Spring plants from ADR astilbe, phlox, more?

OK, the extra glads are half gone now, including some I took to the "prize table" for the egg hunt we just had for a few our our neighborhood kids... the flower packets were gone within the first few choices!

Looking at the photos on the packets, I think 'Jessica' and 'Novalux' would be a great combo (yellow Novalux would echo the yellow center of the coral Jessica for a very South Beach effect), and Princess Margaret Rose' (bicolor yellow w/ red) would be a lively fiesta combo with 'Traderhorn' (red).

Catmint, when you spoke up for a set, there were 6 varieties in the list. I've been the list as they sold out, mistakenly believing that would help keep things clear, LOL. Sorry. The $5 "super deal assortment" you got has Novalux, Princess Margaret Rose, Traderhorn, Jessica, Sancerre (white), and Bonnes Vacantes (white, magenta edges)

I'll try to check this thread first, but I'm thinking Joyanna and I might pass around any remaining packs to friends/neighbors as easter gifts. :-)

thanks, Critter. They are all gorgeous!

Do you think I could grow an assortment in a container? I don't have enough sun elsewhere, I don't think. They need a lot of sun, right? I'd be willing to try one super assortment if it might work in a container....

LOL Happy, I don.t think you can fit 60 in a container... but I will make a mixed baggie for you & include with your astilbes as a bonus. might be fun to stick a couple at the back/ctr of sunny containers... I like their upright foliage. do you want yellow/red/bicolor or magenta/white/bicolor or yellow & coral/yellow?

OMG -- the super assortment is SIXTY? No, that isn't what I had in mind at all -- LOL. Don't care at all -- don't need it as a bonus -- happy to pay -- but only had in mind a few -- I thought the assortment was for SIXTEEN, not SIXTY! Whew!

ROFLOL You see why I love these wholesale prices... at $2 per ten-pack, these big corms are a heck of a deal; selling off the extras at half-price makes then mind bogglingly cheap. I don't think i've even seen crocus bulbs for 10 cents each lately. :-)

I'm finalizing the ADR spreadsheet with actual final freight costs,with any extra packing, label & royalty fees rolled in. For the bare root plants, that works out to an average of $8 per bag, or about 32 cents per plant. Using an average works out pretty fairly I think, since the PPAF plants that have the royalty and (required) tags are generally smaller (eg, cheaper to ship)... plus it makes my job easier LOL, and I'm all for that!

I'll get Dmailed invoices out tomorrow (when it's supposed to be rainy). If anybody needs their total tonight, because you're sending a check along with somebody else for Wed. or whatever, just let me know.

The divisions look really nice, many are bigger than the 2-3 eye size described. And while those little sprouts make them a little trickier to repackage, it's really a good sign that they've pretty nearly all broken dormancy.

btw, the freight charge from ADR for the bare root plants ended up being significantly more than the estimate on my first invoice from them... i think that's because plants were shipped from their west coast supplier to me rather than from ADR's (east coast) warehouse. We'll try to get our future orders in earlier so we can get a free shipping offer. :-) If the additional amount is a deal-breaker for anybody pushing their budgets, let me know.

sheesh, and I forgot to add in the labels... I didn't ask for the labels, btw, and we're not getting them for most plants, but for the licensed/PPAF ones we have to buy them as a requirement of sale. I didn't want propagation status to be a major factor in choosing varieties, so the tags & royalty fees are being averaged out along with the shipping (the fees are all lumped together on the invoice, too, so separating them out would be a pain)

That puts the added cost per bare-root plant at 40 cents... still 25 cents shipping per dahlia tuber, and glads are still at $2/pack (or $1/pack for the extras).

OK, now for those interested in
Phlox paniculata 'Jeana'

I'm getting half a flat from North Creek (24 plants) and will let 12 of them go for $1.25 each, or 3 for $3.50. Terp & Happy, I'm holding 3 for each of you, but you don't have to take them.

These are LP50 size -- 50 per tray, extra-deep so they have a better chance of getting established if planted directly in the ground (regular plugs fare better if they are up-potted for a while before planting out). 'Jeana' has big clouds of little pink blooms and is said to be quite resistant to mildew. The North Creek guy was highly recommending it. Like all phlox, it's sure to be a butterfly magnet all summer. I think it's even fragrant. :-)

Jill, count me in for 3 - I should have mentioned it sooner :) I'll put it next to your 'Felicity' phlox.

