Free Perennials
So long as we are talking about non profit property beautification, here is an outstanding method for obtaining a large and diverse amount of useful perrenials for your permanent flower plantings . . . ABSOLUTELY FREE !
By their very nature, most perennial flowers, as well as ornamental grasses, NEED to be divided every few years. Many of them overgrow the space they were intended for, and sometimes people just simply want to get rid of them for one reason or another. It has always amazed me to see how many perfectly good, desirable plants are discarded by homeowners every year, many taken to our landfills even, which is a travesty!
All you have to do is ask! Put together a promotion . . . make it an event . . . or just simply offer to have a volunteer go to someone's home to "divide" their plants for free (if need be). Often people are willing to pay to have the work done, and you then get the double benefit of obtaining the leftover divisions that they no longer want.
All you have to do is decide how you want to promote the "request" . . . and then ask ! You can go large scale by using the newspaper, or smaller scale and getting word out to local churches. Gardening clubs or organizations are another source and don't overlook the possibility that your local store may have plants that they will discard.
It is very important to remember that many perennials and ornamental grasses NEED to be divided, whether the owner had thought of it or intended to do so . . . or not. Not to suggest that you should be pushy, but good promotion and clear communication could harvest a great reward!
