Planning for 2019

Well there's not much left of 2018. Perhaps our thoughts might already be focused on what we will grow next year.

So, you might be asking yourself. Do I buy lots of seeds? Which really works out the best value.? I can pick & choose and order plug plants, even if only 50% survive it's cheap...or is it?

I love my greenhouse work, sowing, pricking-out and potting on or planting out. All this takes time and money, materials etc.

Then there is the local garden center. WOW! 6.95 for a single plant. A tray of six plants 3.99


So what say you?

 

I havent decided yet flowers or veg or both
Buying on line might seem cheaper but I found not always the case sometimes its cheaper to buy at stores
I find I had success with buying plants and veg at lidl in fact I prefer there .its also reasonable

seeds they are a bit of no go for me usually they seem they never grow for me ???

Garden centres are ok too but can be expensive but sometimes you can get offers
Janet

 

My seed order arrived the beginning of Oct. so I'm pretty well done figuring out what I will be changing in my flower beds next spring. I will be sowing my santa cruz begonia seeds in a few days and they do just fine on my plant rack until I can put them into my GH in late March.
All these years growing santa cruz and I thought they were fibrous begonias. This fall I realized they have tubers so I saved and stored all of the tubers in my basement.
I really liked my rudbeckia patch last fall so I will be growing more of those plants.
I am adding a few different Petunias this year, will see how my customers like them, I'm tired of them just wanting the same fuchsia coloured shock waves and have been encouraging them each spring to buy some different ones from me.

 

Many thank folks. So, in just a couple of replies, the ball starts to roll. Perhaps, might I mention, things like. Time, cost, labour and effort.

Please think about it. Seed sowing.+compost=containers=heating=manual imput. Please continue.

 

Cost does add up quickly. First of all I have the plant rack, three light canopies, so that's 6 fluorescent tubes and six bulbs all together. When I bring my cuttings in in Oct, the lights go on everyday.
I use two heaters in the GH, they run as required from late march to late May and then for a few weeks in Sept. Oct. until I shut the GH down.
Containers I don't buy, my customers supply me with too many.
Compost, well I check daily on the computer for the sales, some are only for a couple days so I have to be ready to make an early morning run so I'm there when they open their doors. Some times I'm saving as much as $4 per large bag. I think last year I bought at least 15 bags.
I do buy two different types of fertilizers for my potted and hanging baskets. We have such a short grow season here in Calgary, I like to push the plants to put on a good show as quickly and as long as possible.
Time, a lot as I have a small business, selling flowers and Tomatoes. I also do planting for customers.
What my time is worth I really don't know. I have been fortunate in that I have some monthly contracts with customers and some yearly. I must not charge too much because they all ,so far, tip me well.
My customers always buy all I can sell so sometimes they just ask me to put together a selection for $100 or $200 and then they pop over or I bring them over.
I charge $10 per tomato plant, they are already blooming and fruiting at the time I sell them. Pelargoniums are $6 and the rest are usually $1.50 a plant.

I think I earn enough to keep me doing what I do and still loving it.

 

