Nell, this is a GREAT topic - it's so important to support our locals businesses, especially local GROWERS! And not just because of the economy: if I may hop up on a soapbox for a moment, what I love about my local grower is #1, their knowledge of the plants they grow and #2, they do in fact grow and sell their own plants, so I know these are plants that will flourish at my home down the street and I know they are not over-fertilized.

Finally, I know I am fortunate to have a local grower at all! We used to have two, and one went out of business a couple years ago (a year before I moved just three blocks away from them! Harrumph!). The one remaining is wonderful in so many ways, and I don't have to travel far to patronize them. soapbox>

All that said (whew!), I am so far behind right now in my gardening for a variety of reasons and I haven't spent as much money with them (or with anyone for that matter!) as I normally do. BUT, just this week I did buy the following:

1 flat of annuals (impatiens and marigolds)
2 Spiderwort (1 gallon container)
6 seed packets (trailing nasturtium, sunflowers, an 4 o'clocks
Support fence for some surprise lily foliage

All of which MUST go in the ground over the next couple of evenings, because it's going to rain again in time for the weekend! Only a few plants, but a large task because I don't even have the beds prepped yet!

If this were a normal year, my list would have probably included six or eight additional perennials by this time, couple more flats of annuals, and a new basin for my concrete birdbath.

We just moved into a new home last fall so once I have a good handle on what the various perennials *are* around here (still trying to identify some things that haven't bloomed yet - hmmm weed or not weed?), I will be happily spending a bit more money with them on some perennials.

I spent several $100's of dollars locally. They have all the common things but that is it. Noone grows locally except for the annual plant sale for our food back which I posted about in April. BTW we raised almost $11,000 for the Food Bank of East Alabama !!! Yeah.

I got too many to count flats of annuals, bags and bags potting soil and mulch, ferns, pots, pots, pots !! Coco liners, tools, 8 KO roses...you get the idea. It is great to support locally and I will always do it but there are such limited selections in small towns and I am not willing to have only what Lowes wants to sell me or our tiny selection at the local nursery. So there you have it...I just give everyone as much business as I can. c

I'm another one who believes in supporting the local nurseries. Not to say that I don't sometimes do mail order but I buy at least 95% of my plants from local shops. I appreciate them being there!

Let me see how much I can remember from the last few months:

Agapanthus - Can't remember the specific variety
Sedum - Frosty Morn - bought 5 and propagated 10 more Yea!
Veronica - Sunny Border Blue - 6 plants
Veronica - Royal Candles - 2 plants
Gaura - 2 plants
Hollyhocks - 3 plants
Liatris - 2 plants
Lilies - new type Oriental/Trumpet hybrid - 3 bulbs
Begonia - Gin bedding plants - 8 flats
Foxglove - Camelot series - 2 plants

I'm sure there's been more. This just gives you an idea. My favorite nursery loves to see me coming!

Ahhh today? I bought sunny impatients hanging basket. Each spring and thru the years, more money spent locally than I care to admit too. Bought lots and lots of flats of annuals this spring, just for a start.

More of my roses were bought locally than on line and the same for the various shrubs around the property. Of course, sometimes I just can't find what I need locally and I do not hesitate to order from my favorite on line sources.

I bought 4 15 foot trees locally last week.

I also bought 6 red petunias from WM is that considered a local nursery?

Sierra

A Hardy Kleim gardenia and a red barberry.

It really doesn't matter to me where I buy something, just so long as they have what I want. Unfortunanly, many of my local nurseries do not offer much that is rare or unusual.

I did buy my tomatoes from a local grower this year. She has a little greenhouse in her backyard and her whole family, kids and all, get involved. I am also going to a huge plant sale next Sat. The profits go to support a local public park/gardens. They have an amazing selection of plants. Rare, new, tropical, HEALTHY. I pretty much just buy from the plant sale now, and not nurseries.
CMK

I love to support my local nurseries and am so lucky that I have a few that are close by and just great. This past weekend my friend and I had a good ole time packing her chevy trailblazer 2X while we were out! It was crazy fun!
I picked up all sorts of annuals. Found HUGE dahlias for $6! Got a couple monkshood, 4 small rhodies, a few dwarf solomon's seal, golden queen trollius, Centaurea montana 'amethyst in snow', Coreopsis tripteris (this looked pretty neat and I'd never seen it before), Thalictrum alpinum, Phyteuma scheuchzeri (never saw this one before either) and the best thing I got was something I was searching for online for a long time because I could not find one locally, but somehow was lucky enough to stumble upon one this weekend...a Buddleia alternifolia! I was so excited. Ever since I saw one in full bloom in central NH I knew I had to have one!

We were definitely supporting the economy! I'm also very fortunate (my wallet not so much!) to have family down on LI, and in CT and NC so I get to shop at many different local nurseries.

