I hate to say it but my new fav is Home Depot. I seem to always find something interesting - and well-priced - when I go there. I went Tuesday and they had just gotten a shipment of Hydrangea Pinky Winky (Proven Winners) that looked really good - $20. I also bought a Hydrangea Bombshell - $17 - haven't seen them elsewhere. They had some Rhodies that also looked good, and a Limelight tree for $40. They're return policy is great. I returned a Hens and Chicks where all the hens and chicks flowered and the plant died - that's not supposed to happen! I had just been to Weston's in Chelmsford looking at hydrangeas and most of what I saw had some amount of leaf spot. The ones at HD had none that I could find. Having just gone through a case of leaf spot with a Hydrangea I bought at Weston's last year, I was really sensitive to it. It seems that you can treat leaf spot, but not get rid of it. It gets in the soil, etc. I've been happy with purchases from Mahoney's, New England Nurseries in Bedford, McCues in Woburn, Russell's, Avant Gardens, Wilson Farms. I've found that the return policies are really important. I returned a dead plant to NE Nurseries last year and they gave me another. Couldn't find one of the same size, so gave me a bigger one that is doing quite well. I've returned things at Westons, but they have often given me a bit of a hard time. McCue's doesn't let you return. I just realized I bought a Euphorbia from Mahoney's that I don't think is hardy in their (and my) zone. I suspect they'll let me return it, but not sure. Last year I had hostas from both Blanchettes and Seawrights (in Carlisle) that had foliar nematodes - another thing you don't want in your garden. Blanchettes recognized it, said they were having a problem and would treat for it, and readily let me return the plants. Seawrights denied there was a problem, only very reluctantly refunded my money, and said he (I think the owner) would put it back in the nursery and sell it to someone else. I stopped there last week to look at (not buy) their hostas, and many of them had the very distinct signs of foliar nematodes. I'm really careful now about where I buy hostas. One place I would highly recommend is New Hampshire hostas (just off 95 in southern NH). I think they're open Thurs thru Saturday, and do a big mail order business. They put more and more things on sale as the season progresses, and have additional discounts when you buy more plants. They are very careful about foliar nematodes and diseases. Steve - thanks for the info on the nursery in Holbrook. If I can figure out where that is, I may have to make a visit.

Thanks for the info, decided to go with Plan O Gram Okay, with a name like Plant-O-Gram you have to be suspicious⦠None the less, after searching long and hard for a Mango tree I chose them. As luck would have it, about 30 minutes after placing my order for two Mallika Mangos, my wife instructed me to get two different types for more variety. So I opted for one Mallika and one Neelum. When I called back to change my order they had already packed them for shipping that day (only been about 35 minutes by now⦠theyâÂÂre quick!) None the less, the person who answered the phone was familiar with the Neelum Mango without needing a reference number (they have a butt load of trees, IâÂÂd sure as heck of needed a reference number), and took my info and said heâÂÂd call me back if an exchange could be made. About 5 minutes later he called me back and said they could still change it since it hadnâÂÂt been picked up yet, but the delay might cause it not to go out until the next day. (LetâÂÂs see, a one day delay, caused by me, to avoid having my wife lecture me for the next year⦠a bargain!) None the less, they still repacked it with the new tree and got it out the same day (as noted above⦠they are quick!) The trees arrived 48 hours later. Upon opening my shipping box I found my trees to have arrived large, green, and healthy. They were extremely well packed and Plant O Gram even threw in a small cherry tree (Surinam) as a bonus. As to price⦠well, I live in NC so you sure arenâÂÂt going to find a Mango tree at LoweâÂÂs. The closest designer LoweâÂÂs had was a nice Monrovia seedless Lime tree for the same price, at slightly less than half the size. So even if I could find what I wanted at LoweâÂÂs (Which is a fine store that supports the military I might add ïÂÂ), it appears it would be smaller and the same price, this definitely justifies the shipping cost from Plant O Gram!

Serviceberries around here are fruiting heavily. My older Regent Shrubs have so many fruits now, I just can't believe it. The small Regents have fruit too, but not much of course, since I only put them in last year. So far I have seen the Mockingbird, Robin and Orioles eating the Serviceberries. The fruit is much larger than they were last year, I think because the shrubs had time to mature. The fruit on the small shrubs is much smaller. Anyway, there are no Catbirds here this year so I have been able to eat lots of the fruit myself. Last year the Catbirds just about camped out in the Serviceberry Shrubs and would eat the berries all day long as they ripened. Fruit on the Grandiflora is not ripe yet but I did eat some fruit off the Honeywood Serviceberry. It does taste slightly different from the Regent and not quite as big. I like the Regent better. Really, I think Regents are the best of the shrub Serviceberries and they only grow about 6 feet tall so never get too big. They set an amazing amount of fruit and start at an early age.

Yep - each pot becomes a sort of mini garden...although I generally grow mine in individual 4 inch pots (after pricking out) and keep them in larger trays for ease of watering, moving and keeping the pots upright (rampaging collie).. Plants are infinitely adaptable, really want to live and are amenable to being lifted and moved, sometimes numerous times. With gypsophila, for example, I will keep half a dozen in a pot and transplant them in chunks rather than single small plants. If you can grow tomatoes, you can certainly grow other perennials....germination can be tricky and as you accomplished that, the loss was down to misfortune (pesty creatures) rather than incompetence or lack of knowledge. Keep trying - maybe just some cheap and easy annuals. Growing from seed is as easy as any other aspect of gardening - maybe easier in some respects and most perennials need no special treatment apart from an autumn sowing and a chance to germinate and grow with very little input needed from us. - I certainly do not faff about with heat or light although that can be required for some vegetables which need to mature over a longer season than a cold climate will allow. Perennials are actually easier in that many will simply grow in their own time, just as they would in a natural, non gardening setting.