When there isn't money for nursery plants, where do you get your plants from instead?

[21hens-incharge]

Irises are a nice filler for the perennial beds too. Easy, easy to grow, divide and plant. I have several iris roots that I completely forgot about from a friend that I threw on the ground last year and now they are growing perfectly happily right where I threw them. Folks around here give them away all the time. They fill in a space pretty quickly too!

Iris for free is awesome!!
To order them is nearly 20 bucks each.

A few years ago I came home from work to find someone stepped off in my flowerbed and cut every bloom off my black iris.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

If you need foundation plantings or half day sun bed filler almost anyone with hostas will give you divisions. I started with 2 plants and over the years of occasional dividing probably have 200 feet of them. They are tough and grow better the more you divide them. Different color varieties on sale are a good investment when you find a few bucks to spare.
Here are last years variegated divisions.

Two year old variegated and solid green divisions plus ferns someone was throwing away. 9x20 shade bed filled right up mostly free.

 

[lazy gardener]

I love iris. I am also a sucker for day lilies. Not just any day lily! It must be fragrant or re-blooming, not similar to the wild style yellow and orange ones. Picotee or ruffled edge, double blossoms, contrasting eye zones all catch my eye. You just can't go wrong with them!!!

And dahlias can be grown from seed! If you have a good place to store the tubers for the winter, you will have a forever supply of dahlias for the price of a packet of seeds.

 

[oregonkat]

A few years ago I came home from work to find someone stepped off in my flowerbed and cut every bloom off my black iris.

Oh, don't you just wonder what goes through a person's head to think that they can just do that!! I am so sorry. I have some of those black ones and they are stunning. I hope you get to enjoy yours now!! My mother in law has some 'Batik' dark bluish purple with a batik design with white splotches. Ravishing!! I have my eye on them and always drop a little hint about what a nice addition some would make to my garden!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Oh, don't you just wonder what goes through a person's head to think that they can just do that!! I am so sorry. I have some of those black ones and they are stunning. I hope you get to enjoy yours now!! My mother in law has some 'Batik' dark bluish purple with a batik design with white splotches. Ravishing!! I have my eye on them and always drop a little hint about what a nice addition some would make to my garden!

People just amaze me.

I divide the black iris and trade with the garden center here. I took them 20 fat rhizomes and got nearly 500 bulbs for tulips, crocus and daffodils. Every time the owner sees me he asks for more.

I actually ordered some called "hello darkness" and they are getting ready to bloom soon. I am hoping they are even darker black.

That's yet another way to get free plants. Grow something unusual that divides easily and trade with a garden center.

Iris take time...... Lots of time to get big and divide.

I think it is Michigan bulb that has iris half price right now. Could be Brecks though..... Both are good to order from.

 

[oregonkat]

When we bought our property, there was an old broken down dome building that had to be demolished and removed. Surrounding this building were hundreds of iris and I spent an exhausting morning racing ahead of the back hoe pulling them up so he wouldn't destroy them along with the building. Now I own way too many of the same color iris which I find very boring just a dull purple but I have collected some different colors to add in to brighten things up.

 

[Marmalade25]

Beautiful!!! This is almost exactly what I would like to do in a bed I am slowly building in a very shady spot. I love the lush look of hosta and fern.

Iris is a good idea... Good foliage when not in bloom. Someone I know has some growing right up against their foundation that I am pretty sure I will be able to have if I help divide them.

That's too funny, at another house I found some white Iris growing that someone apparently dumped in a common area. I pulled those right out and took them home!

And bleeding heart looks like another that spreads and I may be able to find extras of.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

I need to get some iris by the sounds of it. And I do love my bleeding heart, it's so graceful.

Rose of Sharon shrubs spread easily too, my dad started with 2 and between us we probably have 75 now.

I planted some lemon balm years ago. Then it took over. Don't do it. I was forced to attempt to dig the roots out but it tunneled under my sidewalk. 3 years into the fight and I'm not winning. But I won't use chemicals so it's the hard way. Just say no.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Took the trash out and found my newest color iris is blooming!

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Took the trash out and found my newest color iris is blooming!

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That's a stunner!