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  • From: Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp <hoosiergardener@earthlink.net>
  • To: gardenwriters-on-gardening <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [gwl-g] Excess plants
  • Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 07:59:54 -0500

Title: Re: [gwl-g] Excess plants
Melanie -- several plant groups in my area have auctions as fundraisers and accept plant donations, such as the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society (natives, of course), or Master Gardeners.

Also, check in your vicinity for community gardens or volunteer groups that plant common spaces in retirement centers, public parks, etc., and consider donating plants to those efforts.

About selling the plants, you might consider contacting a local garden center to see if it would sell them.. since you seem to be so well known in your town, perhaps a special little tag that says "Melanie's Garden" or some such, would boost name recognition and help with promotion. Of course, your take (proceeds) may not be as great as selling the plants yourself, but then again it might be. The retailer might sell your $3 plants for $6, spliting the take 50/50.

jems




Good morning, Melanie Vassallo, Long Island NY zone 6b here.
 
Spring is finally at our door step along with all the wonderful chores in the garden. One of the toughest things for me is to remove the many volunteer plants and divide the larger perennial clumps. My soil is heavily amended with composted horse manure and I get wonderful increase in my plants.
 
What do you do with your excess plants? I've been giving them away by the car load. For three years I've had "dig days" where I invite whole garden clubs and dig excess plants for them. People crawl out of the woodwork on these days and yet hardly seem thankful the next time I see them.
 
Daylilies are donated to the local club, Hosta collection isn't ready for division yet but I have Dicentras, Polygonatums, Liatris, Geraniums, Sedums (over 25 varieties), Heucheras, Thalictrums, Euphorbias, Stachys, Alchemilla mollis, Echinacea, Rudbeckia Herbstsonne and so much more. The large miscanthus need dividing but I have no idea what I'd do with all those extra pieces.
 
Two years ago I tried digging plants and selling them at the end of the driveway. It didn't work well, wasn't advertised but I live on a busy road. People who stopped tried to negotiate prices even lower. I had Sedum Matrona, Geranium cantabrigense "Biokova" and more all for $3 per gallon pot. It was very frustrating.
 
This afternoon I have the members of a church in town coming for plants for their new shade garden at the church. I know in the next week I'll have to dig and divide so many more plants.
 
Is it possible to sell plants from the garden without running a full scale nursery?
 
Melanie

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-- 
Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
Garden writer, speaker, photographer
Director, Region III Garden Writers Association
Phone: 317.251.3261
Fax: 317.251.8545
E-mail: hoosiergardener@earthlink.net



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