You go girl! I am right there with you! I keep reordering things the dogs have destroyed only to have them destroyed again, ordering more of things I never got planted last year (I though I was the only one who did that), and always buy stuff with no idea where it will go. Gardeners are evr hopeful, don'tchaknow?!

Wish I could help, but I am in the same boat with you: keep on ordering daylilies, TB iris like there is no tomorrow.
~Natalie

Well at least you waited until now, i ordered 20 azaleas, 4 dogwood trees, 3 clematis and 4 honeysuckle 'john clayton' in.....wait for it...DECEMBER!! LOL! Been trying to just keep them alive til spring! Spring fever is terrible! Your hydrangea should be great for shade, it's where they do best. Buying without an idea in the world where you will put a plant/shrub is a sure sign of a true gardener. :)

Beachgrub, you should have specified spring delivery dates. That's what I did for all my winter orders from Brushwood Nursery and Santa Rosa Gardens.

My hydrangeas do well without much sun. I'm afraid I'll be buying lots of them this year, just can't resist them.

Hahahahaha! I love that feeling of not being alone! I justify it by stating to myself: at least it is not booze, drugs, or electronics! I'm happy with that! Stand proud fellow gardeners!!! We are interminable optimists and "groundbreaking" thinkers! Hope "springs" eternal!! I fired my travel agent for guilt trips a long time ago and have since lived carefree and happy with my addiction. Best thing I ever did! And now I just let that fever run it's course! :) Welcome spring!

Ginny

Yesterday I walked all around Buckerfield's(a local farm and garden store)...so I could see what is poking up from last years stuff.Just about bought that little clematis that has shoots!!! I figure if it survives the winter in a one gallon pot, it should be able to survive me!!! Hows that for rationalizing and justifying!?

I have been good. I haven't ordered anything. But I KNOW that won't last!

Stopped at Home Depot to get some plumbing supplies, and they have SEEDS already. So I got 5 different kinds of sunflowers, some sweetpeas, etc. Spent way more on garden stuff than plumbing supplies. It's ANNIE's fault I bought all those sunflower seeds.

I know I'm addicted, but I don't go to a 12 step group - I come here because I know you guys won't try to cure me. Enablers make me more comfortable.

Yep, ditto all of the above. I bought (bare-root) a dozen new hot red fern-leaf bleeding hearts, half dozen Japanese anemones (Queen Charlotte & Honorine Jobert), 8 lady ferns, 10 mixed blue tall phlox, three each of a pink Siberian iris and a lavender/blue SI. There are 168 winter sown containers lined up on my breezeway and the candytuft seeds sprouted a few days ago. The bare-root plants are potted up and set where they'll get the maximum amount of direct sun through the window.

I fired my travel agent for guilt trips a long time ago and have since lived carefree and happy with my addiction.

honalee - love this!!!

Like beachgrub, I jumped the spring buying fever by a few months and ordered from Santa Rosa Gardens back in December. My order is scheduled to arrive April 23, which in no way precludes placing another order during their half-off sale when the time comes.

Thank you Positive Arctic Oscillation for the non-winter that's just about over.

Honalee, I did the same thing last year - viva freedom!
(I fired my travel agent for guilt trips a long time ago and have since lived carefree and happy with my addiction.)

I have purchased flower seeds by the pound - waiting till mid-April to spread them around (Zinnia, Foxgloves, Hollyhocks, etc).
Already stuffed my flower beds with Glads, Asiatic Lillies, Peonies; just planted 5 roses yesterday, 3 Persian Lilacs, 7 Azaleas, a bunch of Boxwoods. Added close to 200 bags of soil, compost, and spread pinestraw. Garden gets more beautiful by the hour!
My new motto is: Live and Garden with Joy and Freedom! Have Faith in Abundance!
~Natalie

Not ordering but buying bare root perennials as they come in and trying not to buy anything without a spot to put it in. As if that is going to work! So far, 5 different heuchera, 2 heucherella, 3 hardy geraniums, 6 hostas, 3 trycirtis, three tall and one woodland phlox, a variety of campanulas and veronicas, 4 different sedums, little bluestem grass, "Tiny" lily bulbs, 6 different dicentras, both fernleaf and tall, a few echinaceas, a double hellebore, two daylilies, 5 different astilbes, and a bunch more that I can't remember off-hand. Did I mention that I work at a garden center? A dangerous place to be!

Oh and a sorbina shrub for the woods. Next week more azaleas and another Japanese maple or two, and there will be a couple dozen more hostas before I'm done for the spring. Plus whatever else looks interesting. Whew!

And I had planned on planting today but it is raining! Every drop is precious since we have had so little rain this past year but it sure dampens (haha) my plans for today. It really makes the air smell fresh and clean tho.

