Katy, what an impressive list! I think I know where you are shopping (I like to window shop, but I seldom buy mail order) and they are a bit pricey. Just scanning your list quickly, I note that Select Seeds has the Brugmanisa 'Miner's Claim' for $10.95. The canna 'Phaison' is also known as Tropicanna or Orange Durban, and I bought 3 labeled as Durban at Lowe's for about $6 (it remains to be seen if they are labled correctly though). Canna 'Tropicanna' will almost surely be available locally as a plant. Brent & Becky's has canna 'Australia' for about $11. I'm almost sure I had seen Sedum 'Frosty Morn' and Salvia 'Cardonna' locally last season, possibly at Mahoneys. I think if you google around some, you may find some of the others on your list at better prices.

-Wendy

All I can say is now I feel much better about MY shopping expeditions. I thought I was out of control, but you win! Over the weekend and Monday, I placed 3 orders with about 7-8 items each, grand total probably $600ish. I think it is this horrible weather having an affect. Shopping is the only thing we have control over!

fwiw, Sedum Frosty Morn is not a strong grower and locally available.

Your list looks like fun, but think of all the work when it comes in... That thought slows me down somewhat. I've only done about 10% of the winter cleanup, let alone Spring cleanup.

Why pare the list down? It's only money! Although the thought of hurricanes might encourage me reconsider. This old timer remembers the Island after the 1938 hurricane. About all that was left Up-island were stone walls and beach plums.

Have you already prepared places for all of these things? If not, are you caught up enough with the rest of your planting to get them into the ground in a reasonable amount of time? Have you thought about what the new weather pattern might do to these plants over the summer or during the coming winter? Do you have to have those specific cultivars? Do you have to have plants or would starting from seed be okay?

If it were me, I'd buy seeds. If I couldn't find those exact cultivars, I'm sure I could find something similar that I'd like just as well, or maybe I'd buy some other sort of seed entirely. Either that or I'd wait until next year to buy those things that I couldn't find seeds for. I can relate to what you are doing, so I know it's not easy to do that.

Would anyone else be upset if they knew about your spree? If you buy these things, will you get over the guilt or whatever it is that you are experiencing with this order? Do you think that if you buy these things that you will still want more things or do you think that you will have finally reached the point where you can say enough is enough and really mean it?

I have spent about $700 or so on plants and seeds so far this year and that doesn't include what I have spent on seeds for farming. That doesn't include the potting supplies, fertilizer, deer net, new tools, or gloves, either. The last plants I bought were a couple of grape vines and that was only because I somehow forgot to order some when I placed my fruit orders earlier this year and I happened to see some when I picked up some potting supplies this last weekend. Of course I picked up three types of seed while I was at it, but those will be direct sow and one of them is a backup in case my pumpkin seeds (for my farm) are past their prime. I have a lot to do around here, and not just as far as planting goes. I have a house to paint, animals to tend, a son to raise, a truck and tractor to do maintenance on... you get the idea. There are a zillion plants I still want to get, but they are on my list for next year so that I have something exciting to look forward to over the winter. I have reached the limit of what I can handle on my own and what my well has the capacity to water. Actually, I have probably exceeded its capacity, but I could make trips down to the pond for water if I had to. That would be very time consuming, so I'd probably learn my lesson if I had to do that.

But that is just me. If you can't knock more things off your list and you've been doing this for a week and still can't just walk away from the cart, then buy and be happy. Just remember this episode the next time you are about to buy something for the garden.

By the way, you could save about $144 if you want to ditch your Kniphofias and get some of my Kniphofia caulescens seeds. Hahaha!!! :-)

circa1825 has brought up a lot of good points that I won't repeat here but worth thinking about...

Looking over the list some of the prices seem kind of high. Some things you could get smaller plants locally and save plus it would be fun to pick out the plants yourself. My suggestions cut back on ordering some of the sedums. Sedums are easy to propagate also so you could start with smaller plants.

-Sedum 'Frosty Morn' never did well in my garden where many sedums have performed nicely. I found the variegation didn't stay true and it performed poorly.
-Sedum spurium 'John Creech' grows so rapidly and many places carry small plants. You can easily find this at box stores for $2 or $3. This may be one you could pick up at a plant sale or swap as it is kind of common.

The canna prices seem high also. You can get the tubers (even mail order for much less). They are fairly easy to grow from tubers. Or I have seen full grown plants at local garden centers for less ($15 - $20 range).

-Hippeastrum x johnsonii - Is not easy to get it to flower as other Hippeastrum cultivars. You may have to take it inside for the winter.

