Old House Gardens Heirloom Flower Bulbs

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Fabulous Treasures from the Hortus & More!

Treat yourself to something unforgettable! Once again this year from the Hortus Bulborum and world-renowned private collectors we’ve received a handful of treasures so rare that we can offer them ONLINE ONLY. If you see something you like here, don’t delay. They always sell out quickly!

KING OF THE STRIPED, 1880 WEB ONLY

This long-loved Victorian king combines mostly striped petals with mostly purple ones for a look that’s charmingly imperfect, like Grandma’s patchwork quilt. C. vernus, zones 4-7, from Holland. Chart to compare.

#CR20 Add to Basket: 10/$7.75 25/$18 50/$33.50 100/$62 250/$140

MAMMOTH YELLOW, 1665 WEB ONLY

Gotta have it! The most popular crocus of the past 300 years — vibrant orange-yellow, like molten sun. C. x luteus, zones 4-7, from Holland. Chart to compare.

#CR05 Add to Basket: 10/$7 25/$16 50/$30 100/$56 250/$126

C. tommasinianus ROSEUS, 1924 WEB ONLY

A PINK crocus? Not quite, but it’s the closest any crocus gets to pink, a soft lavender-rose that’s utterly unique. Adding to its charms, it opens its petals exuberantly in the sun, making a constellation of tiny pink stars that just gets better every year. C. tommasinianus, zones 5b-8a, from Holland. Chart to compare.

#CR28 Add to Basket: 3/$9 5/$14.50 10/$27 25/$61 50/$113

VANGUARD, 1934 WEB ONLY

The earliest-blooming Crocus vernus, this former Russian wildflower opens its platinum outer petals to reveal an exciting contrast — inner petals of luscious amethyst. Zones 4-7, from Holland. Chart to compare.

#CR29 Add to Basket: 10/$8.25 25/$19 50/$35.50 100/$66 250/$149

Web-Only Daffodils

FOLLY, 1926 RAREST & WEB ONLY

$50! At a recent ADS auction, that was the winning bid for three bulbs of this vivid, sun-proof, blue-ribbon charmer that E.A. Bowles praised as the epitome of “brilliancy, gaiety, and refinement.” Though it’ s so rare we’ ve never been able to offer it before, we’ re charging half that much. We really want you to grow it! 2 W-O, 18-20 inches, zones 5-7bS/9W, from Pennsylvania. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare daffodil again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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LITTLE WITCH, 1921 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Cute name, very cute flower. From the wild N. cyclamineus, ‘Little Witch’ is a bright yellow pixie with a long, fluted, “stove-pipe” trumpet and petals that sweep back as if it were riding a tiny broomstick. It’ s vigorous, early-blooming, and a terrific perennializer. 6 Y-Y, 10-12 inches, zones 6-8aS/10W, from Holland. Chart to compare.

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MARTHA WASHINGTON, 1927 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Though this dramatic poetaz has just two or three florets per stem, they’re so gosh darn BIG – up to 3 inches across – that you’ll only need a few stems to fill a vase. With bright, jewel-like colors and a warm perfume, ‘Martha’ can be the belle of the ball in your spring garden. 8W-O, 21-23”, zones 6-8aS/ 10W, from California’s idyllic Carmel Valley. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare daffodil again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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N. hispanicus MAXIMUS, TRUMPET MAJOR, 1576 WEB ONLY

Celebrated in gardens for over 400 years, ‘Maximus’ or ‘Trumpet Major’ is an especially fine form of N. hispanicus with a wild, primeval look. Its trumpet is boldly scalloped and flared, it’s petals make a dramatic star, and it lifts up its face as if worshipping the sun. It’s been treasured by Elizabethan, Victorian, and Arts and Crafts gardeners alike — and now it’s your turn! 1 Y-Y, 14-16 inches, zones 5-8aS/10W, from Holland. Chart to compare.

#DA88 Add to Basket: 3/$14.50 5/$23 10/$43 25/$98 50/$181

N. gayi, PRINCEPS, 1830 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Extra-early and extra-beautiful, this wildflowery trumpet daffodil is a bicolor N. pseudonarcissus (see Lent lily). Millions were once harvested for bouquets sold in London’s Covent Garden, and it’s great for naturalizing. Daffodil connoisseur Alec Gray wrote in 1955, “A drift of it is a thing of... lightness and grace.” 1 W-Y, 14-16 inches, zones 5-8aS/10W, from Holland. Chart to compare.

