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catherinet11

Do any of you sell your left-overs locally?

15 years ago

Hi all,

I always have extra lily and lotus tubers and marginals, but I don't want to hassle with mailing stuff. Do any of you sell your's locally? Do you just put an ad in the paper?

We live back in the woods and I really don't want strangers back here.

I've even thought of putting them for free down at the end of the drive. Some things seem to disappear from our garbage pick-up pile........so these might go quickly too. I just don't want to give away the nice pots they're in.

Maybe I should just get used to putting leftovers in the compost........but its so hard to do!

Comments (24)

  • 15 years ago

    I also live in Ohio and would love to have them. Where about do you live? I live in Akron Ohio.

  • 15 years ago

    I live in central Indiana. They are too big to mess with for mailing, and I really don't want to do much of anything that's work or money. Sorry. Was just wondering if people sell their stuff just in their neighborhoods/towns and how they get the word out.

  • 15 years ago

    Craigslist is the best way to sell pretty much anything to do with ponds.

  • 15 years ago

    I agree. I buy stuff from craigslist all the time. I got a hundred gallon pond from there today for half the price of a new one. I am tickled pink. You can always arrange to meet someone to sell your plants. If you have a thrifty nickel sort of paper those work pretty good to sell stuff as well but there is a small fee for an ad whereas craigslist is free.

  • 15 years ago

    Hi
    I generally find water plants tougher to sell than other kinds of plants. So usually just give them away though I don't ship . too much trouble .
    I agree with you about the compost pile. lol This spring I composted 6 lilies listed at 30 bucks each and 3 foot tall Amazon swords with 6 inch ones listed at 8 bucks lol If I could sell all the extras I could be rich lol.
    You might try trading locally for other kinds of plants. I got two Alocasias and two orchids for ywo water lilies!! gary

  • 15 years ago

    Catherine,

    I don't sell extras. The nice size ones, I post them on the aquatic plant exchange for postage or give them away locally. Mailing them is not that much of a hassle although I try to make only 1 trip to the post office with everything - sometimes I have 8-10 boxes. This spring, as you know, I divided my lotus. Had 5 or 6 plants that I gave away locally. Just last week, I gave away the last of the horsetail from the spring repotting. Everything else I pitch on the compost pile.

    Jan

  • 15 years ago

    Thanks everyone,
    Jan, How do you find people locally? Just word of mouth? Classifieds? Sign in your yard?
    I wish I knew alot of local ponders, but I don't.
    And mailing them, no matter how easy, is just one more thing I don't have energy for right now!
    My son is home from college, so I'm getting even less sleep and spend alot of my energy arguing. :)

  • 15 years ago

    Year before last I tried to sell extra lilies after dividing. I ran an ad in the paper I work for. Just a tuber of a named lily was $7.00 and a potted plant was $12.00 which was a considerable savings over the local nurseries. After running the ad for a month I only got about 3 or 4 calls and only one person every came out to look. She was a pain in the butt too. I had the lilies seperated that I was selling but she wanted the ones I wasn't selling. She bought one tuber and I had to back off to $5.00 and she went away in a huff because I wouldn't sell her the lily she wanted.
    So......I don't think I'll try that again.
    I see ads in the paper from time to time of people giving away pond plants. For some reason they are a tough sell to many people.
    I completely understand you not wanting people at your home. You might consider taking plants to a festival or farmer's market to sell.

  • 15 years ago

    A woman a few miles from me has a sign posted at the end of her street "Pond Plants for Sale" with her address.
    I stopped by but she had nothing that interested me. She only had 2 kinds of plants. She just had a little water garden in her front yard with a stick in each pot with a price and another sign that said "Using Honor System".

    Find what you want then knock on the door.

  • 15 years ago

    Catherine,

    I usually tell the folks I know that have ponds. I also frequent a local nursery alot and tell some folks I know that work there that I have plants available. Sometimes they will take them for themselves or let others know. But the majority of the ones I give away are through the aquatic plant exchange.

    Jan

  • 15 years ago

    Lefd...........I can just picture that woman. She would definitely put an end to my wanting to sell things at the house very quickly! haha
    Farmer's market......I hadn't thought of that! That's a good idea.
    Thanks again for your suggestions everyone!

  • 15 years ago

    If you are gonna give it away,,how about Freecycle, on the web most communities have one, I have met with several other people who have ponds sharing plants fish and ideas, we are pretty rural, so nice to meet other people who share in the fun!

  • 15 years ago

    Hi Catherine
    I am starting 2 ponds and need plants and would be most happy to receive some from you. I live just west of Indianapolis so we can't be to far apart.
    I sent you an email and am anxious to hear from you.
    Thanks
    Dale

  • 15 years ago

    While mailing can be a PITA, I do trade on a couple different exchanges and also sell on eBay. I don't know anyone locally that needs pond plants.

  • 15 years ago

    Hi Dale,
    I'm just not going to deal with anything extra this year. Too much going on here recently. I'm sorry! Hopefully you can find things elsewhere.

  • 15 years ago

    Hi Cath,

    My only other suggestion would be a local garden club. Ours in town has a plant sale each spring as a fund raiser. You could donate your extras - split 'em, stick 'em in your cheap left over pots from the nursery, and set them in water, then have them come pick them up or drop them off at a nearby members home. Good for you, good for them.

    Sarah

  • 15 years ago

    Catherine
    Hmmm, was under the impression you wanted to get rid of some.
    I'll look elsewhere.

    Dale

  • 15 years ago

    Hi Dale,
    I'm sorry if I unintentionally misled you. It was more for info for the future. I've have either thrown the extras out or they are in their summer homes for now. If life is easier for me next spring, I'll keep you in mind. Sorry if I got your hopes up. Good luck finding stuff for your new ponds! Are you somewhere around Bainbridge?

  • 15 years ago

    No problem Catherine, did get a number of plants for my 2nd pond which has no filtration. Want to maximize plants and minimize fish load (a few goldfish) to achieve a balance at least as far as possible.

    I live northeast of Clayton and south of Danville.

    Dale

  • 15 years ago

    Hi Dale,
    Isn't that somewhere around Cox's nursery? I believe they have a section of water plants......but I think you were looking for bigger, slightly less expensive things.
    I find it pretty amazing how water can be balanced, with pretty much just plants. I don't have fish, so I know its much easier........but if one is willing to put up with some algae, its really possible to not use filtration. The algae usually goes away, when the plants get going.
    Good luck with your ponds. How about some pics some time?

  • 15 years ago

    catherinet wrote, "...Do you just put an ad in the paper?
    We live back in the woods and I really don't want strangers back here."

    Question: If you don't want people at your house, how would the people answering an ad for plants come and retrieve them from you?

  • 15 years ago

    I was asking what other people do. That didn't mean I was going to do it myself. If I did want to do it that way, I would probably meet them in town with the plants.

  • 15 years ago

    Indy here too...love craigslist. I have used honor system and non-honor system...so far, so good. Some people are freaks but you have to try to weed them out at the gate. LOL

    Dale, I have some gold variegated reed if you need a cool marginal plant that can withstand anything. Let me know. After four years, it just jumped-ship this year and has taken to land so I am digging some up.

  • 15 years ago

    Catherine, I have purchased a couple of pond plants from Cox's but they have a very limited selection. The best place for variety and quality is Aquatic Design in Monrovia. If you are not familiar with them it is worth a trip. Love their ponds.
    Andrea, yes I would be pleased to have some for both ponds. I'll contact you off-list.

    Dale