I'm hoping to set up a table at the flea market this year. I hear lots of ppl take their divided peren.s and I want to see if anyone will be interested in my extra plants. I might attract some attention with my varieties but I'm not sure how it will go. Maybe we can all keep notes and refer to each other on this one. I know 1morehosta is hoping to do this too.

I have been thinking about this also. I was wondering if I could plant perennial hos into nursery pots this year and plant pot and all into holding bed until next spring and then just lift the pots hose them off and they would be ready for sale? would this work? what do you think?

I don't see why that wouldn't work gardencrazy,not a bad idea,grow this year,for next year.
I bet you could just leave them in the pots,say,1 quart-1-gallon container,just mulch thm real good over winter.
Any one?
cAROL

I have grown plants in holding beds, some in pots and some in the soil. I find that those in pots tend to get root bound and don't grow as well. They should be okay, just not as nice or big as the others.

Does anyone in Z5 have any pix of seedlings from say June 1st or so? Either in containers, or planted out? I forget what size I might get by that time on the annuals.

Ok, so we know that in order for plants to 'get going' (esp here in Z5), they GOTTA be put in the ground EARLY.

What are your thoughts on making that holding bed, and simply planting out everything so they will GROW, and they'll be that much better off than if I simply leave them in the containers? I can dig them up for customers later and have a bigger plant? Would you go so far as to plant out only to have to dig up and pot up again for the sale?

I have followed these threads with interest, because I would like to make a little extra money selling plants too. However, I can't have a sale here with lots of people parking because the street is posted "No Parking" due to a recreation area nearby. (odd situation, the street is semi-rural.)

I was thinking of selling plants on Craigslist - anybody ever done that?

terren,i have never sold on Craigs list,but have done farmers markets before,i am sure you have one in your own town,call your extention office,they might know.

I have never sold flowers,only hosta,but i have noticed those who do sell flowers do very well,some even have beautiful cut flowers in 5 gallon buckets,or arrange them in pertty vases,or the potted plant,most are in bloom,or getting ready to bloom,some sold by the flat,very small plants,and not much $ either.
All you really need is a table,chair,bages(used plastic)and a change box.Most times you will have to pay a small set up fee,set up time is a about 1 hour before opening,7-8,open-8-1,it varies.Some markets are open every Wed, and week ends,
If you really want to get serious,there is a market you can set up at every week-end,some place different,it can be a full time job.

I love this posting,as i would like to try my hand with flowers,so i am learning along with the rest of you.
My hubby and i do this together,you meet a lot of really nice people,and you will have repeat customers year after year.Have fun.
cAROL

The sooner you can get the seedlings out of their WS containers and potted up for the sale the bigger they will be.

I would use something like miracle grow potting mix, plain kind, not with moisture retention. The fertilizer in it will help them grow.

Give the seedling some room for root growth so that when you sell them, they are established in the containers used for sale.

!0 inch plastic or styrofoam cups would be good. If you use plastic cups, give them several holes for drainage. If you use styrofoam cups, just poke your finger through the center of the bottom of the cup. That will be more than enough drainage.

Once you pot them up, and don't forget to label them with something that won't get destroyed by the weather or fade real quick, you can keep them all together and if you have a late risk of a frost night, you can cover them overnight for protection.

Don't use wooden craft sticks for labels, they will quickly fade on you with the rain on them.

Sharpie is best on styrofoam cups and you can write on the cup. Deco paint pens are the best paint pens to use on the plastic cups and black is the only color I use.
I have 5 year old plastic markers with deco black paint pen and they are still in perfect condition to use this year.

You could also add some of those craft stick markers as labels about 2-3 days before the sale if you want to.

Fran

some pics of WS seedlings dates June 1-June 5th 2008

HOS petunias in a birdbath
{{gwi:364088}}

torenia blue and white
{{gwi:364089}}

lime basil
{{gwi:364090}}

3 pots of dill
{{gwi:364091}}

licorice basil
{{gwi:364092}}

Thai basil
{{gwi:364093}}

sweet basil
{{gwi:359766}}

nicandra splash of cream
{{gwi:364096}}
inside the fenced flower bed.

mix of various types of zinnias, marigolds, petunias, malva zebrina, poppies, dwarf dahlias, salpiglossis, chinese forget me nots and several other annuals

{{gwi:364098}}

Cosmos, about 12 different varieties. they grow at different rates, so some seedlings are much taller than others

{{gwi:364100}}

Bump...

SO any one still working this idea? I am sowing perennials now for a plant sale next May.

I had some plants potted for sale during a tomato plant sale this past spring. As long as the plants were "big", people seemed interested. The WS plants, sown in 2008, were passed by. Divided perennials all sold; also coreopsis that I dug up. Perhaps only another WSer will appreciate new WS sprouts. People didn't seem to even care what the plants were, as long as they were big.

As such, I would sow now for May sales, as ontheteam said.

I think I might still try annuals now for a late July/early August sale. You never know...someone who just moved into a house during the summer might want some late-season color, or the rest of their gardens are peetering out. I'll try it and see how it goes. Maybe do it at the same time as a yard sale.

I haven't gotten to do the perennials yet; I'm really not sure now how DH will be with the idea. He and I both like the idea of the jugs being GONE by mid-summer, and with a class reunion event taking place at my house in August, I'm thinking he'll want them gone-gone. Course, I could always hide them behind the shed for the day...

I definitely need to work on how to possibly make my plants bigger for next year. I made $84 with all my 'extra' jugs over Memorial Day...that was good because I didn't have to babysit them and I could work in my yard. So it worked.

But I need more variety, and the Tomatoes would be a big seller, I'm sure. Must work on that somehow.
Oh!!! I've got it! The dryer vent!!!