Jill I will take 6 of those. Thanks

OK, then the 'Jeana' are gone. If Terp doesn't want his 3, my MIL or Martina will take them.

We're all going to have such flocks of butterflies!

I'll move on the three. Thank you Jill.

You got 'em, Terp.

Holly, hope it's OK if you get 3 instead of 6. I'd forgotten that Happy had wanted to try these also since they're mildew-resistant.

Phlox Flame White w/Red Eye arrived in very poor condition... too wet, and the new shoots had almost all turned to mush. ADR refunded us this morning for them and also refunded us for the tags since I hadn't asked for them, so I guess they weren't required to be sold with the plants after all. They don't want the tags back (I offered), so -- free tags and reduced costs for us! We're back to $8/bag or 32 cents per plant. (Now you see why I don't have final invoices until the 11th hour LOL)

Terp, I know you were particularly interested in that Phlox... are you willing to take a bunch of crowns and see if any of them put out more sprouts? I put a few in a pot to see what would happen and stuffed the rest into a container, crowns-up.

Sure why not.

Jill, I would indeed like the 3 Phlox paniculata 'Jeana' you set aside for me, and many thanks.

Paul--

Could you p/u my bargain package of Grads at Jills?
Don't pay her the $5- I will squre off with her at the Swap.

Thanks G.

NP

Three will be just fine.

Cool. You're all a pleasure to work with on these buys!

Nobody else was interested initially in Crocosmia 'Lucifer', but I bought a bag anyway since I really wanted them. While I can use them (I'm thinking of tucking them all around my daylilies), I really only "need" half the bag. I know we've been talking a lot about nectar flowers, and hummingbirds totally adore these. So if anybody would like a few, they'll be 3 for $2, with 24 available.

This message was edited Apr 22, 2014 9:23 PM

thanks, Critter. The crocosmia Lucifer is beautiful! I'll take 2 for $1.
Robin

Critter, They are serious spreaders.

Good point, Holly--I'll find a contained spot for them!!

Thanks, Holly... I'm figuring on putting them along the back edge of my little orchard area, where I've got a row of DLs, some irises, and a few shasta daisies. They can spread under the fruit trees if they'd like... and if they try to spread the other way they'll have to duke it out with my neighbor's lelands.

Big spender, Catmint! LOL As Holly said, 2 will turn into a nice little clump in no time. I always admire 'Lucifer' when I see it in a mixed border, so I'm looking forward to having it in my garden. Hopefully it's not a choice I'll regret!

Wow, it's really coming down out there. Zap, boommmm, too.

I'm hoping that rain will reach us tonight! My yard needs a good drink about now...

Jill -- I would love maybe 6 Crocosmia 'Lucifer.' I think I'll try them in a container, plus on my awful front hill -- though I hear the deer will eat the flowers.

My apologies, I forgot to add up the pesky shipping etc. charges again... I've corrected my post above... The correct cost for the Crocosmia 'Lucifer' is 3 corms for $2. I'll just make up some baggies of 3.

Jill, thank you thank you for all your hard work and effort.

Ditto to Holly and double thanks for your great tip on planting Glads so they don't flop over or need to be staked!

yes, thanks, Jill! I am looking forward to my first ever glads!

I hope the plants do well for everybody!! I'm looking forward to cutting flowers all summer. :-)

Now I just have to get planting!

Thanks, Jill. I got the glads last night when David returned. Delighted with them and looking forward to growing them too for the first time.

Bernie (CountryGardens) has posted his method of growing glads (he grows 1000's for cut flower sales at teh farmers' market)... he digs an 8 inch trench, places the corms just a couple inches apart, and fills in only 2 inches of soil to start with... as they sprout up, he rakes more soil into the trench, ending by mounding or hiling up a bit around the stalks. He says that growing this way means you won't have to stake them -- yay!

I'm going to put my tuberoses in among my glads. They like all the same conditions, and they'll also have to be lifted in fall. I'm considering interspersing glads, tuberoses, and dahlias with tomato plants in the veggie garden. We've been having a lot of fun picking daffodils this spring, so I think we'll enjoy having more flowers for bouquets this summer, too.