Old House Gardens Heirloom Flower Bulbs

Groups & Sources

From America’s Expert Source for Heirloom Flower Bulbs

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By joining even one of these organizations devoted to heirloom plants, historic landscapes, and bulbs, you’ll learn a lot and you’ll be supporting their important work. We’ve belonged to most for decades and consider them invaluable.

Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation, ahlp.org, Nancy Brown, 8A E Oak St, Alexandria, VA 22301, mainly for professionals, $45

American Daffodil Society, daffodilusa.org, PO Box 522, Hawkinsville, GA 31036, $20

American Dahlia Society, dahlia.org, Alan Fisher, 1 Rock Falls Ct., Rockville, MD 20854, (301) 424-6641, $23

American Hemerocallis Society, daylilies.org, Pat Mercer, PO Box 10, Dexter, GA 31019, $25

American Peony Society, americanpeonysociety.org, 713 White Oak Ln., Gladstone, MO 64116-4607, (816) 459-9386, since 1903, $20

California Garden and Landscape History Society, cglhs.org, Gerald Flom, 100 Bear Oaks Dr., Briones, CA 94553, newsletter, tours, etc., $30

Heritage Rose Foundation, heritagerosefoundation.org, PO Box 1719, Gonzales, LA 70707, journal, newsletter, meetings, etc., $25

Heritage Roses Group, theheritagerosesgroup.org, info@theheritagerosesgroup.org, five regional groups, meetings, newsletter, $12

Historic Iris Preservation Society, hips-roots.com, Judy Eckhoff, 7911 S. Yoder Rd, Haven, KS 67543-8144, great journal and reprinted resources, $10

Historic Landscape Initiative of the National Park Service, nps.gov/hps/hli/index.htm. This isn’t a group to join but the website of the agency that’s the national leader in landscape preservation. An incredible resource!

International Bulb Society, bulbsociety.org, Dave Lehmiller, 18173 Hwy. 326 North, Sour Lake, TX 77659, mostly tender and species bulbs, $40

Plant Heritage (formerly the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens), nccpg.com, The Stable Courtyard, RHS Garden, Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QP, England, phone: 011-44-1483-211465, international leader, fine journal, £18 by Visa or MasterCard

North American Gladiolus Council, gladworld.org, Doris Hartline, 7250 N. Twp. Rd. #103, Kansas, OH 44841-9729, $25

North American Lily Society, lilies.org, Stephanie Sims, PO Box W, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805, $20

Southern Garden History Society, southerngardenhistory.org, PO Box 15752, Winston-Salem, NC 27113, a valuable resource no matter where you live, $25

The Cultural Landscape Foundation, tclf.org, 1909 Que Street NW, Second Floor, Washington, DC 20009, (202) 483-0553, national leader in preserving historic landscapes by “stewardship through education”

Scott’s Tips for Finding Real Heirloom Plants

        The search for authentic historic plants can be both fun and challenging. Modern hybrids are often very different from earlier varieties, many once-popular plants have all but disappeared, and counterfeits are common. Here are some tips to help you find real live antiques:

        1. Start with what you have – including what seem to be weeds. Every site has old plants waiting to be re-discovered and re-appreciated.

        2. Look over the fence – literally – and down the road. Ask neighbors, relatives, friends, and older gardeners. Heirlooms often persist in family gardens.

        3. Collect seeds or plants from abandoned sites (with permission and sensitivity – never endangering the continued existence of that plant at its original site).

        4. Consider species or wild forms of garden plants, which were usually the first in gardens.

        5. Search to the cultivar level. Same genus and species is NOT the same plant. For example, Paeonia lactiflora ‘Humei’, introduced in 1810, is unlike any 20th-century P. lactiflora (and forms of P. officinalis, P. suffruticosa, and P. tenuifolia – as old as they may be – aren’t even close).

        6. Join a group. See our list above for some of the best.

        7. Order online. Though local nurseries definitely deserve our support, you’ll find a much greater diversity of heirloom plants offered by mail.

Great Sources to Explore for Heirloom Plants

These are some of our favorite sources for historic flowers and edibles. Many are run by friends of ours, so please tell them we said hello!

GardenWatchdog.com – Check out this catalog-rating website for customer reviews of thousands of sources. We’re proud to be the Watchdog’s #1-rated company for Heirloom Bulbs and all Spring-Blooming Bulbs. (And if they’d list companies in more than two categories, we bet we’d be their #1 source for Summer-Blooming Bulbs, too!)

Antique Rose Emporium, weareroses.com, 9300 LueckemeyerRd., Brenham, TX 77833, (800) 441-0002, expert and friendly, not just for the South, dates

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, rareseeds.com, 2278 Baker Creek Rd., Mansfield, MO 65704, (417) 924-8917, mostly edibles, some dates

Forestfarm, forestfarm.com, 990 Tetherow Rd., Williams, OR 97544-9599, (541) 846-7269, vast list of all sorts of shrubs, trees, natives, etc.

Heirloom Seed Project, landisvalleymuseum.org/seeds.php, 2451 Kissel Hill Rd., Lancaster, PA 17601, (717) 569-0401, Pennsylvania-Dutch heirlooms

Heritage Flower Farm, heritageflowerfarm.com, 33725 Hwy. L, Mukwonago, WI 53149, (262)662-0804, mostly perennials (and the intensely fragrant clove currant), dates

J.L. Hudson, jlhudsonseeds.com, PO Box 337, La Honda, CA 94020-0337, many species, oddities, varieties you won’t find elsewhere

Old House Gardens – Heirloom Bulbs (that’s us!), oldhousegardens.com, 536 Third St., Ann Arbor, MI 48103, (734) 995-1486, world’s leading specialist in heirloom bulbs, dates

Perennial Pleasures, perennialpleasures.net, PO Box 147, East Hardwick, VT 05836, (802) 472-5104, all antique, also herbs, dates by eras

Pickering Nurseries, pickeringnurseries.com, 3043 County Rd. #2, RR #1, Port Hope, Ontario L1A 3V5, (866) 269-9282, old roses, brief descriptions, fine quality, dates

Seed Savers Exchange, seedsavers.org, 3094 N. Winn Rd., Decorah, IA 52101, (563) 382-5990, vegetables and more, international leader, great publications

Select Seeds, selectseeds.com, 180 Stickney Hill Rd., Union, CT 06076, (800) 684-0395, heirloom and new flowers, some dates

Southmeadow Fruit Gardens, southmeadowfruitgardens.com, PO Box 211, Baroda, MI 49101, (269) 422-2411, many old and new, some dates

Superstition Iris Gardens, tbisonline.com/ca/superstition.html, 2536 Old Highway, Cathey’s Valley, CA 95306, (209) 966-6277, many historic iris, dates

Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, twinleaf.org, P.O. Box 316, Charlottesville, VA 22902, (434) 984-9822, much more than a seed and plant source

William Tricker, tricker.com, 7125 Tanglewood Dr., Independence, OH 44131, (800) 524-3492, waterlilies, many old, some dates

For our print catalog click here or send $2.00 to Old House Gardens 536 Third St., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. phone: 734-995-1486 fax: 734-995-1687 charlie@oldhousegardens.com		For our free email newsletter, “The Friends of Old Bulbs Gazette” with tips, news, history, & special offers, send us an email with “subscribe” in the subject line to newsletter@oldhousegardens.com.
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