Karia,
I never ordered from Spring Hill but have not heard good response from people who ordered there.
Couple of suggestions- first- check out Winter sowing forum- this is place for patient, cheap people who want to grow gazillion plants for cents.
Second- if you live anywhere close distance to Skokie, I will be hosting plant swap Friday eve May 22, Memorial Day weekend. You welcome to stop by and I will be happy to share my extras with you/ and I am old hat wintersower so have seedlings aplenty... ;)

Hi Linda! Thank you for your generous offer! I am about 3.5 hours away from Skokie (in Springfield). I have never been to a plant swap...what are the rules/expectations? I don't have much right now, but I would love to share with others!

Sounds like we have a lot in common -- I took a look at your page. I love hostas, cats and woodland landscapes! :)

I will definitely take a look at the winter sowing forum. Sounds like it's right up my alley! :)

Thanks again!

Spring Hill nursery is one of the worst nurseries in the country. It's probably driven more novice gardeners out of gardening than frost, flood, plant diseases and anything else you can name. It's amazing it's still in business.

If you're trying to plant a garden on a budget, check out Bluestone perennials, especially when the special offers are in operation.

I don't do mail order so cannot speak to that. I buy local and have found good bargains at plant sales, the big boxes, and the local garden centers. And with the advantage of mature gardens, I can also divide what I already have.

But - if you have Aegopodium variegatum (aka snow on the mountain, bishop's weed, gout weed), plant it either in a container or someplace where it will be impossible for it to spread. Once it gets a toehold, it'll crop up everywhere and it's a real chore to remove.

-kariabate, about your original question...
Yes, it will take some time for the plants to establish themselves, especially if they are small when they arrive. You can generally expect the plants to take 2-3 years to reach maturity, but oftentimes less if it is a vigorous plant or really likes the situation you provide. And yes, it does varry from plant to plant.

I won't say anything about mail-ordering, since I don't do it. Plant Swaps are great, and I would also suggest that you check out end of season sales at local nurseries. Most have great deals when they want to git rid of something!

I agree with duluthinbloom about the Aegopodium, it is a noxious spreader!
CMK

I have heard mixed reviews from Spring Hill buyers, but I am still pretty nervous. I spent $91 (including shipping) on 28 plants, so I am hoping for the best. That's a lot of bang for my buck -- but only if they grow...and if they don't grow, only if they replace the plants that die.

I tried to buy plants that are fairly hardy and easy to grow (like hostas) -- I figure even a mail-order nursery can't kill those. :) I am a bit concerned about the azalea, but still hoping for the best.

Thanks for the additional suggestions on Aegopodium, end of season sales, etc. I greatly appreciate the advice! :)

Would a landscaping feature (like landscaping timbers or a stone border of some kind) prevent the Aegopodium from taking over? I was planning to plant it under some trees on the side of the yard that I really don't have any major plans for just yet. I will try to take photos and post them this week.

Thanks again!

Virtually nothing will stop Aegopodium. I have read of it crawling under patios and coming out on the other side. Seriously. This is a wonderful plant for a CONTAINER. It's beautiful. You'll love it. Keep it confined.

You know, you say you spent $91 for 28 plants. That comes out to $3.25 per. I can get perennials in four inch pots in my local, independent garden center for $1.99. I do mail order, but only after my garden centers have gotten in all their stock for the year and still didn't get something I really wanted.

Just a thought: if your order hasn't shipped, it's not too late to cancel it. The plants you ordered, for the most part, are very easy to find. Caladiums are extremely cheap if you buy them in bags, since they are bulbs, and they are much showier in groups of say, a dozen at a time.

One more thought: draw up a plan for your garden. Decide on what you really want to put in it and lay it out on graph paper so that you buy enough (and not too many) of what you want to grow. In the end, you'll be much happier. And, don't forget that seeds for annuals are VERY cheap and easy too.

Karia,
I would second motion of possibly canceling your order- those are not rare plants you ordered and their deal is not "a deal"
Waiting for clearance sale at Bluestone perennials last weekend of May will get you much better selection at similar prices which sends very healthy plants and stands behind 100% on all their seedlings.
RE: plant swap that my neighbor and I host in Skokie does not have any special rules as it is open for all kinds of gardeners- "newbies" who only starting and "oldies" who has plants coming out of their ears ;)
in a couple of weeks I will post info on Winter Sowing forum about what I have to offer and other people who coming will join in- this way people can prearrange their exchanges as many of gardeners might have plenty of something but do not want to go into trouble of digging it up if there is not much interest in it. All based on being fair basis there is no rule one plant for another plant of same size etc,.
Newbies, who very new and have no plants to share might want to bring a plate of cookies or give couple $$ donation to the cause if they feel like "they can't come empty handed"
we also have separate table for anything garden related- old magazines, pots, tools, etc.
people bring divisions, seedlings, cuttings, veggies, perennials and annuals. Usually we have crowd about 50 people or so.
Preference is for plants to be clearly labeled and possibly potted few days earlier so they have time to adjust to transplant shock but sometimes things happen. I could recognize majority of plants even if they not labeled. ;)

