Being in the right place at the right time sure helps if you are a frugal shopper, thrift store browser, or garage sale junkie. "It doesn't hurt to ask." is the best advice I can give anyone looking for a bargain. This year I couldn't afford to put out the annuals that I am now growing. Didn't start as many indoors as I would have liked to but I have plenty of American Seed packets unopened yet. I got them by asking at the local hardware store last fall. He gave me all the unsold seed packets in the cardboard rack. About a brown grocery bag full for $2. Lots of veggie seeds in there plus annual flower seeds. I think it was worth the expenditure.

Thank you Ben, Sheila, and Seil! It was different without any other concerning signs of RRD and so I appreciate your thoughts. Where I didn’t receive it until late August, the top growth really didn’t start taking off until right before we started experiencing some rather late arriving cold weather and so that makes sense.

I usually spray my cushions down with a hose and then use a gentle scrub brush to clean them with regular Dawn or Tide mixed with a bucket of warm water. I rinse them off and let them dry before storing for the winter.

Nicole I am jealous. I love kniphofia but so far every time I have tried to grow it, it died. I don't really have ideal conditions for it, sun wise. My last attempt was in a pot . . .