I couldn't resist the other day. Went to buy some rooting hormone and another bale of ProMix and had a look at the plants at a local nursery. Bought Heliopsis Prairie Sunset. It's so pretty!! I have Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine and Summer Sun and both are great performers in the gardens. I have no doubt that Prairie Sunset will be the same.

... and this is a gardener who has over 250 winter sown containers sprouting in the backyard!! :O) Too sweet!

Tiffy, I'm with you. I can't resist shopping for new plants despite that I have many new plants under lights in the basement. I'm a searching for a front yard tree this time around.

My shopping list is little yet,limits to things like: soil,fertilizer,etc.I can not plan buying plants this year ,because i suspect to get some from my daughter's backyard.She bought the house with lots of plants,she must get rid of.Most probably i will buy some annuals only.
Hope,we will have a nice and warm summer.
hala.

had to get some seed starting mix the other day, but you know I just couldn't resist buying a poppy 'royal wedding' while I was there. I already had poppies, but not a white one....I do now :)

Has there been any bargains this year? Has anyone seen any good deals?

I got a Rhododendron (my first!) at Rice Road nursery near St. Catharines last weekend. It was only $18.99, but the tradeoff was its size-- and it was quite root bound in a too-small pot. The variety is Catawbiense Album.

I'm a sucker for Canadale's weekly sale. Being on their e-mail list I can't avoid finding out about the specials.

Oh nice. What colour did you get?

I bought a Sambuchus nigra for my brother, but I won't get to see it for a few weeks yet (it's for his yard in NS, and my mum-in-law has it for me right now).

My usual plant splurge is at the Montreal botannical gardens sale in four weeks. I have been wanting a Daphne for awhile now, so hopefully I can find an affordable one there. I've also been wanting a Bracken Fern. Last year, the one seller that sells them wasn't at the sale - I'm hoping they'll be there this year. I'm also thinking about splurging on a 'Great Expectations' Hosta. I almost bought one last year, but some red trilliums won the last of my spending money :-)

BP

Oh I have a sambucus nigra too. Bought them from an outdoor market place last year. I'm anxious to see how large it will grow this year.

I'm envious of you going to the sale.. i don't knwo what I'd do if I were to go there. However I do have very busy weekends so I'm unable to find such time for myself.

I've started to dabble with vertical gardening with succulents this year. I'm experimenting with creating a wall hangins with non-hardy succulents. My experiment right now is under grow lights - hopefully taking root and keeping healthy. By summer I hope to set it up. So my eye is out now for more echeverias, aeoniums, and the likes. I got many from Anga's farm in Etobicoke and from Patio Succulents.

I am also propagating more succulents from leaf cuttings but it's taking a lot of time. Given that each plant can cost as much as $7.99, I'd be lucky if I can get one leaf to grow fast.

Yeah - that plant sale is always a serious exercise in restraint!

I do the vertical bit with succulents. I have mostly Hoyas, but a few epis and other succulent odds and ends. I wire the pots to a wooden trellis and it looks quite nice.

I have been helping my brother reclaim a horribly overgrown garden at his newish house. So most of my ambitious gardening is happening there. A *lot* of hauling out horribly overgrown evergreens and weed trees and replanting with more manageable shrubs and perennials. It's extra fun for me because his yard is an acre, so I get to do a lot of things I don't have room for in my tiny yard.

BP

Definitely been shopping...! So far I've bought and planted a Schubert chokecherry tree, a Fothergilla gardenii shrubb, an Emerald Gaiety euonymus and planted the Solomon's seal, a couple of lilies and Huldine clematis that came a few days ago from Botanus - ordered months ago. I've gone through the plant list for the RBG (Royal Botanical Gardens) plant sale next week and made a list of what I want to get there. And I still have a few other things I need. I thought the garden was mostly full but I made a few changes this spring and have a few open spots for new things after all.

You all seem to be blessed with a better zone than me. I am Jelous LOL. Here in Winnipeg I couldent help myself and started growing Morning Glory from seeds in March. I now have a bathtub full of flowering MG's. I also have my Impatients started and Aster, Shasta daisy, Marigold, Clamatis, African Daisy, and a few too many roses. I have bought and planted my spikes, english daisy and pansy and I am still waiting on some other perrenials from last year to come back. The really scary thing is that I still have a long way to go and I am counting off the days 'till I can plant in earnest.

I've been buying peonies this year. I just picked up 'Early Scout' at Canadian Tire for $10.00

Nope, BUT, I have been doing some dividing already and have gone through my first Hosta trade of the year! I tend to do my shopping towards the end of the season, simply because of the price advantage, like twofers.

Pieter

Oh-Oh!! I'm getting in trouble already!! Just got a Viola Heartthrob and the small Aruncus Doicus on the weekend. I have to stop getting this incredible urge to turn that steering wheel when I go by those awful garden places!! :O)