I impulse bought a bunch of irises (mail order) - AGAIN - and now I have to dig up some sod because I do not have any space for them. Sigh...

I'm also driving to Saskatoon today to pick up some hybrid spinosissima roses (Beauty of Leafland, Madeline's Choice, Suzanne, and potentially others), and I have no idea where I'm going to plant them (digging up lawn I guess ha ha) but I jumped at the chance to get them because they aren't available *anywhere* anymore.

It isn't really that I don't have the space, we have a big farm yard, but I don't have spaces prepared for them so in 5 years I'm probably going to wish I had planted everything somewhere else. ;)

Oh, ya. Know the feeling. Do it every year. Get in trouble for going beyond my budget every year, too! :)

I'm glad I'm not the only one on a hydrangea kick!

I was conservative last, only did a jumbo six pack of cosmos for $2.50 at Home Depot. I find the quality of plants at Costco pretty good, they were pretty helpful too and wasn't too busy at the Costco in Balzac.

Bigger beds makes less lawn to mow!

Gonna go check out some garden centres today!

Prairie_rose, check out the one in Beacon Hill! It's a much better selection there than the Balzac one now...lol

Weeper, I would be interested in some suckers from those roses in a few years time... The Prairie Peace that I gave to Mom from you is flowering very well and she likes it a lot. The ones I got to take were the smaller pieces and are also doing well, they will bloom in the next couple of weeks.

Adventures from today, zebra iris (I have one already planted last year, flowers smelled strongly like sweet grape soda! I want to fill the garden with these now!), wooly thyme, lovely scented white dianthus, and little lamb hydrangea!

Most were still mostly regular prices though, the best were the hostas, $5.99 at Canadian Tire.

I'll have to check out Beacon Hill Costco one day!

WIll be digging more lawn out, lol.

Yes, for sure, Wayne. I ended up coming home with Suzanne, Dr. Merkley, Beauty of Leafland, and a Hazeldean (which may not survive, it doesn't have any roots! But I will nurse it along and see what happens). I couldn't get Madeline's Choice because it wasn't blooming and she couldn't remember which one it was.

Another one I'm interested in is Prairie Magic. It is more orange-y coloured. She has it as well, but I'll have to get it another year, and maybe I can get Madeline's Choice at that point. I think Patterson's garden (it is an arboretum near the U of S) in S'toon has Prairie Magic growing in it. If this lady doesn't want to dig anything up next spring, maybe I can get in contact with the University and buy/beg a sucker or two off them.

I'm really happy to hear that Prairie Peace has done well for you guys! I love spreading these roses around. :) Your walnut is doing well, too!

Man man I wish I would have seen this earlier I would have seen if there was a way you could pick up some of those roses for me. Oh well I look forward to pics.

That's too bad, SouthCountryGuy! Though it was kind of a favor that they were digging anything up at all (I don't know them I just searched them out, and offered them money, ha ha! )so I think I would have been uncomfortable asking for anything else.

That said, I've done quite a bit of internet sleuthing over the past year(s) looking for people who might be able to help with finding rare Canadian roses since Sheila Holmes quit selling. The Devonian Botantic Garden seems to have quite a collection..you could try contacting them and they may be able to put you in contact with someone who is ready to part with some suckers. Two names that have come up a lot is Paul Olsen and Margit Schowalter. They are both around the Edmonton area, I believe. I know they both do some hybridizing and Margit collects prairie heritage roses. I don't have contact #'s or emails, but you could try to get an email for them. I think both of them are (or were) active at this site: http://www.rosebreeders.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=2

You could possibly post there and someone might be able to help you contact them.

That's what I would do anyway...but I am kind of a crazy person. ;) One of these days I'm going to line up a trip to Edmonton and bring some pots and hopefully make some contacts. :)

As far as what I just got goes, it'll be a few years before there is anything to dig up as they were just wee little suckers.

I should have suckers from Hazeldean , Prairie Peace and a species Scotch rose, single white, in a couple of years. I picked up The Fairy around here the other day, not sure how it will do in my yard but Mom has had it for many years.

I was at Canadian Tire in Brandon last weekend, they had a few different Japanese Maples that were about 2' tall and had been pruned very well, they looked so nice, I was considering keeping one potted and overwintering it but couldn't convince myself to spend the cash.

Ahh weeper I understand thought you were just purchasing. Thanks for the info

Wayne I would love it if you kept me in mind. I love those style roses and would make a new bed just for them!!

Will do

Today, had picked up a 'Waneta' plum tree and also a 'Munger' black raspberry and 'Big Blue' grape, I hope the last two prove hardy ... oh, no flowers this time around, lol.

Ostrich, I really hope you have success with 'Bobo', all three of mine just slowly became weaker and smaller (while other paniculata types have flourished) and last spring all of them died :(

Terry, thank you for the information - that really bothers me about Bobo here - I read on other forums that people have done great with Bobo, but perhaps it does very well in warmer climate? I have got three of them for an area that requires some small bushes but I only paid less than $11 for each of these healthy 2 gallon sized Bobo's.... hmm.... I wonder if others in our climate have had bad experience with Bobo too? If so, I am just going to return them to Costco then... thanks again!

Yes, I'd also like to hear from others on the prairies and their experience with 'Bobo', cause other than possibly hardiness issues, I don't know what the problem could have been? I had all three in different areas of the yard and in very good soil and nearby to other paniculatas that were growing in leaps and bounds, though the poor 'Bobo's just slowly pined away :(

I have Invincibelle Spirit, 3rd. year I think, on the west side of the building, had been drooping in extreme heat, not sure how it will do this year though. I cut it right back, so far it is keeping up with the Monks Hood right beside it and has just started to set flower buds.

Pro-mix HP 3.8 cubic bale is 18.99 at CT in Calgary beddington! Also superstore in that area has 30% off bushes and 50% off baskets and planters right now, I passed on the bushes and baskets but got a few pink Princess Victoria Louise poppies instead, it is by far my favourite colour of oriental poppy.

Superstore Shawnessy has pretty much everything 30% off. I bought some Greek oregano and a Heuchera. These temporary ones will be closing soon (the employee there said July 4) so there should be some good deals over the next couple of weeks.

And thanks to Ostrich for enabling us all!

I love it when we share "tips" on where the plant bargains are!!! LOL!

I went to the Superstore on Country Hills last week and saw that they had 30% off on all perennials and shrubs. So I went ahead and got a Black Lace sambucus for my friends LOL.

However, when I went back to the westside, the Superstore there did NOT have any sale for the shrubs and perennials! So annoying... LOL! I had my eyes on a Lemony Lace sambucus there but I just would not buy it until it's on sale.... LOL!!! Oh well.... maybe finally the Signal Hill store will be on sale this week... :-)

Keep the tips coming! :-)

Golden Acre has all their bushes and perennials for 50% off right now, Sunnyside as well. Lowes is clearing out everything as well, I picked up hydrangea 'Annabelle' for five bucks, among a few other things. I was delighted to find this at Golden Acre, 'Marshall's Peace Garden Rose.'