are plants more expensive in summer?

[NotAnEMERGENCY]

We've recently moved and have a new garden. I'm itching to re-vamp the borders but want to sort out the soil first. This could take me quite a while (judging by past experience) so I need to wait before I start buying plants, otherwise I'll have loads standing around with nowhere to go.

I was having a look round a garden centre today (just for inspiration) and I had to exercise a lot of self-restraint not to buy things!

As it's still early in the year, a lot of the plants I'm interested in haven't really 'got going' yet. I wonder if this means the prices are still relatively low. Once they have nicer foliage and are flowering, will the garden centres put their prices up?

The sorts of things I'm thinking of are Cistus, hardy geraniums, Lavatera, Liriope muscari, Vinca, Aubrieta, Viburnum, Penstemon, Festuca glauca, Dianthus, Phlox subulata, Carex oshimensis...

It's much cheaper to buy things now. Later in the year they are bigger and in larger pots. The downside to buying them now is that the slugs & snails can eat them in one night!

However at this time of year you won't have to water them.

You get a really good choice of the perennials in the smaller pots this time of year. Hence they are cheaper. You obviously are an experienced gardener judging by your plant knowledge. They will soon grow and after a season you can divide things like hardy geraniums. Don't know whether you've got a spare bit of ground somewhere to put a cold frame or even better a greenhouse? I have both now and they're great for raising plants from seeds and cuttings. I have massively increased my stock of penstemons through cuttings and loads of stuff from seed, foxgloves, grasses, aquilegia, hollyhocks, giant scabious, fennel, etc.etc. I love any fom of gardening, such a lovely hobby!! What a treat to have a whole new border to plan - enjoy!!!!

Nothing to add but if you're looking for bargains in the spring/summer Morrisons have some brilliant prices. Ours sets up a garden centre outside

Well sized plants and decent selection of evergreen/ perennial/ bedding/ climbers/ bee-friendly specimens.

Our local independent garden centre is selling 1.5 litre pot shrubs 5 for £10 at the moment, which is super cheap. At this time of year, you could also buy summer bulbs which are loads cheaper than the same plants later in the year. Today, I bought a load of bare root hardy geraniums in wilkos and summer bulbs (nerines, gladioli, freesia, lupins and agapanthus) for bargain prices.

Thanks for the useful tips! I'd better get round to sorting out the border then...

Morrisons is the go-to place for plants IMO. They don't have a big selection this time of year, but ours is stacked out like a mini garden centre in their car park come summer. Everything is pretty cheap, and because they have a high turnover, they are getting new stuff in all the time and reducing things they've only had on display for a few days. I've had some fantastic bargains from there.

@Yamadori did you buy any of Morrison's perennials last year? I did - very cheaply - and went to have a look at them yesterday. They're not looking very well🙁

Why not buy a few plants in bigger pots now and spilt them? One large perennial can usually be split to make three smaller ones. Which will then grow to fit the pots in time for you to plant them out. Even better, you'll be able to plant in larger groups of the same plant, which always looks better.

Knittedfairies I didn't go for herbaceous perennials in Morrisons last year, but shrubs and annuals. Perennials tend to look a bit sorry for themselves at this time of year anyway so give it a few weeks yet.

I've never had any problems with plants from Morrisons ,yesterday I bought some trays of bizzie lizzies ( £2 for 6 ) and hanging fuschia.

But I think it varies from Morrisons to Morrisons - some are better looked after than others .

Last year I got teeny plug plants from Aldi that did v well .

yes usually cheaper now, especially as bare rooted plants are available (+they usually do much better than potted plants)

brownelephant what plants come bare rooted ? I'm thinking wallflowers but wondering what else I might look out for/want .

many shrubs.
roses, berry bushes...

oh ,of course ! I was focussing on bedding plants .Doh!

lametta I've bought bare root hardy geraniums from wilkos this week.

I am going against the grain of advising new things. Herbaceous perennials won’t be showing themselves yet, so there might be all sorts of treasures waiting to grow. Also get a feel of where the sun sits during the day.