helmonds pillar there and i got an extra (can always find a place for a solid dk burgundy vertical) in preparation for the non-availability of them in the future. (By the way, does anyone know if this "nurseries not carrying bereberis beyond 12/06" is just a mass. thing or if the other new eng state are following suit?)
best, mindy

katy et al, here's a good photo of the kerria albescens
best, mindy

Here is a link that might be useful: photo of kerria albescens

Mindy,

As of late 2006, all exotic barberries are banned for sale and trade in Mass. only. It's one of the exotic invasives on the state list. Other states may ultimately ban it, but as far as I know, you can still sell and buy it in Conn. and other New England states.

There are a lot of species on the list, including creeping Jenny, purple loosestrife and porcelainberry. It will be fine to keep any plants you have in your garden, but after particular dates (different for various species) the ability to trade, propagate for sale, buy and sell the banned plants will be forbidden. We won't be able to swap them at meets, or, technically, divide them to give to friends.

If you would like a list from the State natural resources agency, let me know and I'll get the link.

cady, thank you so much for that articulate response and info.
just for the record, my personal motto has always been
"Question Authority". if it's 3am at a road intersection in the middle of nowhere, i will slow down for the red light, check both ways, and keep on driving. Same personal rule applies with barberries. Just telling you this so you know on which side of the barberry fence I dwell.
thanks again for the info,
mindy

Here is the list. Take a big breath because it's a long one. You'll note that the ban on some species is already in effect, while for others there is still time.

Commercial nurseries and garden centers will be able to sell the stock they have of the plants that aren't banned yet, but after that they won't be able to grow, buy or sell them anymore.

And, to repeat, we can keep any plants we already have. We're just not supposed to swap, propagate or otherwise increase their numbers and territory. That means the USDA will probably send spies to monitor plant swaps to make sure we're not dealing in barberry and knotweed. heh

Here is a link that might be useful: Mass. Invasive Plants No-No List