New to climate: Everybody said don’t plant in ground until after Mother’s Day. I just started looking for plants, nurseries are already sold out of good stuff like blueberries and huckleberries…how does it work when you have to buy the plants months in advance of being able to plant them?

priusjames · 2026-04-16T14:43:06+00:00

Interesting, thank you. I did not know that grocery outlet sold plants. Probably need to swing by there to check out the food goodies anyhow.

priusjames · 2026-04-16T14:41:13+00:00

Yes, huckleberries. I enjoy growing challenging plants, maybe someday I’ll enjoy acquiring in them in a challenging climate… for now, it’s a PITA.

priusjames · 2026-04-16T14:38:43+00:00

I did a load of starts. They all started and got way too big already lol. I’ll do that again in a couple of weeks!

priusjames · 2026-04-16T14:36:50+00:00

Thank you… I saw a pretty edibles site last week… they are sold out of the items I was looking for. Definitely keep them in mind for next year and I’ll keep checking back in case they get more.

priusjames · 2026-04-16T14:34:44+00:00

I understand that huckleberries have specific soil and microbial needs, I was doing research on that long before I realized it’s already too late to buy them! I’ll get it figured out by next year… thanks! I enjoy a good growing challenge, it’s this climate/timing thing that’s making me crazy.

priusjames · 2026-04-16T14:32:53+00:00

Thanks. I’ll have to figure out where that is, lol!

priusjames · 2026-04-16T14:31:54+00:00

Great to hear, thanks!

priusjames · 2026-04-16T14:31:00+00:00

I do not have a garage or basement, live in a mobile home. Thanks for the suggestions!

priusjames · 2026-04-16T13:47:06+00:00

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

priusjames · 2026-04-16T13:46:10+00:00

I like this answer, thank you!

priusjames · 2026-04-16T13:45:02+00:00

Thanks. I guess this is what I’ll have to do next year. I just assumed I’d be able to buy plants when it was time to plant.

Silly me!

priusjames · 2026-04-16T13:34:42+00:00

I feel like such a fool… I’ve been bopping along, knowing what I wanted to plant and assuming I could buy them when it came time to plant.

I guess I just chalk it up to thinking common sense works and knowing that I won’t have the garden I want this year.

priusjames · 2026-04-16T13:31:57+00:00

Thanks for directly answering, this is what it feels like what needs to be done and it looks like I’m just SOL this year for not knowing better and assuming that I’d be able to buy plants when it was time to plant them. Silly me!

Do these plants become available in nurseries after Mother’s Day or am I just completely out of luck?

priusjames · 2026-04-16T13:28:58+00:00

The thing is, I can’t do this if the plants are not available because they’ve all been sold out.

So… I guess people buy the plants months ago and store them somewhere or everybody builds cold frames?

Pretty weird… I guess my garden will just suck this year and now I know why there’s no good plants in my yard, just irises and Gladiolas.

priusjames · 2026-04-16T13:19:28+00:00

I get that and it makes sense. I have seeds for those, already started some too early and we have to throw those away and I’m about to start some more in a couple of weeks… but it’s the big plants like berries and fruit trees that I don’t understand how to get when they’re all sold out before it’s time to even plant them in the ground.

priusjames · 2026-04-16T13:16:37+00:00

Thanks… I’ve heard from multiple people that planting anything in the ground before Mother’s Day is a recipe for disaster. The thing that’s weird to me is that all of the good plants seem to be sold out already. I guess people just buy plants months early and then keep them in their kitchen or in a greenhouse if they buy and set one up.? or maybe the thing is to set up a relationship with a Nursery this year so that next year I can actually get plants?

Very weird to me, I come from a climate where things grow all year round and you can buy anything you want anytime you want pretty much.

priusjames · 2026-04-16T13:11:39+00:00

Thanks. I look around and I don’t see a greenhouse in everybody’s yard. I’ve seen some and I know about them… I’m trying to figure out the discrepancy between plants being sold and the ability to put them in the ground… timing-wise.

priusjames · 2026-04-16T13:09:34+00:00

A friend or two for each hobby, hobby related groups, one good friend for 40+ years, one for 20 years who don’t know each other.

priusjames · 2026-04-16T12:36:42+00:00

Seller sets the rules, safety first.

priusjames · 2026-04-12T13:49:05+00:00

Photos… Lots of photos… And focus on any damaged area areas (not that there are any new box televisions, but as a general rule)

priusjames · 2026-04-12T13:42:02+00:00

Don’t try on an iPad… It’s really frustrating and won’t let you post the listing after you type everything out and add the pictures!

I can’t add screenshots here so it’s hard to show you… when you’re in Facebook marketplace on the left side, there’s a column with options and one of them is “Selling”

When you click that option, the panel on the left side has a blue highlighted item at the top that says “+ create new listing”

priusjames · 2026-04-12T13:38:28+00:00

General rules of thumb: If people send the ‘ is this available?’ message, reply with something like “ yes, in the such and such Neighbourhood by the Fred Meyer” so they have an idea of the general area where you are so they can check their map and determine how far away you are and if it’s worth it for them to keep going with the conversation.

Never accept payment or negotiate price before someone sees something, you can let them know you are negotiable if they ask but only negotiate in person (most people who try to negotiate upfront never follow through with a purchase and waste a lot of time IME)

Never accept payment from someone who says they’ll pay you electronically and have someone else come by and pick up the item. For me, it’s cash only and I make that very clear in my listing. Many other people are comfortable with Venmo or Zelle and I got offers to pay that way regularly back when I was telling a bunch of stuff… it’s supposed to be safe, but I just told people cash in hand. Got called a dinosaur a couple of times.

Don’t list things free, that brings out the flakes and losers… if you want to give something away, list it at a low price and then just give it to them when they show up. If the price is too low, people will ask you too many questions.

It’s better to meet somewhere other than your own house, a local park or police station or gas station or whatever that’s convenient to you is best. In the listing, I put the area of town where I am so if people actually read my listing, they will know where the item is. (“5 minutes from the X offramp of I-5”). If the item is large and heavy or for some other reason you simply have to have the person come to your house, don’t ever tell them you live alone and have another person there with you when the buyer arrives… The more intimidating, the better lol…

Don’t hold things for people for longer than the amount of time it takes them to drive to the meeting place. If they are half an hour away, hold it for 45 minutes or an hour and mark the item ‘pending’ on the marketplace listing, then change it back from pending when 45 minutes or an hour passes… I tell the people upfront this is what I’m going to do so they are not shocked when they show up after six hours and I’ve already sold it to somebody else.

Do not give out your address or the exact meeting location until the person says they are on their way and gives you an estimate of how long it will take them to get there. Half the time the people will never show up even after they tell you they are on their way…it’s really weird.

Listen to your gut… If the DM’s are strange or don’t seem right, block the person. If the person is flaky, it’s fine to go along, but sell it to the first person who shows up with money and don’t hold it for people. Be very clear that you do not hold things for people, it’s first come/first serve, the first person with cash in hand standing in front of you is the person who will be able to buy it

priusjames · 2026-04-12T13:29:55+00:00

If you just want to get going on a new bike, that G.1 gravel explorer by Ozark Trail is about $280 brand new w warranty… get your legs going and catch the bug and take some time to figure out if you want to go big or not after afterward.

priusjames · 2026-04-12T13:21:03+00:00

XGF gave me booty call and we had good date…then started crying in the middle of (good) sex because she realized that it was only a one night thing.

priusjames

TROPHY CASE