I have been working on the garden lately for some upcoming tours and I had a few blank spots here and there. I decided to order from one of my favorite mail order companies: Annie's Annuals and Perennials.
Why is it one of my favorites? Because, not only do they carry very cool and unusual plants/flowers (including many heirlooms), but the people who work there are ultra cool too. I just love them. And you can tell by the way they package the plants that they love us too.
When I order from Annie's I get almost-instant satisfaction. I usually have my plants within 48 hours. Luckily for me, they are in Northern California (I'm in Southern CA) and they ship within 24 hours of ordering. One time, I ordered early in the morning and got my plants the next day! How great is that?
But just look at how they ship! Each plant is lovingly packaged so that it won't get crushed if the box is tipped over. They even poke air holes into the box! You gotta love a place that goes to the extra care to make sure our garden looks pretty. Yes, shipping is expensive…But I am usually ordering hard to find plants. I am willing to pay a bit more so that they arrive in one piece. But one note: Their boxes are designed to ship in multiples of 8. You pay the same shipping price if you order one or 8 plants. So get some friends to order with you and order a full 8 or 16 plants. Otherwise, you are paying for the space in a partially empty box!
I visited Annie's in person last year for their Big & Wild Garden Party. It is one of those places that makes a gardener giddy with excitement!
About the Author
Theresa Loe blogs here about taking the garden full circle while striving for a more local, fresh-from-the-garden lifestyle. She is a TV producer, video host, freelance garden writer and a wrangler of chickens and children. (Not necessarily in that order.) For more information on these topics, you can subscribe to her free monthly newsletter.
Theresa Loe is the award- winning Co-Executive Producer & Canning Expert on Growing A Greener World TV. She blogs here about Living Homegrown®, local and fresh-from-the-garden. 
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Great timing. I read your post just before leaving for a trip to SF. I took a little detour to Annie’s on the way home, and I’m a bit poorer, but my garden is going to be rich with the unusual varieties I brought home. What a place!
Oh Susan,
I am so glad that you got see Annie’s in person! It is incredible, isn’t it? I wish I lived closer so I could go again. I love the display garden because so many of their heirloom plants are growing there. I have found some really unusual things through this company. Fun stuff!