friends who give me divisions..lol ...

one would expect you .. of all peeps.. you ought to have enough garden friends.. to fill a large garden rather fast ...

ken

When we had a nursery, I grew many things from seeds and cuttings. Now the only seeds sprouting are ones I pluck off the plants and drop them on the soil; if they grow fine, if they don't, they don't. Other than for the rare plants, cuttings are often ones that are as easy as breaking off a section and slicking it in the dirt. We lack the room now, the time, and travel too often to do propagation for plants that are easily purchased for a few dollars. In fact, growing things from seed and cuttings would likely cost more than purchasing them, all things considered (water, soil mix, utilities, shipping). On the other hand, my favorite plants that can be divided are spread over large areas because it can be done when time allows and they do not require special care to grow.

We have a few nurseries in our area that offer up some uncommon plants. I frequently just wander through them just to see what interesting things are available. Once every 4-5 years I may go the mail order route for something I want that hasn't shown up locally. But heck, even Anne's Perennials are sold at a local nursery.

I save money using coupons, shopping sales and clearance racks (healthy plants go for 50-75% off after they loose their leaves or finish flowering for the season) and purchasing smaller-sized plants and giving them time to grow. We had our penny-pinching years, certainly. But that is not a very influencing factor at this point in time.

When I moved to my current place I surrendered the notion of gardening strictly for myself (mostly) and concentrated on gardening for the benefit of other life forms--namely bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. That focused my attention on the plants those critters preferred or needed. I resisted becoming a slave to commercial growers, repulsed & disappointed by their need to make a fast buck.

Did I buy plants? You betcha! I wanted hellebores and lacked the patience to grow them from seed. I was picky & selective and, yes, tight-fisted. But ultimately I found it vastly more satisfying when I winter sowed hundreds of containers three years running and in so doing gifted myself with literally hundreds of robust, healthy perennials that quickly filled my own & my neighbors' various beds for pennies on the dollar. It tickles me that ornamental dogwood trees I grew from seed three years ago are now as tall as I am and fully leafed out.

Commercial nurseries fulfill an important role for many casual gardeners as well as those with hefty disposable incomes. I simply discovered in myself a passion for growing my own plants from seed and relished the challenge of seeing them sprout, grow & thrive.

An older neighbor who laughed himself into fits at the idea of winter sowing is even now on his way to Vermont to plant a winter sown apple tree in his family's orchard.

I will admit to buying most perennials from nurseries. I want instant gratification, just don't have the patience to wait a year if not longer for a filled-in, blooming plant. I can sometimes get a "jumbo" perennial and get three or four divisions out of it, so that can cut costs. I also hunt down the clearance racks at the end of the season - definitely bargains to be had there. Of course, divisions from established plants, too.

I do enjoy sowing annual and vegetable seeds, though. I'm very fussy when it comes to color, and the nurseries sell what is in vogue and also lots of mixes - which I don't want. There is an abundance of annuals that can be grown, far far more that what is available locally, and I can pick and choose the colors I want. I save my annual geraniums every year, so the initial investment yields me many years of enjoyment (I did lose all my plants year before last - that was a weird occurrence). I do buy annuals every year from the nursery, too - those that I can't grow easily from seed or some "filler" for here and there when I don't have enough.

I'm not so fussy with vegetables, but I do enjoy growing them, and a packet of seeds that costs a couple bucks will yield me many years of vegetables, since I don't throw away unused seeds for at least a few years (they grow just fine if stored properly).

Interesting question Campanula!

Our yard was 100% a blank slate when we moved in to this new construction home. Money was tight so I started many perennial and annual plants from seed and covered a lot of ground that way.

Nowadays (13 years later) the perennials have all grown and spread all over the place so it's rare that I buy a perennial. But I am dividing, moving and giving them away all the time. I can fill entire new beds without buying a single plant, which is kinda cool.

We have a greenhouse so seed starting is a constant operation, mostly for herbs, greens, veggies and cutting flowers. I daresay I spend more than I care to admit on seeds and potting mix, so this route does not always feel like a budget-friendly one, even though I know it is.

The things that I do buy these days are trees and shrubs. Over time I am adding much more structure and permanence to our large beds - this is something I could not afford at the onset, although I wish I had conceived of the original plan differently and put in more woody and evergreen plants from the beginning.

I enjoy a combo of commercial cultivars and seed-grown plants in the gardens.

Been starting plants from seed since 1986, but with the "discovery" of winter-sowing, that has increased exponentially. I do most of it outside now via winter or direct sowing instead of inside under lights. I love to watch seeds germinate and little baby plants grow up, enjoy the genetic diversity of seedlings, and get a little thrill to discover self-sown seedlings in the gardens. I'm also doing a little plant breeding of my own, dreaming about cultivating an interesting, perhaps even commercially viable plant.

I've got a lot of patience for growing from seed, but still get a rush going to the nursery and buying a few plants for instant gratification! However, I am more cautious. After having lost many nursery and mail order perennials over the years, heck some of them didn't even make it ONE YEAR, I prefer cultivars that are more durable.

When I did a lot of seed starting under lights, I did it mainly because I enjoyed the process and the daily work of caring for all the seedlings was kind of a nice distraction from winter. I really didn't do it to save money. Maybe I did, but then electric rates really started to skyrocket and I couldn't stand the monthly bills. I also simply grew tired of it and really have no desire to go back to doing it.

I guess the only exception, like mxk, is growing veggies from seed, but almost everything is direct sown in the garden except for the tomatoes. Those I start inside. Also like mxk, I save my seeds from year to year, so a packet of beans or whatever lasts me for years. It's pretty gratifying knowing that patch of beans which feeds for me most the summer probably cost me 25 cents if that. I get a kick out of that.

I was recently at a garden center where they were selling plastic pots full of green bean plants already in bloom with some sort of trellis to support the growing plants. The whole thing cost an absolute fortune and I kept thinking who in the word would be dumb enough to spend that kind of money on a few bean plants you could grow yourself - from seed - for a couple of pennies? I'm sure someone bought them though.

Kevin