I had a big smile on my face just looking at all the plants and the set-up.

That's was quite a haul, then.
Congratulations, tiffy.

Here I have been foisting my plants on any unsuspected passer-bys, friends, neighbors, dog-walkers, etc. You name it. Lol. I would offer plants to any body who shows the slightest interest. :-D I should have made a lot of money by now, instead, huh?! :-)

That is incredible you could make enough to heat your home. It must have been a lot of work. The way you set it all up looks so pretty.

People must have really liked them to snatch them up like that!

Yep, it is a bit of work, but well worth it. I usually start in the fall and pot-up some plants, then place them in holding areas under leaves for the winter. Then in March, I start potting up everything else.

I even had the shovel handy for special requests. All potted plants were no more than $5.00 with the majority being $3.00. If the shovel had to be used to dig something up, the price was $6.00 no matter what the plant. People were stunned (and happy) that I would take things right out of the gardens.

Oh, and yes, there are always freebies... Especially for good friends and children. :O)

Nicely done, Tiffy! Do you scrounge your plant pots, or do you have to purchase them?

That is fantastic!! :) One of these years I am going to time my vacation to come to your sale--I have always wanted to see the east coast and what better time to do it than when I could return with a van load of beautiful plants!
They all look so big and healthy. You sure do a great job.
gg

tiff - you are amazing! So organized and the plants look wonderful that did NOT sell... I can imagine the ones that were grabbed up...

Enough to heat your home - now that was a good sale!

Carrie

Nicole!
Considering you live in "The Great White North", that is no small feat to be able to heat your home with the proceeds. What a blessing that is! And I know how blessed the people who purchased plants will be as they see them growing in their yards.
That is so cool!

Congratulations,
(and get some rest, now :-)

Linda

AWESOME!

Are those 1st yr plants? The set up looks GREAT !

Thanks, tiffy. I admit to being curious about the prices but didn't want to be that nosy. I think $3 was very reasonable for most.

I think since you go out of your way to accommodate people, word gets around, and your success should build.

I need to work on efficiency, but that should come with more experience. My packets of Ultima Morpho Pansy came, I'm really excited about those.

Drippy,
I ask anyboby and everybody for pots. Some days I come home to find bags of them at the end of the driveway. I also use 2 liter ice crean containers and such as well. I don't spend a penny on pots. There's enough of them around. :O)

Lois, You are more than welcome to head to the land of the Bluenose as is everyone else!!

Aliska,.
You won't be disappointed with the Morpho pansies. Do gather seeds or let them reseed since sometimes they don't make it through the winter. Most times they do though.

Carrie,
Out of everything you see there (and there was more too), less then 1/4 is left. I've also had calls asking if I have anything left so there will be stragglers for the next week. Also had a lady call for Phlox 'out of the gardens'. She's willing to pay $10.00 a plant so I'll be seeing her one evening this week. I want to buy a Blue Spruce so that's where the extra $$ will go. :O)

Linda,
Ooohhh my aching bones! You are so right. Popped the Advil tonight and I'm getting to bed early. I need a good snooze. LOL!

Onetheteam,
I've been winter sowing since 2001/2002 so I have a lot of mature plants to divide or sell on their own. Some plants, such as Echinaceas, were nice 1 year old clumps. I also sold some 4 year old Hostas which still hadn't been divided but were really nice with blueish foliage. Had to make room for this year's seedlings. :O)

WOW Tiffy - that is amazing. I have been told by several people that I should pot up and sell. It is a crime to throw away what I do in the spring - especially the sedums and ajugas and other ground cover. Maybe I will start small this fall and see how it goes. You are a true inspiration ......

Lynne

Everything looks so good, tiffy. It's wonderful that you could make that much profit!

Karen

Congrats on a successful sale, Nicole. All the plants look so nice and I'm sure people were pleased with them. Your set up is well laid out. Did you have help during the sale?

What do people seem to want most? The typical grown in your area like everybody else has or more unusual plants that are suitable for your zone?

I just have a feeling my taste in plants isn't the norm even though many of them you may not find locally but do just fine here.

I will save seeds from my pansies and hope I don't screw up with those. They will self seed better if I don't mulch where they are.

Tiffy: When did you sow these? They look like they have to be at least two years old.

Congrats on your terrific success!

Prof

I see on your trade page that you are looking for seeds of Solidago Fireworks. Mine seeds around a little so I know the seeds are viable. If I remember I will try to save you some this fall. Send me an e-mail if I forget. Judy

Tiff, those are some pictures, and a great sale. Congratulations on the $$ and making enough to heat your home this winter. Those plants looked fantastic!!

Alberta

Lynne Everyone,

If you have a bit of time, I would encourage anyone to try this. First, I live one a 'dead end road' on a peninsula. All I do for advertising is place some small posters (letter size paper) on 7 communal mailboxes in the area on the Thursday before the sale. My DD also spreads the word at her Junior High so the word gets out to the parents.

I don't throw out any plants, no matter how much I think they won't sell because most times they do sell. Reseeds are potted up too. I sold a lot of Columbine reseeds this year. Small 1 year olds went for $3.oo and bigger clumps went for $5.00. And don't think the plain ones won't sell. The plain white ones were the first to go. :O)

mnwsgal,
It was just me and DH which had me worried at the start, but I took care of the talking/knowledge part and DH was the 'banker'. He also helped folks put the plants in their car. At one point we had over a dozen buyers, but I made a point of listening to others as I was talking to one person and then I would move on to requests I had overheard. I think that since it was just me, the key was to move quickly from one to another but still make myself available. A bit tricky at times.

Aliska,
"What do people seem to want most? The typical grown in your area like everybody else has or more unusual plants that are suitable for your zone?"
People like familiar things, but there are those who want the unusual. I also live in an area where folks want 'pretty' and have grown up with the English Victorian garden concept, but they are starting to look more for grasses and nature friendly plants. For example, Joe Pye Weed is an unusual plant in the gardens here. I dug out a mature clump and hacksawed it into 6 pieces. What was left was not really a pretty sight, but they were the first to sell at top price. The people buying them had seen my main plant last year. Got even more requests, so in the fall I will try to remove bits from the outer edges of my established plants instead of taking another clump out.

Prof,
I never sell this year's newbies. They actually go in the gardens in the holes created by the plant sale. I tried selling new seedlings last year and people just weren't interested in something so small. If only they knew that the $1.00 plant they saw last year was sold to them for $4.00 this year. LOL!!

Judy,
I do have some Fireworks coming to me this summers, but I will definitely keep you in mind for seeds. Thank-You!!

I'm coming to the sale next year.

PV

PV,
Would you like directions now or later? :O)

Tiffy.
Hi.
I do this too.
This yr would have been my 3rd.
I did not do it this yr.(Please don't ask).

What are your best sellers?
mine were...
Hostas $5 to $10 depending on type.
Irises BEARDED $5 ... thinking $10 next yr
Lingularias "Othello" $5 to $10 on size.

Love the set up!

I also ask for plastic pots. even put up a sign.
"please return unwanted pots"

my biggest investment was potting mix (OY).
I make my own to save $

Here in the states I wrote off everything on taxes. from peat to plastic cold frame to computer and printer...
needed them for flyers ect. he he he

word of mouth is the best.
I'm so Proud of you!!!

I also recommend this to any "compulsive" gardener.
why give divisions away when you can make some interesting coin ?!!!!

great luck to you!
Laura

P.S.

winter sowing is the" Bomb!"
(not the only one "wink ,wink")
I will definetly do winter sowing again next yr as I am a newbie this year.
feel free to email me.

Wow that is awesome. Very inspiring. Great job and great sale.