I was searching for something in a catalog and came across
Hydrangea "Garden Party".
Tried doing a search, but turned up nothing.
Does it exist ?
Ever heard of this ?
BajaBlue, I've seen it at http://www.qvc.com/Cottage-Farms-SubZero-Hardy-Garden-Party-Hydrangea.product.M23964.html and http://www.cottagefarmsdirect.com/ViewProduct.aspx?P=2422&C=96.
I haven't found good customer comments about either of these companies. I'd also check out the Garden Watchdog on this site before spending my money.
Its claim to fame is that it is a rebloomer and supposedly hardy and compact. Unfortunately, those last two items may not work well once it is let loose into the world. I remember Endless Summer being advertised as good in Zone 4 originally and now they recommend winter protection in Z4. Similarly, it may be compact where the wholesaler developed it but in locations with a longer growing season, it could get taller/wider than expected.
If the GW does not talk well of those companies, try going elsewhere for similar products. You definitely do not need winter hardiness in Z8 and may be more concerned with dimensions that reflect your longer growing season.
For example, the "regular/original" Endless Summer Hydrangea as well as the new Endless Summer Bloomstruck Hydrangea have similar specifications as Garden Party.
Yes, I had read about Cottage Farms.
I just found it strange that there are no references
ANYWHERE.
In some limited cases, I have gotten similar results when I research some shrubbery I have seen for sale at HD (no offense to HD). It may be that the wholesaler is a small operator compared to the big guys out there. And thus they do not have the resources to put out a lot of online info.
But I do not consider Cottage Farms small, so it is surprising there is so little info out there. Short_CA is definitely not the first/only one I have seen who has seen these complaints about CF Service.
Being a geek it's fairly easy for me to find information on the internet. Here are a couple of places to find out about Cottage Farms.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/ratevend/msg0203244710370.html
http://www.qvc.com/Cottage-Farms-For-the-Home.category.0101.html?refine=1001298+4294965219&ref=GAS&cm_ven=googlePAID&cm_cat=N-Cottage+Farms&cm_pla=Cottage+Farms%7CExact&cm_ite=sJLsGztWt|dc_27390976205_cottage%20farms
With the second URL, each plant has a separate rating. Based on the many reviews I've read, CF's history is mixed.