Getting the jump on material before it's trashed

Hey everybody, driving around and going past a landscaping company ripping out 50+ year old bushes made me think that there has to be a way to catch that material before it's trashed. So I thought I would share a little technique I have tried to catch people before they go ripping out established bushes to make way for new landscaping. I posted a listing on craigslist and on the local branch of the yahoo group called freecycle asking that if people are considering a change in landscaping that they let me come by and look at what they have to possibly remove it for free if I can use it. I have had everything from someone with a few bushes to one couple that was going to be removing 17 yew and other mixed hedge material. So it seems people are receptive to it. I will hopefully be collecting some soon and will post pictures of anything that shows some promise.

My wife thinks I'm nuts, but when I see stuff I like that looks out of place (or sometimes even when it looks like they want it where it is), I just go knock on the door. Most people really aren't that attached to the hedge material they have around the yard especially when it has dead spots and the like.

The notion I haven't followed up, but intend to shortly is working with some of my contacts to find out the property listings where demolition permits have been issued. And many demolition permits have thirty day hold periods as well. I suspect the rules are much the same from local to local. You could do the same for building permits, but a lot of that is just additions, etc. so you'll end up with a lot of properties that aren't actually impacting existing material.

You should also check nurseries with landscape crews. When they redo properties they often remove the existing hedge material and then they throw it in a trash pile at the nursery. There are several in our back yard that do that. Much of it survives or is in surprisingly good condition. That said, much of it is just junk to.

Yes, and because Tamarind seeds get spat out so much, I actually walk up the trash heaps and collect seedlings.
You can also offer to replace a potential with something better. Did this with a rosemary plant for which I gave a double formed snow rose.

Most folk on my side respond very well to someone offering an exchange, instead of something for nothing. A couple of bottles of my fruit wine also works as well.
Khaimraj