#DA31 Add to Basket: 3/$13.50 5/$21.50 10/$40 25/$91 50/$169

SEAGULL, 1893 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Prettier than any gull we’ve ever seen, this free-flowering Victorian classic has pristine white petals that recall wings, sails, or the sweeping arms of a windmill. Its short canary cup is fleetingly edged with apricot. For best color, protect from full sun. 3 W-Y, 14-18 inches, zones 5-7S/9W, from Holland. Chart to compare.

#DA49 Add to Basket: 3/$8.25 5/$13 10/$24.50 25/$55.50 50/$103

VIREO, 1962 WEB ONLY

“Nature’s first green is gold,” Robert Frost wrote, and it’s the vivid green deep in the cup of this great little jonquil that sets it apart, giving its lemony flowers a distinct, fresh, spring-time feeling. Named for a small, olive-green songbird, it was bred by America’s greatest daffodil breeder, Grant Mitsch, who was also an avid birder. Last offered web-only in 2006. 7Y-GYY, 9-12 inches, very late blooming, zones 6-8S/10W, from Holland. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare daffodil again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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W. P. MILNER, 1869 WEB ONLY

Short and sweet, this quaint little elf dates back to the dawn of the Victorian daffodil renaissance. Its nodding trumpet and twisted petals are a soft, silvery yellow that seems to be the embodiment of spring sunshine. An added treat for inquiring noses is its light cowslip fragrance. 1W-W, 6-8 inches, zones 5-8aS/10W, from Holland. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare daffodil again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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Web-Only Hyacinths

CITY OF HAARLEM, 1893 WEB ONLY

Baby chicks are the same soft yellow as this great old hyacinth — and who doesn’t love baby chicks? Named for the bulb district’s grandest city, ‘Haarlem’ has been a favorite for well over a century now. 10-12 inches, zones 5-8aS/10W, from Holland. Chart to compare.

#HY01 Add to Basket: 3/$7.75 5/$12.50 10/$23 25/$52.50 50/$97

GRACE DARLING, 1910 RAREST & WEB ONLY

‘Grace Darling’ is named for the brave young daughter of a lighthouse keeper who rowed out with him in a raging storm to rescue shipwreck survivors. Her story captured the imagination of the Victorian age and before long people everywhere were singing songs and hanging lithographs of Grace on their parlor walls. Her namesake hyacinth is a lovely blue-purple, soft but vibrant (how fitting!). Though we can’t pin down its date of introduction, Alan Shipp of the UK National Collection assures us it is “very old.” Zones 5-7, from England. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare hyacinth again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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KING OF THE BLUES, 1863 WEB ONLY

Unusually old, the ‘King’ has distinctively slim spikes of a deep, rich, dark purple that’s as satisfying as the darkest chocolate. Its days are numbered, we’re told, so order it while you still can! 10-12 inches, zones 5-8aS/10W, from Holland.

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MULBERRY ROSE, 1946 RAREST & WEB ONLY

The unusual, old-fashioned color of this rare hyacinth sets it apart. It’s a misty puplish-rose, deeper in the center of the petals, paler at the edges, like raspberry ice cream swirled with raspberry sorbet. 8-10 inches, zones 5-8aS/10W, from the UK National Collection of Hyacinths. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare hyacinth again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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QUEEN OF THE BLUES, 1870 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Every year we’re told it could be the last for this soft, silvery blue treasure. When the last Dutch farmer quits growing it, its price will skyrocket. Don’t wait! 10-12 inches, zones 5-8aS/10W, from Holland.

