It all started when I succumbed to the temptation of cheap but out of season bulbs. They were actually canna rhizomes that did not work out so well. The supplier gave me credit, which I used to purchase cheap but out of season dahlia tubers. I suppose that I can not blame the supplier twice. I should have known better from the beginning than to violate my most basic rule against purchasing plant material, even if I try to justify doing so for work. Contrary to the title of these Six, ginger, elderberry and a dinky lime tree that cost nothing are working out quite nicely.

1. Dahlia X pinnata, mixed dinnerplate dahlias were purchased with the credit that I got for the ‘Red King Humbert’ Canna that were both virused and not ‘Red King Humbert’. I again fail to be impressed. I canned any that were not completely desiccated, but do not expect any survivors. I should have requested a total refund after the primary purchase.

2. Dahlia X pinnata, mixed dinnerplate dahlias grow through spring for summer bloom. I figured that, even without enough time to bloom, they could grow enough to replenish their resources before winter dormancy, and then grow and bloom next year. I assumed that tubers that are available this late had been refrigerated to maintain their dormancy. Instead, a few diligently tried to grow earlier, but could not escape from their packaging.

3. Zingiber officinale, ginger is not so limited by seasons. It grows whenever it wants to.

4. Citrus X latifolia ‘Bearss’, Persian lime grew from the stump of a tree that I pulled out of a neighbor’s yard. It cost nothing, but will eventually be worth more than I paid for it.

5. Sambucus nigra ‘Madonna’, European black elderberry likewise cost nothing, and for a while, it looked as such. It provided sixteen copies though, and the first found a home.

6. Rhody is irrelevant to the previous five of these six, but everyone wants to see Rhody.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

20 thoughts on “Six on Saturday: You Get What You Pay For”

    1. Well, they did not provide the ginger and lime. I am still rather disappointed by the dahlia tubers, as well as the canna rhizomes. I know that I should have known better, but to me, these seem to be ridiculous. I can sort if understand sending the wrong cultivar of canna, but not sending diseased rhizomes. Anyway, as you say, Rhody can fix anything.

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  2. Rhody! What a photogenic snoot. The dahlias are super depressing, indeed. Are those elderberries from softwood cuttings taken in spring? I’d like to try increasing my stock of them next year, if you’ve got any hints.

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    1. Rhody is excellent, although not easy to get a good picture of. I try to not be too bothered by the dahlias. I should have known better than to purchase them, especially after the canna. The supplier might offer me another credit, but I would be embarrassed to ask for it. Besides, to use all of the former credit, I needed to spend a bit more. If I do it again, I will likely need to spend a bit more again. These particular ‘Madonna’ elderberries were divided from two original specimens while they were dormant for winter. They were small specimens, but had many canes that originated from the ground. When I was done, the original specimens retained only four small canes each, after providing about eight rooted divided canes each. ‘Madonna’ was procured as a pollinator for ‘Black Lace’. ‘Black Lace’ elderberries grew from hardwood cuttings from last winter. I did not expect many to take root, so plugged about fifty cuttings. All but a few rooted, and because I could not bear to dispose of any that rooted, I canned them all! Now there are too many, which is why we share them with neighbors.

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      1. Ah, you went with hardwood! I’ve got Black Lace too and figured it might be safer to do softwood, but if it roots that easily, maybe I’ll go for it this winter too. My other one, Haschberg, seems to be much more finicky and is taking its time settling in so might not touch that for another year or two.

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      2. ‘Madonna’ was less vigorous than ‘Black Lace’. I grew copies of it from division of basal shoots instead. If I wanted only a single or a few copies, but lacked such a profusion of basal shoots, I would likely grow them by layering stems of a mature specimen. I doubt that it roots as easily as ‘Black Lace’. Some cultivars are just naturally less vigorous than others.

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    1. Almost everything I grow is free because I grow it myself. I have been growing much of what inhabits my garden for most of my lifeI have a rule against purchasing anything for my own garden, although I can purchase items for work.

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