"You Can't Do That !"- Breaking the rules (flower, growing)

[no kudzu]

I had a new gardening friend over touring my garden. he saw my blue star amsonia and remarked "Oh that's pretty but it is next to impossible to move". I recovered in time not to laugh but I did explain to him that the 30-40 plants I have in my garden were all dug up from my Atlanta garden and brought to the new NC garden. Didn't lose a single plant.

Started me thinking about other happy "mistakes" I've made in my 45+ years of gardening.

i once found a tree- unidentified_ sticking out of the top of the dumpster at my favorite nursery. When I inquired what it was and why it was in the trash i was told it was sent to them in error, would never grow in Atlanta and i could have it if I wanted it. It was still in the growers pot. Not too proud to dumpster dive for a bargain i brought it home and planted it. 30 years later is is healthy, huge and still unidentified.

Somehow or another I have a rose and an azalea growing and thriving and blooming side by side in one flower beds. oopsie!!!

I have blooming healthy plants in the shade which are known to need full sun and vice versa.

What "mistakes" have you had success with?

[karen_in_nh_2012]

I wish I knew enough about gardening to know which mistakes aren't "fatal"!

I am about to plant my front-yard flower beds ... FINALLY!!! ... planned to in 2013, then 2014, and now I am determined to get them done this year. (I actually came online to post in the garden forum as of course I have a zillion questions!)

Hope others chime in with their "non-fatal" mistakes!

[no kudzu]

Karen- you are in for some fun. Get yourself to your local Extension Office Site(Department of Agriculture) and you will find lots of information about what grows best in your area. Learn your zone, the sun's pattern for your yard and you'll be able to know what to plant where.
I'm all the time trying new perennials and I keep em moving through out the garden. A friend told me my plants were on roller skates. Sometimes I keep them in the pot or put in a bigger nursery pot, sink it in the garden to see if I or it like it there. Most of us learn the best lessons from trial and error.