Whose idea was this?

"Stupid, stupid, stupid" was Mark's suggested title for this post. Lucky for me he was laughing as he said it. All the rain we've had this autumn had me indoors looking at end of season sales on my favorite nursery web sites. Of course I fell prey to temptation when I looked at Song Sparrow Nursery. I've been buying plants from them forever and they never disappoint. This is part of my spring 2019 haul: Helleborus 'New York Night', Epimedium x 'Royal Flush' and Heucherella 'Brass Lantern'.

Song Sparrow may be gone next year as their future is very uncertain. Seemed like the sensible thing to order a bunch of shrubs and easy care perennials to help in lowering maintenance in the garden. Look what showed up at my house less than 48 hours after I placed my order online!

I know many gardeners complain about the cost of shipping when ordering plants online. I think it's just a case of getting what you pay for. Since this was the end of the season, the plants were large and healthy. Epimediums and dwarf conifers were layered in this larger box. 

Individual plants were encased in little "houses" with a cardboard door flap that opened outward. 

There was a wide strip of tape across the bottom for extra stability, but it was super easy to remove the plants from their container without breaking anything.

In addition to the Epimediums, I bought pairs of plants: dwarf conifers (Picea abies 'Tompa' ), small scale Hydrangeas (H. quercifolia 'Pee Wee'), and Orixa japonica. The only "onsie" is a dwarf sand cherry (Prunus pumila).

The Orixa japonica will get cut back somewhat in the spring to promote side shoots as they are almost at their mature height of four feet!

The Orixa grows in shade and has beautiful glossy foliage.

When I wondered whose idea it was to order plants on the last day of September, I was worried about how wet it had been and how much rain kept appearing in our forecast. I was concerned the plants might rot before they could settle in. One Orixa was put in its new home but every thing else went into any empty spots I could find.

We haven't had a killing frost yet and everything seems to be doing fine in their temporary locations. All the plants but the Epimediums have been caged to protect them from marauding rabbits. Now I will have the coming cold season to think about how I want to use these new plants to reduce maintenance — and what else I might need to add to the mix!

I should also note that I used a lot of the cardboard as inserts between pieces of framed art in our new basement storage rack. 

Comments

[Kristin]

I would guess that every gardener understands Mark's comments and your wondering who ordered all of the plants t the end of September. I had similar thoughts when my bulbs arrived, but I'm already thinking about what else I should have ordered! You certainly received beautiful, healthy plants!

[Lisa at Greenbow]

Not stupid, yet I can see the madness. Perfectly understandable.

[Nell]

Distressing news about Song Sparrow!

What a gorgeous assemblage of plants you've snatched from under the lowering door, though.

Looks like a perfectly brilliant idea to me.

[Kris P]

As someone who's been known to order plants at the height of summer when planting is akin to imposing a death sentence on the new arrivals, I would be the last person to criticize. Sometimes you just have to buy plants when they're available and figure things out on the back end, especially when a beloved nursery is looking at closure. (Of course, you have to help by contributing to their coffers!) I've got a few plants in holding pots right now waiting for the desiccating Santa Ana winds cut us some slack.

[Frank]

I may borrow that title. I've been buying clearance plants as well, although nothing nearly as special as what's been in your boxes, and I also haven't even put the first one in the ground yet... they're just lining up along the driveway along with all the tropicals which need to come inside.
Come to think of it I am a little overly optimistic about what will still get in the ground this year. Of course there are new bulbs as well.
Your new goodies look so big and healthy! I can't believe they're mailorder.

[Linda Brazill]

I think the Klehm family sold Song Sparrow and the new folks are having trouble making a go of it. But no real details of what is happening. Though now I heard it will probably still be in biz next year. I hope so as they have always had a great selection of beautifully grown plants. 
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[Linda Brazill]

I managed to get it all in the ground with notes on where I put things. I am going to have to be a very good girl next spring and not touch anything until I can figure out what survived and where it all should go.