To many plants this year?

[Palm crazy]

I just walked around the garden today and counted all the plants I have bought this year, so far…..88 new plants, 22 are seedling the rest range from one gallon to 5 gallons. I’m going broke buying plants this year… yes bills are still being paid and food is on the table but my credit cards are at their max this year.  And to top it all off I am going to another plant show come September with a gardening friend. I can’t give his name because his wife doesn’t know how much money he spend at these plant sells. LOL! This time I am only spending $50 bucks and thats it… is there any help for me. LOL!  Usually I save money in winter for my plant buying in spring. Can you relate to any of this? 

[Kim]

 Sounds kind of familiar, but I have never maxed out my credit cards on plants, thankfully.  Question:  do you ever plan to put them in the ground? Are you running out of real estate for your plants? When you talk to your plants, do they answer back? Maybe time for an intervention...

[DoomsDave]

Never maxed out cards, but spend too much cash, from time to time.

And, stand back. What am I going to do with all these plants? Plant them? Sell them? Give them away?

Before I buy something, I try to have an answer to those questions, which helps a lot.

I don't talk to my plants, so far. Cats are much better audience.

[Cindy Adair]

I too am certainly guilty of "retail therapy", almost always involving plants, since Puerto Rico does not really have thrift stores like in the states. Still I don't regret these purchases even when I am behind on planting. 

I am careful with credit cards, love the travel points though and except for travel and plants, I am pretty frugal. So I can save to later spend more on travel and plants, not to leave a windfall to my kids.

I do not talk to my plants, but am guilty of talking excessively about them, usually on PT complete with pictures/portraits.

And I almost never regret plant purchases as they usually survive and give me years of pleasure, diminishing the need to pay for real therapy which would be much more costly and less fun.

It is a shame insurance companies do not recognize how much money I have saved them with such mental health preservation preventative measures and subsidize the cost. If only my doctor would write a prescription addressing this issue to be filled at the farmacía/vivero (nursery).

Well, you are probably thinking I do in fact need therapy for such thoughts and then I see another excuse to head to a plant sale.

 

[Palm crazy]

6 hours ago, Kim said:

 Sounds kind of familiar, but I have never maxed out my credit cards on plants, thankfully.  Question:  do you ever plan to put them in the ground? Are you running out of real estate for your plants? When you talk to your plants, do they answer back? Maybe time for an intervention...

It was also all the garden decor I bought this year and plants and plant trips, etc… that got me thinking that I maybe spending to much this year. LOL! Theres only a few new plants I want next year so I guess doing it all this year is ok. I am a compulsive shopper when it comes to plants, starting to look more like a nursery here than a garden so I need to move thing around the whole garden not just the patio area…. LOL!  The hardy ones are in the ground all the rest will go into pots which I did last month. 

2 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Never maxed out cards, but spend too much cash, from time to time.

And, stand back. What am I going to do with all these plants? Plant them? Sell them? Give them away?

Before I buy something, I try to have an answer to those questions, which helps a lot.

I don't talk to my plants, so far. Cats are much better audience.

I don’t talk to plants either but I’ve heard they love it and will grow better but I think that more for house plants which I don’t have any. Two cats here and they get all my attention. They love following me in the garden with my coffee in the morning. 

 

46 minutes ago, Cindy Adair said:

I too am certainly guilty of "retail therapy", almost always involving plants, since Puerto Rico does not really have thrift stores like in the states. Still I don't regret these purchases even when I am behind on planting. 

I am careful with credit cards, love the travel points though and except for travel and plants, I am pretty frugal. So I can save to later spend more on travel and plants, not to leave a windfall to my kids.

I do not talk to my plants, but am guilty of talking excessively about them, usually on PT complete with pictures/portraits.

And I almost never regret plant purchases as they usually survive and give me years of pleasure, diminishing the need to pay for real therapy which would be much more costly and less fun.

It is a shame insurance companies do not recognize how much money I have saved them with such mental health preservation preventative measures and subsidize the cost. If only my doctor would write a prescription addressing this issue to be filled at the farmacía/vivero (nursery).

Well, you are probably thinking I do in fact need therapy for such thoughts and then I see another excuse to head to a plant sale.

 

I do like showing off my plants too… I’m actually doing a snow ball effect on my credit card. You take the lowest balance and pay as much as possible till payed off and then move on to the next one, etc. Next year it will all be cash. I did a lot of mail order plant ordering this year so had to use credit. 

End results my garden looks great and exotic this year! I actually am relieved that I have some off time in fall and winter from gardening. Give me more time to get back into my other hobbies like painting. 

Edited August 9, 2017 by Palm crazy

[Palm crazy]

My garden is 22 years old so it is very full, I have no lawn it all pathways and mass plantings of palms and exotics that work as the backbone of the garden and all the not so hardy stuff because the show stoppers in spring and summer. Its also pretty low maintenance. 

Edited August 10, 2017 by Palm crazy