Sandy

I went crazy last fall when all the sales hit and bought hydrangeas, shrubs, perennials, THEN yesterday I got a call from a friend who passed along a whole truck load (literally) of plants grown in her greenhouse and dug from her yard. My cold frame is full. . . BIG PROBLEM my soil is not ready to receive plants and won't be until summer. I cried when my husband reminded me of that.

I was pretty good, until yesterday...just one bare root rose and some seeds. Then I got on the computer and found a cute little bunny sundial, for the kitchen garden. Amazon.com with no shipping charge...how could I resist? :)

I know how you guys feel. I got out the graph paper and have been planning my balcony container garden. Trying to choose a color scheme for my flowers is so hard! I went ahead and got a few things.. bulbs and such. I even got a grape vine and put in in a big pot...

I think I'll order some nasturtium seed from Renee's Garden. I see she offers the cherry rose color I really like. She always has such a beautiful selection of sweet peas too.

I'm reading all these posts and living vicariously through them. I love seeing what everyone is adding to their gardens. I haven't ordered one thing yet although I've bought a few things (very few) locally. I'm trying to plan first, but I think I'm going to lose that battle.

Me too Brenda. Me too.

I spent a bundle this month alone! I really TRY to stay away from plants, but they call to me - "Annie! SAVE US!"

I bought four pots of Feather grass - I only needed two, but he offered them to me for only $2.25! How could I resist a price like that? I planted two. The other two are sitting there until I figure out where to plant them. They don't seem to mind.

I bought SIX fragrant roses. I have three in the ground. Not sure WHERE I will plant the other two, but I just HAD to have them.

I bought way more broccoli and cabbages than I needed. Only have half in the ground so far. Bought lots of veggie and flower seeds...none planted yet!

I have to grow Hydrangeas in the shade here. They scorch and croak in sun here, but thrive filtered shade.

As for the sunflowers...! (my bad) :)

And then I bought the garden arbor and arch in February. Scotty asked for the checks last night. I still have three to give him to balance the checkbook. I feel guilty. I know he is going to say, "YIKES!" That really gets to me. He knows I'm a plant addict! It's just awful! I am SOOOO ashamed.

And that is Brenda's fault. She posts all those scrumptious photos of her amazing gardens and I'm hooked! My will flies out the window.

I need to go to the dentist and get new glasses. (No fun in that!) Somehow...I just have to make myself stop!!!

~Annie

I thought I was bad ordering in February! I got caught by a sales promotion email from Graceful Gardens and bought 3 trays of perennials:

echinacea primadonna
foxglove primrose carousel
shasta daisy snow lady
dianthus zing rose
coreopsis early sunrise

The last three varieties I got quite a few of each as I noticed last year that I've gone overboard with the "cottage-y" spire-type plants and I need some lower growers.

Next stop, veggie seed shopping!

Megan

I just recd an order of more lilies and got the bulbs planted yesterday. I ordered from GHWild and the sizes were very good for the prices. I also have some veggie seeds and impatiens sprouted from seed in the house. Lastly, I added some gladiolus bulbs to the front garden for a shot of color and different form. We shall see how it goes!

Brenda, If I remember correctly there was a thread a couple of years ago asking what people spend on their gardens each year (I think it was on the perennials forum). I was waiting in the background as everyone was saying they only spend a few hundred dollars. Ummm....I spend that in about a day! I think you and a couple others finally came forward and said more like thousands and then I thought "Phew! I DON'T have a problem or need a 12-step program!" LOL!!

The garden is such an addiction and it's good to have a hobby. My DH is into model railroading and spends as much, if not more than I do on that hobby. All I know is we are both very happy in life with our hobbies keeping us balanced from the craziness of work and all the other crazy stuff that goes on in life.

And besides my crazy garden hobby, I travel each year somewhere abroad (and there are always gardens involved) with my mom. This year we're going to Floriade in Amsterdam.

Seriouly, my motto is live for today because in the end, my life insurance will pay off any debt left behind from my gardening or trips abroad!

Now where is that HCG catalog........?

Well, I not ordered the "Cherries Jubilee" Nasturtiums I wanted from Renee's Garden but also "Garden Orchids" Sweet Pea, "Berry Basket" Zinnia, and "Raspberry Sorbet" Zinnia.
I wanted the Apricot Blush zinnia I had ordered from her before but the five packs of seeds added up pretty quickly with S/H ontop of it.

I bought 4 big Early Girl Tomato plants today - $2 per 4-inch pot, from Linda's Potting Shed down in Chandler. She always has the best veggie plants. They were bigger plants, so I will have a head start. They should start blooming soon.

Going to the Mennonite nursery tomorrow to get the Heirloom tomatoes and peppers. My Peppers I sowed didn't germinate this winter. Will start the New Mexico 'Hatch Peppers' and big blue Mexican Hot peppers I grew and dried though. I KNOW they will all grow.

