Last Call! Only 6 Days Left to Order (More) Bulbs!

        Don't get stuck with a boring winter and nothing new to look forward to next spring. To plant some excitement this fall, order by midnight this coming Wednesday, Nov. 7. That's less than a week away!
        Choosing is even easier now because many varieties are sold out. For a list of everything that's still available — including lots of fabulous lilies, crocus, and hyacinths — click here. Order online or call us at 734-995-1486. Rita and Jean are standing by!

Bulbs Make Easy Holiday Gifts, Too!

        Why not take care of some of your holiday shopping NOW by surprising the gardeners on your list with our fabulous fall-planted bulbs? Order by next Wednesday, Nov. 7, and we'll send them straight to the recipient with your gift message hand-written inside one of our beautiful, bulb-flowered cards.
       Don't know what will grow in their zone? We'll even be happy to choose the bulbs for you! Order online at www.oldhousegardens.com or call us at 734-995-1486.

Book of the Month: Tulips from 1912

        An email from our good customer Kathy Castillo who's a librarian in St. Paul reminded us that many of the best books about antique bulbs and gardens can still be found on the shelves of public libraries around the country. She writes:
        "I checked out a great old book from the library here called Tulips: Garden Flowers in Color by Rev. Joseph Jacob. It was published in 1912, and in it I found some of the wonderful tulips that you offer. There are only eight color plates in the book, and one is for the 'Prince of Austria'. Rev. Jacob describes it as 'a grand orange-red, one of the best of all tulips.' I am certainly glad that you saved it from commercial extinction!"
        If your local library doesn't have Rev. Jacob's Tulips, there's a good chance you can get it (or any other book you can think of!) by inter-library loan. It's a free service that most public libraries offer. Just call yours and ask.

Tips for Storing Dahlias, Glads, Cannas (But You Don't HAVE To!)

        Our best advice can always be found under Planting and Care at our website, http://oldhousegardens.com/howToSpring.asp . Remember, though, that temperatures and humidity vary from region to region and even house to house, so you may have to experiment to find what works best for you. For storage recommendations from four other experts, check out http://dahlias.net/seabox/savem.htm at the Colorado Dahlia Society's excellent website. And send us your tips! We're always eager to learn.

Our New Site Search Can Help You Find the Right Bulbs For . . .

        Thanks to all of you who gave our brand-new site search a trial run! We appreciated your rave reviews and your suggestions for improving it.
        We're especially proud of our Advanced Bulb Search which allows you to choose bulbs by color, hardiness, date of origin, bloom-time, and more. To see what it can do for you, go to http://www.oldhousegardens.com/search_request.aspx .

Tour the Hortus Bulborum and Holland in April!

        Imagine hundreds of rare old tulip varieties blooming in a vast patchwork of color alongside a tiny medieval church. That's the Hortus Bulborum, and next April you can be there as part of a special "Holland for Horticulturists" tour co-sponsored by the Hortus and Maryland's Cylburn Arboretum. Spend eight days visiting Keukenhof, Palace Het Loo, the Boskoop nurseries, and more, for just $2500 per person, airfare included. For more info, contact our friend Jane.Baldwin@Cylburnassociation.org.

Praise of the Month: 'Thomas Edison' Dahlia

        Our good customer Kathy Winkelman of Sacramento, California, writes:
        "I just wanted you to know how great my 'Thomas Edison' is doing in its second year here. I have flowers six inches wide and it's been blooming continuously for months. I share with my neighbors, and they just can't get over how big and beautiful the flowers are. And our warm days of over 100 degrees have not seemed to bother it. It's framed by my big window in our family room, so it's the first thing I see in the garden every morning. I tell ya, it's a beauty!"

Trim Your Flower Beds with a "Victorian Edge"

        Writing in the May 2007 Fine Gardening, Kate Feely recommends an edging technique that's been used by generations of gardeners:
        "Your best bet is the natural or Victorian edge, also referred to as a Victorian trench. This is the most cost-effective edge available, requiring only time and elbow grease. To attain this edge, use a sharp spade to make a vertical cut in the turf at the edge of a bed. Remove soil to a depth of 3 to 4 inches, at a 45-degree angle to the freshly cut vertical edge. With a rake, smooth the soil to slope toward the border plants; this creates a beveled cut. Smooth out the remaining soil. If need be, you could rent a bed trencher for a day or hire a local landscaping company to create a trench for you.
        "To maintain a clean line, the beds should be retrenched in spring or as needed. A Victorian edge will blend into any landscape and is as effective as any product for providing a barrier to grass and weeds and for containing mulch."

Welcome to Our New Subscribers from the Horticulture Symposia!

        Scott had a great time at Brookside Gardens, historic Stan Hywet , and the J.C. Raulston Arboretum speaking to hundreds of avid (and friendly!) gardeners as part of Horticulture magazine's "Smaller Gardens" symposia. We're happy so many of you who attended decided to subscribe to our Gazette, and we hope you love it!

Did You Miss Our Last Newsletter? Read It Online!

        September's articles included heirloom tulip wallpaper, Rudy Favretti's new book, 'Andries Orange' combo, and more. You can read all 66 of our back-issues at http://oldhousegardens.com/newsArchive.asp .

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