Nothing beats shopping locally and supporting the local grower who knows and loves their plants!

I buy 95% locally too. In fact, last fall and a couple weeks ago are the ONLY times I've purchased plants online in the past decade ... and they were varieties I haven't seen locally.

Btw, the only reason I even know about Bluestone is because of this forum, lol.

Today I went for mulch & compost but came home with two really beautiful foxgloves, too. The only bad thing about buying locally is that I can't resist those impulse buys the way I can from catalogs!

Our little town has 2 nurseries, one carries native plants so I give them my business whenever I'm looking for something special. I just bought a coral vine, Mexican feather grass & some kind of daisy (I forget the name). This year I've been doing more seed sowing than planting, though. The other nursery has a nice organic section so that's where I shop for pest & disease treatments.

I do most of my plant buying at the annual Round Top herbal forum, whose plants always come from an independent nursery, though not the same one each year.

I have to admit that I buy at Lowes in the fall, from their clearance rack; and I let my guard down recently and got some plumbago at Walmart.

I put a new rose garden in this year - bought 25 roses from Chamblees. I know they sell by mail, but they are local to me. :) I've also bought tons of other stuff from our local Lowe's and Walmart. I thought about purchasing a flower carpet rose (a new variety this year), but the only person I could find that has it wanted $60 for it mail order, so I decided to plant annuals there and wait until next year so maybe I can get it locally (and cheaper).
When I first started gardening, I used mail order more trying to save money, but the plants were so small or came when I was busy, I decided that local was the only way to buy! Besides, it's easier if you're an impulse shopper!

My favorite local greenhouse has not carried the inventory this year like they have in the past. I did get a couple of yellow KO roses from her and some vegetable starts. I also got several flats from her early in the spring to get started on our cutting gardens.

Yesterday, on my way home from a workshop in another county, I stopped by one of the larger places in our area and found Strawberry Foxglove plants. Supposed to be a true perennial, I never have much luck with them, guess we'll see.....

I got a Daisy Gardenia from the Depot. I probably wouldn't have bought it there, but it was 1/2 the price of the ones I'd seen at the nursery. Although I've noticed that the plants I get from the nursery fare much better than the ones I've purchased from the "box" stores.

I am very fortunate to have the State Farmers Market just 20mins away in Raleigh NC and all the plants are from local growers - I support them as much as I can but my shopping time is limited because I have to get someone in to be with my Mom for me to get out - some things are just easier to order online - esp the Bluestone 1/2 price sale - mulch and potting soil are gotten from a local landscaping firm - we get that by the truckload. I will also buy my annual flats from the community college nursery because they employ the handicap and all the proceeds go for wages for the help and to the local disabled/mentally handicapped association - I do what I can to keep the monies locally ......

Lynne

I tend to keep reverting to my local 'default' nursery - it's close and I'm too lazy to travel; it's established and family owned, which I like; it's beautiful to just visit and walk thru even w/out buying, which I do often.

My lot/gardens are small and I don't have much room left to add stuff, but somehow I keep finding new bare spots to fill and that 'default' nursery keeps relieving me of dollar after dollar and I always come home satisfied.

Am currently planning my next safari .....

I'm fond of our local nursery, where they grow most things themselves, and shop there every year. This year I bought quite a bit less than usual:

2 lupines
12 lettuce plants (first time doing plants as well as seeds)
8 impatiens for hanging baskets
1 New Guinea impatiens
4 basil
Sluggo
potting mix

I (and my mom) have bought a lot more locally than at Bluestone, but I really like having internet sources too. My best source is seed trading on GW!

Some nearby greenhouses have the standards and Proven Winners, some carry more unusual stuff.
Locally, I found:
variegated calamint (I did a little dance when I saw that)
variegated oregano
epimedium sulphureous in an affordable size (tiny, but cheap!)
african daisy with quilled petals
scented geraniums for 3.70 each!
a pink lilac on clearance for $6

I couldn't find cuban oregano anywhere, though.

One nursery has a clearance table, and unlike the big-box stores, the stuff on the clearance table is still in really good shape. We've gotten great plants for as low as $1.

I bought mostly seeds this year, and very few plants. All of the veggies are from seed, and most of the flowers. I do have a few things that I started from cuttings. I make my own compost.

I bought one bag each of lava sand, greensand and perlite which I mix with about 40 gallons of compost for potting plants. The best thing about the GW are the groups that get together to swap plants and garden stuff and no money is exchanged.

My goal was to save money on plant material so that I could afford to build a greenhouse. I got the greenhouse and will be growing more food crops and not as many flowers in an effort to live more economically.