I'm also seeking Cherokee Purple & Beefsteak Tomatoes, and if they have any, I want the Mortgage Lifters. I hope one or the other nurseries will have the others I want soon. Hoping for enough tomatoes to can this year, God Willing.

I may just wait until the Herb Fest in April to get the rest. I plan on doing some GRANDIOSE shopping this year. Lots of herbs to get to replace the ones I lost, esp. several pots of White Sage. Gonna shop-til-I-drop at the Herb Festival this year! :)

OK, so it's not just me :-) In late summer I look at everything and think, "Oh, I just don't have any place to put that." or "It's so similar to other salvias I already have." But in the early spring I am starved for gardening and want it all.

thyme2dig - vacations and gardens - of course they go together! Every time we take a vacation anywhere, at least one day is spent in gardens. My husband and kids know this, and they have fun running around and playing, while I go my separate way for serious looking.

Annie, yes, I'm also a sucker for sales. If it has a price tag of $4 or less, I will buy most anything, so of course you had to buy all that feather grass.

mosswitch - you work in a garden center!! Heaven help you! I've decided there are 2 places I could never work.1 - a garden center, because I would spend more than my wages. 2 - a chocolate shop - I can't resist and would become the size of my tool shed.

natalie - you buy seeds by the POUND? WOw, you must have quite a property.

And if your husband ever says anything about the cost of all those plants, tell him you are thinking about getting into jewelry ;-) Plants are way cheaper than gold and gems. (and much more fun!)

Okay, thank yopu all for enabling me!!! I went and bought 2 clematis!!! I am going to plant them both on the same Bottle Tree!! I think they will look so great climbing up this! One is a Markham's Pink and Helios(yellow). Bottle tree you may ask...

{{gwi:199719}}

We can't help you, we are all enablers :)

This year I tried winter sowing for the first time. I am gleefully looking at my little sprouts and I know I will do this again next year, only more.

I'm right there with you all ordering. I too ordered a flat of perennial from Graceful Gardens, and I have 2 orders of dahalis coming :) Not to mention various seeds to plant out. Am I done yet? Probably not.

I look at the various forms, say Clematis...then I think, I need another one of those, or whatever forum I am currently browsing, lol

Brenda, it is nice when even family members are enablers, eh? LOL!! I actually keep telling my husband "There's this garden in Western NY that someday we have to go visit!" I would love to see your beautiful garden some day. The different areas you have planted and the variety is amazing. I've been lusting for some more photos from you. Would love to see what you have on file for your veggie garden from last year if you have any time to post some.

Goodness! I finally cracked open the catalog for my local nursery who I really like to support. She's a true plantswoman who I so enjoy chatting with, etc. I just sent an email over to her with my "list" (is was a long one) of plants to put aside for me for pickup when they open. It's a terrible habit I have of giving her a list each year for pickup. But my birthday is always right around when she opens, so it's a birthday present, right?!?! LOL!

I ordered from Almost Eden and Flowers by the Sea. Mostly hummingbird
plants. Lots of salvia's. Also on the way to me is seeds from Swallowtail
Gardens. Like I need more seeds! It can be addicting at times.

thyme2dig - if you're ever in the area, stop in! There's always something blooming. my birthday is in the winter so I ask for tools. This year I got the most amazing weed-whacker with BLADES! It's amazing, can't believe I've gardened this long without it. You're lucky to have such good local nursery, they're rare these days.

calamityj - that's a beautiful bottle tree!

Can you tell us what weed wacker that is?

I usually think of "spring fever" as a time just after Christmas when everything is cold, dark, dreary, snowy, etc., and it is too early to start seeds inside, but not too early to order seeds and plants. This year, no spring fever really - because spring has been here for weeks!

I bet I'll catch up with my usual insanity anyway, though.

Got my order from Renee's Garden Seeds this week. Really anxious to see how well the Raspberry Sorbet zinnias grow and how true to color they are. Around the mailbox with the blue chickory in front and maybe some white allyssum at their feet I hope will make for a pretty combo.

Here's a link, I have a different brand, but basically you just swap the regular weed whacker head with this bladed head, $15. AMAZING tool!

Here is a link that might be useful: weed wacker blades

I was making labels for all the plants that were ordered on line, and it kept on going through my head: was I temporary insane when I was ordering? WHERE am I going to plant all these? And HOW will I be able to do it all by myself? Did I have one glass of wine too many when I was ordering? :)
I had to get another set of aluminum mini blinds because I ran out of labels (last time I made so many, I thought I was set for life). Not so!
Well, this is it for now - no more ordering, I am done ... until another catalog appears in my mailbox, or there is a sale somewhere, or...