Good price for Hydrangea Limelight?

14 years ago

I would like to plant a hedge of 13 Limelights and need to figure out where to buy them.

Local nursery sells 3 gallon plants for ~$35 and 5 gallon plants for $50. Is this a good price? Strange thing is the lady at the nursery said that the 3 gallon and 5 gallon are the same age and the same size--one is not older than the other--the only difference is the size of root ball. Huh?

Lowe's and Home Depot--can't find anyone who can tell me whether or when they will have their Proven Winner hydrangeas in. Don't they always carry them? Have you ever seen them NOT carry them?

Internet--Please recommend sources for good size Limelights at affordable prices. Would normally prefer to see and choose plants in person, but am willing to buy online if there's a great seller out there that you highly recommend.

Appreciate your advice!

GardenerZone4

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Comments (13)

ladywindsurfer
14 years ago
GardenerZone4__
A purchase of that many plants, of one cultivar, at one time, should qualify you for a quantity discount!
The $35.00 price tag very likely represents a 100% markup of wholesale price, plus shipping cost from the grower.

HD would probably price them somewhat less, but no quantity discounts there, either! They don't usually stock them, until they produce blooms, because a flowering plant is an easy sell. At most HD stores, they don't know what plants or quantity has been ordered or when they will arrive, until the plants show up, prepriced and placed on the tables by the supplier, who receives payment after they are sold.

I would send you the name of my supplier, but I just received an updated availability list and they are sold out of 2 and 3 year old plants, only one year old plants are available. (gallon size).

BTW, it doesn't matter what size pot the plants were in, if they are the same age and same size, they are only worth the same amount of money! And I would wager that the root mass is approximately the same size, also. Otherwise, the plant in the larger pot would be larger!
gardenerzone4
Original Author
14 years ago
Ladywindsurfer--

Thank you for replying! I so dearly wish I could get a quantity discount somewhere...

How big are the tops of 1 year old plants, compared to 2 year old and 3 year old plants? If your supplier has the 1 gallon size at a good price, and you wouldn't mind sharing the supplier's name, I'd like to look into it.

Thanks for validating my ?? on the 3 v. 5 gallon. I thought it sounded weird too...

Thanks!
Gardenerzone4
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prairiegirlz5
14 years ago
Your local landscaper should be able to point you in the direction of a wholesale source of plant material. Maybe you can get in on the deal if you buy in quantity, or they can order for you? The goodwill may be worth it to them, even if this time you intend to plant them all yourself.
mrgpag SW OH Z5/6
14 years ago
If you don't mind starting with smaller plants, Bluestone Perennials here in Ohio has Limelight for $12.95 in probably a 4inch pot - more than likely the same pot they were received in from Spring Meadow Nursery - a wholesale grower of PW liners. These will be decent plants and they grow fairly quickly. 'Course you'll have a shipping charge to deal with. Google their name for the website.

Marshall
ladywindsurfer
14 years ago
Gardenerzone4__

Didn't find an email link for you.
Please email me at Cornerstone1133@aol.com

Sorry about the delay. Springtime has finally arrived here and I couldn't wait to tackle the gard'n!
echinaceamaniac
14 years ago
If you buy 2-3 plants, you could easily root enough cuttings to make a hedge in one season.
sue36
14 years ago
I think I paid $20-25 each at HD last year. They are good sized plants. I wouldn't get them from Bluestone. I have purchased a lot from them, but the hydrangeas are tiny and in my experience have about a 50% survival rate.
gardenerzone4
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you all for your suggestions. I talked to the manager at my local nursery and talked him into a 20% discount on 16 Limelights. Price would be $33 each after discount. I did ask again about the 3 gallon v. 5 gallon thing, and he said that different suppliers label it 3 gallon v. 5 gallon, but the soil mass is the same. I don't see how that's possible but this is the second person who's told me it is, so I guess it must be the case. If anyone can shed some light on it for me, I'd appreciate it. Regardless, the tops of the plants I'm getting would be ~2' tall. He did strongly recommend against planting 6' apart for reasons I described in another thread. He said to plant at most 5' apart, maybe even 4.5' apart for a connected hedge. Your thoughts?
unprofessional
14 years ago
Very few people have seen a mature Limelight, which is why I think you're getting conflicting opinions. I did 5' between mine, which I think is fine for a hedge, but I wouldn't go less than that, especially now that I've seen the video I'm including in the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mature Limelight video
gardenerzone4
Original Author
14 years ago
Unprofessional, I saw this video too, and that's why I originally wanted to do 6' spacing. How long have your limelights been planted at 5'? Have they connected yet? Thanks.
unprofessional
14 years ago
Sorry; will be a few years 'till I can really say. Planted mine last year.
rj56
12 years ago
I think I purchased my limelights last spring from Great Garden Plants. They were 12.95. Here's what they looked like in August. This year they have already doubled in size.
rj56
12 years ago
Sorry, here's what they looked like last August.

Good price for Hydrangea Limelight?

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Good price for Hydrangea Limelight?

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