Here in Pa I go to Country Market Nursery they have lots to choose from.

You're in nursery heaven.
Don't forget to look on the Virginia gardening board, since you're a hop from No.VA.

Johnson's has a nice one, Meadows Farms, Merrifield, and a host of other little ones. I'm having a field day with plant sales. I've become used to the idea that a plant that's currently a stick will be a happy, lush one next spring. Took me a while to get it, but now that I know that secret, I'm hap-py!

Welcome to the area.

Christine

swissmiss,

American Plant Food frequently discounts their shrubs,etc. late in the season. So does Behnkes.
I've got lots of stuff I could share(so you'd owe me ;-) mwa- ha, ha!). Sorry about the evil laugh, comes from reading too much of my kids computerese.
Other than trading with me, you can come to our MAG swap in October where you'll probably pick up some stuff you didn't even know you were looking for.

I'm in Potomac too. Welcome, neighbor!

Rose

Thanks everyone! I picked up some sale perennials at the oft-mentioned "Merrifield" in addition to some (expensive) PG hydrangeas. I look forward to more info on the "swap" next month. Rose: do you have plants you need to divide? Perhaps I could help with that... I'll look "American pLant food" up in the phone book; I've seen Behnke's on River Rd. - I just assumed it would be wildly overpriced. Thanks again for the suggestions.

swissmiss,

I have Japanese Anemone "Pamina" blooming now, Rudbeckia "Goldsturm" , Great Blue Lobelia & Russian Sage to share. That's without checking the garden, I have lots more & I'd be more generous right now seeing that I haven't just mulched . When Christine from this forum came out, I was a nervous nellie - trying not to destroy my just mulched beds in spring, right now I don't have to worry about the weeds getting a foothold before winter!
Email me privately with your phone number & we can arrange a time for you to come gather up some perennials- just in time for planting.
Rose

Hey Rose.
You were nervous? Your beds were beautiful and we put the mulch back. [LOL] You are too much, girlie! :)

I've gotten into some blue with Plumbago and 'Sweet Kate' Spiderwort. (Note the red in the fall Plumbago!)

Anyway, think of me in the fall for lobelia? Love the stuff.

I've got nutty -- again -- with fall sales. Riva Gardens (sorry, guys, it's out by Annapolis) is having 50% off, and Patuxent Gardens is negeotiating on bulk purchases ('Sweet Kate' was $4.00 a pot rather than $6.75 because I took 15) so there is a lot to have, that will come back beautifully in the spring.

SwissMiss, welcome. Do plan to come to the swap. Bring brownies or blondies or cheesecake food if you don't have plants. We all eat and talk plants with our mouths full, pretending to be polite rather than greedy about both. Then we laugh.

Christine

I think the problem with buying/planting in September is ensuring your plants have time to get established before the cold weather arrives. I'd plant perrienials as soon as possible, give them plenty of water, and mulch well--or just wait till next spring when they're more like to survive.

For trees and shrubs I'd wait till after the first frost when those plants put their energy into growing their root systems instead of their foliage. Finally, I wouldn't necessarily try to find bargains. Many of the trees/shrubs that have been marked down are those that have sat all season in the garden center and didn't sell because they have some issues. Check these plants carefully or look for new plants (which probably aren't discounted).

Filbert

I am not an expert but I had very good luck with the stuff that I planted last fall. I hate to correct you Christine, but that was a summer sale. Many nurseries and stores sell off stock at the end of summer and stock up for the fall season. Lately it has been so dry, that I have held off on purchasing new plants or moving things around.

- Brent

I agree with Brent. Frost is so variable in the MAG area (at least here in the DC outskirts) and winter temperatures set in so late, that while my cannas and sages might be zapped in late October or mid-November, I usually have reblooming irises on my Thanksgiving table and two years in a row I've been out in shorts on New Years' day planting bulbs (in 70 degree weather; I'm no masochist!)

Since it takes so long for the ground to freeze in the DC area at least, I find that most fall-planted things have no trouble achieving enough root growth to spurt ahead in Spring -- with the exception of mediterranean plants that can't deal with the wetness; they rot out from the crown.

By the way, I'm writing this from San Diego, visiting my Mom; we're going to a couple area nurseries tomorrow to see what goodies we can find for both our gardens. But I've already snagged a gallon Princess Plant and a greggeii sage at Lowes for $3 each -- oh, those California gardens!

Lynn

Well, I've been a bit preoccupied with my children (4) and not my plants. I did get the three hydrangeas and the bargain perennials planted. The hydrangeas ($) had better make it; I don't care so much about the lavender and verbena (low expectations might help). Well, maybe I won't feel badly if I don't get alot more planted this fall; maybe they wouldn't have fared well anyway.... Many thanks!

I thought Behnkes was pretty overprices until I drove further outside the beltway and found the prices were the same everywhere. If you drive out 198 headed east, try spending the weekend stopping in all the nurseries from Damascus/Olney onwards. There are deals to be found, although the prices tned to be high in general. Every once in a while, Home Depot will carry something other than Leland Cypress and English Ivy and THEIR prices are reasonable. Best bets are the native plant sales in VA. I've yet to find the Native Plant sales in MD, but would love to stop commuting to VA!

Behnke's on River Road has lots of perennials that have finished blooming on sale for 25-50% off, which makes them just about reasonable for my budget for things I can't get from Bluestone Perennials :-). They're not on sale because they're sorry specimens but rather because (or so I assume) Behnke's overstocked.

I can add that last year I got a number of great deals on shrubs at Meadows Farms. The best deals were late October and early November. They had a lot of shrubs in the 3 gallon size range for around $8. I seem to remember Hollies, Wiegela, Viburnums, Dogwoods and others. The selection was not great but pretty decent.

I purchased 5 Viburnums (I thought that there were more, but I can't think of anything else now) the first week of November. At the same time Betty's had a lot of stuff on sale for 40% off, but their starting prices are a bit high (I purchased an Oakleaf Hydrangea). Merrifield still had everything full price. Of course the only thing that did not make it was the Holly that I paid full price for at Merrifield...I guess I did not water it enough over the summer.

- Brent