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25 responses total.

Valerie, I just got a wonderful bulb catalog in the mail.  No photographs
of flowers, but incredibly cheap prices.  It's a Dutch firm with
a shipping office here in the US.  Their name is Van Engelen, Inc.,
and their phone number is (860) 567-8734.  These are wholesale prices
offered direct to the customer, so the quantities of bulbs are very 
large.  Most daffodils come in lots of 50 bulbs, and so forth, but 
they also have several collections available with fewer bulbs each
of more different kinds of bulbs.  If you want pictures of the flowers,
you will also need another catalog.  I'll see which of my other
catalogs would be good, and get back to this item later.

It's still not too late to plant for spring, so here's a few places to
try. Frank's Nursery, of course, and Downtown garden and hardware (the
former Hertler Bros.) The flower shop on Huron and First has some unusual
bulbs, like Orange hyacinth.

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Please boycott "the shop formerly known as Hertler Bros."--the landlord forced
them out, after they'd fixed the roof and everything, in order to set up a
competing business.

I'm hoping it's not too late to plant bulbs.  I ordered a whole bunch
this year, but they arrived in mid-october, when I was way too
busy with The Pirates of Penzance at school to garden.  I'm still
really busy,, but I might get a day this weekend to plant at least
some of my stash.  

As long as you can punch a hole in the ground, it is probably OK...

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I noticed yesterday that frost is already about 4" deep in some shaded,
exposed, areas.  In other areas there is none.

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I went out in the garden late on Thanksgiving afternoon when it was
quite warm and planted a few bulbs.  About thirty, I think.  This 
leaves about 300 more to go.  Sigh.  But with these warm El Nino
temperatures we're having, I may be able to continue planting into
early December.  

I have a question about paperwhite bulbs.  I ordered huge box of
Galilee narcissus (which I believe is a specific variety of
paperwhite), and they seem to be sprouting even before I plant them
in rocks or soil.  Any ideas on how to slow them down?  I was
hoping for five batches of ten flowering bulbs each, rather than
one display of fifty bulbs flowering all at once.

Well, it's been a while since i"ve been online, hasnt it?  However, I have
a success story for you folks worrying about planting bulbs.

Several years ago, I planted my fall bulbs and iris roots during the January
thaw.  They all came up just fine, and bloomed that spring.

<sigh> not a good thing for a procrastinator to know.

Well, I got some garlic in, need to get some more, but didn't get the
burlap around my roses, which is not making them happy.  Can't do it now,
or we'll insulate the dampness in.  <sigh>

I get most of my bulbs from Breck's... because the quality is dependable
and because they replace the whole shipment if you complain about one
bulb or two. 
I hate Michigan Bulb company - I ordered from them once... The first
problem was that they sent everything separately...piecemeal,
one little bag at a time . So it's really hard to just save a weekend
and plant everything at the same time. You have to plant in spurts
and it drives me bonkers. Secondly, their quality was crappy.
Thirdly, they gave me a hard time to replace anything - they didnt
replace anything. Fourthly, they gave me a tiny refund ($10 on $80
I think), because I just cancelled the rest. The rest they wouldnt
give me a refund for until I mailed back the shrivelled plants
and bulbs back - which I didnt do, I was sick of it.
So I spent $80, and what did get planted didn't grow.
Last, but not the least, they put my name on all kinds of
silly Million dollar sweepstakes and catalogs, so the junk mail keeps
coming. I throw it out without looking at the MI Bulb Co. Catalog.
 
Breck's tulips have grown much bigger and longer than the cheaper bulbs
I got at HQ (when it was open). 
 
You really want to get them in the ground before frost , though.
Before the snow, definitely.
I have procrastinated once or twice, and planted them in the spring -
the results are that they don't grow.
 
Also, I get non-bulb plants and flowers from SpringHill (which
is a subsidiary of Breck's and has the same wonderful refund/
replacement policy). (I have had a couple of orders completely
replaced for FREE i.e. I called and complained the peony roots
I got seemed all wilted with no eyes. They sent me another order
which doubled my peonies - planted them all, and they ALL grew.
 
Also, another place I LOVE is the Plymouth Nursery...I just got a
lot of plants and bulbs from them this fall - including a pretty
huge rhododendron (clerance $15). The bulbs looked big and healthy,
just like Breck's (whose catalog I was carrying for comparison
as I was shopping at the Plymouth Nursery). I think the bulbs
will turn out great. That's what Iexpect. <Waiting with anticipation 
for spring>.

Oh Valerie, for good, sturdy bulbs, I DEFINITELY recommend Breck's
My sister also bought a house, and I gave her 10 Candy Apple Tulip
bulbs - which I planted myself near her front door. (She'll love
them).
But, check out Plymouth Nursery next time - they had HUGE daffodil
bulbs , that you can pick to fill a bag (I squeezed in 13 of the
most humungous).
Also, I just planted the hugest bulbs I have ever seen - I got them from
a woman I work with...She dug up some of her lillies to thin
them out a little. So I may dig some for you, if you want them.
(they're big like apples!)

Another source I just thought of - and I have never tried this : there's
a tulip Festival in Holland, in May, when the tulips are in full bloom.
I bet they sell all kinds of huge , cheap bulbs. I think I'll go
check it out this year.
Maybe we could both go.

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Okay I will post directions to the PLymouth Nursery...I go up Prospect,
then past Ford Road, onto Plymouth Road (I think). PLymouth Nursery
is unmistakable - you can't miss it , on the right. There's a couple
of other nurseries i have been to once or twice further up the road.
Let me get a map, and I'll post more specific and precise directions.
Also, the nursery is closed until spring...Their big tall sign
says "See you in the Spring"

I'm a little worried about early warmups in the weather and my bulbs (planted
last fall).  a Coworker suggested I pile whatever snow I can find on top of
where the bulbs are planted.

While you're at Plymouth Nursery be sure to go just a little
further toward Plymouth and visit Good's Nursery.  It's my
favorite place to see and buy perennials.  I collect hostas.
Good's is hosta heaven.

Well, my directions were pretty close - North on Prospect, past Ford
Road, turn right onto Plymouth-Ann Arbor Rd, drive down to Gottfriedson
Road - it's at the corner there, right before Gottfriedson Rd, on the RHS.

There's at least a couple more nurseries further down the road.

Since I come from AA instead of Ypsi (and so would Valerie) I always 
take M-14 East to M153 (Ford Road) and continue east 4 miles to Plymouth 
Nursery. It's a very interesting place. Speaking of nurseries in that 
area, I also go to Margolis for some things (usually bigger trees). 
They're a few miles south, on Cherry Hill east of Propect.

Margolis is where I bought my favorite Spruce tree, that I have made 
mention of elsewhere.

We got a nice large potted burning bush at Farmer's Market for $6.  How do
prices and variety of growing things there compare with the large commercial
establishments?  You can often get a discount just before closing on Sat.

Re Resp:23 

I left an important turn out of my directions. When you get off M14 at 
M153, you have to turn left immediately onto Plymouth-Ann Arbor Road. 
*Then* you go 4 miles east to Plymouth Nursery.

Alternatively, you can go one more exit on M-14 and exit right on 
Gotfredson to Plymouth-Ann Arbor Road. Turn right and it'll be on the 
left. The disadvantage of this is that is that Gotfredson isn't paved 
(or at least wasn't paved last time I went this way). The advantage is 
that you don't have to drive 4 miles on Plymouth behind a big slow 
truck.

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