I went to K-mart and looked around in the gardening section. All the chemicals & fertilizers are in, seed starting trays, pots, patio furniture, tools, but no bulbs yet. I will keep checking both K-mart, Wal-mart and Lowe's. But I bought more seeds that usual this year, mail order and should have a lot of stuff to try.
CLOSED: ALL HOME DEPOT, LOWE'S AND WALMART SHOPPERS LISTEN UP.......
woodspirit-I used to live in Cullowhee, how far are you having to drive to the store? Toxaway is out there!
it's about 20 miles to Brevard, where the stores are and I think perhaps 25-30 miles to Cullowhee. Did you go to Western Carolina while you were there?
Yep! Graduated in '99. My BIL still lives on Little Canada Road. Want to move back to the Apps. one day, we really miss it there-diffcult for the old man to find a good job up there, though!
Get a subscription to the Asheville Citizen-Times and maybe the magic job will appear!
He's a computer programmer, we lived in Asheville unemployed a few months until we found work in this part of the state-now we have a daughter in school and ttransitioning her would be hard.
WalMart, Lowe's, and Home Depot have their spring bulbs; Lowe's seems to have less than the other two. WalMart carries a lot more than the other 2.
I didn't write anything down, but they carry a variety of lilies; Calla, Oriental, Toad (I bought some), others. I also bought Papaver poppy (dark red) rhizomes from WalMart.
They all carry Caladiums, various cultivars.
WalMart has several Cannas.
A few types of Elephant Ears are available. I have some for trade, and will have a lot more once it warms up a bit here.
WalMart has a few ferns.
If anyone wants more info (availability, prices, etc.) let me know. I go by them a lot, and I'm usually in one or the other every weekend.
Steve
which callas does your walmart have? did you find hardy glads anywhere?
Hart, I have been too disappointed by the big boxers to go back now. I buy less in quantity, but feel I get more in quality. We also have an assortment of very reasonably priced local greenhouses nearby, which I am so fortunate to be able to say, have great quality plants and I know I am supporting a family locally, doing what they love to do;0) It's rewarding for me.
Ha! I found my people here!!
I went to wal-mart the other night and they had just received shipment of all their bulbs.... Yes, I also buy from Brent and Becky's, and believe it or not some of the prices from Wal-mart were comparable when I gooled the plant names and B&B came up with them. (without shipping of course) However, I would rather buy things from B&B that I can't get at Wal-mart.
I also purchased several big boxes of bulbs and Dahlia tubers at Sam's club last week.
Yesterday, I took all the things I purchased, and put them into a newspaper wrapping to get them out of the plastic. The plastic bags are very conducive to rot and if you see a bag with condensation on it, try to find a dryer one. Yes, I did find some bulbs and tubers from both wal-mart and sams that were soft, but I also realize its due to the water in the plastic and there were plenty left and it's a trade off for as much as I purchased as such great prices.. You would think that the industry could figure out a better way to do this than use that plastic. There was a fellow shopper commenting on how high the prices were then she was buying caladiums.. I asked if she dug them up every year and she said no, she just rebuys! :) Well, I figure making an investment in a plant that will just easily multiply each year (not caladiums for me!) is a great deal for the price there.
I spent a bit of time going through all the things that I left on the shelf and then I looked them up when i got home.... I'm going back today and getting those things which are winners. And yes, they also sell things here that don't do well... like Delphiniums?? I have killed peonies before.. probably planted too deep, and will try again. Some work here others don't, but they are so pretty I have to keep trying! Thats the difference in a true gardener and someone who says, "I can't garden, I kill everything!" .... I kill stuff too, I just keep trying!! :)
:)
Susan
Yea our walmart is carrying a lot of all kinds of bulbs. I have bought from them before and if you have trouble with them and they die then take them back and they will give your money back. I think I willl go check them out tomorrow as they go fast here so if anyone wants to trade let me know in a hurry. Fran
Does anyone go to Costco?? i went there after and was shocked at how great the prices were!! Amazing fun i had!! :)
Susan
The thing about returning plants to Walmart is you've got to remember to keep your ticket (which is hard if it takes you close to a year [I think they state up to a year on plants] to decide it's dead) and if it's bulbs they probably have rotted and disentigrated with nothing left to return.
You don't need the receipt or the bulbs to do a return at Walmart. If you just save the bags the bulbs were packaged in you can return those. They won't give you cash without a receipt but they will give you a gift card, and if the bulbs are on sale when you do your return, you might have to argue that you paid the price on the bag, not the sale price.
