HARD CHOICES

After many, many hours perusing catalogs I have narrowed down my choices to $500 worth of plants. Trouble is I have given myself a budget of $300.

I buy online because I can get exactly what I want; leaving my choices on colour and plant up to this whims of my local Rona garden centre manager is just something I cannot do. Not with Sun, Moon and Monet colour-themed gardens.

Vesey's Wish List

I have $270 on my Vesey's list and $212 on my Breck's list. I like Breck's lifetime plant guarantee, so I would favour them but Vesey's has the better selection.

Breck's Wish List

Now is time to make the tough choices:

• Vesey's, you say your "Sunglow Crocosmia" is good to zone 3, but I dare not believe since every other Crocosmia says zone 5. 
• Saved $50.

• Ordering online is best for bulbs and plants I am unlikely to find locally: goodbye Leonora Tradescantia & Grecian Rose.
• Saved $15 & $30 respectively.

• Little Blue Wonder Sea Holly: I cannot be sure if you will get enough sun. Reduced from 3 to 1.
•  Saved $16.

• "Garden Emotion" and "Hot Summer": last year my coneflowers were all nibbled by rabbits and never bloomed. I will not throw good money after bad no matter how stunning you look in the cataolgue.
• Saved $26.

• I should not over-invest in a plant that is untested in my garden; so long Mauve Younique Phlox. Reduced white Hardy Geranium from 9 to 3!
• Saved $9 & $13 respectively.

<I submitted my Breck's order while writing this: the rest of the savings must come from Vesey's>

• Virginia Blue Bells: true you are blue and you bloom in the shade, but I have always found you expensive for 'oversized bluebells'. Reduced from 6 to 4.
• Saved $6

• Pam's Choice: surely I can find white Foxglove locally? Hedge my bets, reduced 6 to 3.
• Saved $15

• Discovered separate shipping charge for seeds with Veseys' ($6). Cancel Nasturtium seed order.
• Saved: $9.

• Dalmatian Peach Foxglove: Perfect colour but I do not have room for 6 of you. Reduced to 3.
• Saved $15.

There you have it, I have cut $204 from my initial bill.  Do you recognize this struggle as something you also face each year when ordering your plants online: dreams bigger than budget?

<15 minutes later>
Oops.
I went to purchase my Vesey's order when I realized my coupon was for saving $100 with a $200 order.  I had to backtrack and add items back again until I hit $200!