As much as I wanted desperately to take nandinaÂs sage advice Why pare the list down? It's only money!, and now believe those are words I should live by. I have allowed some other suggestions such as Wendy2 I think if you google around some, you may find some of the others on your list at better prices. , Wendyb I thought I was out of control, but you win!, and circa Have you already prepared places for all of these things? to guide my better judgment. I have pared the list down considerably and will review it again this evening. Thanks kt

01449
Kniphofia 'Alcazar'

Sub Total 6 of 01449 at $ 16.00 each $ 96.00
06054
Kniphofia pumila

Sub Total 3 of 06054 at $ 16.00 each $ 48.00
07399
Acanthus mollis 'Tasmanian Angel'
$ 38.00
02707
Canna 'Australia'

Sub Total 3 of 02707 at $ 22.00 each $ 66.00
03371
Canna 'Constitution'

Sub Total 3 of 03371 at $ 24.00 each $ 72.00
02456
Canna 'Phaison' PP 10,569

Sub Total 3 of 02456 at $ 25.00 each $ 75.00
00660
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Little Markey'
$ 14.00
06312
Lespedeza liukiuensis 'Little Volcano'
$ 16.00
03843
Hibiscus 'Royal Gems' PP 11,011
$ 15.00
07575
Euphorbia 'Nothowlee' PP 17,178

Sub Total 3 of 07575 at $ 14.00 each $ 42.00
02615
Salvia greggii 'Big Pink'
$ 11.00
05042
Salvia greggii 'Pink Preference'
$ 11.00
07195
Salvia greggii 'Teresa' PPAF
$ 12.00
03053
Amorphophallus kiusianus
$ 24.00
01268
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Arp'
$ 11.00
07142
Lespedeza thunbergii 'Spilt Milk'

Ok, Ok, Ok,
You folks seem to know me better than I know my self. Circa as always you made many poignant points , Sedum the book for managing clutter was so on target... I really have reached the time in my life were I feel strongly about purging all of the things I spent the first half of my life collecting. I suppose those thoughts haven't spilled into the garden yet. Well the new clutter free kt has edited his list all the more.
01449 Kniphofia 'Alcazar'
Sub Total 6 of 01449 at $ 16.00 each $ 96.00
06054 Kniphofia pumila
Sub Total 3 of 06054 at $ 16.00 each $ 48.00
07399 Acanthus mollis 'Tasmanian Angel' $ 38.00
03371 Canna 'Constitution'
Sub Total 3 of 03371 at $ 24.00 each $ 72.00
02456 Canna 'Phaison' PP 10,569
Sub Total 3 of 02456 at $ 25.00 each $ 75.00
06312 Lespedeza liukiuensis 'Little Volcano' $ 16.00
03843 Hibiscus 'Royal Gems' PP 11,011 $ 15.00
07575 Euphorbia 'Nothowlee' PP 17,178
Sub Total 3 of 07575 at $ 14.00 each $ 42.00
01268 Rosmarinus officinalis 'Arp' $ 11.00
07142 Lespedeza thunbergii 'Spilt Milk'

Good job!! Now run -- DO NOT WALK -- to your local nurseries and see if they have any of the things that are still on your list, or if they have something similar or an entirely different substitute that you would be willing to settle for. At 3 bucks per plant for shipping, think of how many more plants you could buy at a local nursery with the money you would save on shipping.

Wow!
I have had similar experiences in other years, but I find that since I switched to more seed starting it just doesn't bite me like that any more. My outrageous expense this year was $35 for three tiny packs of specialty primrose seeds from France. Luckily, they are sprouting... Glad you dropped the brugmansia as the bulbs are probably a much more rewarding investment.

I think it IS the weather. My budget doesn't allow for multi-thousand plant orders (alas! *G*), but I have bought a LOT of stuff and I'm not sure where most of it's going...

as usual, no sage advice here.

just wanted to say YOU GO, GIRL!

Here is a link that might be useful:

marie of roumania,
Nice to see you coming out of hibernation. Thanks for the checkbook cheer. How in the world did you get your hands on that photo of me??? More ironic is how did you know what I was wearing today??? I did want to take this opportunity to brag about my new pom poms made from dead clumps of native grasses...oh and did I mention my uniform was hand woven using New Zealand Flax...Oh that reminds me I need to add some Phormium to the above shopping list. I am still laughing over "Ken Drusse Writes Porn"....wonder how may google searches that came up on!!!kt

Buyer's Remorse: One of my weekend excess shopping expeditions was funded via my PayPal account. The card number on file was old and the payment was denied. I added another card but I don't think it got used. The vendor wrote me so I asked them to send another invoice. Haven't seen it yet. Now that I see the order again and see that I have a chance to beg off, I have no idea why I absolutely wanted the stuff I ordered and am happy for the opportunity to forget the whole thing. It was just one of those badddddddddd weekends...

