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I first noticed the lack of variety during the pandemic. I also noticed the trend toward the big box stores selling single somewhat larger annuals at an up charge, vs offering a good selection of perennials. I suppose with annuals they make more money and keep customers coming back.
I don't shop at big boxes for plants, so can't comment there, but what I have noticed is the move away from flats and toward large pots of annuals and pre-made hanging baskets. This shift started in the early 2000s and has accelerated to the point where it's getting hard to find flats anymore unless it's one of the old standards like impatiens, begonias, marigolds, or petunias, and even then some nurseries are getting smaller and smaller on their offerings. I wouldn't be surprised if flats go the way of the dinosaur eventually. I can understand it, though -- "bedding out" isn't anywhere near as popular in home gardens as it used to be, at least not around here; growing annuals in containers is where it's at now.
Hi mxk3,
"This shift started in the early 2000s and has accelerated to the point where it's getting hard to find flats anymore..."
I noticed the same thing. I used to buy flats of flower seedlings. Petunias were a common selection for me. I have always been a bit scared off by their small seed size. The relatively large size of zinnia seeds probably influenced my decision to pick zinnia breeding as a hobby.
The "good" zinnia seeds are noticeably "fat" even in the green stage. Developing a technique for germinating those fat green seeds helped me speed things up by at least a month.
ZM
I have pots and pots of perennials and hydrangeas and a Japanese Maple or two in our unheated garage and here also we are too warm (at least 3 weeks ahead of "regular" spring) BUT I purposely will NOT even look at these 'garaged' plants as I refuse to do musical chairs with them ie outside one day and then back in another...too much lifting for me. Maybe I will do 'something' come April.
Height rules - you must keep plants and shrubs below the windows! Not in my garden, where I love to see the flowers of my foundation plants peeking over the window sill from inside. I love that view more than I worry about what someone driving down the street thinks. Pic below from inside the house:
I too, move things around no matter what the season..and just keep watered well. Also broke the rule that you cant divide shrubs….I’ve divided many : )
For the last 25 years or so I have ignored the spacing rules. I just don't have the patience to wait for things to fill in! Now that I am trying to slowly transform my gardens to shrub borders I am finally trying to plant using recommended spacing. It's hard enough (the work, the hassle, the berating myself for not planting properly) to move perennials, so I don't want to have to move shrubs!
And as a "plopper" I am sure I have broken every design rule ever written for gardeners lol!
:)
Dee
I can't grow Lady's Mantle or Delphiniums to save my soul. Always fresh seed. I can grow anything else.
Have had maybe five nasturtiums come up. I also put some in a paper towel, got it pretty wet and put it in a plastic bag. Some of those sprouted pretty quickly.
This has been a great resource for me - i have it bookmarked. :) https://tomclothier.hort.net
The best way to grow dill is to try not to grow it. There is a reason it is also called dill weed. ;-) The hardest part is growing it the first year, after that it will volunteer every year. It doesn't need particularly rich soil either, mine seems perfectly happy growing year-after-year in a strip along my foundation where little else does well.