However, with the changing times and availability of new mediums of communication, more and more gardening enthusiasts are shifting onto the method of flower catalog gardening. Browsing through a flower catalog during the winter months is almost as joyful as the hobby of gardening itself. What more, these catalogs also arrive well in time before the winter sets in, enabling the gardeners to plan their crops well in advance, thus keeping a buffer for shipping time as well.



The main advantage of flower catalog gardening is that you get access to many new products and ideas well before they hit the threshold of the traditional gardening store.

Such catalogs coming via email/snail mail offer many types of specialty items, exotic seeds, new hybrids, exotic plants and technologically updated products. Buying from a catalog also works out to be less expensive as the products come directly from the companies, removing many middlemen from between.

There are many other advantages associated with flower gardening catalogs. Many such catalogs offer useful advice about various cultivation methods, precautions to be taken while deciding the planting locations, tips and tricks of effective landscape designing, detailed analysis of new hybrids, effective protection of plants from pests and diseases, plant hardness etc. There are few that come equipped with recipes as well.

Most experts suggest taking a cautious approach while getting started with purchasing ones supplies from such catalogs. It may be ideal to place a trial order first and observe how the supplying company goes about fulfilling the order. Do they take every customers order seriously? Are they efficient with their delivery times? Do they have specific procedures in place to ensure highest level of quality even for the smallest of orders? These and many more such questions will need to be considered before one carries forward ones relationship with the company behind the catalog.

Though pictures are believed to be capable of saying a thousand words, they can sometimes be misleading too. It is advisable to both novices and veterans alike, to conduct good research on the company behind a catalog before starting a business relationship with them.

Locating a gardening catalog supplier is a fairly easy task. However, what takes little time and effort is finding out the best one. If you're beginning with flower catalog gardening, a handy source of information on catalog suppliers is your newspaper supplement or the local gardening magazines. Many of them carry advertisements about various kinds of gardening catalogs. You can also venture into your city's local library. They may also have many such magazines or even catalogs available for reference.

While flipping the pages of newspapers or magazines, pick out the ones that catch your attention, do a little research on their background and try testing the waters with a sample order. Many renowned gardening catalogs come with star ratings given by accredited non-profit public institutions. Such ratings are a good method to determine the credibility of the company. Eventually, what matters most is that whether the company you are dealing with, truly has the customers' interest at heart or not. If there's a money-back guarantee on the products and a 24x7 customer service line too, then you're probably sailing in the right waters.

It goes without saying that before one begins with flower catalog gardening, one needs to sit down and plan comprehensively. Take care that you don't order more types of seedlings than required, however, the same doesn't hold good for seeds as they can be stored easily for later use. While saving them for later use, you must ensure that the seeds are stored in their original packing, are folded over, their packets are closed either with the bag clips or a mini clothespin and are put in an envelope or paper bag in the end. Plastic should be avoided as it can result in fungus. The success rate in terms of plant growth may not be exceptionally well in the first season, but still you can hope for a good bloom.

It is imperative that you do your calculations well, when the order arrives. You may even pre-order supplies and hold onto your order for some time, to club it with more merchandise later, thus saving on shipping cost. With many plants, you'll have to plant them as early as possible after their arrival. You must also be well aware of the limitations of your garden. If the climatic conditions strictly don't permit a specific type of plant, no chemical or fertilizer on earth can help you cultivate it in your garden. Also, if your garden has space limitations, you might as well not fall for that huge flowering tree that may look great, but will end up depriving all other plants of essential nutrients and sunlight.