I often buy those through mail order. Last year I picked some canna roots (or bulbs, whichever they are) up at Home Depot. And, each year I have my own dahlia bulbs from the previous year.

I do not start the dahlias indoors as they seem to do fine just being planted outside in April. (in our area)

I've started other things inside though. I guess it's kind of hard to judge how much it helps. I mean, were the early blooms because they got a good start indoors or because it was a warm sunny summer. Same with late blooms and a rainy summer, like we had last year.

I do put the pots outside once in awhile before planting them in the ground.

check for rot first before purchasing. Certainly you can start some plants now but do remember when your last frost date would be. You don't want plsnts too leggy by the time you are ready to put them in ground.

USE sulfur powder if you fear rot.

Last fall I bought some bareroot peonies, poppies and hollyhocks (in addition to the usual fall-planted bulbs). So far, the poppies are coming up.

Right now I am also a sucker for buying these things. I am soooo eager for spring and summer that it's my little fix for the time being. I picked up 100 crocosmia bulbs at Home Depot for $14.97. I know that HD is not the best place for purchasing these things, but 100 bulbs! LOL. I also bought 30 caladiums and 3 dicentra. I am keeping my eye out for dahlias but haven't found any that I like just yet.

There are worse vices, right? LOL.

Lisa

Last year I overwintered my dahlias in the newspapers and plastic bags. by Spring, like clockwork, they started to sprout and it was early. I had no choice but to plant them in large containers, hoping I would be able to safely set in the ground when it's warm enough. It didn't exactly turn out that way. It grew huge and leggy in the basement. By the time I set it out, branches broke and it was too cumbersome to set in the ground with the roots and all. not to mention, they needed to be aclimatized again --- so just be aware that this is a possibility you could be facing when you have overgrown plants to set outside.

Ianna, my dahlias seem to do that too. I keep them in peat moss in a big plastic bin. Now, I don't even check them until it's time to open up and plant. (That way I'm not tempted to help them out by potting them.)

Those things just seem to be very sturdy and do fine no matter what. Even with big sprouts.

I wanted some gaudy (I do mean hot colors) cannas and didn't want to spend $10-20 each, so I picked up a box of mixed hot colors at Sam's Club -- 16 of them for the price of one at a nursery.

I'm starting a "Hot Tropics" bed and have been digging it out below grade and filling it up with lots of composted manure and good soil.

A vendor is sending me a shampoo ginger and a golden lotus banana as a trial for the quality of their products (a web co-op for a lot of small growers who can't justify the cost of having their own website and had been selling on ebay). They sent me an email about doing this and I decided to go ahead and help out these folks by writing an article after I receive the plants.

I'm moving some of my own ginger and colocasia to the area and already have clumping bamboo and pineapple sage there. If I can squeeze it in, I'll add my brug to the space.

I say go for it. I don't buy too many of them any more (since they do not have many unusual things that I am after now), but often they are a great deal and nice plants. Let me see... I have gotten a couple of Hostas, Astilbe, Dicentra, various ferns, and peonies. All have done great, though they can take awhile to bulk up.

I agree with ianna, make sure no rot or mold is on the plant before you buy it. If the roots/plant are not in clear plastic give it a good feel over to make sure they are fleshy and firm, not mushy.
CMK