If I'm right, Caladiums are not perennial in zone 5! Treat it as an annual and replant next year or bring in for the winter.

kentstar

FWIW, Aegopodium has its uses. It was great at my MomÂs house to cover an odd spot where nothing else would grow. It did not spread beyond there but the soil was very poor and hard. If you give it something soft and lush like an actual garden with decent soil it will take over. I used it myself at my old city house to fill a narrow "drip" strip of gravel, about 4 inches wide, that ran between the house and the gangway (sidewalk next to the house). I could not get anything else to grow there (except dandelions) and there was no sun. The BishopÂs weed was pretty there and absorbed enough of the rainfall to prevent seepage, which had always been a problem there before. Just keep it isolated from your garden and be alert for escapees.

Bluestone plants are inexpensive and small. But they will replace them, even after the first season. I have bought the sale ones in May and they are not the best, but bound to be better than Spring Hill.

Once you get a little experience you will find bargains in all sorts of places. After the first bloom is over, places like Walmart will mark down perennials. As long as you donÂt mind buying a plant that has passed its bloom, you can get things very healthy and marked way down. I donÂt care if itÂs not blooming, itÂs an investment in the future. I routinely check one near me and buy gallons for $2.50 all summer and fall. Quarts have been as low a $1. Sometimes they lose their tags and no one buys them. But you will quickly learn to recognize a leaf and get a bargain.

Thank you for all of the suggestions, gang. I will cancel my order and wait for perennials to go on sale locally. :) I really appreciate everyone looking out for me! :)

Here is what I am working with, by the way:

{{gwi:211109}}

The hostas next to the garage came from a neighbor...they are in abundance here and people usually can't wait to give them away. It's nice.

This photo was taken yesterday during the rain, so you can see where water gathers on the "lawn" near the fireplace in the middle. I would like to have some semblance of a lawn there, but obviously need better drainage.

You can see where we have started mulching and creating some kind of border. The "border" is just a bunch of clumps of grass that I dug up and used to create an edge of sorts...until I can put in a more suitable border.

The perennials were going to go next to the garage, but I will start scoping the sales! :)

Thanks again for all of the help!

-kariabate, your yard has promise. You sound like you really are interested in gardening, and thats all it takes to make a garden! I always tell new gardeners that the best thing they will ever do when starting out is to buy themselves a PLANT ENCYCLOPEDIA book. Getting one that specializes in some of the most common plants that are hardy in your area always helps. That way you can get to know plants and thier habits before you start to buy, and also learn valuable garden info. Soon you will be an expert on plants and gardening! Therea are many types of plant encyclopedias, and most can be found relativly cheap at second hand stores or online.
I wish you all the luck in the world!
CMK

or find a book in your local library- there are usually plenty to choose from.
My yard is very similar to yours and I have same drainage problem. I raised beds in some places, created pond with bog garden in other places and my neighbor who also has drainage problem in one spot created rain garden. gotta work with what you have, it is much easier that trying to install drain tiles etc- and very $$$ as well...
it would be terrific if you could come for plant swap, you get to meet some great gardeners, but if not maybe you will be in our area at some time. stop by.
Local community might have some gardening club, it usually worth checking into.

I actually LOVE your backyard! NO GRASS TO KILL!!!!!!!! Lol* I think it's going to be awesome.

I second the winter sowing forum...I'm a newbie at it, but I'm also on a budget, and I've only spent about $35 so far this year. That's for soil, containers, and seeds. Everything. I have 50 containers of seeds in my back yard right now and only 3 have not germinated. Two I put out way too early, and they are tender so may not make it, the other a 3 year old pack of seeds. All of my new and even some a year old seeds are doing well.

Also, I would check out freecycle if you haven't already. I am alway seeing people offering up plants if you will be willing to dig them up. I missed out on some iris's last year that I'm still kicking myself for.

Anyhow, good luck to you, can't wait to see what you do!

this was in the Extension news for events coming up and may be fun for you:

"Garden Club Plant sale-Springfield Civic Garden Club will hold their annual "Garden to Garden" plant sale Saturday, May 2, 8:00 a.m. 'till noon. The event will be held at U of I Extension Building #30, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield. Come and enjoy the fruits and flowers of garden club members".

I live near Lindalana and have gone to her swap (and will again!). It's a lot of fun, and her shade garden is inspiring. I think you did a wise thing in canceling your Spring Hill order. I ordered from them once, about 20 years ago, when I had my first yard. I was so disappointed with the plants, I think I made them refund almost the entire order. If they're anything like they used to be, in particular, the size of the azalea would have probably made you weep. For shrubby things like that, that don't grow all that fast, I think it's worth spending a couple more bucks and getting something you can actually see in the garden. Do you have any local garden clubs that put on sales? That can also be a decent way to get decent-sized divisions of (usually) more common plants--but it's also easy to make a mistake and buy a thug!

justmetoo -- you're a gem! Thanks for the find...I was just about to Google for local clubs! :)