What prompts you to choose the seeds and plants that you grow?

I have to choose deer-resistant plants only for about 90% of my yard and garden and for drought resistance for about 50% of my yard. It's pretty limiting.

I chose other.
Q - "What prompts you to choose the seeds and plants that you grow"?

A - Because they are there.

I am a plant plopper, and if I see a plant that is interesting, and if I don't have it, I have to get it and try it. Actually, I usually get three and try them in three different locations to see how they do. If one location is better, I move them all together there. If they all die, I don't try that plant again. I push zones.

But I'm running out of room!!

My zone is an important factor because the summers are too hot and humid for many "temperate" climate plants to do well, but there are too many cold snaps in winter for most "tropicals" to survive.

Well, I have a ton of things to do today and I don't feel like doing any of them, so I decided to breakdown the "other" votes. Sometimes my curiosity gets the better of me! If someone voted "other" and then gave numerous reasons for buying plants, each reason got a vote.

The top "other" reason was planting for 'wildlife' with 19 votes. I included growing plants for butterflies, pollinators, hummingbirds, and birds in this category. I think most people who grow for butterflies are thrilled if their flowers also attract a hummer, and if a hummer likes the flowers of a fruit producer that other birds like, that's great too. I once bought a tree that I didn't need b/c the tag said that it attracted 37 kinds of birds and repelled fleas.

Now, there were two votes for 'animal resistant' plants, so maybe those should be subtracted from the wildlife category!

Second place goes to the 'xeriscaping/native' plants category with 14 votes.

'Food/Veggies' is a close third with 13 votes.

Fourth place was a tie between 'fragrance' and 'low maintenance/pest-free.' Each category had 5 votes.

I didn't mention 'sentimental' reasons in my response, but I realized that I have a lot of plants purchased for sentimental reasons. I bet a lot of us do. If I combined the kids category with the sentimental it would tie for fourth place.

Fifth place with three votes each 'growing endangered/heirloom' plants and 'flower' gardening. All the other categories had two votes. Yes, I know, I need to get to work now!

Thanks for doing the stats Elpha. I was surprised there was no option for attracting wildlife/birds/insects in the poll as so many garden for this reason, but then Dave and Admin often leave intentional blanks in the polls to foster the discussion. Dave and Admin are smarties ^_^

Heh, heh...see what we prompted you do???

I figured as much, but I still had to do the count! There was some other count a while ago where very few people voted for growing veggies. It was good to see the veggie people out in force on this count. I'm growing tomatoes for the first time and I already have little tomatoes. It may become a new obsession!

"Resistance is futile...you have been assimilated..." (the 'tomato Borg')

Tee hee melody ^_^

LOL!!! I'm a trekky too! Forget about Big Brother; DG is watching you!

we are Hugh?

tribble?

I like unusual varietys that other neighbors and community doesn't have.

I choose my plants specifically for the animals in the jungle to use as food, nesting, shelter and pollination.
I'm insane about orchids and heliconias and the bonus is hummingbirds and butterflies.