I am a cheap and lazy gardener. My soilplay pretty much consists of planting, watering, weeding and keeping my fingers crossed. I have ordered plants with varying degrees of success through mail order, so I wanted to document my experiences here.

Tantalized by the lush foliage and lovely blooms touted by these gardening catalogs, I eagerly awaited my first order. Prepare to be disappointed. Many "shrubs" resemble not so much saplings but leafless twigs with roots. Some perennials are merely root balls while others arrive in the tiniest of pots -- maybe slightly bigger than what you'll find populating a flat of annuals. Still others arrived moldy or DOA. In some cases you'll get more for your money shopping at a local nursery. But many of these perennials grew in nicely over the course of a year (or more). It's fun to experiment, especially with plants I haven't seen locally. I ordered exclusively through because they were the least expensive. They also offer the standard one year guarantee. If your plant doesn't survive they will send you a replacement if you request it within one year from date of purchase.

I also recommend astilbe for shade gardens.

Year planted follows description in parenthesis.

For reference, these shrubs were planted in zone 6 in mostly sandy soil.

Updated 2/17/2008.