I believe gardeners are referred to as "eccentric."

If I didn't live in a bland gated community, and there was a chance I could find some good stuff, I would probably look as well.

Michelle

Nah, not crazy at all - it's called "recycling" and perfectly acceptable with our "greener" lifestyles! :-)

It used to surprise me to see people cut their plumerias back and just toss the cuttings to the curb. Now, that I have a few plumeria myself, I understand it completely!!

When you get so caught up with trash picking and eventually make your way down to the county dump site and fight the seagulls for the 'good stuff ' and push your full shopping cart back home, Well, that's probably when I would label you as 'crazy' otherwise you are just 'eccentric' like the rest of us.

Lou

I call it "curb shopping". I've gotten some of my nicest plants that way. There is a lady around the block who has gorgeous plants she cuts back every year. I'm always scooping up her cuttings.

Oh yes! I also have gotten some of my fave plants that way - cannas & bromeliads, to name 2.

& my sister in CA has recently discovered the joys of dumpster diving @ local garden centers. Just the other day, she sent me a photo of her scores - wishing it wasn't illegal here....

I think every gardener/collector has done it at least once in their lives. It is hard to pass by a plant doomed for trash compactor, with so much potential (we think)

No, we are not special or crazy - just different.

I came back with a huge 5 gallon bucket of geranium cuttings once...a lady in the neighborhood grows killer geraniums and when she gives them a hair cut, it is a huge pile of easy to root cuttings!

I put my excess plants by the curb - gone in less than a day! Huge Norfolk pine in 8 gallon pot - poof, disappeared. I am glad, because I did not know where to put it and the plant needed to be planted very soon - so someone else hopefully found a good spot for it.

One's man trash is another man's treasure ..there is probably someone looking through stuff you are throwing away and find something useful, as well! :)

walking the dogs has a dual purpose, especially on tues(garbage pick-up)and on thurs.(yard debris pick-up). find some neat stuff. besides plants, crazy new neighbor cleaned out the garage, tossed out all these boxes labled "trains." vintage lionel, with all the extras, lights, buildings, ect. had to make three trips...:) bought alot of potting soil and plants with what i sold 'em for.

Wallisadi, I bet the train sets were easy to sell too. Wow, that is a great find! There are some houses nearby with some really nice plants. Watching and waiting for them to get a trim. Glad to know it's not just me. :)

When I read about all the people on here that are involved with sidewalk trashed plant scooping I've come to the conclusion that we are the normal ones and it's the people that do not trash pick that are different. Or is it they are indifferent?

Back a number of years (before trash pickup) when we HAD to bring our own trash to the dump, my wife would accuse me of bringing back more stuff than what I left with. Well yeah!!

Now I ride my electric bicycle around the neighborhood and fill my bike basket with tossed goodies. The batteries will take me around 25 miles before running down but I can still pedal back. The silent running bike is great for spotting goodies. If I find something I can't carry on the bike I'll go back and get the pickup truck.

I've even found an old abandoned citrus grove over run with pines and oak trees in my bike travels around two or three miles from here and will bring back the bike basket filled with oranges. Great for juicing.

Lou

The scientific term for it is "ultimate recycling."

Billbrandi, I like that one.

No, you aren't alone - I pick and choose from the neighbor's cuttings and clippings every day, not only in my neighborhood, but in the ritzy areas, too - and I don't appologize for it.

Yep, Im with you LOL have some real nice CURDSIDE plants.
Carmnen

I picked up a few nice huge variegated century plants up off the curb the earlier this summer. I could barely fit them into my car lol. They are doing quite well in my yard.