50% Off All Perennials
I have a friend who is very normal and does just fine in public places, until he sees a CLEARANCE sign in a retail store. In that moment his eyes glaze over and he takes on the aspect of a zombie, moving in a herky-jerky fashion towards the bargain rack. It doesn’t matter what the agenda is or was for the day; he isn’t satisfied until he’s looked through the entire inventory and purchased (usually) at least one new golf shirt or other apparel. That he already owns 100 golf shirts doesn’t matter. Over the years his friends and family have come to humor him and simply accept this as one of his many vices. To my shock and horror, last week I exhibited the same zombie-like behavior when I found out that Meadows Farms Nursery was having a 50%-off sale on all perennials.
Meadows Farms Nursery is not my first choice in nurseries. It is relatively close to my house, located about 15 minutes south on Route 29 in Burtonsville, Md. It is a very large operation with over 18 locations, and on any given day they have a fabulous selection of plants to choose from. I don’t typically buy there because even though they have bigger pots than my nursery of choice, Sun Nurseries, they are more expensive. I pay $8 to $12 per plant at Sun and it isn’t unusual for similar plants to cost $15 to $18 at Meadows Farms. The plants are generally larger and more mature at Meadows Farms (in my estimation), so it makes sense to pay a premium for their perennials. I’m just too cheap to buy there. My other issue with Meadows Farms is that they have a warranty that expires in November of each calendar year. If you buy plants there in August, you need to kill them by November to get 100% store credit back on your purchase. A 100% store credit is a good deal, but four months is a short time frame to kill a plant, even for me. Isn’t it amazing how none of the above matters when a 50%-off sale is on your radar screen?
I have been thinking for some time that I wanted to add shade plants to my steps bed. When the sale hit, I purchased three lungwort plants (I had purchased two for 25% off the previous week. And no, in case you are wondering, they wouldn’t give me the additional discount on the previously purchased plants.) I also bought three hosta plants and two astilbes. I’m very pleased to report that by the time the dust settled, I had spent $74.71 on eight plants -- with the most expensive being the Astilbe Amber Moon at $19.99 (worth it because it’s purple and not the red and white color of the many other astilbe plants in my garden) -- but saved $90.44 in discounts including the $10 coupon I earned for spending more than $60. As any bargain shopper knows, according to my calculations, by purchasing these plants I “made” $15.73. (That’s $90.44 in discounts minus $74.71 charged to my credit card for those who might be skeptical.)
The installation was difficult, mostly because it’s hard to dig when you can’t stand up straight because you are bending under sharp tree branches and surprisingly pointy arborvitae foliage. I did take the opportunity to cut back numerous dead tree branches, which made it easier to stand up and work with the shovel. I brought my snips with me to the battle, and I used them to cut back roots in the soil as well as annoying tree branches that stuck me in the back while digging. I got the new plants installed in two days, although I could have done it in one if I was about 10 years younger and wasn’t plagued by a bad back… among other issues. As always, Tylenol is a good friend when I’m digging in the garden.
With the addition of the new plants, the bed doesn’t look as empty as it did before, at least to my eye. The lungwort plants fill in space under the trees and I’m hoping they will spread to be a wonderful ground cover. The description says the plant’s flowers will open to a pink color and transition to blue in the late spring. The hosta should bloom in late spring to early summer, and they will also add to the colors in the bed. I expect quite a show when the lungwort, hosta, astilbe, dead nettle (lamium), and Lenten rose (hellebore) are all blooming on both sides of the steps next spring. Not to mention the flowering shrubs on both sides of the bed, including azaleas, rhododendron (for the first time), and spirea. After the flowers fade, I’m hoping the textures and colors of the foliage add the interest I’m trying to generate on the side of the steps under the arborvitae trees.
I’m a little stunned by the amount of planting that’s been going on around here over the past two weeks, especially since all of it has been unexpected. Between installing the plants in the Not Empty Bed and the Steps Bed, I’ve added 20 plants to the garden in a short amount of time. This morning I did a quick check to make sure the irrigation system was reaching the new plants. It wasn’t too bad, although I can see I’ll have to do some wand watering, especially while the plants are so new to the garden.
I hope you enjoy the pictures of the new plants in the steps bed. As always, if you like this content please feel free to share with friends and family. It’s 50% off this week! You can find all of the past newsletters in the archives for the same price. Thanks for your “likes” and comments. Believe me, they are much appreciated.
Looks great but indeed you like to dance with the devil. Hostas are crack to deer. I couldn’t take the heartbreak! God speed, sir.
Saw the headline "50% Off Perrenials" and my first thought was "Do perennials come in large?"
Alas, your article was about plants not polos. For the record your zombie-like friend has only 73 golf shirts at the moment. Playing about 100 rounds a year, there's always room for more.