Catalog dos and don'ts

Two bulb catalogs were in my mail this morning. Both are from well-known and reputable companies. And both offer a wide variety of tulips, narcissi, lilies and minor bulbs.

But I'd never buy anything from one of them.

That's because it doesn't contain a single photograph. Oh, there are some very nice ink drawings, but nothing to appeal to my inner flower freak. I'll bet I didn't spend five minutes, total, looking the publication over.

The other catalog, however, is filled with full-color photos of glorious spring borders and single flower varieties. I'm not even a big fan of bulbs but this one makes me want to grab a cup of coffee, curl into my chair and read every resplendent page. It might even make me part with a dollar or two.