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Web-Only Tulips

CAFE BRUN, 1840 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Opening from dragon-mouthed buds that may remind you of the blood-thirsty plant in The Little Shop of Horrors, ‘Café Brun’s ruffled, jagged, over-caffeinated flowers are a deep gold intricately patterned with dusky-red. Though its name means “Brown Coffee” – that is, coffee with milk – it’s not really brown, just wild and cool. Be sure to look for its tiny horns and spurs. Parrot, 12-14 inches, zones 5-7, from the Hortus Bulborum. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare tulip again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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COTTAGE MAID, 1857 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Now all but extinct, this sturdy little rose and white tulip was a popular American sweetheart for many years. We first find it in the 1872 catalog of New York’s J.M. Thorburn, and it continued to be widely catalogued well into the 1920s, a reflection of its excellence. Thanks to the Hortus Bulborum for saving it! Order early; our quantities are limited. Single Early, 10 inches, zones 4-7, from Holland. Chart to compare.

#TU80 Add to Basket: 1/$12.50 3/$34 5/$54 10/$100 25/$225

DUC VAN TOL RED AND YELLOW, 1595 RAREST & WEB ONLY

If we had to choose a dozen landmark varieties to summarize the whole amazing history of tulips, this 400-year-old miniature would be one of them! Just 6 inches tall and extra early-blooming, ‘Red and Yellow’ is the grand-daddy of the ‘Duc van Tols’, a fabled clan of pixie tulips once grown in every garden and forced for Christmas bloom. In front of purple hyacinths, its tiny flames of red and gold are stunning. Last offered in 2005. Zones 4b-7, from the Hortus.Chart to compare.

#TU69 Add to Basket: 1/$8.75 3/$24 5/$37.50 10/$70 25/$158

ELEGANS ALBA, 1895 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Here’s a vanilla that’s far from plain — and deliciously fragrant! An ancestor of today’s lily-flowered tulips, it’s a cream to ivory, vase-shaped beauty with long slender petals that twist and reflex gently for an almost whirling effect. A.k.a. ‘White Crown’. Cottage/Lily-flowered, 16 inches, zones 4-7 from the Hortus Bulborum. Chart to compare.

#TU67 Add to Basket: 1/$9.25 3/$25.50 5/$40 10/$74 25/$167

GENERAL NEY, 1837 RAREST & WEB ONLY

A bit dazed after looking at row after row of antique tulips, I snapped to attention when ‘General Ney’ caught my eye. It’s decidedly different, a rich dark cordovan — or port? mahogany? — that glows with intensity. Its old-fashioned, globular shape sets it apart, too. Exceptionally rare, it’s named for the inspiring leader that Napolean called “the bravest of the brave.” 18-20 inches, zones 4b-7a, from the Hortus Bulborum. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare tulip again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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GLORIA NIGRORUM, 1837 RAREST & WEB ONLY

With wisps and splashes of dark violet on creamy white, “Black Glory” is one of the very oldest surviving Bijbloemen tulips. Also known as ‘Violet Ponceau’ and ‘La Victorieuse’, it was first offered in 1837 by Voorhelm and Schneevogt, a fabled bulbhouse that had catered to wealthy bulb enthusiasts since the 17th century. 16-18 inches, zones 4b-7a, from the Hortus Bulborum. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare tulip again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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JAMES WILD, 1890 RAREST & WEB ONLY

A brown tulip? You bet! And it’s fabulous. This is the original, Breeder form of ‘James Wild’ that’s more often seen in its broken, mahogany-on-gold Bizarre form. Though yours may break into feathers and flames someday, this anything-but-plain brown tulip needs no improvement. With shades of coffee, bronze, and amber, it’s already amazing! Single Late, 18-20 inches, zones 4b-7a, from the Hortus Bulborum. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare tulip again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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LA REMARQUABLE, 1879 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Catalogers have tried for over a century to capture in words the unusual colors of this elegant old tulip. One called it “deep crimson lake with a wide margin of blush pink,” another “claret purple tipped old rose.” Maybe best of all was Peter Henderson in 1907 who called it “silky plum shading off to silvery pink at the edges.” Its shape is equally distinct, with broad, pointed petals that arch gently outwards. All in all, it is truly a remarkable beauty. Single Early, 10-12 inches, zones 5-7, from Hortus Bulborum. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare tulip again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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MARKGRAAF VAN BADEN, 1750 RAREST & WEB ONLY

