Now is the time of year when garden catalogues thump onto my doormat. It is true, I know, that this is no longer the age of the page. Most of us have access to a computer, and everything can be read, researched, sourced and ordered online.

Tips on pruning, pests and design are just a click away, and cost nothing more than the price of your internet connection. Tap in your credit-card details and a huge selection of plants, landscaping materials and tools will be delivered speedily to your door.

So, perhaps I’m swimming against the tide when I admit I’d rather savour the weight and feel of a gardening book than download it, and that I prefer poring over the pages of a nursery catalogue to being glued to a monitor. Paper and card are tactile and smell great ? both qualities with particular appeal for gardeners ? and photographs of individual plants can more easily be compared on your lap than on your laptop.

Many nurseries offer both options.

I use online catalogues for speed, but I prefer knowing that a heavy envelope containing a selection of irresistible plants will shortly be delivered to my door. A painstakingly researched and well-written catalogue is something to keep beyond its allotted year. My favourites come from specialist nurseries: people who sell a single species or carefully edited groups of related plants are usually devoted to offering the best in their field. These catalogues present an opportunity to learn about minute differences between the species, culti-vars and hybrids ? and, of course, to buy them.

For the smaller nurseries in particular, producing these catalogues is a labour of love, so they may charge a nominal fee ? usually to cover postage and packaging. Some offer unusual specimens that will appeal to the know-ledgable and adventurous gardener; others are more mainstream. The best are written with authority, style and humour, harnessing enthusiasm and knowledge gained from years of experience. They include personal anecdotes, information on how, when and where to plant, and advice for getting the best from your purchases.

I found the following catalogues invaluable while I was planning the planting scheme for my new 60ft border in rural Oxfordshire. While I didn’t order plants from every nursery, the roses, perennials and bulbs that arrived were expertly packaged, in good condition and have settled in beautifully. I’m now checking out other sites in the garden, so I can do it all again.

RECOMMENDED CATALOGUES

Avon Bulbs

Many of us buy and plant bulbs in autumn, but if we restrict ourselves to spring-flowering narcissi, tulips and other bulbs that flower in the first four or five months of the year, we miss out on some treats. The Avon Bulbs spring catalogue features summer and autumn colour, including eucomis, agapanthus, lilies and snowdrops sold “in the green” ? after flowering, but while still in leaf.

01460 242177, www.avonbulbs.co.uk

Bowden Hostas

When their magnificent leaves are reduced to lacy fragments by slugs and snails, I vow not to add more hostas to the garden. One glance at this catalogue, however, brings on instant amnesia. Who would have thought that 35 pages devoted to photos of foliage could be so seductive?

01837 840989, www.bowdenhostas.com

Cally Gardens

A catalogue doesn’t have to be filled with photos to be colourful. This is a highly personal selection of plants ? from an unusual mint to perennials, grasses and climbers. Perfect for the enthusiast on the hunt for something a bit different.

01557 815029 (recorded information), www.callygardens.co.uk

David Austin Roses

This has pages of romantic roses so inviting, you can almost smell them. The sections on choosing the right rose for a specific situation should help you to narrow down your wish list.

01902 376300, www.davidaustinroses.com

Downderry Nursery

Consistently one of the best catalogues, this year’s raises the bar again. What Simon Charlesworth, the owner, doesn’t know about lavenders isn’t worth knowing. With helpful sections on cultivation and pruning, it won’t disappoint.

01732 810081, www.downderry-nursery.co.uk

Elizabeth MacGregor

This Scottish nursery’s display at last year’s RHS flower show at Tatton Park, Cheshire, stopped me in my tracks. Its catalogue is equally impressive, offering an unusual array of perennials, including a selection of delicate violas.

01557 330620

Fibrex Nurseries

Another excellent read for foliage fans. The pages are packed with images of individual fern and ivy leaves, as wellas a vast range of dazzling pelargoniums.

01789 720788, www.fibrex.co.uk

Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants

A huge range of herbaceous perennials, with plentiful photos, categorised by colour and growing requirements. Larger groups of plants, such as grasses, peonies and heucheras, are given their own pages, making comparison easy.

01256 896533, www.hardys-plants.co.uk

Harveys Garden Plants

This highlights a particularly good selection of shade-loving plants, including helleborus, epimedium and anemone. These elegant, understated plants don’t need to shout to be appreciated. The same might be said of the catalogue.

01359 233363, www.harveysgardenplants.co.uk

The Iris Garden

If you’re drawn to irises, this classy catalogue will keep you entertained for hours. If you’re not convinced, it could well change your mind. I belong firmly in the former camp, so I relish the elegantly produced pages, which offer plenty of photos to help you choose.

01308 868797, www.theirisgarden.co.uk

Jekka’s Herb Farm

A serial gold-medal-winner, author and broadcaster, Jekka McVicar is one of the most inspiring people in horticulture. The mind-boggling array of herbs on offer will amaze first-time readers ? there are 49 varieties of thyme alone.

01454 418878, www.jekkasherbfarm.com

Knoll Gardens

Neil Lucas was at the forefront of the grass revolution, and his catalogue shows the diversity now available. There is also a range of choice perennials, many of which would make perfect partners for the grasses.

01202 873931, www.knollgardens.co.uk

Marchants Hardy Plants

Graham Gough ? the proprietor of this small but renowned nursery specialising in herbaceous perennials and grasses ? includes a covering letter with his catalogue, which says: “As you will discover, we do not spoil our customers with glossy pictures.” What it does spoil you with is masses of magnificent plants and some entertainingly opinionated writing.

01323 811737

Peter Beales Roses

This image-packed catalogue has long been considered something of a reference book by keen rose-growers. This year sees a departure from the familiar A4 booklet. “It’s going to be much more of an encyclopedia, rather than a catalogue, and will be published every two years,” says Amanda Beales, the nursery’s director.

01953 454707, www.classicroses.co.uk

The Romantic Garden Nursery

Evergreens bring structure to a garden, and topiary is often the most decorative expression of year-round interest. This well-illustrated catalogue features simple specimen trees such as olive, bay and holly, progressing to topiary spirals, cloud pruning, ready-formed arches and clipped box animals.

01603 261488, www.romantic-garden-nursery.co.uk

Thorncroft Clematis Nursery

This is a consistently attractive and useful catalogue from a family-run nursery. New this year is a section devoted to the Raymond Evison “Branded” Clematis Collection, showcasing established favourites and the latest introductions from Evison’s breeding programme.

01953 850407, www.thorncroft.co.uk

Woottens of Wenhaston

Michael Loftus’s Plantsman’s Handbook is perhaps the most impressive of all. When you receive your first copy, you will understand why it would be impossible to produce a new edition every year. This scarcely matters when what is offered is so sumptuous, informative and inspirational. The nursery offers a range of perennials, but is particularly known for auriculas, hardy geraniums, hemerocallis, pelargoniums and irises. If you’re not already enthusiastic about these plants, you will be after reading this unique publication.

01502 478258, www.woottensplants.co.uk

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