So, yes, it's best if you have your receipts but if you've lost them, take the bags back.
Last week,I puchased several bags of bulbs from Home Depot. They were in bags where I could easily tell the size and condition of the bulbs. The lily bulbs that I purchased were large, firm and healthy looking.
Today, I checked out the bulbs are one of our local Lowes. Most of the bulbs were terribly small and in several bags, the bulbs were soft! Needless to say, I didn't buy anything there.
but nathalyn what did you buy at home depot? lol
I stopped in Walmart to look at the bulbs and a man saw me feeling the bulbs and asked me some?'s. They had a little bit of everything, but only one type of EE. Also stopped at Big Lots for school stuff and they had azaleas and kalanchoes for $4, roses 2 for $5 (I've had luck with these in the past), all kinds of cactus (prickly pear, baby toes, jade plant) for $2. Their bagged bulbs didn't look too hot, so I passed on those.
OK, at my home depot, in addition to the usual glads& amaryllis, I found the following for 4.99 package: (# in package follows)
Eucomis Bicolor (1)
Eucomis Punctat (1)
Gloriosa Rothchildiana (1)
Haemanthus BloodLily (1)
Nerine Bowdenni (3)
Zephyranthus sulphurea (12)
Zephyranthus Robustus (12)
Polianthus Tuberosa Double (3)
Oxalis Triangularis (8)
Dutch IRIS Blue (12)
Dutch IRIS Yellow (12)
Curcuma Alismatifolia (2)
OrnithoGalum Saunder Siae (3)
Crocosmia Lucifer (12)
Tigridia Mixed (12)
Tritoia Mixed (12)
Sprekelia Formosissima (1)
Mama I told you we have the bulbs here. I don't plant but a few really gets too hot here for that. Walmart you have to buy as soon as they get here or there no good. Jerry Barker has very good tips on bulbs what to do to them before planting soaking them in a solution for a good start. Might want to check out his book on that
thanks for your list Budgie. You have some things in your list that are tropical.. and wont overwinter here, but i'm now going to have to go to my HD and see whats available..
:)
Susan
well susan, be sure and let us know. lol.
I just have to mention again... I don't know how many of yall have memberships to costco and sams, but I have gone nuts buying there. The prices are incredible and I've really done well.. Please, don't ask for a list.. it's huge!! :)
Susan
I found the following Jerry Baker bulb treatments by doing a google.com search:
BULBS
Bulbs - Thrip Control
Soak bulbs in 2 1/2 tbsp Lysol and 1 gallon warm water for at least 12 hours. Plant while still wet.
Bulb Bath
2 tsp baby shampoo
1 tsp antiseptic mouthwash
1/4 tsp instant tea granules
2 gal warm water
Mix together in a bucket. Carefully place bulbs in the bath. Stir gently, remove the bulbs, and plant them.
Bulb Boost
5 lbs compost
2 lbs bone meal
1/2 lb gypsum
1/2 c Epsom salts
Mix and place a pinch in planting holes.
Bulb Booster
2 lbs bonemeal
2 lbs wood ashes
1 lb Epsom salts
Sprinkle on beds in early spring, just as foliage breaks ground.Bulb Protector
Keep squirrels and voles from eating bulbs by sprinkling Bon Ami Cleansing Powder into holes before planting.
thanks for the "recipes" kay. what do wood ashes add?
Mamjack, be careful adding wood ashes if your soil is alkaline. Here's an article that will help.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/woodash.html
I've had really good luck with Espoma Bulbtone. It's an organic fertilizer and won't burn your plants. Just sprinkle it a couple times a year.
From what I've read, lots of agricultural schools have issue with things Jerry Baker says to do..
We sure wouldn't waste any beer on plants around here!!
Susan
that's what i thought hart. my soil is alkaline.
rabbit litter (hay, poop, compressed paper pellets) that is soaked with rabbit urine, will keep the squirrels off your bulbs. I have had terrific success with it this year.
I'll have to remember that. I have 2 rabbit does I rescued. They are in a raised cage 3ft x 8ft so the hay bedding and poop fall through to the ground. I've been adding it to the compost pile. I've never noticed squirrels messing with my tropical bulbs as yet but it's good to know.
hey budgie, i got my stuff. thank you very much. i hope i can grow this ornithogalum. barb
Great. Thanks for letting me know.