Where do you get your plants from?

[AradiaQueenWitch]

We have a new house and want to do loads to the garden but no idea where to get the plants from. We have a Wyvale and a couple of independents near but also don't want to spend a fortune. DH reckons the Internet but I want to see things before we buy them. What do you think?

[MummyBtothree]

Wyvale are very expensive. What kind of plants do you mean?

[AradiaQueenWitch]

I had thought as much, it's the being able to see them before buying that appeals really. We are looking for shrubs and flowers for pots but I am a total gardening novice and have no clue what I'm looking for/at!

[CrazyOldBagLady]

Depends what kind of plants you are into, but I have found a lot more going on at independent garden centres than your average B&Q, prices can be fairly comparable however.

If you want some bargains then keep your eye on places like Aldi and Lidl and Wilkos as they have some bargains. Lidl were selling all sorts of clematis for £1.99 last week near me, and fruit trees for a fiver. Aldi are good for bedding plants and hanging basket plants and seeds usually. I got some asparagus from Wilko that were a lot cheaper than other places, and a couple of pear trees for less than ten pounds.

If you have a Morrisons near by I would recommend a visit, they usually have smaller plants for a couple of quid, but obviously they will take time to grow. I have had a bunch of stuff for a couple of quid from spring perenials to small shrubs to fruit bushes.

The B&Q near me have what me and OH call the 'crispy section' where they sell plants that are end of line or have drooped a bit in the hot sunshine. They will sell plants off from 10p-£2 depending on what sort of plant they are. I have had many a bargain from here. Lots of herbs, strawberries and small shrubs.

The absolute best to do for a low cost garden is bug your friends and family for anything they can spare. A lot of plants get overgrown and people will probably give you a clump with roots or some cuttings and be thankful you are taking them off their hands. You can always buy seeds too of course and grow your own.

If you have patience and can wait a couple of years for the 'established' garden look, you can do it very cheaply.

If you give us some ideas of the things you like I am sure we can give you more specific advice.

[florentina1]

Internet plants can be very hit and miss. They are often much smaller than they appear in the catalogue and require a lot of nurturing. Not easy if you are working.

Last year I planted two climbing roses one from Aldi and one 5 times the price. The more expensive one is growing much better than the cheaper one, but you have to have patience with lower priced shrubs.

For medium prices try places like BQ or Homebase. I would buy two or three larger things that you really,like from a specialist nursery, preferably independent. Then fill the gaps with lower priced ones. Also annual seed, are good as well as bulbs for a quick result this year. They can be planted from mid April to June.

Big seeds tend to be much hardier and give a quick result. They are cheap, Will self seed and as you get more money you can use the space when they die back for other plants.

Be wary of bedding plants if you are at work, because slugs and lack of water can decimate your plants very quickly. If you do choose bedding for pots then place them them in the shadier part of your garden until they get established if the weather is hot.

Keep an eye on shrubs you plant, to ensure that they don't dry out.

[PotteringAlong]

Local markets can be good too - we often have people selling plants at ours.

[MyNightWithMaud]

All of the above, plus the sales table at open gardens (look up the National Gardens Scheme), school fetes and the local horticultural society.

[Thisismyfirsttime]

I just bought a load of plants for our (small, concrete so plants in plant box things drilled to the fence and hanging baskets) garden in Ikea! Just green, low maintenance leafy ones and they were £1-£5 each!

[NerrSnerr]

My mini rose that I bought from Poundland about 7 years ago is still going strong!

[cleanmachine]

We planted some poundland Roses last year which are doing well.

[echt]

When in the UK did a lot of end-of-season/sad plants shopping at Homebase. Also a good source of potshards, which are given away free.

Here in Au the Sunday/Rotary markets are a treasure trove of cheap plants and veggies and massive. There must be some in the UK, but when I left about 10 years ago, they didn't really feature, or at least not in in London.

[Bunbaker]

I live on the edge of the Pennines and go to a very windy and exposed independent nursery up in the hills. If plants can survive up there they will survive in my garden.

[Redhead11]

We get the majority of our plants from Lidl. We did get some stuff over the internet on an Amazon offer, but i wouldn't do that regularly. We have also had some nice bulbs from pound shops, too. Supermarkets often have nice stuff and an independent garden centre is often better than a chain. Dobbies, for example, can have some quite nice stuff, but it is often very expensive for all it is.

[itsnothingoriginal]

I buy most of my shrubs and have bought trees from Wyevale - I get a lot of vouchers with the gardening club card. I also buy lots when they have a sale from there as just a bit pot bound usually.

Morrisons for bedding plants and also got some from Sainsburys today. I have bought shrubs from supermarkets but agree they usually need more looking after and some take ages to establish..

Interesting to hear Aldi/Lidl plants are ok as I've seen some bargains in there!