“The Count of Baden” is one of the most celebrated tulips in all of history. Wildly ruffled and fringed and spiked with tiny spurs and horns, its swirling petals of gold, red, and green may remind you of molten lava cascading down a tropical mountainside. We have VERY few bulbs this year, so if you must have it, don’t delay! Parrot, 16-18", zones 4b-7a, from the Hortus. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare tulip again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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PAEONY GOLD, 1700 RAREST & WEB ONLY

An exotic green and gold protea from some trendy SoHo floral designer? No, but that’s definitely what this 300-year-old double tulip looks like when it first starts to open — and no modern tulip looks anything like it! For a close-up view of its weird beauty, simply click on our small photo. See what we mean? Now imagine that in a vase where you can watch it day by day as it slowly matures from a chartreuse symphony into a full-blown, peony-like blossom of gold brushed with red. Wow! Double Early, 10-12 inches, from the Hortus Bulborum. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare tulip again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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PURPLE CROWN, 1785 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Tulips from the 1700s are exceedingly rare. To last that long, they have to be both wonderful and tough – like ‘Purple Crown’, a raggedy double tulip of dusky, purplish crimson so dark that it’s also called ‘The Moor’. We like to imagine a crystal vase of it sitting by Beethoven as he wrote one of his dark, somber movements. It was grown way back then, so it really could have happened! Last offered in 2005. Double Early, 10-12 inches, zones 5-7, from the Hortus. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare tulip again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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ROYAL SOVEREIGN, 1820 RAREST & WEB ONLY

This extraordinary tulip is considered the oldest surviving English florists’ tulip, having “first bloomed about 1820” according to tulip-breeder John Slater in his 1843 Descriptive Catalogue of Tulips. With mahogany-red feathering on golden yellow, it’s the latest flowering Bizarre and, since it multiplies slowly, it’s very rarely offered today. Be prepared to give it extra-good care, and get it while you can! A.k.a. ‘Charles X’ and, according to Slater, ‘Defiance’, ‘Duke of Lancaster’, ‘Le Conquerant’, ‘Page’s George IV’, ‘Platoff’, ‘Victory’, and ‘Waterloo’. 16-18 inches, zones 5a-7aS/7aW, from the Hortus Bulborum. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare tulip again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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THEEROOS, 1890 RAREST & WEB ONLY

The delightful fragrance of this lovely old double shouldn’t have surprised us – its name, after all, translates as ‘Tea Rose’ – but give it a sniff and we bet you’ll be surprised at how great it smells, too. And it’s a treat for the eyes. It opens pale primrose yellow with the faintest misting of pink, and as it matures the pink gets deeper and rosier, giving it a new look every day. Pronounced “Tay-rohs,” Double Early, 10-12 inches, zones 4b-7bS/7bW, from the Hortus Bulborum. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare tulip again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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WAPEN VAN LEIDEN, 1760 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Did George Washington grow this legendary tulip? He could have! Its lively rose and white petals are illuminated by a broad yellow flare at the base, and its antique shape echoes the pointed-petaled tulips of Elizabethan herbals. Its name is significant, too. Wapen means “coat of arms,” and it was to Leiden in the late 1500s that Clusius brought the first tulips ever grown in the Netherlands. Last offered in 2005. Single Early, 12-14 inches, zones 5-7, from the Hortus. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare tulip again in fall 2009. Please check back in July or sign up for our email newsletter.

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WHITE TRIUMPHATOR, 1942 WEB ONLY

This is NOT one of our rarest bulbs, but when Ryan Gainey, the beloved and inventive Southern garden designer, called to say it was one of his favorite tulips and he was having trouble finding true stock of it, we knew we had to offer it. Touched with the slightest hint of green, its long white petals twist and reflex just slightly, languidly, cool and elegant. What would Ryan do? Plant it! Lily-flowered, 24 inches, zones 3-7, from Holland. Chart to compare.

#TU93 Add to Basket: 5/$9.50 10/$18 25/$41 50/$76 100/$141

Web-Only Cannas

BANGKOK, 1923 WEB ONLY

A harmony of green and gold, jaunty little ‘Bangkok’ has pin-striped leaves, wine-red buds, and sunny yellow, white-striped flowers. Some experts claim it came from Thailand in 1923 as ‘Tinacria Variegata.’ A.k.a. ‘Striped Beauty’, ‘Nirvana’, ‘Minerva’, and ‘Christ’s Light’. 3-4 feet, from Oklahoma. Chart to compare.

