Need to stay home!

[Brenda]

Now that our awful winter is over and I have been reassured that my babies survived the mass amount of snow (only lost snow angel), I have been planning on which to add to the collection.

Tiramisu was on the list (actually any that I don't have are on the list ) but was at the top. Saturday, decided to head to Canadian Tire to get container soil. Started browsing in the garden centre, looking at annuals, stroll up the perennial section, not much is catching my eye (big pots of palace purple marked as premium perennials for $16.99 etc). Low and behold there on the bottom shelf is Tiramisu!!!!!! For $7.99!!!!!!!! Grabbed 2 and did my happy dance all the way to the cash. I was pretty sure someone had mixed them up with the palace purple, but nope they rang in at $7.99. Tell my aunt (who is more of a hosta lover but has become addicited to heuchs as well) and she puts in her order for 2.

So I made the mistake of going back today. Only had 2 left, grabbed them for her and almost made it out the door. Well there on a shelf marked $6.99 is dolce creme de menthe, licorice, creme brulee and mocha mint. Grabbed another creme brulee (it was HUGE) and since I didn't have licorice (meant to get it but never got around to it) or mocha mint, grabbed them too! Worked out perfectly as I decided to add another section under the tree and was planning on a run to the nursery.

So far, I have picked up Tiramisu (x2), Planet Saturn, Fireworks, Mocha Mint, Licorice and Creme Brulee. I haven;t even hit the nurseries yet LOL. Someone please take away my car keys

[caliloo]

Wow Brenda! Great haul at great prices!

I did my own misbehaving today I may be moving in the near future, so what did I do? I went to the nursery with a friend (just to keep her company - I swear!) and came home with Frosted Violet, Miracle and Pinot Noir. Shame on me!

Oh well - I guess I can pack them up and take them with....

Alexa

[maidofshade]

You will like licorice it gets darker and looks more shiny than Obsidian. I got one last year and love it.

I got a Venus at Menards of all places for 4.99 The only one but wow.

I always check out the Heuch's at the odd places like Fleet Farm and Home Depot. You never know what gets tucked in with their plants.

[Brenda]

Alexa, you can send pinot noir and miracle to me. I'll watch them for you I often use the excuse that I am just going to look (yeah right!).

As for moving, I always say that the one thing coming with me is my heucheras. My sister is taking possesion of their new house July 4th and it is killing her not to be able to plant anything. I say plant a couple of pots up but she doesn't want to have to move more stuff and she is taking some of her plants with her so she will be busy with that.

Maidofshade, I love my obsidian and had meant to pick up licorice last year when I had seen it, but then never went back to the nursery. I certainly wasn't passing it up at that price!

I know what you mean about checking out different places. Our Home Depot has been carrying "collector" plants for a couple years now. That is actually where I found Planet Saturn. Paid $13.99 for it, but the average price at the nurseries is $20 and up for some of the older varieties. I have actually had some luck finding different ones at Walmart of all places. There was one year (and only one) that they received a shipment of terra nova plants (and out of 4 Walmarts, only 1 received them). I think it may have been an error, but I got a couple of more lime rickeys, marmelade and an amethyst mist for $6 each.

I went to a different Canadian Tire this morning . The only different one they had was Peppermint Spice. I actually passed it up. But I did come home with 3 hostas (nothing fancy...got Christmas Tree, Blue Moon and a 3rd that I can't remember the name of) that were on sale for $5.49. I have been trying to avoid Hostas (I have a few, most were shared from neighbors years ago) as I already suffer from a Heuchera addiction and I don't think I could afford to support both (I'll leave the hostas to my Aunt and then steal hers when she's not looking). But I wanted to add some more color to the pond area, so I figured I would move some of the other hostas to under the trees and put the new ones near the pond. I can feel me slipping down the slope already Guacamole and Liberty keep calling out to me every time I pass by it at Canadian Tire. Herbs were on sale half price too, so some more of those jumped in the cart as well.

I haven't even made it out the nurseries yet!!!!! I didn't go to the garden show this year (the nursery where I get most of my heucheras from is usually there and it saves me the drive out) and said this will be the year I make the trek out to them, but they specialize in heucheras/ellas, hostas ans daylillies. I'm frightened, maybe I will leave the wallet at home

[newtohosta-no more]

Nice haul you got there! It doesn't do any good to ask us to take your keys away.....we're more likely to offer to fill up your gas tank if you take us with you next time.
I ,also, can never "just look".

[Brenda]

Joan, if you are offering to provide the gas, I'll swing by and pick everyone up! Although it would be a long drive from Canada to Ohio but I do drive a minivan (think of how many heucheras would fit in there! ). At least I would be with people who understand the compulsion to bring them all home lol.

The collection has grown by a few more. My Aunt went to the nursery where I usually get my heuchs and they had Miracle. She got the last 2 and I picked up mine from her the other day. Pinot Noir followed me home, as did Beaujolais (I almost got away with slipping that one in un-noticed, but my Aunt let it slip when she found out I had it!).

I went to the grocery store garden centre to get some soil and there was an enormous crimson curls just begging me to take it home. My original crimson curls has never gotten very big so and this one was a fraction of the price that I paid for it so we happily left together (really didn't take much persuasion). Same thing happened with a Plum Pudding this morning. Just can't pass them up for $7

Then on my way home I stopped at a little nursery that I drive by all the time. Haven't gone in years as I thought they mainly sold annuals. Found a Heuchera 'Mini Mouse'. So add that nursery to the list of places to check outmore often.

But at least my family is starting to realize it is futile to talk me out of heucheras. My birthday is in July and my mother has FINALLY asked me to give them a list of heucheras/plants that I want. Wonder what she would do if I put the $50 Brunnera that I have been drooling over on the list?

[caliloo]

Excellent finds!

Make sure that Miracle gets quite a bit of sun. I still have mine potted (don't ask ) and had the pot in an area that only gets a couple of hours of early morning sun, then dappled the rest of the day - all the reddish centers have gone back to green!

Good luck with them all and I need to go look up "Mini Mouse" - I haven't seen that one yet!

Alexa

[newtohosta-no more]

You're finding some wonderful plants at great prices, so good for you!!!! I always tell people that there are many worse addictions that a person could have! And plants not only make us happy, but they help beautiful and add peace to our surroundings.

[Brenda]

Alexa, it;s good to know the centers do get red. I got mine sight unseen, I had only seen photos of it. I actually saw it in another nursery that morning and was shocked at how green it was. I was almost disappointed and might have passed it up if my aunt hadn't already bought it for me. I am really hoping it will turn as vibrant as the photo shows. The one she got me does have some faint red showing on the older leaves, but no where near the red on the tag. I haven't got around to planting it up yet, the weather is not co-operating, but it will definately be going in sun.

Joan, I have been really lucky at finding some cheaper heucheras in oddball places this year. Leaves me more money to pick up a few at the nurseries . I really think that some of them were priced wrong though. I tried using the justification that I could have worse addictions but all it got me was an eye roll