@EvergreenMike is acting in true enabler fashion by sharing his experiences with Richters Herbs. I checked out their site, and they have a wide selection of herb plants available in quantity. (http://garden.org/thread/view_... )

Please check out Richters at https://www.richters.com/Web_s...

If you see something you like and are interested in a 12-pack, post it here before 10-Jul-2016. At that point, we can look at who wants what and put a group order together in time for the fall swap on 10-Sep-2016.

I see things I like but would rather have just 3 or 6 of... so if one or more people want to split a 12-pack with me, that would be great!

Rick, please note that this isn't a final order, just a list of things that caught my eye... if I need to take 12 of a kind, I'll have to pare down the list!

I grew a number of hybrid mints some years ago, and I see they still carry my favorite Jim Westerfield hybrid 'Candy Lime'. I've got plenty of Chocolate Mint (peppermint) and Kentucky Colonel Spearmint to share, and I have a pretty healthy little clump of variegated Pineapple Mint going, too. I'll try to get some rooted starts from my Rose Petal Thyme and

Mints I'd like:
'Candy Lime'
Ginger Mint
'Hillary's Sweet Lemon' (a bit harsh but strong lemon scent/flavor, also the toughest of the "fancy" hybrids I grew)

Thymes:
T. praecox 'Purple Carpet Lemon'
'Nutmeg' thyme
'Lavender' thyme
'Orange Spice' Thyme.

Lavender - any that are hardy to zone 5/6. Can't have too many lavenders!

Saving spot - agree with Jill re splitting 12 pks. Mike do you gave a guesstimate as to how many 'plugs' would = a 4" container?

Saving spot - I've been wanting to fill in the gaps of my stepping stone steps with thymes, and going this plug route seems a good fit. I'll need to figure out how many plugs I should get to fill in the crack for each step - they are each about 3 to 4 feet wide but the crack itself is only a few inches. I can definitely use full 12 packs and/or fill up some 12 packs for those who only want 3 or so. Will also need to figure out which thymes to get - the Richter's site doesn't give heights. I like Mike's description of the rose petal thyme but don't know how tall it will get, and I saw one description for Lemon Carpet and Purple Carpet Lemon that indicated low mounding. I can also go in on 3 plants of some of the mints that people are interested in to help fill up 12 packs of those.

Rose Petal thyme gets about as high as English thyme, 6 to 8 inches... probably not what you want for stepping stones, although nice along the edge of a path. Even if you get a lot of plugs, I'd suggest propagating them in window box planters (like the dollar store ones) so you have a solid mat to cut into strips and plant (think "sod")... otherwise, you'll spend a whole lot of time weeding until it fills in.

It would help to know how many 12 packs fit into a 1020 nursery flat, in order to judge size. Given the plug size of the plants, I'm wondering a little if it would be better to get these in spring so they have a chance to increase in size before winter. ?

I just looked again at the plug pack page and noted that "plug packs are produced in spring for shipping in April / May." I think Rick was initially looking at the trays, which are grown "to order" and available throughout the season... but those are even smaller plants, and I'd want to give them time to grow before winter too. They'd probably do fine in a cool greenhouse, but I haven't had much luck babying herb starts under lights in my basement.

Rick, you might also give them a call and see if they can estimate shipping... also, since they are in Canada, we need to know who would bear the cost if plants are seized at the border (unlikely) or delayed long enough that they arrive in bad shape.

I don't mean to sound like a wet blanket... I love the idea of a Richters order and want it to go smoothly.

For the Canada thing, I did see on their website that they have no problems with US orders and generally ship from their Buffalo location. At least that is what I think I read when I was perusing the web site late last night - who knows what my actual comprehension level is in those conditions LOL. For fall shipping and growing out, I don't know - I'll let the herb experts figure that one out Haven't got much experience at all with herbs - have only grown a few herbs, and those being in pots, in all my gardening years...

Great idea, Mike! I love herbs!

Here's a different idea.

First, here's the info from their site on shipping:

About delivery.
- Seeds are generally shipped by lettermail; plants, plug packs and plug trays by UPS, Canpar or Xpresspost in Canada, and UPS or air freight in the U.S.; and all other items such as books, dried herbs, gardening supplies, posters, and videos by surface mail or UPS.
- Rush orders can be shipped by courier at cost if paid by credit card; mark "RUSH".
- Seasonal items, such as bulbs, tubers, rootlets, mushroom kits, should be ordered early. For example, "fall" items should be ordered by July, "spring" items by March.
- We cannot ship perishable items, such as plants, bulbs, etc. until our weather permits. This may not coincide with the season elsewhere: in parts of British Columbia or the United States, for example. Because of sheer volume in spring, some plant orders may not be shipped until early June. If you wish to specify an earlier shipping date on your order, we will try to accommodate you, but we cannot guarantee that date.
- Most plant and plug tray shipments to U.S. destinations will be shipped from Buffalo, NY. We take care of all customs fees and paperwork free-of-charge. All U.S. plant shipments are government inspected and come with a phytosanitary certificate provided free-of-charge.

Thinking about our past couple of winters, fall ordering probably isn't the best time. Instead, how about we collect our thoughts over the next several months. When we have the winter seed swap in January, finalize the order and send it in no later than mid-February 2017, with a delivery date around the 1st of May 2017. This will give everyone a chance to consider what they want for where. And when we have the spring swap, we distribute the plants.

Additional thoughts?

Rick, sounds perfect to me

@RickM & @critterologist - smart cookies you both are! Also wonder if it ends up being a large enough order if they'd kindly give a discount of some type - even on shipping.

totally missed the bit on shipping out of Buffalo - that definitely helps with logistics! glad they cover the phyto, too... the certificate for the roses was $25, same cost whether I wanted 1 rose or 100.

I like the idea of a spring order! Meanwhile, we can turn our attention to bulbs for fall planting... I don't mind running the spreadsheets but would like volunteers to help with invoicing (an August job) and packing (September). I'll try to get a thread up over the weekend.

Jill - I could help with packing

I have 2 VERY OLD lavender plants, but I do not know how to propagate them. I tried from 3 cuttings, put them in water in a glass, but neither of them took!

I think lavender cuttings do better stuck in moist potting mix rather than trying to root them in water. I haven't made a serious attempt with lavender or rosemary cuttings... I've seen posts, though, about people successfully rooting them with mist or bubbler systems.

Thank you Jill, I just saw this. I will try.