garden work, garden pr0n

Just chopped down great, obnoxious swags of lusty ivy. Grr. Got my foot scraped by a nasty little flowering-quince stump, but I should know better than to mess about over there in sandals.

I called these flower catalogs that I get "plant porn" to my mom the other day. She was surprised (and laughing), but I was able to justify myself by citing the unrealistic perfection, wide array of unlikely options, and profusion of photos. Here are the catalogs I've gotten so far this season:

New Holland Bulb Company (bulbs) - "Wholesale" so larger quantities and limited selection, but low prices. Haven't tried them. Terrible reviews!
Breck's (mainly bulbs) - Mid-to-high prices, but pretty good quality and selection; there's always a discount for early ordering.
Colorblends (bulbs) - Also "wholesale" but with some interesting species tulips and such. The color combination packages don't tell you the names of the varieties in them, so I think I can never buy those.
Michigan Bulb Co. (plants and bulbs by season) - Low prices, decent selection, fair quality. Always an early-bird discount.
Wayside Gardens (mainly plants) - The good stuff. Expensive and worth it for the exotics and stellar varieties available.
Dutch Gardens (mainly bulbs) - Higher pricing reflects great quality, selection, and customer service.