Thanks for that report Marie. I had their circular in my email box announcing a sale, and that wasn't mentioned. They were advertising $1. off annuals which didn't seem so great for this time of year. I picked up annuals at Stonegate last year for 50% off but I'm thinking it was Fourth of July maybe? I am looking for annuals right now, to fill in a few spots, but I am always looking for a few Tiarellas and 'Green Spice' Heuchera is one of my favorites. I have 'Amethyst Mist' and it has been a good performer for me.

I'm also looking for a variegated Sedum, which I never see, and 'Fragrant Angel' Echinacea if anyone has seen any.

Oh, and 'Fatal Attraction' Echinacea.

"PS the big store in Winchester had about 4 racks of heucheras all around the place. Some had different varieties, so its worth finding and looking at all of them"

I find that an annoying feature of the Mahoney's in Winchester. It's a big place and you have to walk all over because you never know where you're going to find something. Sure, they have a perennial patch with things in more-or-less alphabetical order, and separated by sun and shade, but they also feature plants in lots of other areas, like between the greenhouse and the shrub/tree area. And the sizes and prices will be different. It's like buying red bell peppers at Market Basket: the loose ones are one price, the ones on styrofoam trays are another price and in a different aisle, and the bagged ones are yet a different price and in a different aisle! In both places, I imagine the marketers had a hand in the decision, figuring they'll get both the impulse buyer and the planned buyer.

But thanks for the tip, Marie, $5 heucheras are well worth a visit.

I have done some shopping at the local Mahoneys this season, bought some Petunias, Heliotrope, and Salvia Black & Blue. Also bought a few veggie seedlings.

Why do you think it's been a bad sales season for the nurseries this year? I've been in the Home Depot garden section and Mahoneys in the last week and they have tons of plants still. A lot of annuals and veggies, which can't winter over. Do they just throw that stuff away if it doesn't sell?

There were three weekends of cold heavy rain at prime selling time that discouraged timid gardeners from going forth to spend and spade.

At home grown locations plant growth was delayed. I didn't buy hosta at Blanchette's because they were tiny. Why they were 1/4 size of Seawright's I don't know.

When Mahoney's had its sale, those plants were right out of the nursery beds. Never been in a sale yard. I deduce they weren't in the nursery sales area until people had moved onto other things.

I posted about a great sale going on now at Gerards in Lincoln (not Lex as previously noted tho that doesn't change the location)

I asked him if the cold rainy weekends had put sales behind and he said yes. He's a taciturn fellow and didn't offer anything else so I let it drop....
mt

As long as you can water in your town, this is a great time to plant perennials. They have a long time to settle in before the ground freezes. I have not had great luck with planting in the fall so no longer do it.

I got some heucheras last week at Mahoney's but the one I bought was not on sale of course--Dark Secret. Very good-looking.

Also needed some white impatiens as a fill-in--none to be found til I broke down and went to Home Depot. They had just gotten a shipment and everything looked great.

I was at Mahoney's in Brighton (on Western Ave.) last week and the perennials were not watered. Some were actually dead, many beyond wilted (probably dead). I paid $10 each for a couple of Pulmonaria and begged the sales clerks to get someone to water out there, but they didn't seem very interested. I had the impression the store had given up on its perennials for the year and was probably planning to throw them all out once they'd sold a few more to people like me.

I stopped in on a whim and ended up with 2 heuchera berry smoothies, a crimson curls and a heucherella stoplight and a sweet tea, they were all $5.I also picked up a heucherella kimono for $17 (i know, it was pricey) and a japanese maple for $80.

I thought all the plants there looked great considering the heat wave that we have been having...

Prairemoon, I have a var. sedum, the name escapes me right now...I can share a few cuttings in the fall.

Lisa

Thanks Lisa, but I found one at Stonegate Gardens shortly after I posted. Appreciate the offer though! :-)