I do about 1% of what @shiney does re a charity sale. I am currently lifting when it isn't lashing down lots of bit of plants from my garden for my sale next spring. These are going into pots in my greenhouse. I also sell large chunks of herbaceous straight out of the ground which makes life simpler. My biggest outlay for the sale is compost. I have in the past used my own topsoil which will for sure have weed seeds in it and then the top 2 inches or so I use MPC. However, I have somewhat depleted my "spare" topsoil so looking to buy in a fair amount of MPC.
Funnily enough I phoned Westland yesterday in Cambridge? (maybe I should have phoned their HQ in Ireland) to see if they would sell me a pallet. I absolutely loathed Wickes mpc last year (made for them by Westland) and wanted to see if I could get a pallet of Jacks Magic which I have used for years but is quite expensive. They were not very helpful saying they only sell to trade and the smallest load they will do is 1/2 a lorry load which is 12 pallets. I said I could get someone to pick up a pallet/s (daughter could be handy having access to an artic!) but no go. Unless I get the heads up from people on GC that the 2019 batch of Wicks mpc is a vast improvement on their 2018 stuff I won't use it again and perhaps will go back to using Verve. Trouble is I run my sale early in the year just as the herbaceous is coming into growth and usually the good Easter deals have not started by the time I need mpc. I do have some precious leaf mould which I suppose I could use being a good cause but even the amount I have of that won't be enough.
My only other idea would be to approach a local garden centre and see if they would supply me at a cheap rate as I can prove my sale is for charity. Knowing the costs of their plants which is eyewatering I very much doubt they will want to help me being in direct opposition I suppose and selling things at about 1/100 the price of their plants.
Open to any suggestions? I get lots of pots or free from a wholesaler who would otherwise be throwing them away. Unfortunately that don't trade in MPC at all I asked.
Apart from planning for my next sale, I have already bought all the veg seeds I need for 2019. @JWK gave me a recommendation for a company which sell good vegetable seed at very reasonable cost so sorted on that front. I don't grow annuals and tender things like Geraniums/Agapanthus and Dahlias are stored in a frost free outhouse so get recycled for many years.

 

I have lots of perennials to plant out so I shouldn't need to get more....(prob will though)
Yet to order veg seed, etc. ....will do over the next week or so
Patio plants for containers wont be needed as cuttings taken in September will provide all I need for 2019
Agree with Shiney....I too find small nurseries will supply larger quantities of compost if asked.
A lot of sycamores are being cut down nearby and being chipped so I will get plenty as a mulch here.....works well over winter. Some extra fertliser in spring rebalances the soil

 

i don't plant seeds, have no time for bedding plants, hanging baskets, or anything that requires a lot of attention. Far too many other interests. What with the koi, my vinyl jukeboxes, a lot of golf, my tenor sax, my latest leccy piano and doing all the shopping due to my wife's disabilities there's just enough time in the day. I do make the time to maintain the garden and I always plan ahead.

Our garden is quite full, (I don't like gaps) but, we've four patio roses to come. some of those already on the patio will be "relegated," to next to the fence on the drive and I will be purchasing another rhodo to fill this gap at the front now that the big one has been trained and lightly pruned not to crowd those on either side or stick out over the lawn.



We may add another couple of clematis. I'll also be removing some of the bluebells which are "everywhere," in the spring as they start to make ther appearance. There's far to many and when they die off they're such a mess.

 

Many thanks @shiney I'll do some searching and see what I can find. I do know of a big nursery which supplies Scottish councils. I'll see if they can help maybe especially if dirty £1 notes are offered......oh they aren't legal tender any longer, it will have to be dirty fivers instead!

 

Some of my planning for next year....

Misting system bought and currently in the box. I will put it together once I have bench space and the plants currently over-wintering in the tunnel are outside.

I wanted to under-plant some blue grass in the re-worked border but didn't want to pay £3+ / plant and sowed seed instead. I currently have 3 trays of blue grass going strong, ready to be planted out next year. Cost a couple of quid for the seed and I still have lots of seed left

Seeds - too many to mention. Some annuals, some perennials and lots of veg. Will start sowing late Jan. Ive set up a simple spreadsheet to help me remember when to plant each of the packs, along with supplier and germination success.

Cuttings taken and in the house of iresine and persecaria to plant in the beds / tubs next year

Currently hoarding succulents and aloes in readiness for the new arid bed. Some of the succulent leaves that have fallen off are forming new plants which will be potted up soon, ready to exchange next year.

Banana seeds sown and some success - two Musa Sikkemensis are doing really well - they will be planted in tubs next year.

If all goes to plan I will have too much to plant in the garden and will swap some of the plants for credit at a local garden centre.

I don't have as many major projects for next year so should have more time to spend enjoying the garden.

This years projects were :

Make a frame to grow climbers up



Build the polytunnel



Rework this border

 

Really, I'm just hoping to make it to 2019!