I love to garden but it is so expensive to buy all those plants and flowers. Is there a way to get roots free?

Such as ground cover (english ivy, decorative grass, etc.) and starts of perinnials?

I love to garden but it is so expensive to buy all those plants and flowers. Is there a way to get roots free?
I am a landscaper and get alot of free plants for my garden. I get them from jobs where the owner wants to change their landscape. also alot of native plants can be found in the woods and on roadsides. Another thing you may also try is going to nurseries and green houses. They throw alot away and if you can bring back diseased and weak plants you could go dumpster diving. seeds from existing plants that are not hybrids will also work if you can get them started. as far as english ivy just a cutting would work. english ivy is very hardy.
Reply:Neighbors, friends, family My personal favorite is, I buy at the seasons end and get them cheap,cheap, cheap and sometimes FREE.


Just check the plants for little hairy white roots use root hormone and many plants are salvageable.


This is the root hormone I use


http://lawn-and-garden.hardwarestore.com...


Or join a group on Yahoo


http://groups.yahoo.com/


or search for a craigslist in your area.


http://stlouis.craigslist.org/
Reply:A lot of gardeners will offer starts and shoots from their plants, or seeds. And there are many that will root easily if you just place the cuttings in water.





Good luck!
Reply:Check and see if there is a garden club in your town. The members might have extra plants to share or would be willing to trade plants with you.





Also, be alert when doing your errands. I was driving home from work one morning and a lady had divided her Daylilies. She had the divisions sitting at the curb in a bucket with a sign on them, "Free". I took a handful of them and they have spread nicely in my yard.
Reply:It is so much fun to share plant starts with family, neighbors and friends. My mother had a wisteria which she shared with others including me. There were cuttings of that first plant in at least three additional yards.
Reply:How are you with your neighbors or family? All it takes is a little to get started. You can take a "shoot" or "starter" from a lilac bush or rose of sharon, just water and fertilize alot and you will have some beautiful bushes!!!
Reply:A lot of my plants came from cuttings or younger plants that my mom gave me.


www.gardenweb.com -- great forum!


Sometimes people offer seeds if you send them a self addressed stamped envelope...
Reply:Check on or place an add on your local craigslist for plants. I have gotten many plants and pots and other garden items for free.
Reply:ROFLMAO...sorry, but here in Australia, a "root" can mean something quite different than what you're meaning...LOL...if you told people here you were looking for "free roots" - you could get as many as you wanted, I'm sure...


Seriously though, ground cover-type plants root quite easily - just pinch a bit off of a plant and put it into rooting solution and, in a few days, you'll have a plant ready to go into the ground...
Reply:Watch for ads in the paper, sometimes people will offer free plants from their yard, usually you have to dig them up yourself.
Reply:I got a bunch of different plants and bulbs by offering to help my neighbors to redo their flower beds... Sometimes if you offer to pot up plants for older people they will trade your labor for plants OR the money so that you can go buy the plants
Reply:Yes, but if you get caught, put in for the job of prison gardener