Absolutely true! I do grow a few things I know are perennials in warmer climates but I take clippings and root them under lights all winter so I can replant without needing to buy again. My other beef with the big box gardening centers is how they sell things that are invasive without warnings. Gardening is not for the faint of heart 😉
This irritates me all the time. Where I live,California, they like to sell winter plants in the spring and summer that will wilt and die. Or, since I grow mostly vegetables, they go to seed within a week and a half. And, full sun is ideally only 6 hours tops here. On another note, glad to see others name their plants. I have a black mission fig named Figgy Stardust.
Love this post and thank you for tying overconsumption in to gardening! So true about it being detrimental to peoples’ gardening confidence — it’s like, babe it’s not you! It’s just that plant was never meant to grow in the area in which you live! It should’ve never been at the nursery! Really grinds my gears 😓
Despite my best attempts and bringing them inside in the winter, I cannot keep a Meyer lemon alive in Maryland. This is the end of my citrus growing adventure until further notice.
I love watching my perennials come back to life in the spring. In the Pacific NW. In the last couple of weeks I’ve said ‘hello again’ to peonies, lilies, Shasta daisies, dianthus, alliums, creeping Jenny and a few others I’m forgetting.
A couple of years ago I realized that I hadn’t done a good job of keeping track of what was an annual and what was a perennial and it made clean up in the fall way harder. I started keeping the little info tags that come with the plants and putting all of my perennial tags in the same spot. It makes it easier to remember what will be blooming in the spring and not overbuy.
So off at a slight tangent. I’m in Utah and as a novice gardener I planted cress seeds - in June - as my cover crop, intending to turn them under and plant some carrots and they went gangbusters.
I went to the garden centre (big box) and they advised I dig them up because they would ‘bolt and taste sour’ then I read an article about ‘grown up cress’ and decided to leave them be.
Long story short, not only did my cress survive the winter (mild for Utah but they did get snowed on several times) but they are still going strong.
This is so tough. I wish it were different with plants and with food (connected). I do strongly believe that the average person shouldn’t need to do weeks of research to be able to eat or even garden ethically/safely/well. I wish even people who don’t make gardening a hobby or passion (or whole life lol,) could just go and get themselves a nice plant and enjoy it without so many barriers. I wonder—do you ever hear of attempts to legislate/put restriction on what big box stores etc sell plant-wise? I’m sure it’s not on anyone’s priority list at the moment-and maybe it’s not the most productive way to handle things, but I know that under capitalism, asking the average person to be educated about gardens, as they juggle survival and food and etc…is a tough thing.
All of this! Thank you for writing it. I think this also feeds into people thinking that they can’t garden — because, as you say, they sold things that aren’t going to survive. There’s a green halo around gardening because, well, what could be wrong with growing nice things. Lots, as you point out. I DO have a little lemon tree in my greenhouse, that I’ve kept alive for over a dozen years. It’s currently flush with blooms and smells heavenly. It takes up space and only gives me a few lemons, but it was a gift from my late father, so it gets to stay!
I have one for the flowers too! I bring it inside in the winter, no greenhouse alas. But it’s 7 now and seems okay with a grow light in the tundra-months. The smell is worth it! Do you hand pollinate? I use a makeup brush and feel absurdly pleased w myself every time 🥹
Almost all of my perennials have come from others dividing their plants. Every season I get to think about where they came from and the generosity that brought them to me.
My front yard faces north and it is covered in moss. It only took a couple of years to let it take over. It’s evergreen as well… No mowing and I only water during severe drought…
Love this!!! I’ve been putting small evergreens in pots and urns for the past several years…They’re sloe growing, plus I put lights on them starting in the fall. I under plant with creeping Jenny and it always comes back.
I’m a Mid-Atlantic gardener and I buy seeds regularly, mostly online, though trying to collect seed in place. I buy some appropriate plants, the asparagus crowns once for each patch. I’m on my 2nd asparagus patch. The current one is 4 years old, my last one was 30. I’ve purchased from WI, IN, ME, VA. But this is usually annuals, seeds, root stock. I look for local sources first. A fig from MI 6yrs ago is still going strong. I feel good about the interstate, economic exchange. I’m aware of contamination worries and screen sources best I can.
Absolutely true! I do grow a few things I know are perennials in warmer climates but I take clippings and root them under lights all winter so I can replant without needing to buy again. My other beef with the big box gardening centers is how they sell things that are invasive without warnings. Gardening is not for the faint of heart 😉
This irritates me all the time. Where I live,California, they like to sell winter plants in the spring and summer that will wilt and die. Or, since I grow mostly vegetables, they go to seed within a week and a half. And, full sun is ideally only 6 hours tops here. On another note, glad to see others name their plants. I have a black mission fig named Figgy Stardust.