Cheryl

I did not start this thread to criticize anyone in any way. Seeing what people ordered off for reminded me that I made list after list and never did order off, but I did go to a local nursery, so I said so in my thread. I try to ask a question in many of my threads so that other people will chime in with their plants/purchases/problems/pests, too.

I frequently need reminding about how carefully one must word their posts here because others read into what is said things not meant to be implied. If I had put a disclaimer, "I never got around to sending any orders," well.

Let me say that the 4" pots of agapanthus that B&B were offering for $4.50 on sale could in no way have compared with the full gallon pots in bud that Ramona had for not much more -- same cultivar. A piece broke off one as I pulled it from the pot to plant. It had a little root, so I put it in a 4" pot and as I watered it, said to myself, "This is how the others would have looked."

Here's the tibouchina, weeks away from time to bloom, but such a big plant for a very reasonable price.
{{gwi:693890}}
The orange thing behind it is a tropical hibiscus, a gift, came from the Depot. I repotted it and put it in a cachepot.

Nell

Shasta Daisies (Becky)
Leopard Plant
Impatiens
lots of coneflowers
Confederate Jasmine
Nandina
Dahlia bulbs
EE bulbs
Amarylis bulbs

I do order on line but these are plants I can't get locally.
Today I picked up 3 Purple Wave Petunias for a basket and a couple of six packs of dwarf Snapdragons at a Farm market. I usually buy a lot more but I'm still dealing with all the winter kill from this past winter. The older I get the slower I go.
We're having a killer June, the hottest on record I believe, my plants are hanging in so far, me that's another story.

Annette

I have to admit, I don't buy much locally, because I so rarely have the time to run around to nurseries. Plus, I am addicted to winter garden planning - the idea of waiting until May to see if I can find things just drives me nuts! Otoh, I refuse to buy clothes online or from catalogs - I have to try things on. So, I'm weird that way.

That said, I did buy all my tomatoes at a local feed store that carries over 50 varieties. I had fun discussing varieties with the other shoppers. I also picked up a few strawberry plants to replace some that hadn't made it, and a bag of onion sets on impulse. At $1.05, how could I resist?

Otoh, when I decided I wanted more lamium, I ended up running all over town and getting annoyed...

I bought many of my summer vegetables all from local sales places (not necessarily "nurseries" all grown on site. Purchased annuals & herbs locally (also locally grown) and am going to look at more stuff tomorrow!

GGG

I bought a bunch of 4" pots of annuals and perennials:

* 2 Double Wave petunias, Rose (looks like a carnation)
* 2 Petunias, Purple with wild colors in the middle (no tags)- looks like a psychedelic daisy!
* 2 Double Decker Echinacea (Coneflowers)
* Unknown Tropical plant (no tag)- looks like it might be some kind of Shrimp plant - very exotic looking (I planted it in a clay pot and it sits in dappled shade).
* 8 pots various brightly colored Coleus - one that looks like a box of bright crayons - lots of deep yellow. Very different colors than any coleus I've ever seen.

Price? $1.50 each. I love Linda's Nursery!
~Annie

I bought a lot of stuff online from Bluestone and Park Seed. I also bought some from an unknown (to me) mail order nursery and was not pleased. But I did get some things from the local nursery for my mother. I always plant stuff in her garden for Mother's Day. I got:

Lots of humus
Spanish lavender
Gaura
Flowering hebe
Annuals (wave petunias, New Guinea impatiens)

Oh yeah--and I did purchase two Rhododendron PJM's from a local nursery. Surran's in Corbin City, NJ is a great family-owned nursery--they grow mostly trees and shrubs, very few perennials. Their stuff always thrives.

I am thrilled with the variety one local nursery offers. I purchased:

Two Oriental Poppies (Victoria Louise and a Watermelon color)
Crocosmia Lucifer
Baptisia Carolina Moonlight
Perennial Foxglove

At another nursery, I picked up two lantanas and a snapdragon.

Teresa

I have a couple of nurseries 30 minutes from me as well as the farmers market on the weekends. I have gone a little overboard this year with plant purchases, I must admit. I have purchased
phlox 4 different varieties
salvia black and blue and marchino cherry (sp?), blue angel, lady in red and victoria
yarrow deep red kind
coneflowers mac and cheese, tomato soup and tiki torch
gaillardia oranges and lemons, amber wheels
daisy a really double one that was just too cute to pass up
cannas panache, pink sunburst, orange punch
countless coleous, annual six packs and some vegie starts

And then there's the 2 orders at bluestone and the brent and becky's 1/2 off sales.....

Just don't tell DH. I'm supposed to be on a plant budget which was blown a long time ago.....

Monica

I buy everything from local nurseries. I have never needed anything exotic, and I have 3 good nurseries nearby, so, so far on my gardening journey, my needs are met locally.

