Where do you get your plants?

[SydneyGee]

Cuttings, seeds, young plants? Do you trade? Here in my city in Southern California we have a Home d'pot and Lo'wes, however they have been proven inconsistent and poorly stocked to say the least. It is nearly impossible to find common Asian greens, common squashes, and many edible flowers. Our local nurseries seem to revolve more around trees, shrubs, and landscaping than vegetables and fruits as I am looking for them. I am willing to order from a catalog or online if the nursery is reliable.

Where do you get yours from?

 

[AntonioCalcano]

I normally buy them online from different retailers because I can find more variety this way as opposed to doing it physically in a store and I've found out it's also more convenient this way

 

[Rayaustin]

• We get the plants from a whole range of suppliers.

• Nurseries from whom we source our plants.

• Some people are understandably nervous about buying plants online - they like to see them in real life before putting them in their cart and paying for them.

• We usually get from local garden clubs and botanic gardens. It's definitely the season for plant sales — you might consider getting in touch with your local botanic garden to see when their sale events are taking place.

 

[amelia88]

Mainly from my local nursery here. I do have a neighbor who shares clippings and plants with us - their garden is MUCH larger and more prolific than ours, but I love that they're so kind and generous to share their bounty with us!

I think that's one of the nicest things about gardening. Sharing, learning from each other...it's special!

 

[Corzhens]

Our plants is a mix of nursery seedlings and our own seeds. Our favorite tree which is the sugar apple came from the seeds of a sugar apple in Bangkok. We planted it and it is bearing big fruits sometimes. Our star fruit which is also prolific with the harvest is a nursery seedling that we bought for $40 - it is already fruiting when we bought it that's why it was expensive. Our cashew tree also came from the seeds that we had eaten, the same with some other plants that we have in plastic pots ready for giveaway to those who need seedlings and saplings.

 

[Beth_B]

I used to belong to a plant trading group! I rather miss it, haven't found anything similar here.

Anyway...mostly from a very good, independent nursery here I really like. I've also gotten traded plants with friends or acquaintances. My rhododendron bush came from a friend who was changing her garden around. The irises from another friend who moved to NM last year. About a month ago, my neighbor went and dug up a whole mess of blackeyed Susan's from an abandoned house and gave me some.

 

[DeborahJane]

I'd hate to think how much I have actually spent on plants in the 6 years I have been gardening my 2/3 acre block, the ones that didn't make it that is!!! The rest are all worth every cent. I have been given a lot of cuttings and no longer wanted plants, too. It's a wonderful thing, the gardener generosity. I have a circle of local nurserys I frequent, plus markets and stalls for another treasure.

 

[SydneyGee]

I see most of you purchase locally. I am sure there is somewhere that has a good selection of plants where I live. Who knows, maybe galanga, Chinese broccoli, star fruit, and jicama is too much to ask for We recently found a kaffir lime tree after years of looking, and were about to ask another Thai friend who had one to let us graft from it!

 

[marlingardener]

For common Asian greens, common squash, and edible flowers, order seeds. Make a small investment in grow lights, shelving, and potting soil and start your own.
For the more difficult to find plants, do an on-line search of nurseries that provide what you want, ask members here if they have any experience with the particular nursery, and order if the response is positive.

 

[Beth_B]

I see most of you purchase locally. I am sure there is somewhere that has a good selection of plants where I live. Who knows, maybe galanga, Chinese broccoli, star fruit, and jicama is too much to ask for We recently found a kaffir lime tree after years of looking, and were about to ask another Thai friend who had one to let us graft from it!

Bear in mind that you probably have the ability with your climate to grow a wider variety than some of us with real short growing seasons. So I'm a bit surprised that you don't have more to choose from locally...but I guess nurseries are going to stock what typically sells well, and we are on our own for outliers.

I would imagine most established seed purveyors are pretty reliable. I'm ordering pattypan squash seeds for next year, apparently nobody east of the Mississippi has heard of it but it's my favourite summer squash.

 

[SydneyGee]

Oh absolutely, there is very little that does not do well here assuming it is planted in the right season (warm or REALLY WARM). Closer to LA there are more to choose from, but it might be convenient to just purchase everything I want online all at once. I have at least a dozen relatively rare plants I wish to try out growing.

I have never heard of that one either! I am not a huge squash eater, but I do enjoy BBQ'd acorn squash over a warm chicken salad.

 

[Pablo]

I don't have much plants, but I've gotten a couple from Lowe's. Our Lowes is pretty nice but doesn't have much of a variety of plants. Mostly just common flowers, trees, and succulents. I've only picked up a money tree, rosemary, and confederate jasmine from there. Never been to a nursery, but I'm planning on going to a local nursery, their website says they have a cherimoya tree and tropical plants are my favorite. I've grown most of my tropical plants like my mango tree and dragonfruit from fruits I bought from my local grocery store.

 

[MaryMary]

Vegetables I always grow from seed. Most flowers also, but very rarely I will buy from a local "Mom and Pop shop" nursery, when they put the perennials on sale.

Most of our houseplants are either started from cuttings or divisions of friend's plants. Some were given to us by people who bought a "pretty plant while it was blooming," but then they either don't want (or know how) to take care of it, so we take in the poor orphans.

I have an Ohio spiderwort in the flower bed from a sweet lady who halted her yard sale to dig up part of hers for me after I admired it. She actually told a person, standing there with money in hand (!!!) to "Hold on a minute," while she dug. (Oh, it was priceless!! The look on that person's face!!)

I have tulips, lilies, and peonies from an abandoned house. Technically, they had torn the house down a couple months prior, and I took them from the empty lot...

Hmm... for what you are looking for, I'd probably order the seeds online. If you've checked everywhere locally and can't find them, might as well just make a list and go hunting!! Without even thinking about it, I'd trust Burpee's or Gurney's. And I'm sure people here can help with the names of others.

Good luck, and happy hunting!!

 

[digger]

I grew all of my vegetables from seeds which I purchase in supermarkets. My moringa tree was grown from a branch of another tree. I bought most of my flowering plants, lucky bamboo, and peppermint plants from gardening and supplies stores. A few were given by my siblings and friends.

 

[LouisFerdinand]

I get flowers from the garden centers of various businesses. Mother's cousin Jean highly recommended a wonderful nursery which I have been to several times. I have ordered flower bulbs from different companies.