Love this post and thank you for tying overconsumption in to gardening! So true about it being detrimental to peoples’ gardening confidence — it’s like, babe it’s not you! It’s just that plant was never meant to grow in the area in which you live! It should’ve never been at the nursery! Really grinds my gears 😓
Despite my best attempts and bringing them inside in the winter, I cannot keep a Meyer lemon alive in Maryland. This is the end of my citrus growing adventure until further notice.
I keep trying to kill mine because it requires too much, but it's still hanging on. It looks like a zombie lemon.
I’m a Meyer murderer.
If this one had died, I wouldn't have gotten another one, but going on 5 years now, I've been wasting resources on it & it never gets better or worse.
Great point!! I’m trying to focus on more native species and plants that will be successful longterm in my garden :)
Same!!
I love watching my perennials come back to life in the spring. In the Pacific NW. In the last couple of weeks I’ve said ‘hello again’ to peonies, lilies, Shasta daisies, dianthus, alliums, creeping Jenny and a few others I’m forgetting.
A couple of years ago I realized that I hadn’t done a good job of keeping track of what was an annual and what was a perennial and it made clean up in the fall way harder. I started keeping the little info tags that come with the plants and putting all of my perennial tags in the same spot. It makes it easier to remember what will be blooming in the spring and not overbuy.
So off at a slight tangent. I’m in Utah and as a novice gardener I planted cress seeds - in June - as my cover crop, intending to turn them under and plant some carrots and they went gangbusters.
I went to the garden centre (big box) and they advised I dig them up because they would ‘bolt and taste sour’ then I read an article about ‘grown up cress’ and decided to leave them be.
Long story short, not only did my cress survive the winter (mild for Utah but they did get snowed on several times) but they are still going strong.
It’s BLOWS my mind that people plant flowers ANNUALLY!!!
This is so tough. I wish it were different with plants and with food (connected). I do strongly believe that the average person shouldn’t need to do weeks of research to be able to eat or even garden ethically/safely/well. I wish even people who don’t make gardening a hobby or passion (or whole life lol,) could just go and get themselves a nice plant and enjoy it without so many barriers. I wonder—do you ever hear of attempts to legislate/put restriction on what big box stores etc sell plant-wise? I’m sure it’s not on anyone’s priority list at the moment-and maybe it’s not the most productive way to handle things, but I know that under capitalism, asking the average person to be educated about gardens, as they juggle survival and food and etc…is a tough thing.
All of this! Thank you for writing it. I think this also feeds into people thinking that they can’t garden — because, as you say, they sold things that aren’t going to survive. There’s a green halo around gardening because, well, what could be wrong with growing nice things. Lots, as you point out. I DO have a little lemon tree in my greenhouse, that I’ve kept alive for over a dozen years. It’s currently flush with blooms and smells heavenly. It takes up space and only gives me a few lemons, but it was a gift from my late father, so it gets to stay!
I have one for the flowers too! I bring it inside in the winter, no greenhouse alas. But it’s 7 now and seems okay with a grow light in the tundra-months. The smell is worth it! Do you hand pollinate? I use a makeup brush and feel absurdly pleased w myself every time 🥹
I just let the bees or other insects pollinate. I hadn’t considered helping, but maybe I should! I get a few lemons each year.
Almost all of my perennials have come from others dividing their plants. Every season I get to think about where they came from and the generosity that brought them to me.
My local Buy Nothing often has plants when people divide perrenials. The town next to our has a FB group just offers of cutting-edge dividing.
My front yard faces north and it is covered in moss. It only took a couple of years to let it take over. It’s evergreen as well… No mowing and I only water during severe drought…
Love this!!! I’ve been putting small evergreens in pots and urns for the past several years…They’re sloe growing, plus I put lights on them starting in the fall. I under plant with creeping Jenny and it always comes back.
I’m a Mid-Atlantic gardener and I buy seeds regularly, mostly online, though trying to collect seed in place. I buy some appropriate plants, the asparagus crowns once for each patch. I’m on my 2nd asparagus patch. The current one is 4 years old, my last one was 30. I’ve purchased from WI, IN, ME, VA. But this is usually annuals, seeds, root stock. I look for local sources first. A fig from MI 6yrs ago is still going strong. I feel good about the interstate, economic exchange. I’m aware of contamination worries and screen sources best I can.