Gardening and Learning How to get "Free" or Lost Cost Plants

I've be gardening for quite a long time, I remember my first plant was a Zebra plant, which I killed because in my enthusiasm I re potted it and immediately fertilized it, and all the trauma just KILLED it. I was upset but it didn't stop my energy and the delight growing things gives me. I have had gardens almost everywhere I have lived including when I was lucky enough to live in Manhattan, I was fortunate enough to live in a brownstone on the Upper West .

This shot, taken in the beginning of Winter. New York City can have the toughest winters, especially with all the wind from, the taller building. But It's a delight to visit NYC in the Spring ,Summer, and Fall. As the NYC has some of the best weather that is so conducive for the most lovely gardens I have witnessed. (London is another city that blooms in all of its glory)

Summer in the City.. with Sally (my first JR) and Otto my handsome Dachshund.

Getting back to getting free or low cost plants, One way to do this is to find seeds from your existing plants. I showed you how to harvest seeds from Periwinkles, now there's another plant that is super expensive in the store, The Thryallis

Thryallis are lovely little bushes that can be trained to grow into little trees. Withstand Florida's winters and pop right back in the Spring with lovely yellow blooms. The only kick about them is that they are very expensive.  The smallest bush you'll find will be at least 6 USD dollars and the middle size varies from 12-15 dollars. Yeah right.  Well I had to have it, back around 6 years ago I pluck down 13.00 for a midsized bush and little did I know that at the end of Summer the lovely little yellow blooms dry into seeds. Seeds that are easy to grow!

Now I have more Thryallis that I have given away from seed and replanted around my yard

This is what the seeds look like at the end of Summer 

I always plant them in a container to control the growth,

Then when they have a set of three or more leaves I transplant them into individual containers to let them flourish during the summer under or around a bush for shelter. I plant them when I want some hedges or little plants that will grow into moderate sized hedging