Gardening's dazzling deceptions found in catalogs

How much time have you spent over the years going through catalogs or the Internet looking for that plant or seed that you fell in love with and had to have?

Winter is almost upon us and, while cooped up in our houses, we will dream once again of next year's crops. How better to dream than armed with endless gardening catalogs that are sent to us in the mail or by searching the Internet?

But remain vigilant and keep in mind that thanks to computer graphics, plants can sometime appear more incredible than they really are, with colors more intense and blooms a little larger. What you see is not always what you get.

Remember the peach petunia seeds you bought only to have them turn out to be a dreary yellow, or that blue day lily that turned into a beige instead?

But all is not lost for us gardeners because we can use the technology to our advantage as well, and here is how. When you spot that special cultivar that you must have, do not rely solely on the seller's picture, but search for other images. Nine times out of 10 you will find pictures of the real McCoy taken by everyday gardeners like you and me on the web - no editing or computer color enhancements, just the real thing.

As a day lily hybridizer, the truth is important to me when I am paying good money for the latest day lily to add to my collection. It should be just as important to you when you add that long-dreamed-about peach petunia to your special garden.

- Greg Bartoshuk

• Provided by Master gardeners through the Master Gardener Answer Desk, Friendship Park Conservatory, Des Plaines. Call (847) 298-3502 or email northcookmg@gmail.com.