Plant Liberation - do you ? - Forum - Landscape Juice Network

I always try to keep any plants that are surplus, and will quite often bring plants from one garden that I maintain and put them in another. For example, I have phlomis russeliana that grew too big in my garden - I split some off, and brought it to my huge 15 acre restoration garden, it is now getting too big there and so bits have been split off and will be brought to one of my other gardens! (I hate to confess that the original plant in my garden came from a few seeds that I 'acquired' from a public garden when I was a young and impressionable amateur.....the shame.......) Forget me nots are quite often transported from garden to garden by the bucket load, as are asters and the like. I will only do this if I know that there are no pernicious weeds however - I have a couple of gardens that have marestails and ground elder respectively, so would never transfer plants from either of them - far too risky!! My clients really appreciate the freebies, and I am satisfied that nothing is wasted.

Replies

Claire Brown February 17, 2011 at 5:22pm

me too,

most of my garden is client propagated or rejects, not good enough quality to sell on, - the nice thing is that as I love propagating I can often give some back as well, - which is really appreciated, - or I sell excess at plant sales for charity or school gardening club
AndyCharles-EnborneGardeningCo February 17, 2011 at 5:27pm

and me - if it's still alive, I can't bear to throw it away.
PRO

Gary RK February 17, 2011 at 5:38pm

Absolutely. We have a little Nursery in our yard. They all get a good prune & then repotted.

Comes in handy for back filling on existing sites or replacing damaged shrubs later on....
Vanessa Langford February 17, 2011 at 5:59pm

Yes! I can't bear good plants going to the compost heap!

I take them home (after permission of course!) and either pot them up after dividing them up more or plant them in my garden if I have any gaps.

Once potted up and grown on they go to other customers gardens to fill in the gaps or I give them as gifts.
Chris Auld February 17, 2011 at 6:04pm

If the customer wants the plants removed then why do you need their permission to keep them? They would just be dumped anyway. I have loads of plants which i pot up and use in future landscaping projects. Just yesturday a client asked me to remove 2 large Camelias, i potted them up and will sell them on for about £80 each when the time comes, nothing wrong with that.
- PRO
  
  Gary RK > Chris Auld February 17, 2011 at 6:23pm
  
  Yes, you should always discuss with Client first.
  
  You never know if they are watching, or come across you using them elsewhere.
  
  Technically they belong to the client and you have tacit agreement they should be dumped.
  
  I belieive basic good manners and busines sense dictate you should get permission....
  - Chris Auld > Gary RK February 17, 2011 at 6:34pm
    
    I would have to disagree with that Gary, if the client is paying you to remove and dump the plants then as soon as you have finished the job and been paid the removed plants no longer belong to the client. If you fell/prune a tree and decide to keep the wood to use as firewood instead of dumping it then thats your business, your not going to ask permission are you? Why should it be any different for plants?
    - PRO
      
      Gary RK > Chris Auld February 17, 2011 at 6:51pm
      
      A difference in my oppion is that you are removing 'living plants' for reuse/resale (possibly).
      
      On our tree surgery invoices, we state we will remove all chippings and logs as part of the cost UNLESS the client requests otherwise as this reduces their costs as we use or resell them.
      
      So, in that sense WE do ask them (and I know a lot of my colleagues use this approach).
      
      To me anything else is ever so slightly 'underhand'.
      
      Just my oppinion, but having been in this business too many years I value the goodwill of my clients.
      
      I'm also cool with your approach. You need to do what you feel right doing.
Sarah Russell February 17, 2011 at 6:45pm

I always try to keep any plants that are surplus, and will quite often bring plants from one garden that I maintain and put them in another. For example, I have phlomis russeliana that grew too big in my garden - I split some off, and brought it to my huge 15 acre restoration garden, it is now getting too big there and so bits have been split off and will be brought to one of my other gardens! (I hate to confess that the original plant in my garden came from a few seeds that I 'acquired' from a public garden when I was a young and impressionable amateur.....the shame.......) Forget me nots are quite often transported from garden to garden by the bucket load, as are asters and the like. I will only do this if I know that there are no pernicious weeds however - I have a couple of gardens that have marestails and ground elder respectively, so would never transfer plants from either of them - far too risky!! My clients really appreciate the freebies, and I am satisfied that nothing is wasted.