They say that confession is good for the soul, so here goes. I'm sharing this with you so maybe I can prevent you from making the same mistake. For some of you planners, you're probably well past the point of help, or maybe, you just have more self control. I have made 14 orders in the past few months. I'm ashamed. In my defense, I started with nothing--no seeds, dahlias, bulbs, corms, etc. I'm attributing these orders to start-up costs for my new vegetable and cutting garden.
I also wanted to get experience with and scope out the different companies and share my experiences--checkout my seed video for more information on my seed orders (mind you, it doesn't include the more recent acquisitions--Home Depot point of sale purchases, Blue Spice Basil (needed some filler for my anticipated bouquets), Benary's Giant Lilac Zinnia (I was afraid all my mixes would be yellow--I know, crazy), Queen Lime Orange Zinnia (sold out everywhere but I finally found this holy grail), Lemon Basil (see Blue Spice Basil above)).
I have, indeed, officially caught the gardening addiction...er... bug. So I tallied up the shipping on all these orders. Drum roll please... 47.70. Okay... that's bad, but I honestly thought it would be worse. What "saved" me was the fact many of my orders were so big that I "earned" free shipping. Of course, my favorite place to shop for seeds is with Baker Creek (rareseeds.com) they have FREE shipping AND send you a free seed packet. They have earned my business, I will be a customer for life.
For those newbies like me... I warn you... keep off YouTube. There are too many influencers with favorites that will become your next obsession (that's how I got Soldacki tomatoes, dahlias x 31 (I've never grown one, never mind 31), and the entire Queen Lime Series of zinnias--I thank all my enablers; you know who you are. And of course those glossy seed and gardening catalogs show up on my doorstep nearly every day--extreme eye candy and I have one helluva a sweet tooth! And forget about talking to fellow gardeners--I was on the phone with my sister last night talking dahlias and by the end of the conversaton I had purchased 18 more.
I suppose I could have much worse addictions. Buying "necessary" gardening supplies, plants and seeds doesn't hurt anything...well maybe my pocketbook a little. However, when I think of the enjoyment and hours I spent shopping, reading, researching, and watching YouTube, I feel the cost is not only justified for the health of my sanity (especially during this pandemic), but a bargain to boot! Can you every really put a price on sound mental health?
Of course, the next adrenaline rush is the arrival of said goodies. When I hear Stella barking signifying the arrival of the "brown truck", my heart starts to race a little. I grab for the scissors and my hands shake in anticipation. I rustle through the packing materials to find the treasures hidden inside. I ooh and ahh over them like a new born baby. And like a new baby, they signify hope for the future. So if you need an enabler for your next purchase, look no further--I'm here--ready, willing, and able.