Maybe my first posting didn't go through. I just received
some plants from fernview nursery and they were in great condition and exxellent packaging. Can't wait to get them in. My other concern is I cannot stop buying. I swear I have spent about $400 lately, roses from one company, another four from Mitre 10, angel face, royal highness, champagner and duet for $25.00, some chrysanthes and other things from ebay. I know it's not as though I am putting it through the pokies but has anyone got a cure before I break the bank. I meant to really curb my spending but everytime I get a catalogue or a link to a nursery site it's as though I am putty in their hands. All help appreciated. Jan

To make matters worse, we are renovating our home a little and I'm the one who goes off to Bunnings to get things like a dimmer switch and wouldn't you know it...the electrical department is next to the garden section ....another 4 plants. I think I only volunteer to get the building stuff because unconsiously I know I maybe able to buy "plants".

And the Treloars booklet has arrived and then there's the Garden Express brochure and the native plants brochure...all neatly highlighted for intended purchases.

Perhaps we should start ga...(gardeners anonymous) and we can have a buddy to call when tempted to buy.

2) Get involved on the exchange forum. It would be nice to see people advertisings haves instead of wants :-)

3) Plant small seedlings and plants in tubes rather than bigger plants. They will do just as well, and are cheaper.
Grow plants from seeds either bought, collected or exchanged, rather than from expensive punnets with fancy labels.

Just think of the articles you see in garden magazines, about people who garden for free. It can be done and is a lot of fun. Don't be sucked in by fancy labels and slick advertising.

Cheers,
Dee.

Have posted the photo of Iboza on Oz gallery. Sorry about the colour as the background is orange. The tree itself is a little beauty and so pretty. Now all i have to do is pot some up. Hope you like it. Jan

Well apart from cutting up the Visa or whatever, for on line purchases it is a little hard, Jan have you tried getting your name off their mailing lists it may help. And I know you do as Jan S said grow your own from cuttings, exchange, seeds and plants that's a terrific way to get lots of free ones.

Jan the only Lavender that grow well in our Humid climate is the French Lavender, it flowers for more than half the year so worth growing as they don't need a lot of water and don't like wet feet so in a raised bed they will fly away. I just took this pic of mine to show you how well they do grow here its about 1mtx1mt and gets bigger.

Marguerite Daisy or any of those including the Federation one Forget them they are a waste of money and yes you do treat them as a Annual here as they are never there in the next season what I used to do was take cuttings off the parent plant when it was a six months old that way I had continuous supply then I decided why bother there are plenty of other plants here that are just as pretty don't need as much water and last many years.. Jan you could have put your pic of the Iboza on here just do it the same way I showed you through Photobucket. Keep those cuttings up of that shrub as the plant is short lived..I hope you dont mind but I grabbed a pic of the Iboza flowers from somewhere so the girls could see how nice it looked here....Cheers..MM.

No I don't mind about you posting the iboza cutting, Aren't they lovely? Yours is far clearer than mine. I potted up some last night but kept the gloves on as I had lots of little cuts. I already have a bit of pleurisy so didn't want to exacerbate it..I keep thinking it could be legionnaires as I am a bit slap happy when potting up. Incidentally my iboza is about 8 years of age and still going strongly and I have another in back garden.

I second Marion's suggestion - I have had an excellent success rate with the plants from Rocky markets. If anything, I find that their stock is less likely to be pot-bound than some of the stuff in nurseries, due to their rapid turnover. Nursery owners argue that many of these people dont follow proper hygiene guidelines in their propagation, but I havent had a problem yet.

Sunday aside, I can relate to the temptation inherent in walking into a nursery. My strategy is to limit myself to a single nursery plant each week - doesnt always work, but it has made me a lot more selective. Helps that I now have the bones of my garden in place - it was a lot harder when I first bought the block last June.

Cheers,

Artie

Be as greedy as you want. Take lots of time drooling over the plants on offer. Spend time looking up the different varieties in garden books or on the net, to see what conditions they need. Plan in your head where you would like to grow these plants. Fill out your order form with your final selection. Don't worry too much about the price.
Now pop the catalogue and order form in a safe place, and when you finally discover it while spring cleaning next year, you will remember how much you saved. I think it is fair then, to allow that amount as your budget for the next catalogue you receive. Just repeat the same process.
Most of the fun is in the anticipation, so anticipate to your hearts content.