by J.B. Doyle

Created on: July 07, 2009

Since I've owned my own home, I have tried to add some flowers to improve my landscape every year. I've discovered that buying plants from greenhouses can be expensive and the plants I purchase there may last only one season, so I try to discover a few discount perennials every year. I find that if I'm willing to do a little extra work, and am not overly fussy, I can add a few more plants every year. I don't have a lot of money to spend, so this is a viable solution for me. I also enjoy the thrill of the hunt when using creativity to acquire plants, and like to hunt them up them locally, so I know they'll do well in my weather region. I often get extra bulbs and plants from friends and co-workers when they separate plants in their gardens. I buy older seeds at rummage sales; I can also buy seeds for ninety percent off from greenhouses at the end of the growing season and use them the following year. With very little money and a bit of ingenuity, my yard is becoming more colorful and more fragrant year by year.

Purchasing flowers from a greenhouse can be very expensive. Exotic, beautiful plants are everywhere. Bright colors and sweet smells dominate my eyes and nose when I walk into a greenhouse. I feel dizzy with excitement and my senses of sight and smell go into overdrive. I'm overwhelmed by the assortment, and am tempted to choose plants based on the way they look, not how they will perform or how many seasons they will thrive. I am by no means an expert gardener, so what I plant may grow or it may not. Even with the guidance of the staff, I sometimes waste money on plants that don't work in my soil. If the plants I put in the ground may die, I may as well wait until they are at least seventy-five percent off. I'm all for experimentation, as long as I feel that I'm being thrifty. Finally, ordering plants online can be a problem because I live in between planting zones, and I'm never quite sure if a plant will do well,and I don't like buying a live plant that I can't see, then have to wait for it to ship. I have no control over the condition of the plant when it arrives. Even if the flowers look great, there's a chance they'll die soon after I plant them. A great alternative is to find plants that grow well locally in other places. I live in a rural area, and a lot of plants grow in the ditches between farms and roads. I keep a few small garden tools and buckets in my car during the spring and summer. If I see some plants that I like while I'm driving somewhere,

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