Thank Goodness that you all talked me off the ledge I spent yesterday in the garden thinking that I have too many plants as it is and like Wendyb I have no idea why I absolutely wanted the stuff. kt

I just wanted to chime in that WendyB helps me off the ledge a lot. Lately, weekly. I get so caught up in the pretty pretty pictures. Cabin fever has not helped. :)

Your list intrigued me for an odd reason: WHAT catalogue
were you getting all that stuff from? A lot of those prices were positively off the wall! (At least two mail-order and several nurseries come to mind where you could
get Rosemary 'Arp' for about $6., not $11.) Expense aside,
the REAL issue, as many have pointed out, is WHERE are they all going? After just one winter of having to hold
over a zillion pots of things I just HAD to have (but never got around to planting), and losing 75% of the batch to a foul winter, I learned my lesson. . .now, a master
list accumulates during the current season, only after a
definite location for that plant/plants has been determined; then, after much thought and/or second guessing, only plants from the remaining list can be ordered. Yes, I know, that sounds frightfully disciplined for one of us "wild and carefree" gardeners, but the payoff
is SO worth it when Springs rolls around and I once again
have to deal with reality. . .

When will they finally introduce a Plant-Aholic's Anonymous. . .or, is that what all these confessions on
GW are all about?

Carl

Carl,
Garden Web New England Forum could also be known by many plant-aholics as a Digital Confessional

My list is from Plant Delights and to be frank my availability to plants is some what limited and the mark up at my local nurseries is so high that long ago I lost all hope of getting anything close to a "good deal" by most folkÂs standards.
It is interesting how easily the Internet can facilitate compulsive shopping. Now that the bad weather has passed and I am out in the dirt and sunshine the need to buy any of those plants has passed and the order won't be placed....at least as long as the wind stops howling, sun stays out and I can be out in the garden. kt

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Delights

Thats ironic! That's where I ended up out about $200!! So if you don't place your order, does that mean I won the out-of-control-in-bad-weather award? Not that I want it... :-(

Isn't there just a couple of items on your list that you absolutely have to have? I looked at my order again just now, and about half of them I really had to have and I know I would not find them locally. The other half is probably split - still excited vs. probably didn't need. So that makes the total order 75% worthwhile.

My songsparrow order is about the same... 75% of it I can't wait to have those babies...and would order again today.

Wendy,
As long as the good weather holds out...you win!! kt

Spent a good part of the afternoon visiting all of my local nurseries...it felt like coming home again. My journey varied from the nurseries that cater to the ultra rich, honestly I should bring my camera other wise I am not certain you would believe it, to somewhere in the middle, to the opposite end which is Jardin Mahoney's. Much to my surprise I did not feel compelled to buy a thing, I did a little poking around through the Japanese Maples and will bring my new book on JM's recommended to me by Arbo_retum. Wonder why I did not feel compelled to purchase? Buying power is fascinating don't you think? kt

Funny story in a similar vein: a week or two ago I accidentally had a shopping cart deleted when I rebooted. There'd been about $100 to $150 in there... and I honestly can't remember more than 2-3 of the items this week. Isn't that silly?

There's the answer, greening! Someone just needs to develop a program (available only to out-of-control garden
consumers) that automatically deletes any orders over
$19.95 just before you hit the "Confirm Order" button. . .

yeah, there definitely is a waxing and waning aspect to this disease.

I was browsing my favorite garden center in person a couple of weeks ago (voted favorite garden center People Places & Plants 2006) and I even had a $150 gift certificate in my pocket. I had a mental shopping cart going on that just wouldn't quit. I was back and forth on about half dozen items. Easily could have used the gift cert and then some.
But, I was late for a birthday party and couldn't come to a fast decision, so I just left promising to myself I would stop back on the way home. Didn't make it.

The place is almost an hour away (thank goodness!). I toyed with the idea of calling them to ask them to hold a couple of items for me. But I didn't. Maybe today...

whats going on?

Wendy, Wendy, Wendy,
I am a little concerned that perhaps you no longer deserve your title and and I am feeling like I need to place my order just so our little group of shop - aholics don't loose face. Oh me oh my the sacrifices I am willing to make for the sake of others is staggering. kt