PDN advice for Kim

Kim (aka blackswampgirl) over at A Study in Contrasts recently wrote about ordering plants from Plant Delights Nursery. I have love the plants I’ve purchased from PDN. But I had some advice for her that I will also share (slightly edited) here:

I started reading the PDN catalog in the laundromat Saturday. (Our dryer is down. Can’t help but think how many plants I could buy for what it will cost to replace it.) Two pieces of PDN advice:

First, set yourself a budget before you start through the catalog. You’ll have to eliminate two-thirds of what you want to come in under budget.

Second, when your plants arrive, keep in mind they’re coming out of a Carolina spring into what we call April. (Remember our Tax Day Nor’easter?)

PDN plants are about the best I’ve ever bought. They bring me to tears when I open the box. But they haven’t been happy when I’ve stuck them right into the ground.

Consider potting them up, maybe even growing them in a nice container the first year and then transplant them in the fall. At a minimum, treat them like your tomato seedlings. Put them in a cold frame. Move them in and out based on the nighttime temps.

Perennials from nurseries in a climate similar to ours don’t get any special treatment here. I usually just slap in the ground on arrival or soon thereafter and they do just fine. But with PDN plants, use a little extra care to protect your investment.