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Minnesota Gardening

Performance from last year's plantings

18 years ago

I just thought I'd share some interesting facts about how plants survived the winter based on where they were purchased in 2004. Of the number of plants I put in last year, here are the percentages for each seller showing where purchased, number that survived, number planted, and the survival rate:

Arboretum Sale, 9 of 12, 75%

Arb Iris Sale, 26 of 38, 68%

Bachman's, 1 of 2, 50%

Frank's, 2 of 5, 40%

Funkie Gardens, 5 of 6, 83%

Home Depot, 1 of 1, 100%

Linder's, 8 of 14, 57%

Noerenberg Daylily Sale, 8 of 8, 100%

Park, 9 of 23, 39%

Savory, 2 of 2, 100%

Tonkadale, 4 of 6, 66%

There are a whole lot of factors involved in the survival rates (like ducks repeatedly stepping on newly planted rhizomes that were in their path) but the numbers do confirm for me that, overall, plants grown and nursed within the community really did do better than those shipped in to Minnesota. Leon Snyder said to us in a class at the Arboretum over 35 years ago, "Buy plants grown as close to home as you can." Some things don't change.

Lily

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Comments (5)

zenpotter
18 years ago
I'm surprised at the Arboretum Iris sale, I would expect it to be a higher percentage than that. Is this typical of Iris in general or with the Arboretum in particular?

Pauline
zenpotter
18 years ago
This is my percentage from THIS YEARS Friends Sale. I am dissapointed. Has any one else had problems from there this year? 12 out of 17 for 71% I wonder how many will survive the winter.
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Julie
18 years ago
I have found when purchasing from friends to pay particular attention to zonal requirements as generally listed. The things I have purcased from them have done very well the year they were planted- but I have noticed that zonally challenged plants from that sale do not fare too well over-winter- at least in my garden. But for the price they charge- and the variety and health of the plants they sell there- I will continue to buy from them-
I am not to sure that they buy from all local growers- but I think they are making a concious effort to do as much local purchasing as they can-
Great post Lilly- trying to keep our business local also helps us all build community and is usually well worth the extra effort!
Julie
lily_digger
Original Author
18 years ago
Pauline,

On an earlier post, I heard that a lot of people lost newly-planted iris this year due to thawing early in the spring followed by very cold weather. When added to the squirrels and raccoons that love to dig them out of freshly-turned soil, I didn't really think it was too bad. It certainly was not because the stock was not good when I got it. Three bit the dust thanks to my Mallards beating a path between neighbor's bird seed and mine. So it goes...

Lily
kec01
18 years ago
I've lost one columbine from this year's Friends Sale. I left the sale with 5 cardboard trays packed full - so far, so good. Yes, I made a road trip for the sale.

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