Freecycle Gardening

My friend Lucinda invited me over to take some plants from her garden - she is repainting her garage and so needed to clear out some space, plus some of the plants needed dividing. By the end of my afternoon, I had filled our truck full of hostas, bleeding hearts, irises, Solomon's seal, wild roses, hydrangeas and columbine. She was pragmatic and rather ruthless, cutting them out and housing them in whatever was handy - garbage bags, cement buckets, old plant pots. We watered them and she waved goodbye as I rushed my new friends home.
Last night I planted the shade lovers and the more delicate specimens in a so-called 'bed' I had sort of started last year, but to be honest I wasn't ready for the number of plants she so graciously gave me. I had expected a couple, not dozens. Today most of them seem to be holding on. The rest I've had to keep in their containers on our shaded front porch and hope they last... we've had raging high winds today and I didn't think the plants could withstand that kind of shock (coming as they had from a well-groomed, peaceful back yard).
It made me think, however, how amazing it is to grow enough of something that you can give it away to someone who will be so happy for it (this would include dividing plants and also extra produce from the veggie garden) and how the history of gardening is ALL about the freecycling... getting clippings or bulbs or divisions from family and friends, handing over your own treasured specimans. Once you put them in the soil that you've kept healthy with your homegrown compost, you're pretty much set. It doesn't have to be expensive to have a garden, once you've hooked up with other gardeners - there seems to be a lot of pride in trading or giving away plants that have been lovingly tended. And the opportunities for heirloom or out-of-favour specimans is unlimited - far better than the uniform trays of plants that you and everyone else is offered at Home Depot or a big-box gardening centre.
With a little bartering or freecycling, it is possible to create a unique and lush garden without going broke.