This thread has to be some sort of serendipity. Yesterday I went down to our local nursery, Yard by Yard Lawn and Garden, where I happened to spy a Bottlebrush buried deep among other plants. As these are native to my home and shouldn't even really grow in this area, I waded through spiky holly leaves to have a closer look, pulled it out of the row, saw it was an amazing well-established plant that would survive the winter here. However, there was no price, so I went to find someone.

I came across this large middle-aged woman who said their pricing machine was broken, but she followed me to the plant and gave me a price. I thanked her and went to collect the other plants I had seen - and when I got back, the bottlebrush was gone. I asked her what had happened to it and she said a woman had come in and gotten it.

This was laughable, as I had only been gone a few minutes and there were just two other customers on the property, and I said as much. She then said a woman had come in the day before, but she had forgotten to put it aside, and that she owned Yard by Yard Lawn and Garden, and made pots for people. Hello! She was going to pot up a tree????! She didn't even know what it was.

If she didn't want to sell the plant, all she needed to do was say she had made a mistake. This happened in front of her Mexican labourer, who was laughing his head off. Then, to top it all, the owner of Yard by Yard Lawn and Garden asks if she can get me another one of those plants! The nerve.

I've spent today telling everyone who has the patience to listen about my experience at Yard by Yard Lawn and Garden (and this now includes you, and thank you for letting me rant). Meanwhile, I'm betting the bottlebrush is repotted into a much larger pot and selling at double or triple the price at Yard by Yard Lawn and Garden.

I am very lucky that are several wonderful nurseries near me (including two that I visit on my lunch hour at work!).

so far, this year
"Passionate Rainbow" gaura
a salvia that is annual up here
"Frosted Velvet" heucherea
plumbago (also annual up here, but I can't resist)
2 bags of topsoil, 2 bags of compost

tomorrow I go to the annual perennial fest at yet another nursery
12 plants arrived from Bluestone today (the 1/2 price sale)

This year I hope my family owned local nursery that carries things the box stores don't will get through the buying slow down so I can continue to enjoy weekend browsing, succumbing to the irresistable plants, and giving my family a place to buy things for me (I'm really easy - plant or gift cert. works every time). I don't think the nursery is carrying as much variety this year, but what they have is "cherce." I order bulbs and seeds from mail order every year and hope they all make it. Looks like those of us on this forum are doing our part!

Today hubby dropped me off at a Pike near his job for the AM. That was so nice of him! I was not pleased with all of the prices (after working in the business, I really do know what stuff costs and should cost), however they had some great specials and I'm bummed I could not by some Easy Livin' roses two for one. They were HUGE plants...but as of yet I have no where to put them.
I did buy a really nice large glazed pot for my front steps,
blood meal (yuck, but it's nitrogen) and ant killer (trying a new Lilly Miller organic product).
I was very pleased to see so many plants were tagged "locally grown in Georgia"...and purchased many annuals like Irisene, alternathera, black potato vines, pink and orange impatiens, some succulents all for my porch planters which I redid this evening.
Purchased some other annuals, 3 pots of milkweed and a hot pink perennial hibiscus, chives...it was great fun.
There were some things I wish they did have: galvanized watering cans, purple pottery (they have EVERY color except purple! Nobody has purple!!), and gallon shrubs instead of only 3 gallon but I was in a ritzy neighborhood so maybe they just sell the bigger stuff more.
I snagged a $19 Japanese Maple, just a little guy which was grafted to weep. He will grow very large, and has reddish foliage. It was a good buy as I can train him now how I want him!

It was a good day.
GGG

Oh yes, I believe in supporting local nurseries - and farmers markets, and flea markets, and grocery stores, or anywhere I see plants! :)

Double Coneflower (wanted this one for ages)
Yellow False Indigo
a few annuals - fuscia, pink nicotiana, petunias, sweet potato vine
Goldstrum Rudbeckia

I Love my local nursery!! It's an addiction to go!! I was so happy to find it!! Lowe's & the local grocery stores all have the same, usual plants & it's pretty boring. Lowe's does have a little more than the usual, but still, I like supporting the local nursery where there is so much to choose from. And, while I do use 3 catalog companies for really unusal items, I don't have to pay additional shipping charges with the nursery. Sweet!

We have many wonderful nurseries very close to where we live. My favorite right now is Box Hill nursery. It is so beautiful and peacefull. It is part of a private home and looks much more like a wonderful country cottage garden than a nursery. It is on acerage and was originally a dairy farm. The plants are so healthy and full and the prices are good. I much prefer to shop locally. It really adds to the whole experience in my opinion.
Today I picked up:
variegated ivey
marigolds
several different succulents
manure
peat moss
horwort
watercress
purple sage

Tomorrow I will pretend that I am going to plant all of them.