#SC09 Add to Basket: 1/$3.50 3/$10 5/$14.50 10/$27 25/$60.50

FIREBIRD, 1911 WEB ONLY

Our shortest canna, spritely ‘Firebird’ is perfect for containers and small gardens. Is that why our customers buy so much of it? Or do its slender scarlet flowers over dark green leaves remind them of tropical wildflowers? A.k.a. ‘Oiseau de Feu’, by Vilmorin-Andrieux, 2-3 feet, from Oklahoma. Chart to compare.

#SC03 Add to Basket: 3/$6.25 5/$9.75 10/$18 25/$41.50 50/$76.50

FLORENCE VAUGHAN, 1893 WEB ONLY

This painted lady is flamboyantly splashed and leopard-spotted in true Victorian style. Its identity is confused — it matches the International Checklist but not old catalogs, and some call it ‘Mme. Crozy’ or ‘Yellow King Humbert’. All we can say for sure is that it’s old and wonderful! Green leaves, 4-6 feet, from Oklahoma. Chart to compare.

#SC02 Add to Basket: 3/$6.25 5/$9.75 10/$18 25/$41.50 50/$76.50

LIBERATION, 1920 RAREST & WEB ONLY

A warm apricot marbled with orange, gold, and even pink, ‘Liberation’ looks as if it were painted by Rubens. In lovely contrast, its buds have a grape-like bloom that makes them look, as expert Ian Cooke says, “almost lavender.” Ahhhhh! Green leaves, 4-5 feet, from Missouri. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare canna again in spring 2010. Please check back in January or sign up for our email newsletter.

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MADAME ANGELE MARTIN, 1915 RAREST & WEB ONLY

The subtle beauty of this French classic eludes our camera. It’s not orange but a soft gold, apricot, and pink, like a summer sunrise, enhanced by olive-bronze foliage that one enraptured fan calls “pearly and mysterious.” 3-5 feet, from France. Chart to compare.

#SC15 Add to Basket: 1/$9.25 3/$25.50 5/$40 10/$74 25/$167

MADAME CASENEUVE, 1902 RAREST & WEB ONLY

One look and we fell in love with heart-breakingly lovely ‘Madame Paul Caseneuve’. Its sensual flowers are apricot maturing to an ethereal pink, and they’re set off by lustrous burgundy foliage that Árpád Mühle in his 1909 Das Geschlecht der Canna praised as “luxurious”. Our Spring 2005 Heirloom Bulb of the Year, it’s a customer favorite every year. 3-5 feet, from Missouri. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare canna again in spring 2010. Please check back in January or sign up for our email newsletter.

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RICHARD WALLACE, 1902 WEB ONLY

Gertrude Jekyll grew “yellow-bloomed cannas short and tall” in her borders at Munstead Wood, and this enduring favorite may well have been one of them. It has calla-like flowers and some of the most beautiful leaves of all cannas: big, glossy, and apple green. 5-6 feet, from Oklahoma. Chart to compare.

#SC04 Add to Basket: 3/$6.25 5/$9.75 10/$18 25/$41.50 50/$76.50

ROBERT KEMP, 1900? WEB ONLY

Beloved by hummingbirds, ‘Robert Kemp’ looks like a wild canna with its tiny, vibrant red petals massed into torch-like clusters held on six-or-seven-foot stalks above lush green leaves. Its history is obscure (can you tell us anything?), but from its “country primitive” look we know that it’s old. From Missouri. Chart to compare.

#SC26 Add to Basket: 1/$6.50 3/$18 5/$28 10/$52 25/$117

WYOMING, 1906 WEB ONLY

Christopher Lloyd, the beloved guru of English gardening, ranked this as one of his all-time favorite cannas. With rich, dark bronze foliage and flowers of sunset-orange that he described as “bright yet by no means aggressive,” it turns 103 this spring! 3-5 feet, from Oklahoma. Chart to compare.

