What I don't grow myself, I buy and why

Space can really dictate what and how much you grow.  Face it, if you don't have a light set up to help things along, you will probably have leggy seedlings and few leaves.  Some plants you can clean up and bring the pots in for the winter and they will suffer a bit, but will bounce back with a little time and gentle acclimation to the outdoors in spring...if you have a sunny space to keep them in for six months or more.  

I have the light table, a heat mat (I want at least one more), and a space to keep it all where a little water on the floor doesn't matter.  Still, I choose to purchase some things in May rather than grow them myself.

1. Anything that requires 12 or more weeks to germinate and grow before going outdoors.  These plants grow too slowly, want lots of heat, and breed fungus gnats like you wouldn't believe.  So not worth my time and effort to start lisianthus from seed, but I will search it out and buy it as plants.  Heliotrope is another plant that I try but I rather buy it.  Onions are the exception because they go out early even though they are started in February.
2. Plants I only want one of.  Mint for mojitos, rosemary, lemon verbena, and other herbs that are annual fit this category.  
3. I also will buy some 4" pots of flowers such as tuberous begonias, Angelonia, Agapanthus, and various other plants that are new introductions that are just to pretty to pass up.  If it makes me look twice and take a look at the tag, I tend to try it out.
4. Impatiens I will go and buy a flat of the color that strikes my fancy for the year (usually light pinkies for the shade).  They need heat, they grow slow, they just are never that good coming from my hands in the home greenhouse.  Buying someone else's never disappoints me.
5. Things I could do from cuttings, but just got tired of growing.  Sometimes you  just want to switch things up.  After a few years away, I purchase a new plant and propagate again.  I get to try out new stuff and come back to the old reliable standbys.

There are also things like shrubs and trees which just take longer to grow from the ground up than I care to wait for.  I enjoy getting into other greenhouses and seeing what they are up to.  Going to other growers is also a time to exchange ideas and talk about the weather.  There are some small operations that I really like so I like to give them some business each year.  I also like to see who has what.  Inevitably, someone will ask me where I would go for...and I like to know where I can send them that might also be someone other than the big box stores.

Some people like to grow everything and become self-sufficient.  I am not one of those people. I enjoy my community.  I like to support the business people that are also interested in the neighborhood, not just make a buck.  Remember, we are all in this together.