Have you, would you?

I have a neighbor that I don't know. She has the most beautiful cannas and I am itching for seeds. Have you ever asked a stranger if you could have some of the seeds or cuttings from something? What did you say?

You go for it ....I know I am only speaking for myself but I am flattered and delighted to share...I think most gardeners are....nice way to get to know someone who loves their garden too. :)

I usually just introduce myself and tell them I have been admiring their beautiful garden and that their (insert plant name here) is so beautiful that I was wondering if it would be possible to get a cutting, seed or start from it. This way I hopefully get the plant I covet and often a new friend as well.

Zanymuse, good advice. I too do that. If I see a beautiful garden while driving down the road, sooner or later, I will stop, introduce myself, and tell them how pretty their garden is. That way, you usually get a positive response from them, and whatever plant, seed, start, that you admired.

Good luck Tennesseetam, you may make a friend for life.

If I thought the person was friendly/nice enough I would just mention that was interested in their plant and possibly offer to trade. Usually people are so happy with the compliment that they will offer to give something. I still give something in return to show my gratitude and usually it's one of my most prized plants/cuttings/seeds. It's actually like asking someone in this website for cuttings/seeds.

If I see they love gardening, I offer up some brugmansia cuttings. The bruggies are expensive here, so most people take me up on my offer. So, Yes I would, Yes I have. Suggest a trade, how can they refuse?
Christie

I asked a neighbor (a couple of blocks away) if she'd be interested in swapping a cutting from her plumeria for one of mine ! She looked at me as if I was crazy. Thinking perhaps she still wasn't awake, I gave her my name and phone no. Never heard from her.
Less than a year later, I came to a screeching halt on my way to work -- she had chopped the whole plumeria tree down and put it out for trash pick-up ! Duh ! I didn't have pruning shears with me, but broke off as many branches and loaded them in the back of my vehicle. I made cleaner cuts when I got home at the end of the day and had lots and lots of plumies to give away as well. Foolish woman.

Yes I have:) My neighbor that I did not know 5 years ago had a Canna I loved, well one day I stopped & asked, Yep she was more than happy to trade me for 1 she did not have, We now spend A LOT of time together:)

So, did you ask? :)Anita

in the south it is common practice to ask for a cutting but it is bad luck to say thank you! i just can't quite wrap my head around that, so i always mumble something like, "much appreciated".

I actually stopped my car on the boulevard where a beautiful glaric vine was blooming knocked on the door told them how i had been admiring the bush and would they be so kind as to share a cutting. They were more than happy to do so and could not give me enough cuttings. Fortunately everyone of them rooted now I have garlic vines everywhere. Most people in the south are flattered to hear you admire there plants.

I have one Cambodian (think this is what they are but haven't ever asked) woman who comes to my property with her husband every year to get "flowers" for the alter at her Church for a special service or maybe it's simply their week to provide flowers for the alter? Don't know exactly but she takes them to her Church. She and her husband stopped by several years ago after we had first moved here. They came up the driveway bowing after parking way out in the cul de sac. Yes, bowing. I asked what I could do for them and they asked to cut plants. Hmmm, I thought, cut my plants? I must admit I was thinking to myself, "can't wait to hear this one" but on the other hand at least they asked instead of coming back and just cutting when I wasn't home which is what many people do. They basically told me they wanted cattails- the "very big" and "very fat" ones. There must be something to this because a gal from here who is no longer subscribed who is also Asian came to my house with her husband specifically to get cattails for their Church only they wanted the skinny ones. Long story short, the first couple pointed to the cattails and asked to cut them. Okfine I thought to myself ??? How many do you want I asked of them? Enough for both sides of the alter was the reply. Lemme go get a pruning sheers I said. They thanked me while bowing again. I happened to have two mismatched glass vases in my garage from floral arrangements sent to me so the three of us sat down in the front lawn and created two arrangements. I walked around the yard and added what ever was in bloom to their cattails to make it look nice. They bowed and left. They come back bowing every year bringing the original elcheapo mismatched glass vases that I gave them years ago and we sit on the front yard and make two floral arrangements for their Church. Odd. We don't talk much, I don't think they speak English all that well but they always smile a lot and bow a lot. My cattails make them happy, I gladly let them have them. They probably look nice on an alter too. Very different than what one traditionally sees on alters I suspect.

I give people what they want barring someone asking for a new plant which to date, nobody has ever done. I even help them get what they want. The few times I have asked for seed or a cutting, people have been as gracious with me as I have been with those who have stopped at my house. At Halloween time, parents walk around with their kids door to door. I have plants in pots all over the place. I frequently have Moms stopping back to pick up something they saw over here that they liked and I must admit to giving whole plants away... pot and all. I've got a woman, like tennesseetam, who I don't know from Adam coming back this fall to dig up some of my reblooming Immortal Iris. She gingerly asked for a division. She looked petrified to even be asking me. I walked down the walkway and pointed out about 10 that were in desperate need of dividing and told her they would be hers and that all she had to do was come back at the right time. She was very happy and to be quite blunt, I was very happy. Those plants need to be divided. This is how it works. I seriously don't think anyone needs to know someone to ask for a cutting or seed or a division of their plants. Most people who garden share. It's a gardener thing, I'm convinced. Sharing from a garden transcends social position, age, race, religion, gender, and political affiliations.

tennesseetam, I hope you ask.

Even out here in California, where most people don't even know there neighbor, I have gone up to several doors to ask what that lovely plant was that they had in their yard. I have always been treated pleasantly, at least after the astonishment of my brazen request sinks in.