#SC06 Add to Basket: 3/$6.50 5/$10.50 10/$19.50 25/$44 50/$81

Web-Only Gladiolus

ALLEGRO, 1965 RAREST & WEB ONLY

An unusual red, light-years away from the orange side, ‘Allegro’ is a deep rose-ruby with smoky purple undertones. It’s also lavishly ruffled, as if trembling with intensity – or passion? In Italian its name means “quick, spirited, lively,” and this show-stopper definitely is! 4 feet tall, from Maine. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare glad again in spring 2010. Please check back in January or sign up for our email newsletter.

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BLUE SMOKE, 1957 RAREST & WEB ONLY

Here’s a glad that really gets people excited. A half-century after it was introduced, its exotic, smoldering colors are still so unusual. From a glowing heart of apricot and bronze its petals shade into a smoky, rosy lavender-gray that’s almost beyond words – and ravishingly beautiful. Don’t be surprised if it leaves you and your garden visitors babbling! 4 feet, from Maine. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare glad again in spring 2010. Please check back in January or sign up for our email newsletter.

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FIDELIO, 1959 WEB ONLY

A very rosy, joyful purple, ‘Fidelio’ is named for Beethoven’s only opera, a hymn to loyalty, love, and freedom. Try a few combined with silvery Russian sage or tall artemisia – stunning! 4 feet, from Holland. Chart to compare.

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FRIENDSHIP, 1949 WEB ONLY

This landmark pink has won every prize there is for glads, and almost 60 years after it first bloomed for the legendary Carl Fischer it’s still considered world-class. “Frosty pink” with a luminous throat, it’s refreshingly cool and exceptionally healthy. 4 feet, from Michigan. Chart to compare.

#SGL02 Add to Basket: 10/$6.75 25/$15.50 50/$28.50

MELODIE, 1955 RAREST & WEB ONLY

As featured in both Garden Gate and Old-House Journal! Small-flowered and richly patterned, this little gem is a lot like the rococo glads of the late 1800s. Rosy-peach with a blaze of scarlet and gold — one stem in a bud vase is all you’ll need. 3 feet, from Maine. Chart to compare.

#SGL18 Add to Basket: 1/$3.50 3/$9.50 5/$15 10/$28.00 Limit 10, please.

PARROT, 1830 RAREST & WEB ONLY

G. dalenii, G. psittacinus, G. natalensis — The first African glad in US gardens, this vivid orange, green, and yellow wildling was soon crowded aside by new hybrids. But it lingered in Southern cottage gardens and now it’s back! “The most desirable,” Bridgeman wrote in 1837. “It blossoms freely, and the colors are exquisitely beautiful.” We have just 50 corms this spring, so don’t delay! 3-4 feet, perennial in zones 7(6?)-9S/11W or dig and store. From Alabama. Chart to compare. Though it's always in short supply, we hope to offer this rare glad again in spring 2010. Please check back in January or sign up for our email newsletter.

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SPIC AND SPAN, 1946 WEB ONLY

With a name that’s pure 1940s, this lovely coral-pink glad is the top blue-ribbon winning glad of all time — and a favorite of romantic garden designer Ryan Gainey. Outstandingly vigorous and healthy. 4 feet, from Holland. Chart to compare.

#SGL06 Add to Basket: 5/$5.75 10/$11 25/$25 50/$46 100/$85

VENETIE, 1941 WEB ONLY

As romantic as its namesake (Venetie is Dutch for Venice), this rare survivor from the 1940s evokes a midnight masked ball. Look closely and you’ll see that its unusual, almost smoky orange is brushed at the lips with shadows of burgundy, and — adding to its mysterious allure — its petals sparkle as if dusted with tiny diamonds. 4 feet, from Holland. Chart to compare.

#SGL27 Add to Basket: 5/$5.75 10/$11 25/$25 50/$46 100/$85

WHITE FRIENDSHIP, 1959 WEB ONLY

“Lemon-hearted ‘White Friendship’ has never been surpassed,” says garden super-star Ann Lovejoy who recommends combining it with golden feverfew and blue morning glories. It’s one of the 20th-century’s finest glads, vigorous, lightly ruffled, and radiant. 3-4 feet, from Holland. Chart to compare.

#SGL07 Add to Basket: 5/$4.75 10/$8.50 25/$20 50/$37 100/$68.50

Web-Only Dahlias

Fall-Planted Bulbs

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