We had a lot of editing to do in our home when we moved here a few years ago. One thing I did not have the heart to just toss was a large Rhododendron, so I decided to place a freebie ad in the buy and sell paper. I had the approval of at least one neighbour, who said, "You're not going to cut down that Rhodo, are you?" when she was walking by with her dog as we were cutting down some trees. I told her not to worry, as I had plans to find a new owner for it. Although the bush was large, the root system loosened easily when we dug around it and we knew it could transport easily in the back of a truck.
The response to our ad was surprising, as we had many calls. We even had a call from a number south of the border, in Washington state. The lucky new owner was a builder, and wanted new landscaping for his place. He showed up with a bunch of friends armed with shovels, and a flatbed thing to haul it away. (it came out with little effort)
So, if you have something you don't want, do consider passing it on. Many people told me that nobody was going to want such a large thing, but they were wrong. We got free space to start over with in the garden, and the builder got a free Rhodo!
(I'll try to post a picture)
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Dawn...
That rhodo was indeed a beauty. I'm so glad you found a good home for it. Recycling is truly a way of life for me and I love to see it spread.
Another outlet for unwanted plants is your local Garden Club. Most of them are on the web or in the Community section of your local paper. Their members would come to the house and do all the hard work.
Most clubs have a plant sale in early spring - soon, Yay!! They use the proceeds from these sales to carry on their club activities and to contribute to the bursaries many of them give to local Horticulture students.
Enjoy your new flowerbed space -saves digging up the lawn -- for now...
That was a very good idea to give it away. It is beautiful. I am sure the new owner is very happy.
pink rhododendron